This is the baseline discussing the hot button topics of the NBA. Welcome everybody your tune to the baseline. Cali warrnt Shaw discussing the hot button topics of the NBA. Just because the championship has been awarded to a team doesn't mean the NBA still ain't got no steam. We are fresh direct into the off season, and the NBA just does not disappoint with all of the news and all the things that happened in me. Can't even let a damn team celebrate
basket the glory of its own greatness. We already got to be focusing our attention to all of the havoc and the chaos. And my man Shaws with me, you know, brother from another mother www. Dot Shawsports dot Netwick Ahunda PNC bro. I mean, can can we breathe? Can we can we inhale? You know what I'm saying? Uh? What do they call that? In? Uh? Grandeur? Can we inhale? In the grandeur? You know what I'm saying. It's been it's been ten years since no,
I'm sorry, fifteen years. It's been fifteen years since you know, the Celtics have been able to sniff victory, and already the rest of the NBA is like, yeah, yea, enough of that, all that noise and stuff like that. Let's get rid. Let's let's let's go into you know what I'm saying, it's stinct level chaos. You know what I'm saying. Things happen in the association. It's nuts, bro, Yeah, no
doubt, brother. Yeah, it's really interesting I think for me to watch and see how everything's going, because everyone was like, oh, you know, f those Celtics, we don't care about that. But the rules changed this year. This is the first year that they move things up for teams to be able to negotiate with their own free agents basically right after the NBA finals, So it almost became like kind of like how we say in football, like kind of like a black Monday. All right, it's over now,
let's let's get back to business. So the rest of the league starts kind of like doing stuff immediately, nothing more bigger than obviously what will be the main topic of conversation when we bring in a very special guest, you know, to kind of talk about one of the coaching hires. But other coaching moves have been happening. Player, stuff has been happening. It's been a really really wild situation going on here, so exciting times in the NBA.
As always brother and hey, I have you to kind of kick through the news and notes with as always here on the basis. Yeah. Absolutely, And by the way, this ain't no special guests. This is this is a legend. This is the OG. It's the OG. We're not We're not We're not basking, you know, putting people on any kind of
surprise notice. Man, if you all know how the baseline roles have been rolling with us, you know, one of our one of our people's, one of our founding brothers who've been always down with us since day one, especially during the show, and he's always doing bigger and better things. And obviously the big news of topic is in regards to the Los Angeles Lakers, which we'll get into a little bit. We got our man, you know what I'm saying, our resident. You know what I'm saying, Los Angeles.
Uh, you know what I'm saying, four to five Lake. I mean, he would probably be you know what I'm saying, the King of Lilive if they were for Jack Nicholson and Lebron James, but our Manajerbari Davis will be joining us in a little bit to talk about, you know, the hiring JJ Reddick and the state of affairs of what he is now going to have on his lap and where the Lakers organization are going to be moving
forward after this hire. So a lot to get into and as always, you know, like I tell my peoples, man, we appreciate those who've been tuning in to us. Get it at my Manshaw as sports NBA get at me a game face leader shows Twining on the NBA Baseline, available on all the major platforms. Go to www. Dot the Baseline NBA dot com to check out not just our show, but also all of the other episodes that we've got going on on the baseline, and then also go to www
Dot Nineteenmediagroup dot com. If you're catching us on the YouTube channel and you see the blue and white logo, that means you know that the nineteen Media Group you're running these content streets, and as always we encourage you to go to that website so you can check out not only us, but also the family of great content creators that we have got going on. Part of the nineteen media group families to definitely go and hit them up and open your ears
to some great, great content being created. With that being said, Sean, let's run right through the news and notes that's going on, because obviously we're chomping at the bit to get our man Jabbari on to talk about what's going on with the Los Angeles Lakers. But listen, man, the NBA stories. The NBA storyline doesn't sleep, and already moves have been made, one of the more notable ones, and actually I found it to be very
curious. This could be one of those sneaky ones, you know what I'm saying that we may not be talking about because it happened so early, like immediately after the NBA Finals, But the Oklahoma City Thunder trading to get Alex Caruso to the Thunder, a trade moving Josh Giddy to the Chicago Bulls. I don't know if I'm necessarily surprised by this move. I actually think that
this is actually a pretty good move. If you're the Oklahoma City Thunder, will we be talking about this move, you know, as being one of the more underappreciate, ciated or underrated moves that will take place in this offseason, minus what's going on with free agency. If this obviously yields success for the Oklahoma City Thunder, I think people who know no right, they know this was a great move for Oka see opens up so many things for them.
They retain, you know, all the draft equity and capital that they had without having to give that up. And I can I can probably theorize as to why that happened. You know, not necessarily that they snuffed the bulls so to speak, or you know, got one over, but you know, Giddy being twenty one rookie scale contract, there's a lot of upside there too where they probably felt like, hey, we don't necessarily need to give draft equity. But Cruso as a guy who obviously would fit on a
lot of teams. I think I've heard some a lot of comparisons already, like this is Okayc's version of Derek White, and I don't think there's an exact comp I think Derek White's a lot more versatile offensively than Crusoe is. But Cruso has become a very competent three point shooter in addition to what he does in terms of defense and all the intangibles as well too as a team connector so I think for okay See, they got exactly what they needed again
allows them to open up some other things. Don't know if they need to keep Blue door or move him on to Baby to fill you know, get like a true power forward. Those are some of the rumblings of rumors coming on or they just run with this roster and keep it pushing. But okay See is in a great, great position. Sam Presty continues to be one of the great gms in the NBA. And a little tidbid for you.
I was actually on the phone with our special guests up to come here Jabari when the announcement happened, and he just said, osh, you know him as a Laker fan, he was like, this is not what I want to see. Okay See getting better in the Western Conference. Yeah, absolutely, I think this is an awesome move by the Oklahoma City Thunder. And listen, if people want to try to make those comparisons between him and Derek
White, Let's remember when Derek Wright came over to the Boston Celtics. You know, he was marginally like a role player until you know, he found his way to become one of the key players. And listen, Caruso is still in the of his career. The versatility for him to be able to switch on front court defenders, I think is key, and I think the Oklahoma City Thunder learned that the hard way when dealing with the Dallas Mavericks.
So this clearly is a play that if you're going to keep a guy on the floor if he can't score the basketball, like you were probably hoping Giddy would be able to do or facilitate the way that he was doing when it was during the regular season will in the postseason when everything is truncated. I think it's important that you kind of pick and choose. You know what you
want your your X factor players to be doing. And Cruso has always proven to be a guy where his ability to be versatile to defend surpasses any marginalization of his ability to score the basketball. But I even think that he's proven to be a formidable scorer when he was playing with the Chicago Bulls, had more than enough opportunity for him to open up his game. So I think that this was a great play for the Oklahoma City Thunder, and I completely
agree with Jabari Oh Ish, you know what I'm saying. Oh, Ish, you know what I'm saying. So that's how we play. All right, let's keep it moving, shaw. Malik Monk is decided to go four on seventy eight with his deal. Are you are you loving it more for the Kings that you're loving it more for Monk? I both this is a win win. The Kings get to keep one of the better off the bench scorers in the NBA. Malik finds a home, you know, after being
I wouldn't say a journeyman, but you know two previous teams. You know, I think the Lakers probably made a mistake by not, you know, resigning him, and now he is going to be there in Sacramento for the long haul. And I think he took a little less money. I don't think this is the full amount of money he could have actually gotten here. So I love this both, both both of those guys. And Milik Monk continues to rain points off the bench and a put in Sacramento offense. Yeah,
he's gonna have more than enough opportunities. And it's probably a safer play as well too, because it looks like with what's going on with Darren Fox, and the Kings. You need a security blanket. Not saying that he's taking over Fox's role or anything like that, but I think making sure that you secure everything possible to make sure that your focusing attention is extending your start, keeping your start, because you're eventually going to deliver the super Max.
If that's one of his guys, then you want to make sure that you are fully on board with supporting whatever will best make him happy to come to the table and make sure a deal gets done in order to fortify that that you know that that core for the Sacramento King. So good on the Kings on handling business early and often, because I think it'll pay off in the in the end when it really comes down to keeping Diarra Fox. All right, let's keep things moving Shaw. Pascal Siakam four year one, eight nine
Indiana Pacers, no doubt. Yeah, good for him. You know, Siakam in a great, great position to uh stay with this organization that traded for him and you know, gives him some flexibility think you know, even into the latter part or part of his career, but gets to see what this team can do, you know, on the peripheries here right now,
as they made the Eastern Conference finals. So based on weren't making this deal with I guess, you know, the handshake wing agreement that Siakam would ultimately come back, and now we get the news that, hey, we're we're at that stage. So I'm excited for I'm excited for the Pacers here and I think again that allows them to be ultra competitive and when they get Math
run back as well. To this Pacer team is going to continue to be dangerous in these are Conference I think that's going to be the key shaw. I think whatever version of Benedett Matherin comes in, I think is going to go a long way. And how this money stretches for the Indiana Pacers. Look, we can have this conversation later on in the year when we start doing our previews for this team. I think that this core works. I
think Sam being with the Pacers work. The only problem that I have is that this type of money that you're giving you are certifying Pascal Siakam to be like that one b You know what I'm saying to a player, right I'm still on the fence about that aspect of it. I think it comes easy with the type of team that the Indiana Pacers have. But anything that changes that dynamic and you're enforcing Sam to be something that I just don't know he
has ever shown to be, which is this aggressive score. I think if it sits on on Halliburton and maybe whatever they do next may maybe it be mathin. But whatever happens in this, if you keep Siakam where he is, where his maturation is slow and steady as it is, then the money
money is good. But if now all of a sudden giving this money suddenly says that their expectations that he's going to be what they thought he was supposed to be in Toronto, you could be running yourself a disservice because then there's gonna be these situations like what happened in the playoffs where you get often on Siakam, which you cannot afford to do because clearly the Celtics are still in play, the seventy six ers are still in play, right So, like
to me, it's an interesting sign. It's definitely necessary and needed. I'm just worrying about how the dynamic plays because of the amount of money being given the extension and what the optics look like. Yeah, well it's a valid question. I think with him as a number two, maybe sometimes number three,
depending if you know Miles Turner or Mathurine are hot that night. But what Yakom does give you is playmaking, rebounding, and scoring, you know, at a very very high level, especially if he's not the one that the offenses or sure the defenses are focusing on. So I like this deal for Indiana absolutely, all right, Scottie Barnes, He's definitely a raptor. I can't do the I can't do the dinosaur thing. But five year up
to two seventy, we kind of knew that this was coming. The commitment was there, and you know, now he's he's he's all in, right, or at least for the first you know, I'm saying first five years. Is there an opt Is there an opt out in his five or no? The deal full deal won't be reported until July sixth, so we won't
know all that, but I'm sure it's probably the full max. You know, five years, it's up to two seventy with with incentives, you know, him making this, him doing that, or with Casey b all Stars owning, maybe owning the Raptors. After that, you know what I'm saying either way, Scotty Barnes is going to be very comfortable you know, in Toronto. He's not gonna have to worry about you know, money for sure. Absolutely. All right, So and it's a great play. So there's
there's no arguments with that. All right, let's go ahead and focus our attention on the coaches. Seaw uh Chris Finch for your extension to be the head coach for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Duh, Yeah, I love this obviously. You know, giving the Minnesota Timberwolves their first taste of the conference finals since the KG Days is an important situation I think in Minnesota with a team and a core that has just been bought into what he's been teaching, I
think on the sideline. So, yes, he had an unfortunate incident with his knee, and I don't think that impacted you know, their their their loss in the conference finals, so Dallas Mavericks. But you want to he was moving more than he was moving more than his assistant head coach. On one leg. He's and he's, he's, he's he's in he's in his seat for a reason, and I think it's just this says at head coach is getting you know, tapped for potential coaching jobs here now as well too.
But you know, Finch is the guy Anthony Edwards obviously really believes in him. You love to see that for this Minnesota Timberwolves team, and and and a roster that we you know, we weren't too sure about just a year ago. So it's funny, you know, how three sixty five can change your whole view on a team, on a franchise, and even the coach I thought he was ever really in jeopardy, but you weren't sure if that knicks was going to work, and he got it to work this year
to the tune you know of the Western Conference. I'm just curious when Finch first came in because I can't recall, but wasn't he brought in to really help innovate the offense for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Yeah, I don't remember, like the exact role, you know, but you know, brought in, you know, and kind of works his way up through the ranks there and
now has you know, master control of what that team and organization. The reason why I was just bringing that upshaw is because if that was the case, and to see what he was able to do with this team to be among one of the best teams defensively, I think speaks volumes to the type of coach that he is, because most cases, once you get kind of trapped into that style of coaching that has worked and has catapulted you overnight success,
kind of like what happened with Quinn Snyder, then all of a sudden, you kind of lose you know, where you want to have your imprint why everybody was looking at you to begin with. So for him to be able to pivot in this kind of direction, it'll be interesting to see what
now he does in year three of the success of the Minnesota Timberwolves. But if he's somebody that can also amplify or build up the offense as well as as quickly or as rapidly as he's done with the defense, now that he has his core team that he's working with, I think that, you know what I'm saying, It says a lot about how great a coach Chris Finch can can be. And eventually he's going to be in those conversations where you know he's going to be among one of the top two to three coaches in
the NBA. Because eventually he's getting that Minnesota Timberwolves team to an NBA Finals without question, Sir, yes, sir, all right. So a couple of other interesting news and notes in the coaching sphere of the NBA. I'm sure people have already seen this one. Blindsided by this one. Many Williams getting acts in Detroit. What one year removed from a four year, eighty million dollar deal, I believe was that what it was. As I've comes
too fast, So yeah, money Williams out of there. You know, they uphauled their their front office, trading Langdon's now and I think as the president and Trey Weaver's moved on, He's going to be a consultant in Washington now or whatever. But the money Williams saying it's listen. I guess they didn't want to wallow and a mistake that they felt they made. And maybe
he wasn't reaching the coaches, I mean reaching the players. Rather, we had the whole you know, Jaden Ivy situation from the from this past year, and like it was just really weird vibes there. And while we have all liked and praised Monty in the past his life, the way he ended Phoenix maybe got a raw deal, but his one year tenure, if you will, in Detroit was was was was too much, too muchual assisted to say the least. So I mean, I'm sad for him in that regard.
I think he can go somewhere and be a leade assistant, maybe the Celtics, you know, as they lose Charles Lee, you know, and Money is going to continue to get quite a bit of a change here, you know, even though he's been excommunicated from Detroit. Yeah, I just wonder if this is more of a play for Trajan, like he wasn't going to be on board unless he had full control of what he wanted to do.
And clearly I don't think the philosophy wise, I don't. I'm sure that there was probably some kind of conversation where you know, Trajan was just like, look, you know, I respect you, ill love you, but you you wouldn't be my guy, you know what I mean, and
under these circumstances, And there's no disrespect in that aspect of it. But I also said, you know a few few few times previously as well to Shaw that I just don't know I whether or not many Williams like I know he wants to coach, but sometimes like sometimes it's got to stop, man and just kind of take a moment and just focus more on just the life aspect of things, because it just doesn't feel right knowing that you've been with
two different teams in the span of what three four years, and in those two different teams, your your your career, your coaching career has been abruptly cut short. Whether it's because of you know, a bad you know, stretch of games, or something else that is taking place, you know, within the locker room, within the culture, it's just emanating you know wrong.
So it'll be interesting to see what what happens moving forward. I hope he, you know, Lance you know safely certainly is going to land softly with a lot of green underneath his belt. But yeah, finally, Sean, Kenny Atkinson, he's been hired by the Cleveland Cavaliers about damn time. So, like Kenny Atkinson deserves to be a head coach in the NBA. I don't know why it took so freaking long. Well, Kenny Atkinson took so long. Remember he renigged on an offer. I think that was a
Charlotte job. A couple of and now I would have renigged on that too, But you know, he's obviously a viable Canada. You know, him and Brego have just been you know, circling the waters and for their next opportunity. Cleveland allows him an opportunity here now, and next thing order of business will be obviously resigning Donovan Mitchell. Then what happens with Aaron Scarland,
et cetera, et cetera. But I wouldn't imagine Kenny Atkinson's going to a situation if there's doubt that Donnovan Mitchell is going to be the cornerpiece of that of that franchise. So good on him. Good for Cleveland, get a competent coach who's ready to jump back into the ranks share after being on the sidelines with Tief Kurt for the last few seasons, Well said, brother Well said, you're tuned to the baseline. Cali warren Shaw discussing the hot button
tops of the NBA our news and notes coming up. We got our man Jabari Davis. He's gonna help us break down what's going on in lak A La La Land as they obviously make a big hire with JJ Reddick. So what's the future going to look like for them, But first, are you ready to elevate your fantasy sports experience. With Prize Picks, you can win up to one hundred times your money during the most thrilling time of the basketball
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Cali Warrenshaw to Baseline NBA Podcast and as promised, you know what I'm saying. Gotta make sure that we bring the colorful hue of the NBA. Got a little green, got a little gray, got a little purple and gold. You know what I'm saying. With spread love in the Brooklyn Way. Uh my man Jabari Davis joining us. If you don't know who he is, or you will find out, he's about to. He's about to lace into some niceties about our team, but we're not. We're not. It's
not about us, jd. It is is not about us. It is about your team. Okay, it's about your team, those Los Angeles damned Lakers. You know what I'm saying. But I wore my eighty seven Finals hat just for you all. Uh huh right, that is very kind, exactly always. And I wore my Celtics hat just because I knew you were coming on with the Lakers out today. So I don't usually wear hats on the baseline, but I knew you was coming, so I had to. I had to match that energy. I don't, I don't. I don't
know. If you guys released the videos with folks, we'll see I'm in a whole lass purple room, so like, yeah, I didn't even have to do it, but you know, it's all this is your rendition of purple haze. Huh. I mean maybe later on, but yeah, oh my gosh. All right, so JD Man, like, I don't know what to make of this. You go from a situation where overnight the Los Angeles Lakers had intense interest intense you know what I'm saying, interest in Dan
Hurley. Right, Dan Hurley flies out there, you know what I'm saying, Rick Flair style, Like you know what I'm saying. They make a big old thing of it in less than twenty four hours. He comes back and he says, I'm good, I'm gonna stay in Connecticut. I'm not gonna speak to the drama that the media made of this, because even I felt like, yet, this is what you do when you're really trying, trying to test the water and see what you'll really gauge where the pulse is,
not just within the Lakers organization but just just in general. Right. And so now they go ahead and they make that play for someone who had always been discussed as being a possible candidate in JJ Reddick. And to this point, right, it's been months because of it, and now all of a sudden, it's like, oh my god, they really did it. They really went and they offered it to JJ Reddick, Like, were you
surprised by the fact that it came back to JJ Reddick? Were you more surprised by the fact that JJ Reddick was gonna milk it or anything like that, Like You're being offered an opportunity to coach one of the most prestigious basketball programs in the galaxy, right, I mean, you ain't gonna say no to it. Yeah, Look, we can be honest about this. The Hurley stuff was actually the surprise when I heard that, you know, when I heard that Reddick was a candidate, you know, at the start,
I was like, yeah, it makes sense. I mean, far too often people try to get cute about suff or trying to like like oh well, when they started doing that podcast together at the specific time where they did it, it was at least something you know, to raise the eyebrow over at that time that I think he was going to be the next coach like two months later. No, but it did not surprise me when his name
came out there. The Hurley stuff felt like a smoke screen simply because the main candidate had been JJ the entire time, and it was and quite frankly, they couldn't announce it while he was covering the finals like that. Like, you know, y'all know the league. It may not be Sterns League anymore, but it's still a league that's not gonna want you to overshadow a major event like that, especially with a you know, a historic franchise like
Boston getting ready to get eighteen. But only the Los Angeles Lakers can can can push it, can push it right up so close to the edge you can best believe they wanted to spoil that they were making. Man, they were making some tremors bro they were making. But I'll be quick about it. The reality is this, if I'm not mistaken the Lakers, that this is the fourth coach in the last eight years, twenty ninth coach overall in franchise history, but fourth coach in the last eight years. That in itself
tells you where they are. I'm always going to be you know, want the best, and hey, I would love to be wrong about this. I want JJ Reddick to win because obviously I'm a Lakers fan. But the reality is it's probably it's for me. It's far more likely that it will go like Nash in Brooklyn than say Steve Kerr in you in Golden State. And the reason why I say it is once again and the nastal Brooklyn situation took place while you guys were kind enough to allow me to share, you
know, share the show with you guys at that time. And you remember what I said, he skipped the line. It wasn't about I wasn't trying to gate keep. I was just being a matter of fact. He skipped the line. And what that meant is not just is it messed up for all the coaches that you know have been grinding and working their way up, but also you're putting them in a position to work. Quite frankly, he's untested and you simply do not know how he's going to reach you know how,
you know how he's going to be able to handle the situation. So in essence, I look at the Lakers job and my heart wants to say, hey, the Lakers job isn't a starter job. The Laker's job isn't a job that you know, you know, you just throw someone in there, uh you know, you know, willy nilly like this. But my head tells me, you know, yes it is. But MANI used to always say, this is who you are now, and this is who we are. Jabari, let me ask you this this question because obviously the early
stuff was out there, but they've interviewed a multiple multiple candidates. Virego was rumored to it. I think Sam Cassel might have, you know, snipped around it and if he had an actual interview, you know and name your
your your your coaches. Is is Lakers Nation in essence disappointed in that aspect because, like you said, I don't believe that it is a starter job with all the pressure on there, and Polinka and JJ came out and said as much as like hey, and we're gonna we're gonna gamify, you know, learning and like they're gonna take all these new approaches to what is a mixed roster. So like we can get into some of that, I get a little bit later on, But the aspect of the candidacy in general,
I don't think that hoarly stuff was ever really real. But that's just me. But the other guys out there, what were your thoughts on some of those And is Lakers netion as a whole disappointed, And the fact that they've hired the first year coach to lead them to what they want to be their next eighteen championship. I mean, look, and when I say this,
I'm actually not being funny the Lakers. There's so many lakersmans, You're never going to get everybody to agree or even the majority of no. But what I will say is this, there's a certain section of fans that I feel like they are trapped in trying to get a first class ticket to Copenhagen because they are, you know, going out of their way. And I purposely made that cringe worthy. It wasn't because I thought it was that funny. They're going out of their way. Specifically, She's like, oh man,
anybody's just hating. If you have any questions, anybody's just hate. It's like, no, man, there are there are legitimate questions to be you know, to be asked. And quite frankly, you know to your point that you just made, I feel like JJ and Pelinka acknowledged that in the you know, you're at different points of the press conference. So there are folks that are happy about it. There are folks that are always gonna want to be optimistic, but then there's a lot of folks that are like,
all right, I'm just waiting to see you know it. You know, it's kind of like when you say you go out with your boy, and you know your boy might have a little history of getting of turning up, but you're still gonna go out with them. You still you still you know, you still want to rock with them, you still want to get down with him. That's kind of how a lot of us are, just like, look, this doesn't look great. I don't like the silly stuff like oh, they feel like he's pat Riley. It's like, hey man,
we all watch Winning Time and that's cool. I love the show. That was a show. All I'm saying is nothing is guaranteed, and the odds are that he's not going to you know, he's not going to lead them to a title this year. Beyond that, I'm just hopeful of you know, the train doesn't run off the tracks A man Jabarr Davis joining us here.
Why you smirking? Shall I Just because I'd be like nothing more than the train to run off the track to be I mean, but it's great content, like I mean, and that not because you know somethings leaders are like that too. But we're we're going to get a steady diet of Lakers content regardless, like it is just what it is. So from my lens, well, I'd rather be porous and rather it be you know, struggle, you know, then it being something that's seeing them be successful in any
capacity. And the Reddick stuff is again he's he's hot headed, even as an as as an analyst. So I can't wait to see how this coaching stuff goes. Like even well, anyway, that's enough, go ahead and see let me go into it. So here's here and this is just only like my perspective of this, Okay, I believe that the Lakers. This is not a level of desperation. I think this is calculated. I think the Lakers are reaching back to a time where there was substance in the in
what the head coach represented for the Los Angeles Lakers. Right and right about now. All of the guys that you mentioned Shaw that were possible candidates may have have the x's and o's aspect of it, but the demeanor and the way that they come off I don't think fits the profile of what the Lakers I think want to see. Again, I think they want to believe in the pat Riley era. Hell, they want to believe in the D'Antoni era,
because even d'antonian, I'm not saying that he was pat Riley. I'm saying there is that aspect of it, whether it's in the style of basketball being played or the style of how the coach presents himself to the media and to the rest of the NBA in its entirety as a representation of what the Los Angeles Lakers Lakers are, and to me, I think the bigger question is what error of the Lakers are we now entering in with JJ Reddick in
front of it. You know, they tried doing this in a different kind of way with Darvin Hand And I'm not saying this to be disrespectful and being this to be real. With him being the first black head coach, right, there was something to be said about that. The problem is is everything about Darvin Ham does not represent the Darvin Handed we remember him as a basketball player, even what he represented when he was an assistant head coach for the
Milwaukee Bucks. He was more headstrong and more you know, brody like his you know, he was more omnipresent than what I saw from him as being a head coach for the Los Angeles Lakers, it almost felt like he was just more timid, and so I know, I don't know if we ever got the finished product of that. I don't know if the moment he didn't meet it just overwhelmed him or it is because of Lebron and AD and the
dynamics of that. But what I'm saying is is I feel like this is now It's part of what you saw from JJ Reddick and the way that he uh, you know, kind of pronounced himself to the media and everything like that in that in that regard, you know what I'm saying, Like, I that's just my perspective I wanted to get you know, So your take from that if you think that I'm off base in my assessment of that, JD, No, I don't think you're I don't think you're off it at
all. Like, look, the Lakers always are going to swing for the fences. You are usually you're going to swing for the fences. It's been that. It's been that way since the bus family took over, and I recognize that. And to be clear, once again, I would love to be wrong. I would love for JJ, you know, like slide into that spot and honestly be sitting there coaching right across from Joe Missoula next June.
I would love that. I'm just not. I'm just not. You know, I'm not boo boo, So I'm not I'm not gonna I'm not gonna go out on that ledge. I'm just gonna wait and see. But I think the most important thing, honestly is what is this roster gonna look like? You're you know you got a d you know you got lebron Rob Polinka. You are not just on the clock, you are under surveillance, my guy, you are absolutely underserva. Do you think that this is Polenka's
call? Do you think that this I you know what I'm saying, Like I we know that there's a hierarchy, so we know that at the end of the day, while you know, we could put it on him, But do you think that this was his call to go this way? Or do you really think that it's more than Genie Buss's call. Hey, I'm willing to roll the dice on this one. I I I don't think he's in the position if he's not, if he's not at least agreeing to it.
But what I what I actually meant is what he does with the roster is, in my estimation, is more important than you know, than that selection. Like, could James Barrego have been a good guy, a good coach, Yeah he could. Could you know any of those other guys you know Adam, you know, you know, you know the Adam and you know, gentleman, you know, would he have been a good Yeah? Sure, but it wouldn't have been the sexy splash but more. But again,
none of it matters if he puts out a fraudulent roster. Again again, no disrespect to those players. I'm talking about the roster construction. I'm not saying that all those guys sucked and you know any of that. It's just a matter of sometimes, you know, if the pieces don't fit, you gotta start, you start, you gotta start questioning, well, who's doing who's shopping for the groceries? The same guy that hired three coaches in his tenure. Let well, let's let me jump in here to Jabari so
and allows us to bring in some more Celtics fodder into the conversation. So, from our lens, Missoula was inherited a really great roster. So the roster construction last year was good and he didn't have the buy in from the players. But part of what happened, and obviously because we covered that team, you know, closely, he also didn't have the support on the sidelines. So Udokah's main staff, like, some of them left, some of
them stayed or whatever, but they weren't really bought in. Who's this thirty five year old now who basically skipped the line and is now the head coach of a championship level team. David Sodomyer leaves you know, I think sixty sixty games into the season before the playoffs even start, and they're left scrambling the first thing, the first thing the Celtics do after the season ends. Last year, Hey Charles Lee, come on over here. Hey Sam Cassell,
come on over here. They even got Phil Pressey, a former player, to bullshit the sideline. Then they got you know, Van Gundy to come in as a consultant. So from all that, I think that's where some of these teams now. If they're going to give first year young coaches a shot, they have to give them the requis and support on the sidelines and guys who are willing to allow that young first year head coach to be
still be the man. We saw what happened. It didn't go well in Milwaukee Adrian Griffin and Terry Stotts, you know, and maybe that's more Griffin's fault than Stotts's fault, whoever you decide to believe. But that's what I think the Lakers ultimately need to do here now, is like, can they
get a top level assistant sustants to bolster that bench? You know? And the Celtics were like, well, let's go ahead and safeguard this because while he was interested in that Laker job with Charles Lee moving to Charlotte, they're like, no, Sam, you're going to be elevated here now to our lead assistant. And so like, somebody like that comes off the board. But are there guys out there that you would like to see them bolster like And we need to talk about the roster as well too, but the support
around JJ is going to be just as important. Are there guys out there who you love to see potentially get into that role alongside Reddick on the sidelines.
You guys would experience, guys would honestly like, I don't care about a name, just guysperience and an understanding of not just how to manage a roster, but how to manage a team, because I like, this is the thing like my my, my reservations aren't because I'm like, oh, JJ doesn't know anything, like you had people saying like they hired a podcaster like that. That stuff's cute. JJ Reddick knows more about you know, like the NBA over simplification like a mug. But the question is fair to
say, do you know how to lead men? Do you know how to get in there and say, hey Lebron, this what's up? Hey a d This is what I need from you. Hey, you know Reeves or whoever else is left, you know, when we get when we get around to the regular season, you know, this is what I need from you. That's actually what I think is is I'm I mean, I'm agreeing with you. I I you know, the roster is important, but the roster that's supporting JJ and inexperience, you know, inexperienced by his own admission,
you know, gentlemen, is equally as important. So I appreciate you making that distinction because it is one other thing I think that was important too, because you had mentioned Steve Kerr earlier before Jabari is you remember Steve Kerr had experience with roster construction right with the front office, which I don't think people you know who truly understand, Like listen, maybe you don't directly start up that that you know whatever that that uh, that hierarchy is or you know
what that track is to coaching, right, but maybe you find an alternate route that gets you in line with the same thing because you're being you're intersecting with other parts or other dynamics of the organization that is instrumental to your success,
even at that level. And I think, to me, that's what's going to be interesting to see here, not just even from the assistant coaches shaw, but also the players and the roster of players who I think is going to come on board buying into what JJ Reddick wants to see from from the team, like that's gonna be so incumbent upon Polenka and also from the assistant head coaches because remember this is the one thing too and you know, I'm not trying to blow up and make much of a whole thing about this,
but JJ Reddick has made comments via his podcast via his analyst's role. He has spoken and been critical of certain players. Those same players also are part of that brotherhood in the NBA. And I think at times, if you are going to be considered and taken seriously, how you come across against the guys that you now have to coach speaks volumes to the kind of moves that Polenka will be able to make if the intent is to better this roster, to improve this roster, to make this, as he says, a
championship level roster. Because there's nothing worse than saying I'm coming on board, but I'm not coming on board because I buy into what JJ Reddick is. I'm coming on board because Polenka paying me money. And if you're playing with Lebron, James and Ad those are the guys you don't one on that roster. So that makes it slim pickings for a guy like JJ Redick given what he's done over the last couple of years. And I'm not I'm not I'm
not using it to slide him. I'm just saying that is a real thing that has to be factored and weighed in and taking the viability why it's important to get surrounded success around him. Oh and sorry, Warren, I'll just let me piggyback that it's it's extremely important, Like we can be real about it. JJ Redick had all defense you'll had you know, the votes this year. He didn't even put a D on his top two on his top two teams. Now, look, y'all know I'll play the bias role at
times, but I'm sorry that was crazy. A D was spectacular last absolutely, Like if you're if you're just looking at the count, just looking at the stats and saying like, oh, well, the Lakers defense wasn't great and you're not you know, taking into account all that he was, you know, covering for including our you know leader. Uh, you know, honestly, you're you're you're not doing it right in my estimation. But it is funny that, you know, like the pivot because you know it was
after the press conference. During an interview yesterday, he said, well, A D is a top five guy. Part of me is like you, I'm not saying he has to go and kiss AD's you know, behind or anything like that, but how he is perceived and how he is accepted from the players is extremely important. So I agree with you. Well, part of the conference I already touched on in terms of, you know, how
he wants to connect to the young and the veteran guys here. But I think this would be you know, an apropos opportunity to play a little clip you know, it's about two minutes longest or so where he talks about how he wants to utilize a d and Lebron specifically. I think he starts off, you know, talking about Austin Reeves first, but let's get that and then JABRAI, I kind of want to hear your your your, your, your take after that, all right? With any player, Anthony Davis,
Lebron, James, Austin reed any player on the roster. I can have a vision for how I want to use them, but there has to be buying in collaboration, right, So I can sit up here and tell you how I would like for them to play, but if there's no buy in, then it doesn't really matter. So I think part of the next two months, and I know those guys are going to be busy with Team USA,
part of the next two months is just having conversations. And Anthony and I already had a conversation a week ago about some ideas both offensively and defensively, and I think both of us felt really comfortable going forward with that sort of as the base starting point of how he's going to play on this team. And you know, one of the things I brought up with him is
just the idea of him as a hub. There's a bunch of guys at the five position in the NBA that sort of operate in that way, and I don't know that he's been used in that way and sort of maximize all of his abilities. So that's that's a simple thing with him. With Lebron, Look, you have to certainly, uh get buy in and talk to him about how he wants to play. You know, him and I have joked about this, but like he shot of a forty percent from three this
year, Like I want him shooting threes. He's going to have his three or four bursts every game where he gets out in transition and does things that no one at his age should ever be able to do, but he does it. It's it's really just figuring out in the half court, putting him in different spots both as a scorer and a facilitator. That'll be part of the conversation over the next next couple of months. I'm sorry, Abe, I'm sorry Sean, real quick, Jad, you know what that was.
You know what that word, Sally was. I had a conversation with Ad last week and Ad told me, damn it, man, I'm not playing the five next year, so move my ass back to the fore. It was interesting that we said that in there, you know, like yeah, like you know, there's just plenty of fives out there. Then you hear the rumors that they're looking at you know, Jonnis Valentiunis and other centers as well, which they should, like, let's be real, we've done this
silly mess the last two years, and we've seen what took place. They were able to They got lucky that Ad was as healthy as he's ever been last year playing so, you know, playing so much of that, but it is very clear he's more comfortable and he has shown to be extremely effective.
If you got it, doesn't even have you don't have to have a star there, just have a big, bruising body that can take that punishment over the course of the eighty two Get him to the end of the fourth quarters of games, get him to the you know, the playoffs, and He's gonna take care of business as long as you know, obviously, as long as it's healthy. But yeah, I thought that was word salad.
That was. But I will say it was cute the small difference when it came to read and ads like there has to be buy in, which kind of felt like preemptive docking. How Doc will say like, hey, hey, man, you know, if they don't listen to me, I don't know what I could do. Hey, we got hey, we got buy into prize picks. You know what I'm saying. We even have a promo code for our buy in. You know what I'm saying. Yeah, get on that. You know what I'm saying. JJ got buy in for the
Lakers and we got buy in with prize picks. There you go, Lebron. He said, Well, you gotta, you know, ask him how he wants to be, how he wants to play. Let me say this and I will be unequivocal about it. Anthony Davis has been the best player on the Lakers and the most consistent player on the Lakers the last three seasons. If you are centering everything around Lebron as the center of the universe still at this point and that's even with him putting up incredible numbers and being incredibly
effective at this age. It's crazy. It's taking nothing away from but if you're doing that, you're setting yourself up to loose. The roster needs to be center around around showcasing Anthony Davis as either the four Hub, the five Hub, whatever wherever you're gonna play him. He needs to be the focus. You need to start playing to the throng points of the team and actually you'll put a legitimate roster around him, but they're not going to do that.
So so do you think that? And again, I don't want to oversimplify this as well, because when you say hub as a big man hub, whether that's for the five, is that in the your control the Saboni's role in Sacramento. I think Davis has some playmaking chops, but not nearly to the level of those two guys, and obviously Simonis does it as not
at a championship level. But you know what I'm saying, Sibdas is an all time creator at you know, like at that bosiness, so like even expecting that and I'm not saying that you are, but I'm saying for the fans sake and anybody's listening. If you expect that, you're you're being foolish. What I do think is he can be he can do more on that
end. I've witnessed it. I've witnessed he can you know what he can do when you you know, when properly utilized far too often last last year and then a lot of people they'll see a clip of it and comment and you'll make a big deal. But Darvin was shooting him to the corner, so that so Lebron can have to I'm talking about down the stretch of games, like entire fourth quarters, he was shooting him to the corner and basically just like you know, playing the decoy or the or the slasher role as
opposed to actually being in the action. When they did it a little bit more in the like you know, like down the stretch of the season and they did two man up top. It actually worked. But for whatever but for whatever reason, that wasn't you know, that wasn't the you know, the angle that they chose to go last year. What my hope is is that they put him in the action more often. Look, it's it, you know, just like it's a make or mis league. It's a do
it or don't league. If he can't handle it, well, then you got to figure some stuff out. But you, at least, in my estimation, you at least got give him a chance when he's displayed the capability of, you know, of being productive on that side, more productive than just lobs and putbacks. This is gonna be my final question for you, JD as far as you know what my assessment is, especially with you know now that JJ Reddick has been hired as the head coach, and you mentioned
this just a few moments ago regarding Lebron James. If everything is gonna be centered around Anthony Davis, will will the Lakers finally succumb to the fact that they should just have Lebron James as their their point guard and move on from this idea of saying that you really need like some kind of quote unquote de facto point guard, like a D'Angel Russell or I just don't see where if the ball somehow winds up with Lebron James, that any any conventional point guard
is going to thrive and be viable to any level of a Lakers offense, even with the other type of ross around me. That's just me. So I'm just curious on what your thought process would be if JJ Reddick can either get Lebron to buy into play that small forward role, you know, or come off of the point forward mentalitly that you've had that's gotten you to where you are for so long, and allow us to have a legitimate conventional point
guard, thrive and move this offense a little bit more. Said that you can get out of what we were just hearing from JJ Reddick just a few moments ago about what they're envisioning with Anthony Davis. So funny enough, Like I feel like we've had this conference speaking generally, we've had this conversation the last four years with Lebron, like get the ball out of his head, Like remember when when he when he came around and Magic was like, let's
get some other playmakers. So we get the ball out of his hands, so he's not you know, it doesn't have the workload. It sounds nice, but it's never gonna happen. So at the very least put him in a position to be successful. Now, if I'm not mistaken, JJ did mention that he wants him to playoff ball. He wants him to be able to you know, create uh, you know, north and shoot and honestly, I got no problem with that. If you shoot afford percent, go
ahead and slung him on up there. Man. What I don't need is settling for that every time it's a close situation down the stretch, especially when it's only a one or two point game. We don't need to settle you know. Wait wait, wait, you know I'm shooting it. Wait wait wait, spin the ball way step back three. We don't need that. Get creative. I need. I need someone with some off with with with some offensive ingenuity. I need. That's what has been lacking these last two
years. I didn't want to say it because I didn't want to know. You know, come down on Darvin. Y'all know. I'm for the brothers. I want. I want us to win. I want all of us to win. I'm like Easter Ray, I'm just everybody black, you got me except Miszula. But hey, hey, he's Italian. Man, watch yourself. You might wind up. You might you might wind up with a horse in your bed. Listen him and Mike Turrico line all them Italian brothers
up, get it, come get it. Hey, you know, hey, you never never mind, let me talk honestly, it really is a matter like it really is a matter of I just want them to be put in in the best possible pause is being that Lebron is gonna have the ball, do more to man with AD. I, for the life you we can't understand why you wouldn't why you wouldn't utilize that A D is a great role man, like I, you know, I went as far as say he's, you know, he's the best role option I've ever seen, and
people were like, he is, but that's fine if you if if if you you know, if you prefer somebody else. But he's also he's always look, he's always gonna shoot jumps, He's gonna shoot the mid range. So do it off of action with Lebron anyway. All of this is, you know, has been the bane of my existence these last couple of years.
I've been very disappointed with how they've utilized or how they have not properly utilized a D. I've been very disappointed with how they've just kind of like succumbed to, like, you know, whatever the whims of Lebron were. I would like them to be coached, and I think I think circling back.
I think that's ultimately what scares me the most is because they are in a position where they need to be coached and they need to be put in you know, they want they need to be aligned properly, and I'm just hoping that this eventual staff can do that. My next the last one, I guess to some degree, is the aspect of the smoke screening that I think is in play. Or maybe maybe you wouldn't agree. I don't know, but yes, the aspect of Lebron and JJ had a podcast together.
Of course, the question has to come up in the press conference, it has to come up, and Polenka and JJ go out of their way to say, well, Ad was involved in the process, involved in JJ being selected, while Lebron was supportive. Lebron went out of his way to not be involved. I don't know that you can have a Lebron James led team and that be true. And I'm I guess what I'm concerned, not concerned, but what I'm over is why are we still pretending like that, Like
what are we getting out of that? I think it looks worse than because like, well, he didn't want to be involved, because he had a podcast with them. It's it's not collusion, like, hey, you wanted your boy to coach a team, then so be it. But I think it's always the writer first refusal or like hey, I didn't really have anything to do with that that I think Lebron James and his camp tries to fall
back on despite his greatness and all that. No, dot's take anything away there, but that aspect of him has always kind of like rubbed me for a little bit wrong. So all right, So I don't want to come across as though I'm hating on Lebron because actually, you know, I mean, y'all know, I've come full circle on that man's career. I stopped hating back in twenty thirteen when I said, you know what, why am I hating on this man? Why am I hating on this man? This
is tough love, That's all it was. But I will tell you this, that stuff bothers me as well. Bro, shut your ass up. I'm sorry, you gotta believe this. Shut your ass up. You know, damn well, you were a part of that conversation, you know, damn well. They don't make that move without that being you know, you know, without your blessing, straight out blessing. In fact, we don't
have to bes about this. Maybe they included a but yes they included Lebron stop thank you, I mean, and that's what I'm saying, just we don't have to you know, p foot around it, right like we we
know what's going on here. So and I think a person of his ilk that's okay at this at the stage of his career, like he's earned that, he's earned the right to have influence on who's coaching him, you know, when they're trying to and when you in the ladder and twilight of his of his career, especially as he's trying to seek only championship at the stage.
And to me that that comes across as a little bit just in authentic and in a lot of ways part of my final one real quick, you know, before cel you jump back in, No, I'm not gonna I
was. I was just basically saying, I think that that's what happens when you have so much hand, you have so many hands in so many different pots, uh, that it's no longer really about the substance of you know, what it is that you are managing and controlling and more the image and the perception of what people have about you, you know, regardless like that, that's the power, you know, power play, you know what I'm
saying. So well, JJ did say, Hey, the development and what the Lakers do in the G League is gonna be very important as well too. And ironically, as a guy who didn't necessarily defend at the highest level, he's talking about, well, he wants, you know, defenders on this team. You may know where I'm going with this, but well, Bronnie James, you know, as a as a defending wing player, uh
be be a Laker? You know, before all I said and done, you think that will come to fruition here for for your purple and goal. I do think it's gonna happen. Look, I'm not the The topic annoys me, not because you know it's a legitimate you know, the topic annoys me because I'm just like man again, y'all know, damn well, he's about to pick. They gonna pick him. They gonna find a way to get him, whether it's undrafted or yes. Now, are they gonna move
heavn and eard for it? No, because like you're absolutely stupid if you're doing that. But if if the opportunity is there, they're gonna get there. They'll get it, they'll get all right. Hell, hell of the last question to ask him, that's all. And I wasn't even trying to like be like yeah, whatever, because like, hey, man, if he ends up coming in and can actually defend, that's great. He's an undersized, you know guard that you know, isn't a traditional point guard,
so there's gonna be questions on what position he's going to play. But he's got room to continue to develop. Obviously, was nineteen years old. He's far from a finished product. Let's let you know, let's wait and see. But yeah, I do think that well, uh, if the Avery Bradley comps are are the best we can get here, I mean that's not bad, you know. So I think whatever it is, I'm rooted for the young man because obviously gonna have a lot of pressure on him as well
too, So there's no hate there. But I think the Purple and Gold are well on their way for if nothing else, an intriguing season ahead and we'll see what what will come about here in the off season and the rest of the summer. Summer League should be a blast and a joy uh, the Olympics, you know, and that coverage as well. And JJ is going to be mending some fences and building some relationships over the course of the
summer here. Uh. But Jabari, as always, you are a gentleman and a scholar, and it's a pleasure, pleasure to have the conversation with you about the Purple and goal. Thank you for providing the inside that you always do. Yeah, an update you an update your cap damn it? Oh, I mean, I mean I got didn't you down one? Yeah? I got that. I got the two thousand and nine You need that
one? Yeah? Yeah. I mean if you you're right, you're gonna if you're gonna rub salt in the wound, at least do it within the last decade or so or something a couple of decades. I mean, I mean, if we want to go there, you know to say ships, but no, hey six four brother six four, I saw, I gotta say we're gonna be bad. I know for a fan. Interesting, I know, like I know people hate this about Lakers fans, like when we're
just being like arrogant, but I'm being a matter of fact. We're gonna be back only only only Celtics. Fans can embrace that as with love. You know what I'm saying, and and you know what I'm saying, and and uh fellowship. No, Hey, honestly, guys, thank you so much. I really do appreciate the opportunity. I really look forward to, uh toward the middle maybe end of the summer, being back with you guys on nineteen. Uh. Really excited about that. I am totally excited about
that. We'll get to more of that later, but I just wanted to put it out there. I'm extremely excited about that. Listen, man, we miss you. You know that that. You know, this seat is always open for you. Man, You're You're wanted the best to do it. We always have a blast with you on. And you know what I'm saying, I'm looking forward to to to you know what I'm saying, getting uh, getting our banter on like we normally like to do every now and
again. It's so it's so natural, you know what I'm saying. It's it's so natural. It's honestly, it's like Man from the year Straight act Man and always will be as always absolutely once again, man, we like to th Man, our brother Jabari Davis are hopping off ball with us this week for the baseline Calie Warrenshaw, we appreciate you guys, thank you for hopping on ball with us this week and we'll catch up with you next time.