Welcome in What's drive in the Great episode three twenty seven. I'll be honest, A show that the audience is likely looking forward to quite a bit more than me. A show that you know, it's very ironic. I'm drinking out of the coffee cup game theory with Bamani Jones. Bimani texts me this morning, just trolling me. Well, he started by trolling JJ Reddick, but then he started trolling me saying shame the Lakers didn't last long enough for us
to watch a playoff game together. That would have been fun. And I wrote him back. Given how the Lakers playoffs win, it wouldn't have been fun at all. And so listen, let's just get into Demons High. Good to see, uh, happy to see. I love you, I'm proud of you. You're my believed great awesome fun stuff. Let's get to what missed the cut. Stefan Castle becomes a fourth San
Antonio spur To win Rookie of the Year. If he does not end his career as one of the twenty five greatest players of all time, he has not carried on that legacy. No big shoes, kiddo, but Robinson's there Duncan's there, Wimby appears to be on his way, Dyson Daniels wins Most Improved Player and Boston Flute Gentleman sweep of Orlando. A reminder, please like, rate, subscribe, review, check out the podcast you control me in the comments. It's final,
be honest. Probably won't be reading them today, but the producers might pick a select few to bring to my attention if they find them particularly funny. Because it's not just that I'm bummed. It's not just this the second straight year that the Lakers and Lebron and the playoffs don't get out of round one. It's also that this is the first Lakers playoff loss since Lebron's been there that is shocking. This one is shocking to me. The the when they lost to the Suns that series turned
on Anthony Davis. Pulling is growing. Like I thought they would win that series. But your second best player, best player, I don't know. Depending on how you viewed Anthony Davis, then Pulls is growing. It changes two years ago when they got all the way to the conference finals, I thought they could win. They obviously got swept by Denver,
but it wasn't shocking that they lost last year. When I they got Denver in round one and Denver was the overwhelming favorite, I said, hey, if you're ever gonna beat Denver, round ones the time that you have the best chance. But I wasn't shocked by it. This one shocked me. And so I have some you know, accounting
to do on that front. And so I'm not sure how much we're going to talk about today that isn't about the end of the Lakers season, the ascension of Anthony Edwards, Rudy Gobert having his annual Rudy Gobert game,
which is honestly demons here is. You know, it's really important to remember stay humble, like Gianness would say, stay humble, be grounded, because nobody took more pleasure on TV last year than me in the root the last Rudy go Beart game we got, because that was against Denver in Game seven, and Kevin Wilds was covered in shame and I got to mock him for it. And I've never really been a Rudy Gobert guy. I don't know if
there are many Rudy Gobert guys outside of Leone. However, I enjoyed that performance and then the Rudy go beart game came for me and in really maddening fashion. So again, subscribe on YouTube, hit the bell, subscribe on all your podcast platforms, and now demands go ahead.
Yeah. So the Lakers season ended last night, I think, and the hands of Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves, so might say. Rudy Gobert JJ w Rennick had a similar scheme. He played his starters a lot of minutes. They came closer at the end, but then kind of ran out of gas. They couldn't do it. How'd you get this series so wrong? You said there was this one they obviously didn't.
Well, yeah, and I said Lakers. I said my favorite bet was Lakers minus a game and a half, meaning Lakers in four or five or six. And when I was giving the analysis of that bet, I said, I didn't even really consider the possibility of the Lakers losing the series. Is the reason the bet didn't come in. I thought it was because the Lakers, you know, maybe they win in seven, but I thought they would. I thought they would be hard fought games. The Lakers were
clearly better. So I do want to start with me because I gotta a whiff this strong, you gotta figure out. You gotta kind of do an autopsy, a post mortem of your own tape. And the number one thing that I clearly overestimated going into this postseason was how dynamic
and unstoppable the Lakers offense would be. I thought there was a little too much attention paid to the Lakers defensive deficiencies, not because I thought they'd be a great defense, but because I thought it was pretty clear we had proof of concept that the Lakers defense could be average, that the Lakers defense could be fine, and that if the Lakers defense is fine, even given their size limitations, that this offense with Luca and Lebron was going to
be a top three in the league over the court, you know, net rating wise or offensive rating wise offense. And it was nothing close to that. And so that
was with number one whiff. Number one was that the Lakers offense would be would put the other team under such pressure to keep scoring and to keep pace that a younger Timberwolves team, a Timberwolves team that only has one true superstar, a Timberwolves team that has a few guys who are max players who there have long playoff histories, but the playoff histories are you know, checkered in Rudy Gobert and Julius Randall that the weight of Lebron and
Luca on the offensive side of the ball would be too much for him. None of that happened. We didn't have a single game this series where where Lebron and Luca were both outstanding on the offensive end, and we did have last night. And we'll talk obviously more about the individual parties involved here shortly, but last night was the first time in an elimination game that Lebron wasn't
outstanding in a decade. Honest to god, if you go through it was it was somewhat jarring to see if you look at what Lebron James, who averages thirty five points per game in his career in elimination games, what he did last night in comparison, like if I can just quickly give you the game logs last year against Denver, face well, he had two games facing elimination against Denver. The first game he had third thirty five and four. The next game and because they won it, he had
thirty nine and eleven. The year before facing elimination against Denver, he had I think thirty in the first half and he finished with forty ten and nine. When they lost to Phoenix in a game they got, they really didn't have much of a chance. If you remember, that's the game Anthony Davis started and then played like thirty seconds, then came out of the game. Lebron twenty nine to nine and seven facing elimination. They never faced elimination and
route to the bubble in the championship run. And then if you look at game seven against Boston or game six and seven against Boston facing eliminations, are down three to two, forty six, eight and eleven, thirty five, fifteen and nine, you can go his whole career. It's like, Okay, we're facing elimination. I have to ramp it up. Here's the part that last night informed me on he fired
those bullets over the weekend. He felt correctly, clearly we were facing elimination in game four and in game three he had the thirty eight, ten and four and they blew it at the end. In game four he had twenty seven, twelve and eight and the defensive stops at the end, and in game five the forty. It was a weird Lebron game because he had three of his most explosive offensive plays of those three dunks that he's had all postseason. But he just didn't have the juice
last night, So Lebron didn't have the juice. Luca's performance last night even more shocking because Luca has been a back against the wall, I'm gonna f you up everybody's top when they're up.
Lucas seemed pretty messed up, like basically this whole series. Though. Yeah, whether it was sicknesses or yesterday, I feel like he came out with like some backspasm type of thing.
Yeah. I mean, listen, he got hurt, but he didn't. If it was he had looked awesome and until the hard fall, that would be one thing, but that's not what it was. Like. He was relatively passive in the first quarter, which is when he has crushed. It felt early on like Lebron and Luca were both like, Okay, let's conserve energy in the first quarter so we have
more in the fourth quarter. And at first it looked like a bad strategy because they were down fourteen, but then once despite all that, they were able to claw their way back into the game and actually take a one point lead, You thought, oh, this could work out, but Lebron didn't have the extra gear and Luca didn't have it. The really, I don't want to say the whole series, but the last three games since he got sick,
Luca didn't have the Luca playoff gear. Twenty eight to seven and nine on seven of eighteen from the field for Luca is by his standards, a bad playoff game. Now, the flip side to that, and where, folks, where credit must be given is the other guys are paid too. And the Timberwolves defensive plan against Luca and against Lebron was outstanding. The Timberwolves trusting you know what, Austin Reeves. If you beat us, you beat us. We don't think you're gonna beat us. It was smart, it worked, and
so I'm not gonna kill Austin Reeves. He had a rough series. But also the Lakers shouldn't have needed Austin Reeves to be great to force a Game six against the Timberwolves. And I understand that the Timberwolves are now twenty one to five in their last twenty six and I think they have ten or it's either ten or fifteen. I don't remember double digit wins in that stretch I get that that maybe I was I am still even to a degree underrating or disrespecting the Timberwolves. But this
Lakers team it was not. And this is what's so frustrating about the way the season ended. It was not some hope in a prayer media creation. They had almost the exact same record against the Western Conference as Oklahoma City did. They were a dominant team home where they lost two of these games. They had I think the third best record in the fourth best record in the
league against the best teams in the league. We saw them at the end of the year against a full strength Oklahoma City team, blow them out, and then go toe to toe with them a week before the playoffs. They were rested. All of those things happened, and while Lebron did not have a great Game five, you did get great Lebron performances in Games two, three, and four. So it wasn't that oh the you know, the old
man slowed down at the end. He did at the very end, and they still just got annihilated in this series. The thing about last night that made last usually demons. If if a team loses a close out game that you know, is a one possession game with a few minutes left. It's heart wrenching. I gotta tell you, it's not how I felt watching the Lakers squander that game at the very end, because they were incredibly lucky last night that they weren't blown out minutes. I mean, Anthony
Edwards was zero for eleven from three. The Timberwlves as a whole shot forty seven threes and made seven of them. Think about that, they were fifteen percent from three. So Ant was five of nineteen from the field. And that's another weird thing for Ant because he's going to get his flowers today, as he should. But it reminded me, actually a lot of game Game seven against Denver, the biggest win of Anthony Edwards career. He was six of twenty four from the field, two of ten from three,
had sixteen points. It was his worst game of the series, and they came back and beat Denver. Anyway, last night, he's five of nineteen from the field, oho of eleven from three, has fifteen points. And it's the game that he knocks off Luca and Lebron that which is a testament to the Timberwolves and a testament to Julius Randall
was excellent. This entire series. Julius Randall was reliable, and obviously Rudy Gobert's nine offensive rebounds twenty four total rebounds, him scoring twenty seven points in a playoff game was unfathomable. And you can say, oh, listen, this is the Lakers don't play a center. The Lakers haven't played a center all series. Rudy Gobert's stat lines prior to last night two and six, six and six, one and three, five
and ten, and then twenty seven and twenty four. Prior to last night, in the series, Rudy Gobert had fourteen points twenty five rebounds in the four games. Last night, he had twenty seven points, twenty four rebounds.
Not having a big guy in there is gonna come back to bite you eventually, right.
Well, clearly, I mean so clearly it did. But the point that I'm making is, and you guys know from what I was saying earlier in the series that I thought and even though the Lakers were in a tough spot, but one of the things that had worked out for them was that the Timberwolves, and we talked about this that even though the Lakers were everyone, the Lakers were playing with six' eight and. Below rudy wasn't killing them that they were getting away with playing that small because
The timberwolves didn't want to Give Rudy gobert the. Ball And i'll be honest last, night they didn't give him the ball that. Much it was all on like of but it was, yeah it was on offensive, rebounds it was on. Putbacks it wasn't a lot of like they
passed it To Rudy. Gobert and so a guy who has in his seventy how how many games is his playoff, career seventy four game playoff, career who went into last night with five career twenty point playoff games and zero career twenty five point playoff, game puts twenty seven on your. HEAD a guy who in his seventy four career playoff games once going into last, night had more than eighteen rebounds in a game in the, playoffs puts twenty four rebounds on your. Head it Was it was a dominant
performance by. Him it was a great performance By jalen By Julius. Randall they and that's the other. Piece jade McDaniel's in foul trouble immediately and it didn't. Matter so this was A it felt to me like and this is is not an excuse and it might even be an. Indictment it felt to me like The lakers felt they lost the series On, sunday and that is and that they came out because there was no energy in the first. Quarter it was something of a.
Miracle minnesota was leaving it up there for. Grabs, yes they were playing pretty complacent with the, lead taking a lot of beef shots instead of. Driving it was a.
Miracle it's exactly right demonse that this game was closely If minnesota just has A c minus shooting night instead of the worst shooting night any team will have in the playoffs over the next three, years which is really what they. Did The lakers are down twenty, five, right and so the credit to The. Timberwolves, Man and.
What about The Mark williams? Trade, Man, like what is? Well would that have changed?
This here's the thing it what they gave up in The Mark williams trade Was Dalton connect a first round, pick AND i think a. Swap so there is no arguments that you made like well for this series in this postseason that would have hurt you Because Dalton connect got zero. Minutes you know WHAT i. Mean so since the guy you traded you never played in the short, term And Mark williams took a bit of a victory.
LAP i understand On, TWITTER i get that it certainly felt like and they when they didn't Get Mark, williams they Signed Alex, lynn who played zero. Minutes Now Maxi kleiba comes off the bench after not playing in months because of his, INJURY jj gives him five minutes and more ON jj shortly there is. There it sure feels like they would have had a better chance now in
retrospect in this series they Had Mark. Williams we never saw him play with him and they now that powder is dry for you, know a move this coming summer. Potentially BUT i. CAN'T i can't pick a team to win the championship and then when they get popped in round one and five be, like, well here's all the obvious flaws with the, Roster like that's. BULLSHIT i Knew
Mark williams wasn't on the. TEAM i knew how big The timberwolves were WHEN i said After day eighty, Two game eighty two of the season THAT i thought the bracket fell perfectly for The, lakers and now you look at it and you, say, well that was wrong, obviously so, no it's A i but at its, core people are, GONNA i, think focus on the wrong. THINGS i think this what happened to The, lakers in my, opinion is three games of this series and they scored less than
one hundred. Points four games of the series they scored less than one oh. Five the one game they won they only scored ninety. Four and you can so folks are gonna say the issue was they were never gonna be good enough, defensively, maybe but the issue in this series was an offense that the only way to look at This lakers team as a legitimate contender was going to be they have an elite. Offense that offense was never. Elite it was never even very. Good and it's just
remarkable to me that it's the same. OFFENSE i saw a few weeks ago drop one twenty six IN okc in a GAME okc one and then have like one ten with six minutes left N okc against that. Defense in the, Game luca got ejected IN i the The lakers role players all had some. Struggles luca obviously wasn't Himself lebron ran out of gas in every every one of these fourth, quarters and that's how you lose in.
Five given, It, Austin, YEAH i feel like you Were you did really go easy On Austin. Reeves if those guys aren't gonna show, up that who has to show? UP i think it has to Be.
Austin, well, no, LISTEN i So Austin reeves for the series was sixteen to five and three on forty one thirty two. Splits it's a bad. Series the Reason i'm not focusing on that is BECAUSE i JUST i think that would be kind of bullshit in THAT i didn't pick The. Lakers people ARE i think MAYBE i think people that are discerning listeners to HOW i do this stuff are maybe at times surprised at how FAIR i
try to be to what is honest. COMMENTARY i didn't pick The lakers BECAUSE i Thought Austin reeves was gonna cook so like and so this was the first playoff run of his career where a lot was expected of. Him that's where and and he didn't. Listen he wasn't, great but he's a young player who doesn't make a ton of. Money who you just? EAT I i don't like when stars are, awesome their team, loses and people
then blame the. Star the exam of that would would have been if after The pacers beat The, bucks if people were Like jannis needed to do, More yiannis did fucking everything he could have, done and they got. Beat, so Like Bill james used to, say bad teams have an amazing ability to blame their best players for their biggest,
problems and SO i try not to do. That but WHAT i also try not to do is when a team THAT i thought was going to win because of the overwhelming star power at the very top doesn't, win and those two stars are good but not WHAT i thought they would, be then be, like man needed more from your third, option LIKE i JUST. I and so it's not like That i'm trying to Protect. Austin it's nothing like. That it's THAT i he wasn't very, good But austin reeves playing at A c minus level again
should not be the reason you're going home in. Five and that's where that's where we end. Up SO i H i'm gonna get to a bunch of the other, stuff AND i actually. Do demand's want the first thing we talk about here in a minute to be Jj. Reddick so if we need to adjust our, rundown that's, fine BECAUSE i do want to talk about The redick piece of. This then we'll get To lebron And. Luca but, first THE nba eighty two game grind is done and now the real fun has. Begun THE Nba playoffs are.
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Tv all, right, demonse let's get to some of this other stuff as we spend a lot of time On Lakers.
Wolves. Yeah, so Jj reddick was asking a pregame pressor if he was going to consult with his assistants a little bit, more and he got offended by that and kind of stormed out of the, meeting And Dragonfly jones came out and, SAID i had the. Show, yeah so, quote you can't be the, smug know it all new. Coach and then every coach whoever schemed Against rudy did a better job than you answer those questions at the, podium. Bro yeah, so.
So here's the. Deal So i'm also not going to So i'm big, on and we can Take dragonflies tweet. Off i'm big. On this is going to sound, silly just being, honest no matter uh how it looks or if people think there's an agenda there or. Whatever it. Is so over the last couple of, years WHEN i have criticized The lakers, coaching it hasn't been to Protect. Lebron it hasn't been BECAUSE i was looking for a fall.
Guy it was BECAUSE i Thought darvinham was objectively, speaking a bad, coach AND i thought he put them in bad strategic and tactical and line up situations and it hurt their chances of. Succeeding that's WHY i. CRITICIZED i am not going to all of a sudden because they lost a series THAT i thought they should. Win act, LIKE i don't THINK Jj reddick over the course of the year did an excellent. JOB i think he. DID
i THINK Jj reddick is a really sharp. COACH i think there are a lot of major positives FOR Jj reddick from a work, ethic from attention to, detail from, tactics from understanding the kind of newer elements of what you would call, analytics but it's really just kind of smart math on. Things all of those THINGS i give
him high marks. For with that, said my concern ABOUT jj coming in and you guys can remember, this you can check the, tape was actually a personality, concern which WAS i saw HOW jj dealt with criticism when he was in the. MEDIA i saw HOW jj how online he was and reading mentioned and reading what was being, written AND i was worried that when times got, tough THAT Jj reddick wouldn't react well to. That the first
tough times he really. Had the first real criticism he got his entire tenure was after he did something literally no coach has ever done in basketball, history play all five, starters to play the same five guys all twenty four minutes in a playoff game for the second. Half he got some criticism for, it and then also was asked about it pregame and immediately became a bit of a petulant. Child and that was the. Concern here is the other, concern and this is ONE jj is not going to
like to. Hear but the record speaks for. ITSELF Jj, reddick his entire basketball life gets tight in big. Spots at the peak of his basketball career when he was the best player in college basketball At. Duke go look at those tournament stat lines and you might, say this is. Ridiculous why are you bringing UP Jj, reddicks you, know three or six In cuba tournament in talking about The.
Lakers i'll. Explain BUT Jj reddick as. Great he was an unbelievable college basketball player who is not a very good In cuba tournament, player was on Four duke, teams any of which could have won the national, championship got popped in the sweet. Sixteen almost every year made it to one final, four and it wasn't, like, OH jj was. Great,
no that's not how it. Went go back and look if you don't, remember, then As Jerry west reminded, him WHEN jj did The plumbers And fireman BIT jj and the, pros as really good as he was later in his, career was not a good playoff. Performer so why AM i bringing that up? Now he strikes me as a guy who gets a little, tight who's wound a little. Tight and when you have on THE tnt broadcast the sideline reporter who never that's like the opposite of the
take industry is the sideline. Reporter when you have the sideline reporter telling, us, OOH jj was wound up when we met with him before the, game he was on. Edge He and then when you HAVE jj storming out of a press conference when you have in the, game he has committed before the, Game i'm not gonna Play Jackson. Hayes but then all of a sudden you are just getting your teeth kicked in on the offensive glass and you're, like,
Well i've already Said i'm not Playing Jackson. Hayes SO i Guess Maxi, kleiba who AGAIN i think could have been useful for The lakers cuz he's a big guy who can, shoot and as a relationship With, luca the problem is he hadn't practiced or played with him. Once. Ever you put him in like it's a coach who got a little. Tight oh my, goodness, SORRY i don't know if you guys heard my dog freaking. Out it's
a coach that gets he got a little. Tight and SO i think that IF i am, IF i am GIVING Jj reddick a vice for next year and for the rest of his coaching, career BECAUSE i do think he has a lot of the talent to be a really good head, coach And lucas said great things about him. Afterwards he said it reminded him of being back In europe with the style of coaching and the attention detail all. That it honestly is as still as it, sounds just chill a little, Man just breathe and.
Chill AND i think he was also in his head about making that decision and like he's, LIKE i don't want to call it, embarrassed but like the fact that he's being questioned on, it he just can't can't stand. It he walked.
AWAY i also think sorry for the.
Birds by the, way, Guys OH i loved.
IT i. WAS i want to ask him about. THAT i think it sounds DELIGHT i was, like oh, man this is a nice little background to the. Pod just Chuir Southern california. Birds BUT i so here's the, thing almost, ASSUREDLY i can. BET i can't bet, this BUT i would bet almost anything That reddick had no idea that no coach ever had played all five guys for the second half of a playoff, game like when he was doing, It, like why would? HE i didn't know, it you know
WHAT i? MEAN i may right. Correct i'm sure he knew it was, rare you know WHAT i, mean unworthaned no team ever in basketball. History and so then when they fall apart at the, end and then he finds Out i'm the first guy to ever do, THIS i bet he felt a little boxed in and maybe even a little. Embarrassed and SO i just DON'T i think
he has wound a little. Tight AND i think that that unfortunately manifested itself in big spots in his playing career and now first running the, playoffs manifested itself a bit in the first really big spot of his coaching. Career that's. All it's not a lifelong. Indictment it just is what it, is all, right demon S let's get To.
Luca go, Ahead, Yeah, SO i, mean obviously they made the big trade For luca Sent Anthony davis At. Dallas what do you, like what does this situation look like if they never Traded Anthony davis over?
There, WELL i don't think they would have gotten into the three line had they Kept Anthony. DAVIS i, don't especially given the fact that his injury clearly was more substantial Than. Luca's SO i think there we do have
to consider that piece of. It DO i think given How luca played in this series That lebron showed you he can still get to a high volume scoring level in the, playoffs if need be that all, that would they maybe have had a better chance in this specific series given How luca played all of it against this specific, opponent if they Had Anthony, davis maybe DO i think that's?
Relevant not even a tiny, Bit because if they Had Anthony, davis we know that that team was not could not generate enough offense to compete for a. Championship we had seen it over the last few. Years now you can, say, well this team couldn't, either and they. Didn't but there is going to be an, immense immense amount Of Luka doncic's criticism today and this, offseason and even some folks who not naming names BECAUSE i wouldn't want to call
them Shameless charlatans by naming their. Names Kevin, wilds who just a few weeks ago we're going viral for explaining How Nico harrison is at the forefront of the modern Day Babe ruth, trade which means a few weeks ago these, people again not naming, Names Kevin, wilds were Comparing lukadancic To Babe. Ruth are now going to be, like, well how good is he? Really, LIKE i think that's. RIDICULOUS i DO i Think luca had a good? Series? No
DO i think this is the? Not DO i? Think DO i know this is the first time In luca's playoff career demanse where you can fairly and honestly, say, man.
It was.
One of the big reasons your team lost was because you didn't play as well as they. Needed, yes that is. Fair every other series he's, lost he has been either a triple plus or his team's just been out. Gunned so the first series he ever played against The, clippers he was thirty, one ten and nine and hit a buzzer beater to win a. Game the second series they ever lost was games seven games against The, clippers he
was thirty six eight. Ten the third series they lost was against the team that won the, Championship Golden, state in the conference, finals and he was thirty, two nine and. Six and the fourth series he lost was Against dallas in the finals when he was twenty, nine nine and. Six and WHILE I i'm sorry Against boston in the, finals WHILE i Underrated boston in that, Series boston has proven itself to be a great. Team this, series they needed more From luca on both ends and he wasn't
able to provide. It that's fair to criticize this. Series and this is here is the part demands Of luca is out of. Shape luca's endurance is not up to par THAT i struggle. With, okay all, right let me tell you how many players these playoffs have played more minutes than Luka, Ancic do you have a? Guess not?
One?
Yeah, zero, Yeah he And Jamal murray are tied for the. Most so the players who have played two hundred plus minutes these Playoffs Lebron, Caid Anthony, Edwards Joker, Og, Luca Jamal. Murray, okay now you might be, like, well some of those series went four games minutes per game these. Playoffs the guys who are playing forty, plus it's the exact same list right outside. It right on the outside looking at Is Jalen, Brunson Palo, Bancro christian braun And Austin brown
And Austin. Roots so here is SOMETHING i really struggle with when it comes to the criticism Of luca's. Condition criticizing his defense to me is obviously totally inbounds and. Fair when it comes to criticizing his can, auditioning my problem, is would he look less winded and more rested like other starters do, if like other, starters he wasn't playing more minutes than everyone else in the, playoffs so like.
The also on the other, end if he's if he's not giving you exactly what he needs we need from him in order to, win in order to win the, series then maybe take him off the court for a little bit so he can come back in later and have more energy and put out a better offensive output or. Something.
Right so that so there's just there's what is frustrating to me IS i if he was, playing you, know average minutes for a superstar and just looked more winded than all the other, superstars THEN i would say it's more of a. Criticism but when he is in now so this, year up to this point in the, postseason he's played more minutes than. Everybody last year when everyone just killed him for how tired he looked at the, end he played nine hundred minutes that. Postseason right Man
Jason tatum sure looked fresher in those. Finals tatum played seven hundred and sixty eight minutes on a per per game. Basis last year in the, Playoffs luca was it forty one minutes per. Game the only guys to play multiple series and be at forty. Plus Where Kyrie, Joker, Tatum, Aunt luca And Josh Hart and if you, remember at the end of last, Postseason aunt, said MAN i fell off BECAUSE i was. Exhausted to what he, said he was,
LIKE i was. Exhausted and this is year after year that this is the case as far As luca's postseason, usage and then people, like, Man dude's out of, shape WHEN i JUST i, AGAIN i. Don't he obviously is not in in tip top physical. Shape i'm not arguing, that but.
Say he also doesn't play like everybody else like you're saying he's out there for allows when Its luca isn't freaking busting his ass up and down the court like he's kind of like moving. Around and then when he does have the, ball he plays at his own. Pace it's like he makes you play this pace that is not a fast. Pace so it's, like, hey, dude.
No, listen that's all. FAIR i just think it is a little It it is a LITTLE i think overstated the amount of Man luca's out of. Shape and that's the problem when each of the last two postseasons he's led THE nba in minutes per, game and when you also add to it that the guy who just beat him in this series aunt last year said he was out of gas And luca was moving on to the. Finals, now with that, Said lucas should look at this year
as a true. Failure the team he wanted to stick with gave up on, him and then he got to The lakers and they lost as a three seed and he wasn't. Great so he does need to be. Better he does need to get in better. Shape but there is going to, be in my, opinion there is going to be a massive overreaction to this. Series and there is if you want to, say let's see How ant does the rest of the. Postseason is it possible that the question you asked the other Day demons could answer
a Plant luca on THE nba? Hierarchy? Sure DO i think he has done it? ALREADY i do. NOT i don't think.
THAT i think especially that he was barely at the hands of the win last. Night SO i get that's.
Fair AND i think that. Right and that's Another so that's another piece of it THAT i think has to be factored into when we're talking about you, know The luca is one of to, me just two guys in the league, Him joker And jannis that a game that like the One Anthony edwards had last night feels impossible where it's just you, know there's only three guys in the league where even they're bad, games it's like what did he finish With it's like twenty, five nine and,
seven like the and the fly in that ointment Is friday, Night luke at a game WHERE i think it was seventeen seven and. Eight but if we take him at his word that he was dog, sick then you can attribute it more to. That and So i'm not making. EXCUSES i am, though explaining WHAT i, think HOW i think this went, down and what it means for him moving. Forward he does need to be. Better but also this
one last thing On luke before we get To. Lebron i'm amazed at the number of people that will just, say, well If luca's on your, team you can't you know your defense has a, ceiling as if we didn't see a team again last year With luca not only make the, finals but from The All star breakthrough or a little after The All star break through the finals have the number two defense in basketball and in those finals Hold boston way below its season averages offensively and and. Play,
Actually dallas's defense was good in the. Finals its offense is why they. Lost like the fact that it's not a, night it's not a. Hypothetical can you have an elite defense With Luca ancic on. It if you have the right, roster you have any one can have an elite defense With luca And kyrie on. It and SO I i think we just saw. It we literally just saw. It and so there's gonna be some, overreaction which is, listen which is what we're supposed to do this time of.
Year but there are get ready demons four AN nba you, know player ranking list that doesn't just Have Jason tatum ahead Of Luka, ancic that Has Jalen brown ahead Of. LUCAS i mean there there is going to BE i marked this down. There someone's going someone AND i don't mean some someone semi credible will come out with a top ten players in the league list going into next year and they'll Leave luca off, it like let, me let, me let me see IF i can figure out the.
Ten it'll Be, Joker, Yannis, Sga, tatum, Easy steph grandfathered in Because steph listen, Again i'm not saying that WHAT i said about Ros A ghoul have to provide balance in the. World that When steph's graaty's. Great when he's, not we move. On but, uh WATCH tv today and see how Much Steph curry criticism there is just. Once i'm just. Curious there'll probably be a lot of criticism Of Dylan brooks for being mean to. Him but all, right, so Uh, Joker Jannis Sga, Tatum, steph that's an easy.
Five now let ME i JUST i have to look at. H the only WAY i can do these lists and not leave people out on everything is to just look at standings and just go team by. Team Uh, so let me just do this real. Quick, Oh Donovan mitchell is gonna be on, there especially with What cleveland's. Doing there's no question about. It you've got who AM i forgetting as An IDAs? One, Yeah donovan will be on. There but there's a very obvious one That i'm now leaving.
Out Jalen. Brunson someone definitively this will be their tenth. GUY i gotta find the other two because this is what will really get you the. Engagement we'll Put Anthony davis at, Ten Anthony davis, Ten luca, eleven and then there's two spots. Open SO i don't, Know, Oh. Wimby Obviously wimby will be on. There now we need we
just need one more and so you, know dealer's. CHOICE I, supposecade Maybe, bron Maybe durant maybe If denver keeps, rolling Playoff Jamal, uh Like Jimmy, butler you know if depending on what they, do they'll find somebody and that'll Or. Haliburton what About halliburton to get his daddy to chill? Out like there you, go you're gonna have. That you're gonna have somebody say ON tv maybe even, today if you're trying to win a, Championship i'd rather Have Tyrese.
Haliburton that's gonna, happen like and, so, uh just be prepared for, it.
All.
Right the ask me The lebron.
Question how does how does this season or this season along with this series Impact lebron's?
Legacy this season helps, It the series means. Nothing write a letter to your mom if you're mad about, it not you, demonse that'd beating my. Wife i'm not so All, UH i will at some point do because, listen The lebron legacy thing is only A lebron Versus jordan conversation at this. Point that's what people have made it to. Be that's. Fine AND i don't Think lebron was, great AND i thought he was great over The it was great In games, two, three and, Four but over the
course of the, SERIES i thought he was. FINE i do think he was exponentially and demonstrably better Than Michael jordan was in the playoffs at any point after he was thirty five And lebron's. Forty and that's Because Michael jordan never made the playoffs after he was thirty. Five so if we're just gonna do A Lebron jordan, thing there's a whole. Thing, Listen i'm not going and don't even clip this BECAUSE i. Will IT'S i will BECAUSE i know that are the people that are in charge
of this. Show is like analytics and metrics and all that stuff they really need for, me like a full Throated lebron thing, Today And i'm not gonna do. It and so it's kind of a bummer if you guys Were if you guys remind me at some point in the next month or, So i'll give YOU i, CAN i guarantee. IT i will give, you guys A Lebron jordan's side by side take. That even Though i'm not on this, PLATFORM i know we'll. Crush we'll do crazy
on TikTok of all these. THINGS i don't really know how to make TikTok, videos but our producers, do and we're just gonna do a year by year comp and we can put little check marks on. It so just the views and clicks we're not gonna get Because i'm not doing A lebron thing, today don't. Worry i'll call my shot on. This we're gonna have a five million view social media thing on the age year by Year lebron versus shortened Thing i'll.
Do in a few.
WEEKS i don't want to do it, today And i'm Not I'M i Just i'm not. Interested and last question on this before we get to the other playoff reactions To, Monsey.
What is next For, Lebron luca and The. Lakers what do you think they should do?
This that's? All oh, wait, okay my.
Bad how do you think wild is going to be on the show? Today?
Peak? Annoying, yeah, peak like it. Is here's the thing about my dear Friend Kevin. WILDS i love, HIM i really. Do. Now i've never ever hung out with him outside of work and he won't come over to the, house so maybe he doesn't feel the same way about. Me BUT i love the. MAN i also think he is the key to the television show's. SUCCESS i also believe it's not that he has bad sports, takes it's that he doesn't have. Him he's just a weather vein whatever that thing's.
Called just wherever the wind's, blowing he's, there and then he's over, here and then at the end of it he's, like told you, so he picked the Fucking, lakers and today he's gonna be wearing a, tuxedo playing a, piano Drinking, scotch celebrating a gentleman's. Sweep his lack of take integrity is so infuriating that IF i didn't love him as much AS i, DO i think we would have come to blows at some, point and that wouldn't go well for.
Me because here's Something america doesn't. Know kevin wilds sneaky, jacked like legit sneaky, jacked not just like late forties Dad bob, jacked but like jit. JACKED i don't know how it. Happened and so, yeah well and so all, right so, Yeah wild is gonna be peak. Annoying all. Right the producers wanted me to do reactions to these other. GAMES i am tight on. Time so let me quickly kind of pop pop pop through this if we can
For gianni's in the. Bucks if you If yannis wants a chance to compete for a championship in the next three, Years, uh he probably hasked to ascalt and it sucks and it's not really what anyone would have, wanted but it is the. Reality and and you know, what let me text Because i'm supposed to going With kevin. O'Connor let me just Text kevin O'Connor real quick THAT i need an extra five minutes SO i can give you guys real answers to these.
Things Here burden's dad walk up To Bobby portis instead Of.
Addis so let me ask you, this demanse honest. Question SO i it's two. Questions, one would you have Blamed gianness if he hit?
Him, No i'm not gonna, lie, Man i'm he's he walked all the way up to, Him he's he's, taunting he's up in his. FACE i WOULD i wouldn't have now if he would have just straight up decked, Him like IF i would have expected her to do something similar that he did the mathin like maybe not knocked the guy out, cold but, like, hey, dude.
Gilt but here's the. Thing If jannis is telling the, truth WHICH i, believe you're honest that when it first, happened he did not know that Was tyrese's. Father he thought it was just a, fan THEN i really wouldn't have blamed him for. HITTING i really if you just think some fan has walked on the court and it's, Tauning, noah, bro you can get knocked. Out If i'm, honest he.
Was looking at him as if like a pit bull was at the dog park and like A, chihuahua like. Barking Adham gold.
Crazy and then and Also tyrese's dad doing an interview, yesterday being LIKE i wasn't looking at, HIM i was looking through. Him that whole thing is so embarrassing For. Tyrese it's so. Here so here's my second, question not to compare, you to be, honest, HOWEVER i GOT i would get really into your basketball, games right and once, ever do you remember When i'm gonna SAY i went on the court after a. Game it was this is high.
SCHOOL i remember something. Vividly what what what was? It what?
HAPPENED i actually think it was FRESHMAN. Jv. BALL i don't think it was VAR i don't think it was when you were on, varsity but maybe it. Was you went to the free throw line with time expired and you had to make both and the game was just over and you guys won and you made. Both AND i came on the like the game the, moment like it was one of those free throws where there's there's
nobody even nobody, around and you made the second. ONE i couldn't help myself AND i just walked up and dapped you up before you could even dap up your. Teammates and. So BUT i also ONCE aau ball followed a ref out of the like out not, outside but out of the. Gym and again people are gonna be, like you gotta be kidding. Me do you remember WHY i did?
That that's WHAT i feel. LIKE i remember a little bit. More but why was? It was? It? OH i remember there's the TIME i dunked and LIKE i fell on my head or, NO i didn't follow. IT i hang on the rim and the ref told me to let go of, it AND i was like it was gave me a technical all that.
And and in those and if you got a, technical you couldn't play. Anymore, yeah like that was like it was like basically one technical. Ejection and so that's exactly what it. Was you were on a fast, break dunked and your legs went out from under. You, see you didn't you didn't play yourself over the. Rim you just you, know hung on the rim so you didn't, fall and he gave you A. Tech AND I i kind of followed him out of the gym saying, that basically saying
he was like putting your health at, risk your. Safety i'm, like like for, real like if you have to, Worry i'm gonna get a technical you let go of the. Rim so SO i say all that to, SAY i can't, imagine you, know if how you feel as a parent your kid's AN nba. SUPERSTAR i feel like this because my kid was, awesome you, know amateur. Player BUT i still never ever would have thought to mess with an opponent like you know WHAT i, mean celebrate with you
sure get angry at the. Ref MAYBE i couldn't believe. It all opponents in that, series like the honest was the most, honest, Yes and SO i thought that was. BRUTAL i also think it's you, know.
No feeling the.
Moment, YEAH i JUST i also feel sick for The bucks fans Because dame's got the Blown achilles And jannis might ask out and you kind of can't blame, him all, Right Warriors rockets last? Night can't Listen my pick Was rockets in. Seven pick feels shaky even after last. Night The warriors are prone to the at throw this game away like and that they up three to, one they
have the ability to do. That that's. Fine game six, THOUGH I i if The rockets can get this back To houston For game, SEVEN i think they'll win BECAUSE i think that The warriors will be worn out AND i Think jimmy's banged. Up Winning game six In Golden, State Jalen, green can you show up one, time one more time for? Us that's the question. There If, Nuggets clippers and Or nick's pistons is great, tonight we'll do an emergency pod. Tomorrow OTHERWISE i gotta. Go So demon's great. Job,
everybody please, like, rate, subscribe, review do all. That it helps us out more than you could possibly. Imagine maybe see you guys tomorrow morning for a quick emergency. Pod thanks To Blue, duck thanks To. Volume thanks To, DraftKings. Everybody talk to you guys.
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