Well, well, well, the Calves are still undefeated, and most of the Eastern Conference is still under five hundred very odd, and the Western.
Conference remains the nightly gauntment we all expected it to be.
We'll get into stories from around the league, including the latest with the Lakers with Gluts points baraj to Balu on today's episode, I'm Miles Gray.
And I'm Jack O'Brien and this is.
Rock Chicory got it and looka hits ten.
Okay, there you go. Indeed driving spinning.
Katy Fatter number eighteen.
That's ten. Secure the Suffolk or NBA Championship over the couple team ride night.
Yes, Nika Taka, looka no shutt, won't you go? Yes, we're back.
We're back, so is Rad Schapalu. Look recently, you're come from the G League with clutch points. Got the Lakers Lounge Podcast?
I think it must follow on Twitter for anybody who loves basketball, especially if you're a Laker fan.
I know that the case for myself than.
Most importantly recently watched Scarface for the first time. Yes, yes, and you don't worry the NBA is it? We know it's still a basketball podcast. Where was a basketball scene. Yeah, yes, what's what's.
Your take on basketball moves that you see actors doing movies? Like, is it hard to watch? To go the same basketball?
Is this?
Like?
What do you when you watch it? I know, as someone who loves the game so much, Right, how does that any?
Yeah?
No, it definitely doesn't look realistic at all. Their scarface, there wasn't much. I mean, I think it was just barely any basketball show, like the Ball, right yeah.
And you're like, I get into it that it's basketball.
It's a group of fifty prisoners in this like makeshift prison that they built under highway is in Miami, and every it's just every man for the So this was one of the most memorable experiences I had because I love movies and I love basketball, and this was one of the first moments where I was like, oh, like not only like al Pacino in that scene. It's not like he doesn't he just looks like he hasn't played
competitive basketball. It's like he has not heard of competitive basketball, right right right, Like he catches the ball and like has it over his head and then just like throws it towards the basket. And also it seems like Oliver Stone and this might be hard to believe, might not have heard of competitive basketball because everyone it's like a game of twenty one, but like with fifty people and
everybody's just running around trying to grab the ball. And then I think he goes and catches his first body.
But my favorite thing about that movie, I guess watching it as a person who's just not into movies, is that, like all the memes and stuff, I finally understood our face memes for the laughing phone conversation, right, yeah, so I never knew where that had no clue where those things came from school to kind of figure that out.
I'm about to watch The Avengers, so I understand the memes way behind them.
But I'm we are not the same.
Yeah, yeah, we were built different. But yeah, basketball he's our favorite sport. We love the way they ribble up and down the court.
Uh.
As a poet once said that Curtis Bloke.
The election broke our minds. So this is where we're at. Rhyme thing. Wait real quick. The only basketball movies that have like really worked for me are the ones that cast like Shaq or Ray Allen Chicken He Got Game, especially that like Barnyard Game that yeah, yeah, that was fun. Yeah, nothing else has really Like I guess white Men can't jump the original food when I was a kid because I was like, wow, he's doing behind the back in between the leg. Then you go back and watch it
and it's it's just right. Yeah, it's extreme slow motion. But has there has there ever been one that has fooled you, has felt okay to you?
Yeah, so I guess I haven't rewatched it as an adult. But Coach, like I enjoyed Coach Carter when I watched it. Yeah, maybe at the time it was just I enjoyed it. But I see people's reviews on it now and they think it's a terrible movie. But I have fond memories of that one. Like, I thought it was a pretty
good basketball movie. I thought it tried to be as realistic as it could be, and it you know, had the high school phenom part of it and you know, kids trying to make the team, uh stuff like that. So I thought it was a solid basketball movie. But yeah, there's not too many. He Got Game is probably my favorite one that The Right Island, Jesus shuttles Worth one, but.
Also in Teen Wolf catball like that the wolf wolf actually, Like, I don't know who they put in that first suit. It definitely wasn't Michael Javis.
Bludd Web.
Like, I mean, yeah, it could easily could have been rash.
But let's let's play a quick game around the league, because there's a lot of a lot of hot starts, hot hot hearts, and just tell us is this counterfeit or not? You know what I mean, Like, what are we is this?
Is this the real thing we're looking at or are we going to see a bit of a regression? To start at the top of the list, the calves as of this recording are twelve to zero, the number one offense, number eight defense, second in point differential. I watched their bench come on to the floor and absolutely destroy and I was like, wyo, what is this?
I would say, like heading into the season, by the way, with all three of these teams, if you gave me the option of this start that they've got or playing, I would have gone playing over this start like that seems like the more likely option than what we're getting from any of the three, like playing to start, So I guess playing would be like five hundred at this point, right right, but yeah, where.
Are you at?
So with the Cavs, I've been so I don't really push agendas, but I felt like Donovan Mitchell has been underrated for a very long time. Like I think people forget what he was doing with those Utah teams. He was carrying an offense that had very few other ball handlers, and I think if you put Donovan Mitchell around solid talent, he's gonna get you a lot of wins. I don't think they're gonna go eighty two and zero, so like it's a little counterfeit. Obviously, they're not about to just
run off phage. Yeah about twin seventy or break the seventy you know three win record that the Warriors got a few years ago. But I think this is real. They were legit defense. I've watched, you know, pretty much every team so far, and they're the most serious basketball team I've seen, super focused, very attention to detail. Their defense is legit. They start two bigs around. If you're gonna start two small guards, you have to have a lot of size to compensate for that, and they do that.
Mobley and Allen are awesome, especially in the regular season. I'm not a big Jared Allen guy. In the playoffs, he has some quotes that concerned me. But in the regular season they look awesome. I think they're going to continue to just win at a rate. And I think they're still without Max Struce if I have that right. So there's they're going to get more shooting back and that's a team that's really tough to guard, you know, in the regular season with Mitchell and Garland both looking as they.
Are not counterfeit in the sense that they won't go they're not going to win the next seventy games.
Right right, more so, but this this is legit, Okay, unfortunately because in the world that we exist in where Steven A. Smith does really well, we need you to actually explain why they're garbage because they're not going to go two enough. Yeah right, yeah, yeah, this is this fake.
Yeah, I don't know that.
I don't know the quotes that concern that concern you that you speak of, what are those about?
Yeah, So Jared Allen had a quote where he said, you know, the lights were a little too bright for me, you know, and this is like a veteran in year whatever he is, and this is a recent playoff run that's just that's type of stuff concerns me a little bit.
Is there any chance he was being literal and the lights were just turned up.
Too prol the lights right, And I think he was talking about in U.
Was the reason in Dallas. The Dallas Cowboys Stadium right there literally can't see anything.
So first of all, starting two bigs who can't really shoot threes seems like heading into the season, I feel like then some people might have said, that's like not the way to win the modern NBA. But you know, when you look at how well Mitchell and Garland are shooting. Superducer Jabari pointed out they're shooting for on a combined fifteen attempts a night, so like that, that'll that'll help.
If everybody's shooting that well, then you can, I guess, have some guys who can bang around in the middle and then so just kind of the opposite of the point you made about them being small guards. But if you if you got two bigs in the middle and the small guards are shooting that well, then it all works out right.
And they have someone that's just an elite shot creator at all times pretty much on the floor, and that just really raises your offensive floor to where it's tough to guard them, and most teams don't have two, you know, wings they can throw on both Garland and Mitchell, so it's kind of helped Garland as well. And they just create good shots. They get a lot of corner threes.
Kenny Atkinson is a good coach, who knew, but like he's he's really starting to He's got them playing super hard and don't like, I don't see I don't think they're better than Boston, but like how the Knicks look right now? I have no idea what's going on with Philly. They look like the second best team in the East currently.
Can you edit that so it sounds like he said, Philly looks like the second best team in the East.
Thank you.
Yeah, Garland's shooting forty six from three, Mitchell forty one percent on you know, he takes some tough shots. Yeah, all right, So Atkinson getting a lot of love. Going back to our movie question, if you had to put Kenny Atkinson in a movie playing any profession, I feel like the job wouldn't be basketball coach. He doesn't he looks like what what what profession does he look like? Is this like low level stock trader.
Like he looks like the quirky boss in a rom com.
Okay, I can see that, you.
Know what I mean?
Who like who like he kind of because that slick back hair kind of gives you like, I'm the boss of this vibes.
But he also looks like, you know, he's got a he's kind of a wild card. He's there for some comedic really, like he could move move.
Some used cars. Also, I'm not saying give him full used car, but like, I feel like he could move some use He's in sales. He's in sales for sure. Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, he's in sales. And he is up against it.
Yeah you know what I mean. Yeah, got hit his quota every exactly. He's like, I'm upside down, man. I think we got to get out of this thing. The Suns are next one counterfeit or not eight and two, number eleven, offense, number fourteen ranked defense twelve in point differential sustainable. No, is this is this the real thing?
Not? I don't think so. I think eight and two I think has passed their projection. I was higher on them than like consensus, but you know, I just I don't like the defensive kind of load on Kevin Durant. He has a lot of responsibility on that, and I just don't think that's sustainable. Bill still doesn't look like the player that they traded for and still has a no trade clause somehow, So I think they'll come back down to earth. They have a lot of close games
as well. I think every one of their wins that they were in clutch time too against US too.
By the way, but we.
Sing like the Los Angeles like, Okay, people might think you played I think you played them on Friday.
Yeah, yeah, right right, Yeah, I was in the game too. But yeah, so they've kind of split games against US. They've had close games all throughout. I don't really like the highest Booker Beals starting unit. I think that's too small, and I think eventually the league will kind of figure them out as well. They've they've started well. I think it's counterfit though to their start.
Yeah, I mean, just like put put it in perspective. The plus minus differential so calves second and plus uh in point differential at plus twelve against their opponents. The team we're about to talk about plus eleven point nine against their opponents third uh and the Suns are plus
two point one. So you know that's that's down there in the Yeah, a couple shots go the other way, and this could this could be a completely different thing, right, But I mean not to take anything away from like what Katie is doing, you know, no, first of all, what he did for this country this summer, yes, exactly, and now delivered goal keeping it up. Speaking of delivering state of Arizona, tell them for the Valley brother.
So the Warriors also eight and two, as Jack said, eleven point nine on their point differential number four Office number four defense.
I I mean, I was like, yeah, at the beginning, I was like, buddy, healed, look at it. Look at them, and I know, Jack, You're like just wait, you'll.
See I'm still saying that. I mean, it's entirely.
It was earned. Was that reaction was earned? Absolutely it was.
So this is the like a lot of people have the hold down the corner of just being like very strong in their opinion, and like when they get something right, they like really point to that I am wrong almost all the time, and I was really wrong about the Warriors and the Calves, uh and the Suns. But the Warriors in particular the buddy healed thing. We've seen a lot of teams be like, ah, just just wait till we get healed heild and then it doesn't work out?
Is this colored by you know my recent history is a seventy six Ers fan. I don't know nobody can say the.
White tears away, it's all right, it's all right.
Yes, crying.
I was just on hot ones. You were just on hot ones. That's why I'm crying. Uh, But yeah, I mean we've seen a fantastic start. This is like one of those things again Jack's been saying, sometimes they just decide, you know what, we're gonna be really good this season, good warrior season. Yeah, what do we think? Yeah, okay, should we do a good one this year?
Guys, Yeah, let's do it over Kurr halftime speech.
Yeah. Again for them, Like, I don't think it's counterfeit. I also don't think they're about to win like fifty five to fifty seven games. But I think what their identity is around is real. They're a legit good defensive team. Draymond is back to like crying Draymond defender, and you know he hasn't been kicked out of games yet so like he's still being super effective with them. Steph Curry
still looks like Steph. They're having him kind of more on the ball, and I think, Buddy, sorry about your trauma with Buddy Heald and Philly, you know.
And I I do not have anything personal against him, That's the thing, Like, i never hold a grudge against a player. I'm happy to see the shots going in for him. I've left him since college. Like that season he had at Oklahoma was so fun, right, YEA thrilled to see the shots going in.
Right, I'm sure you are, But I think, Buddy.
Genuine there. Yeah, I just get mad at the team, the organization, yeah, right right, that's my sickness.
Yeah, but he looks born to play in this system, Like there's a level of freedom and empowering that the Warriors do for shooters like that he's been Look he looks like Klay Thompson. Obviously he's not Clay, he's not prime play, but in terms of the shot, he's getting the volume that he's been in transition. Yeah, and again he's being told like you catch it, you fire, And the Warriors place system where Steph Curry's kind of gravity allows these players to get a lot of looks that
they don't get in other places. And I think Steve Kurr is an underrated coach that he gets a lot of flack online for like decisions and the minutes, the weird you know minutes that he has Steph Curry on, which I think is more collaborative, but beween them then gets let out. But Buddy heel looks born to me to plan that system. He looks, yeah, he looks awesome. Stuff is weird, but it's working out right now.
I saw do you see that clip of Draymond talking about how like they had to just kind of figure out how to adapt to like Buddy sort of his instincts, Like defensively, he's like, look, man, he's a ball chaser, and we don't really that's not the best thing, but we try and figure out how do we make that
work for us? And they are and I'm like, I'm like, yeah, it does feel like a really good fit to just be like, Okay, what are things that people might view as like a negative or something that can be improved upon, and how can we integrate that in a way that isn't making you wholesale feel like yeah, throw it all out. Kirby.
Being a bad coach is like one of those things that I feel like only really exists on the internet. Like it's just like a lot of like the diehard fans who get on Twitter and start complaining every time they don't win a championship. There's just so much variance
on the team and their performance. I don't think it's because Steve Kerr is like, I'm really not going to bring it this year, right, you know the fact that there are times this time, there are times when they're able to put it together with a team that is not the typical team that wins championships, I don't know, is pretty pretty impressive.
Well, I think what it was was Steve Kerr just wasn't about to adapt, right, Like He's like, this is my system and this is what we run, and even if five players that can't run it, this is still you know, you know what I'm going to run. And James Wiseman obviously hasn't worked out, but I think like the Warriors were expecting him to be a part of it, and Steve Kerr is like, that guy just can't play in my system. And if he is going to play he's gonna do the things that my system asked for.
And I think that's where the criticism came, where he was really just not going to adjust you know, his system for any player.
James Wiseman and who was right there. I mean how good Wiseman is elsewhere.
But another player is like Kelly oubre right, who's killing it for you guys, but was you know, all on Golden State and he's kind of talked about the adjustment he's had to make as well. So a player like Da Steve, because like Kelly Uber, you are going to have to make splip cuts and you know you're gonna have to work in our system, and Kelly Uber, yeah, that's not what I do, and you.
Know you will do it somewhere else, probably not how speakers, No, but yeah, he'd be like, come on, he's more of a come on kind of guy than for real.
Yeah, he's a priory guy.
Yeah. Yeah, but I think it's like, but it's it's done in the most effective way. Yeah, Okay, should we take a quick break?
Should we take a break?
Yeah?
I mean, speaking of those two teams, I will just say uh. Producer Jabari pointed out that calves are off to the best start in franchise history. They're still just halfway to the start of the twenty fifteen to twenty sixteen Warrior season when they started, Uh how you say twenty four and oh yeah, I think that is how you say it? Oh good, I got it. Sorry, Yeah, yeah. I let my the fact that I'm actually ESL French guy come through for the first time on this podcast.
Embracing it. Thank you. He's he's kebec law books. All right, let's take a quick break and we'll be back. And we're back.
Yeah.
And you know, in addition to loving our Sixers and Lakers, we also love a bit of Victor Wembin Yama Wemby the shot profile came out and people are taking a good hard look at.
That saying came out. Just dropped, just dropped on the sellser.
Pull charge, just dropped. Hey man, I think that you Jack said, I'm seeing he's doing one hundred percent right there. That should be.
He's shooting one hundred percent. I don't know there. There is Nintendo Entertainment System game in the late eighties called Double Dribble that had a thing, a glitch in the game where you could like find this one spot on the court and if you just kept shooting it from there, like the game just blitched out and you couldn't miss. And it seems like Victor wembin Yama has found that
spot on a real NBA court. He's one on the season from the right block, and yet does not appear to be shooting that often from there because his overall counting stats are down from his rookie year.
Yeah, I'm not a fan of the shot profile, but I get it from them. They're just kind of this is to me another year where Wemby is just here, like, let's see what you are, and you know they're gonna try to, I think, get another top pick with that. They're still surrounding him with, you know, a lot less talent other than Chris Paul. I think he's like thirty
eight now. Yeah, so I get it. While he's why he's shooting like from thirty five feet, It's like, why would I go and drive in when I can, you know, just shoot right here and not take any physical contact.
Yeah, it does feel like him more than any other player. You feel like you're watching somebody just like working against the flow of the river, just trying to get towards the basket, like people are just making it so hard for him to get close, And yeah, there's got to be some level of like it's just too hard to get down there sometimes, or they need to like run more creative action for him. But yet, like you said, it doesn't seem to be necessarily a priority at this point.
His blocks are actually up this year from three point six last year to three point nine. The other thing that's kind of wild, and it again could be small sample size, but they always say, like one of the first things to look at for shooting is like how good of a free throw shooter is the person he's shooting ninety two percent from free throw wow this year.
That's that's good, right.
That's like yeah again, like and he's not shooting as many free throws this year, which is wild.
But he.
Likes wiking his arm out and putting it in at the free throw line, like.
That's yeah, yeah, right, right right, yeah. It's like have you ever put anything into a garbage can as you stood over it?
That's kind of like, how the that's what he's doing?
Nice and easy? Nice?
That uh, that one clip of some bonus just giving him that fake and then the way he recovered with that second. It's because you can see his footwork the second he's like up a bit, you can you can tell he's sorting his feet out immediately to.
Just get right back up and make that block. And I was like, man, see, this is the other stuff that aside from like whatever his shot selection is, Like, these are the other skills that are developing in real time too that are going to just I again, the health. I hope please keep that slender body in shape, because as we saw with Chat Holmgren.
Uh.
Yeah, that was one of the last things I saw this year was Chet Holmgren, you know, falling on his hip. Yeah, he's out for like eleven weeks to be reevaluated.
That's like to be looked at, you know what I mean, It's like, yeah, he'll be ready. It's like no, no, we ain't even looking.
And he looked like he was really when Byama had a really great, like all time great rookie season last year and Chet was like a very strong second. Yeah, and he looked like he like took a whole leap this year. So it is definitely disappointing to see happen. Hopefully he comes back strong. I'm hoping that when Byama's superhuman flexibility in addition to a superhuman size and athleticism keeps things like that from happening to him.
I hope he has like flubber in his bones. Yeah you know what I mean, just to keep him blinky blinkie safe because yeah, not a lot of not a lot of protection from the body for sure.
Yeah, this is there's gonna be two seasons really that they've me hope check back. But obviously missed his rookie year, right, so now this is his third year also, which like tells me Sam Press is a really you know, he's not a super aggressive GM. But I think like title windows are very short. You know, they were the one seed last year, and you know they kind of just played it safe, and you know that was seen as the right move. I just I think you have that
is this good? You should kind of go you trade Chet? No, no, no, you don't, but like you trade Chet, maybe you trade one of the five hundred milliear.
Grumbles that they're going to trade Chet.
For you heard it right here, right, that's what standing.
Sorry again, we're just trying to keep up with the SPN.
They just make.
To say that they they have like three hundred but they have like three hundred million first round.
Picks the exactly right, So just use those, I guess some of them. You don't have to trade all of them, but you have the winning lottery ticket that you you're sitting on. But right, Yeah, back to a there's for all the people who are critical of the shot profile and stuff like that, they're in addition to like the blocks,
there's so many good clips, you know, highlights. They don't really highlights for anyone else, but it's like it is the very first thing I noticed about his game watching him in his very first summer league is the number of shots where he's maybe not even the primary defender, but he just affects what everybody is doing because they know that he's there and that he can block shots
that had never been blocked in a basketball game before. Yeah, Like there's a good clip of I don't know who it is, but driving in has their man on their hip and just knows the webbiandas behind them and so turns and tries to kick it back out and it's a terrible pass and I immediate turnover. But yeah, shots just like don't go up in the same places people get to their spot and then forget that it's their
spot when he's around. So I just feel like that's kind of an underrated thing that will always be a part of his game that breaks the floor.
He breaks like the geometry of the floor, Like he can you know, steal a pass while also you know, defending the post players. It's just absurd. And I think Davis does some of this, but he doesn't have as freakish alien arms as Wenby does. And Wemby was already in what Defensive Player of the Year conversations a year ago is his rookie season and the Spurs you know, had the amount of Wednesday Day that they had, So
he's gonna keep getting better. He's an alien And like, you know, I just hope san Antonio never gets a real number two, Like they just keep flipping, you know, these players, and you know none of them actually turn down to the number two, because once he does, he's gonna, you know, they're gonna start winning at a at a crazy pace.
Yea is.
You know that I learned this thing like about bees, like if a dark shadow comes over to the ground, you know, have you do you know this about bees. No, so there's like an instinct for like bees, when like a darkness comes over, they immediately cease flying because it's like an instinct they developed for like a storm or like a tornado that would take them away, is to
just hug the ground. It's this like in this interesting way because like when I watch these clips too, about like you're talking about the geometry of everything, if people even feel like the shadow of Wemby, it's like that instinct w It's like no, no, yeah, down, down, I can I just already know that this is not this is not the best decision to make. But anyway, a little bit, yeah, a little bit of insect facts. You know, we like to sprinkle in this show, Miles. You know
that I'm a huge fan of that insect fact. So you just dropped off me.
I know, I know, I know.
I think other NBA players should start thinking about being like why wh yeah, you know, like just saying like little French things out of their breath or like kind of mess with people equally like other Spurs players.
But if it's like any French person, they're like, you're not speaking French, you know what I mean? And then throw that back to you and then they're like, oh man, they're like, sorry, might not even try. Yes, you're right, Soccer Blue Milwaukee brother.
This it doesn't bother me as much because Jannis has has the title. He did the thing that was awesome. He didn't you know, you can't take that away from him, Like, and he's probably gonna eventually go somewhere else. But you know, the haters can't really be full blown haters because he's already done it. That said, this is yeah, this is bad. I don't know. The team just doesn't work as currently constituted.
It's just wild that they were like the coach is the problem and then like they've been way worse in terms of win's losses since they made the coaching change. I don't know the answer here, superducer Jabari. Can they get coach bud back is you know you don't you don't hear about those changes that don't recent.
Google searches in Milwaukee can get coach, but ten trade coach back.
Yeah, I mean they're.
Two and eight and yeah, and it just feels like it gets like just the situation gets a little bit more negative and more negative.
Yeah.
Yeah, it's funny because I went back and after Giannis won the title in twenty twenty one, he had a quote he's like, yeah, we won the championship and if we don't do it again, it's okay. And obviously that quote has died in three years because it's you know, there's trade, you know, conversations and stuff like that. But yes, it's funny to watch them kind of just age. And this is kind of what happens to title teams. Right when you win a championship, you pay the role players,
and some of them you overpay. And now, like these role players are old, and then when you trade for Damian Lillard, you functionally like change the core of what your team's built around. So they were you know before it was Drew Holliday and it was a prime Joannice is still in his prime, but like Brook Lopez was a DPO y you know, contender for years. Gianness was
also that. So they were like a lockdown defense with Bud and kind of a regular season wins in machine and now like I see the low lights of Damian Lillard defense, it's like what did you think you were getting? Like what player did you like? Like he dies on screens, he's died on screen since his rookie year, Like Dame is not defended at all, but it's now It's just
they have no one to surround him with. And you combine old Brook Lopez with Dame and a team that doesn't switch, and Gianni's gonna have like forty plus and they still lose. And I just like, if you're going to fire a coach at thirty and thirteen, you better go get like Eric Spolstra instead. They did that to go get Doc Rivers. It's just every Doc Rivers team I feel like implodes and like just strage his way, the Ben Simmons situation, the Kawhi Paul George stuff, Like
every single time a Doc Rivers team just implodes. So, yeah, two and eight, I don't see this getting better anytime soon. In Middleton's still out, They're lucky. The East is so bad. I think there's only two teams over five hundred, so they'll have a chance to kind of recoup some wins. They play the Bulls four times, they played the injured six Ers for no I mean they played they played bad teams like four times a year, but they play a lot of bad teams.
Yeah, yeah, we'll see the Sixers. I we do have a recent MVP who might be coming back from injury at some point in the not too distant future, so we'll see.
Should we talk about the Lakers?
I mean a little bit.
I think since Roger is here and you know that I love my Lakers. We're six and four. Our home record I watering. Our record on the road also eye watering in a different way. We're one and four, five and zero at home.
Let's just focus on that.
Yeah, let's focus on that. Can we just can we just do like home games? Is that cool? So?
Like, I've learned a couple of things in the past week about like how you can treat the media and like kind of get away with it. What if, like you just didn't tell people about the one and the four on the road because like the only one they're seeing in person.
Nay defeated doing exactly. We're the Calves, dude, We're like the calves. Why is no one talking about we're the calves at home?
I'm gonna say this. I was very cynical about jj Reddick. I was very unsure, and despite this, I thought we were gonna be I thought.
We were gonna be worse off than six and four, to be honest, and I'm I.
Am heartened by what I see and I am I do like to see that there's flexibility. I do like to see that we're willing to Nah, this isn't working. I think you need to go to the second unit. Let's try something different.
But man, I'm also just worried about the defense from our guards is also just another part. I'm just like, there's so many clips I see like Austin Reeves just get blown by and he's like, come on, dude, on a beach. Wild, Dude, it's wild.
But I mean, yeah, how do you look at the evolution because I I mean from my fan not being close up as a journalist's perspective, I'm like, what I do like is that they look like they're bought in to what JJ is putting down, and it looks like they do like even when ars like like, there's a level of accountability self accountability that I do appreciate and I don't I'm not hallucinating that, right, It feels like that's very much what's happening despite the street and performances.
Yeah, yeah, it's funny because they're the only team over five hundred that has a negative net rating like every other team is, you know, in the positive net which I think kind of shows you kind of how the
season has gone so far. Obviously the three and three and h start, then they lost on the road to Phoenix and some of those games, Like I'm not blaming this on Lebron, but like you have a fourty year old superstar, right, so like the the needs for him are different, and so like when they played the Pistons on the road for example, which is one of the losses that they have, the team kind of goes as Lebron goes, especially on his energy level sometimes, and I
thought the whole team kind of came out very lackadaisical. But I think this team when like Lebron's locked in and obviously eighty has been the MVP. I think so far he's averaging over thirty points a game and he's had thirty I think every.
SINGVP league wide MVP, he'd be your pick.
I think so right now, if the Lakers can like pick up a couple more wins in terms of the seating, I think he can really right, you know, get AVP this year, He's he's just been incredible. This is the best offensive season the eighties had. But the main concern to me, obviously I think he spoke about is the defense. We're twenty I believe eighth in defense right now, twenty
sixth in defense currently and the guards. And that's like I tweeted before the season started, I was like, Cam Ridders is going to have to play and I got killed for that. You know, They're like, that's why you fire Darvin Ham Like I just look at this yeah, right, Like I just look at this roster. I'm like, there's just not enough athletic footspeed for you know, a wing who can really and Cam can really guard. Like the
sad part is like he's a really good defender. It's just I don't think that's what he thinks he is in his head. Cam Riders still, you know, wants to be the Cameraritis that came out of Duke, but like he can really defend. He's he's a super skilled wing defender. And JJ saw that and when started him Delos coming off the bench. We'll see how body in he is with that. As the season goes, I think wins will kind of determine, you know, how invested he is in
that situation. But yeah, they look good so far. They have some winnable games coming up. They have a game tomorrow against Memphis, who you know, Jaw I think is going to be out. Also an in season tournament game, but yeah, i'd like to start. So far, JJ has been good, eighty has been awesome. The bench scoring is
still a concern of mine. The backup senate ranked seven, Yeah, it's and Max Christy was a guy that, like a lot of people hope would really you know, become something this year, and they paid him and he just has not been good and he's already collecting DMPs, you know, because of Cam Reddish. That's why I think d Low went to the bench. But overall this is a solid team. I think they need another move, of course, like just to step into that next tier, you know, in the West.
But right now I think they can like hover around like this, you know, win profile and we'll see how it goes. But their numbers a little skewed because one of the wins, Ron just went nuclear against the Kings, which I feel like only happens to teams like the Kings. Like the Kings just get these weird.
Fans are so dismissive of Kings and Clippers. It's just in your DNA. You can't help it. You can't help it.
Yeah, I don't know.
By the way, listeners, if you are the gambling type and in a state where that is possible, AD is currently a fifth for mvprs, he's uh, you know, you got Jokich at plus two twenty five, Shay at three point thirty, Luca plus five hundred, ADS plus eighteen hundred. So that would be a pretty spicy meatball. Spicy call if you know, this is my attempt to talk about gambling. I stink at it.
That was pretty spicy meatball. You don't want that. You don't want to see?
Sorry, six for VP.
I feel like the.
Lakers are usually better than their net rating, like the past, like since Lebron, like Lebron will just pick and choose his spots, and sometimes when the team doesn't have it and he doesn't have it, he's you know, you guys will lose by more than expected. I've always felt like net ratings not the best way to gauge how good the Lakers are.
Yeah, I'm so the line the data I usually look at that is like how good are you when your stars are on the floor, right, Yeah, I know we didn't talk about Milwaukee, but like Damon Giannis are a minus one point eight together, which is horrific. Right, You're losing the minutes with your two players that make sixty million dollars a year, Like, that's just that just can't happen. And lebron ad right now are a minus. I think they're just under a negative around minus point five, which again,
like that's just you just can't have that happen. And I think that's not sustainable. I think that will pick up as the season goes on, but yeah, that that's where they're at right now. And look, Austin Reeves has been handed the keys now to the to the point guard position, and he looks you know, he looks like and you just talked about his defense. I don't think like, if Austin Reeves is your best defender and your starting lineup,
you have a problem. Yeah, that's why I think like Camras got inserted in there, and I think that's helped his legs as well. Right, Yeah, so he's looked good. And it's funny because the Lakers and Bucks are only two teams that have teammates that are averaging eighteen five and four. That's Damon Giannis Milwaukee, and that's Austin and Lebron on the Lakers. Every but obviously two teams going
in different directions. But that's been it's been interesting to watch, Like d Lo kind of over the summer, JJ said, Delo is the guy he talked to the most over the summer. They texted the most. Maybe that's the only guy he had his number, but like that's the guy that he said they texted the most over the summer. To go from that to now de Lo coming off the bench, that's quite a start kind of difference in just a few weeks.
I mean, he's seems outwardly handling it somewhat well, like he's not you know, he's just saying like, look, I'm just we're fine. Yeah, like I'm here to win. If that, if that's what it took the summer to get to, then fine. But I'm sure that JJ was probably looking for just that little bit extra. But we don't. I won't hold my breath. But before we take a break, what do you think? What are we?
Are we what's Rob Polink going to do? Are we just waiting for for Vando to come back. Are we gonna get active here because I'm so curious about what, Like that's a huge question mark that is going to affect the rest of the.
Tame, right, Yeah, it's it's you know, it's interesting because I think Rob has kind of talked about and they've kind of preached development, right, and they're preach inner kind of growth in terms of their young players that just hasn't worked out so far, and this front office hasn't really shown that they're going to go all in on a team that's hovering around playing territory, right, Like the most they've traded is like one first round pick, and
I think the Russell Westbrook thing has kind of traumatized them, and you know, going all in for a single player. You know, Levin is a guy that pops up a lot, but Levine has a lot of you know similar I mean, I think he's a better player than Russ was when we traded for him. But the contract, the knees, right, all that comes together. So I think they're going to try and look for a small deal. To me, like they need a backup center and they need one more wing.
Like if you get those two things I think we're cooking. Like you get a door if any Smith or Cam Johnson, and you get like you can get a Walker Kessler out of Utah or you know, like a backup center that you can just rely on. Right now, it's Jackson Hayes. Like and Jackson Hayes has played fine, but like Jackson Hayes as your starter is, you know you're gonna lose a lot of games if Ady hasn't missed any time. So I think that's what they're going to look at.
And I don't expect them to make a big splash unless this team is like the two seed at the All Star break then like they're like, oh yeah, let's go all in. But I just don't see a huge trade coming, you know down the line.
Yeah, I just don't know what it is. But something's got to give, for sure.
We should just because it's been getting some you know, national international media attention mentioned like so heading into the season, I had a take that JJ Reddick's hair was too good to be an NBA coach. Uh and a lot of people are pointing out the like five and zero at home in LA where that sort of hairstyle might be like more accepted and like just you know, not stand out as much one and four on the road, where like, I don't know, that's not a basketball coach.
Why don't the Lakers have a basketball coach? They just have that dude in a boy band over there in the dunks, right, So it's just a thing to keep an eye on. I guess I don't. I don't know that it's like explained everything, but it's definitely a thing that's being that has some people's eyebrows raised just for a second, like noted, noted, you see the hair? Is that too good for Utah? Is that too good for deployment?
What is that hair?
Come out? Let that sit on the bench with the Lakers, he's more handsome than any of the players. You got thoughts on Well, I'm just I think I think it causes problems.
Yeah, okay, I get it. I get it.
Should take JJ bredde okay, jadache and we'll be right back with the.
Rapid fire round of questioning.
Rather, JJ rhetoric is out of control, and we're back.
Raj Chabalu. We love having you here, man, But this is the part that that most of our guests dread. It's the hot seat.
I remember this. I remember this.
Yeah, yeah, I know you do.
I know you.
The holidays coming up, so I'm gonna go full Sanna.
You're going on him. Okay, he's doing how cute?
Sam Samon drinking? Why is he laughing so hard at nothing?
A sixers jersey? But this is the four quarter rapid fire round of questioning. Look, Roger, you're gonna ask you a question you just think, you just respond. You don't take too long. You show everybody how quick your mind is, because if you take too long, we will be so rude to you that you will reconsider coming back. Although and we will apologize to you profusely off mic so
that we make things okay. But I don't want to tell the listeners that even though I just did, Okay, are you ready, Raj, let's do it.
He's not ready.
I know, I know.
They always say they're ready, Jack, they always say they're ready like a little baby lamb out there ready, Bryan. Oh man, this is like I've never seen them like this. I'm charged up. I'm charged up.
You're going first, man, who's going like a like a dang Now it's like a dang street light. Uh, why don't you go first. I think you all right, think you crafted this first one. Look, we're playing pick up hoops.
With characters from the TV show The Office.
We just got the first pick and took doctor j who was in an episode in the last season.
And each player, each person that you see is in their prime.
Was such a big office head that like, he pulled that last second.
I had to. We had another one.
We had another written down, No doctor j doctor was there. But we also made a rule that basically said, nobody who played in the NBA is selectable. But that's okay because we picked the only person that has played in the right.
They were like, oh, that's against the rules. Well, we can't allow. We can't say you can't do it anymore. So that that's how it happened.
What happened was that exactly, So who are you picking any character?
So it has to be Jim, right, he was the best player in the Office. I think he actually played basketball, you know, in you know, high school or college. I don't remembers played I remember, I'm.
Sorry the character, yes, oh, the character Jim.
Jim.
I guess we payed, okay, I.
Guess we're in the world, right, this is a great point by rog We're in the world.
We're in office, aren't we He was actually the best player and he killed in that little run they had inside there.
Yeah, I hate that's the right answer. I'm thinking outside of the world of the Office, where I don't really care about Jay.
But because how would doctor j Prime Doctor J beat Prime Jim Helper?
Right? Oh no, we're still going to win. I just hate that that's the right decision. We're still going to destroy them.
Yeah, I mean.
Also shout to Kevin Malone played by Brian Bomgardner, who in that basketball episode there are just like these b roll shots of him just be is just weady, weady, and because he actually is a huge, huge sports fan and athletes, so that was also the correct But.
Man, he's no but he's pretty good.
Rog Neil did with that one.
All right, where are you on business decisions as a player?
You know?
We we saw a famous business decision in the world of college hoops where the coach's son got in for a second and decided to challenge someone at the rim and got flipped upside down. Some good ones in the n B. A uh Giannis got right out of the way when somebody was about to when kat was about to yoke on him against He's like, no, you may not. I will not be in that photograph like like it was. He was avoiding the paparazzi. Uh Kate Cunningham made a
slightly worse business decision with Jayalen Green. He got picked by uh, I don't know who was guarding him, but then they dished to Jalen Green and uh, here we'll play the audio.
Man Thompson this time with the defensive play.
Yeah, I will continue to go up and donk, you're a coach, okay in the in this league, all right, are your players is allowed to make good business decisions?
So so really quick at that Jade and cunning I don't see that as a business decision though, like Caide was, he had he had no time to even think. He really just turned around and you know Green Ray dunked on him. Yeah, But as a coach, it depends who you are, right, Like, I don't need my sixty million dollars superstar like getting in the way of every single
dunk that's you know, trying to be created. But if I put you in there specifically as a body to be the energy guy right, then, No, you cannot get out of the way. Like in some it's like if Zion's coming down four hundred, like in one hundred miles per hour. You know, some of those I get it. But yeah, if you're in there specifically to go and take charges, then you go and take charges.
But I don't really it's about to be hurt Locker in here if you try and go up against him, it's about to we're gonna be sea body parts.
Yeah.
But if it's Lebron then yeah, get out of the way. It's all right in November. I think you're taking charges in November, like let's let's save let's save those.
Yeah, and after the person gets blown up, what do you like when they come back to the bench, are you like, hey man, great love that from you like waiter or do you just like kind of try not to make eye contact with No.
So, like that's you know, that's a good play. That's the charges are.
That's a good basketball play.
Yeah, the super Woman, Like that's a huge momentum play. Every single you know, Arena gets up for a charge. I know some people want to take the charge out of basketball. I disagree. I think it's an important momentum play. That's that's involved, you know.
And when on a run. Absolutely. Okay, here's the next question. Please name your Lakers Mount Rushmore.
Lakers Mount Rushmore. Okay, have cob and it.
Can and it can be.
It can be anyone who is relevant. So I will say this, we can zoom out of anyone who is relevant to the Lakers organization because it.
Could be presidents.
Man, it could be whatever.
You know.
There could be Lincoln Jefferson.
You're a Lakers fan Mount Rushmore.
All right, so obviously you know Kobe would be on it, Magic be on it, Kareem is on it. I think Lebron is on it.
How many?
Just four?
You just c as far?
Okay, yeah, that that would be my mountain.
Lebron made it. That's I'm seeing growth from you Lakers fans.
No shock, huh, that's a good point. No chick hearn No, I would keep it.
Know what hern looks like?
Man?
What you don't say that to me?
I'm forty, I'm a man.
No, Jerry West, I mean he got the logo, he's iconic.
Yeah, he's around Okay now, and I don't mean to pick apart.
I'm just I'm just making sure. I'm just confirming, yes, stick with those, all right.
Finally, the Lakers have final possession, down to Game seven of the finals. You can pick one player sees this is already know the answer this then exclude someone. Exclude the person. You can pick one player. But Kobe just twists his ankle. Uh so he's out one player from throughout franchise history that the ball is in their hands just to get a bucket. Who are you putting the ball in the hands?
Wait?
Is it get a bucket? Or is it just like hit the finals?
We need to we need a three, you need like how much.
Tame is left?
Okay about this, we got one possession. Let's just say we're down one. So so just so anything, any any score is enough.
And you said Kobe twisted his ankle.
Kobe just twisted his ankle, by the way, that would be the right answer, but go ahead.
Obviously it's two obvious the questions. So we had altered all right.
So so I think this is the this is the right answer. I think I think it's shot right, Like that's who you'd have to give the ball to for one like one basket at the end, and you don't have Kobe available. Shock hit him when they counted. That's you know, that's the hit when Wow, Lebron and Shaq would be close. But I think Shaq is you know, known as the most dominant big man and or dominant player ever. I think Shaq, if you just needed a basket, you're down too.
Yeah.
Did Shack have any iconic game winners?
Mmm?
No, right, there was one Jabari is referencing against Utah okay many years ago.
But yeah, I mean the Barn game in Blue Chips. I think he said game on that one. I'll you dunk that was that was a game winner technically, So there you go.
All right. I like it.
It's the wrong answer, but I like it.
That's also the right answer.
Actually is also the right answer because you know all these yeah, right answer you got? Yeah, sorry, this one is yeah. No, I'm being told by the judges you got all correct answer.
I don't know how that works, but you do it every time. Raj Chapalu, thank you so much for stopping by. Miles and Jack Matt Boosties. Where do the people find you? Follow your support? You read, you, hear you all that good stuff?
Yeah, at ross to follow you on Twitter, start posting on you know TikTok as well, having some breakdowns. There have the Lakers detailed on Lakers Lounge podcast and I'm writing for Clutch Points. I was covering their soft bay and all the young players and Bronnie got to talk to Bronnie, you know, yesterday he had his debut in the G League as well.
So yeah, yeah, you can follow me all all over there, all over amaze.
You can follow the show at the hashtag mat boosties be double O S t I E S.
You could also follow one of us on Twitter. I'm there at Miles of Gray.
I'm at Jack Underscore O'Brien, and you can only follow one of them. It can't be both decide now and only one of us. One of us can tell no lies and one of us can tell the truth.
So you have one question to ask me proceive. And that has been another flawless episode of Myles Jack, I'm mad Boosti's we allay. We'll be back next week where we will inevitably have some Emirates NBA Cup action to talk about.
Then.
Until then, Bye bye, Buddy Heel Downtown Swish