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Welcome to the Attack the Paint Show.
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My name is Ravneet Singh. I am here with Daman
Rangoola.
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He is a Laker expert and a tech expert.
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So I wanna thank you for coming today and
talking about some Lakers.
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Thank you for having me. Thank you for having
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Yeah.
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me, man. expert is doing a lot of work.
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I'll
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Ha.
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take it. I'll take it with thanks.
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but thanks for having me on.
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Yeah, yeah. So we're nearing basketball
season.
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it feels like this off season went by
relatively quickly because
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of all the news, the new ownership and all
that.
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we'll get into the ownership change in a
little bit,
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but I wanted to talk about some basketball
first.
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Yep.
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I want to talk about the actual game,
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what's going on the court. So what excites you
most about this team
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and what worries you about this team?
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You know, it's interesting.
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The Lakers have had kind of a similar we enter
the season and
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Every year it was like, Well, this is not
really the team that it'll be
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at the end of the season, and there's always
like an anticipation of some kind
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of change, some kind of something.
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And then obviously the Luka Dončić news comes
out of nowhere.
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And it felt like there was a constant sort of
we gotta take care of Luka,
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but LeBron's still here. And there was a lot
of I wouldn't even say tension.
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Like I feel like any sort of tension was
overblown.
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I do think that the Lakers
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as a franchise made a very like a very clear
decision that we're
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just gonna go all in on one thing. This is the
first time
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I feel like there has been a coherent
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top to bottom vision of we are just now the
Luka Dončić team,
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the JJ Redick, like whatever he wants in his
vision.
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And you can hear some of the comments that JJ
Redick specifically
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has been making to where it's being
interpreted a little bit like,
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is this shade towards LeBron? I actually don't
think so.
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I think it legitimately is that this is the
first roster top to bottom that just
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is like it's a single
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track, and it's, okay, this is what Luka does
well.
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Luka and Austin is sort of the core pairing.
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What can we build around that?
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Now that's not to say that this is a
championship or bust kind of season.
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It's not. But I think what excites me most is
there's not the we know the team.
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This is the team. There may be changes,
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there'll be minor changes, but there is like a
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It's completely new. The flurry of moves that
happened
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in the offseason, it's like jarring to look at
just how much of
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the roster has changed again.
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But it's a coherent vision and we know that
this is the team.
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This is the team for not only this season,
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but probably for the next two or three seasons
beyond incremental changes.
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And that part excites me because it's been a
while.
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Otherwise, it's always like we always had like
LeBron and AD and then LeBron
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and Luka and then just a bunch of guys who
would be like one year guys because they
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were just trying to keep their books clean for
what became the flurry
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of signings this summer. So at a high level I
think just having a team not only
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the team that you're rooting for this season,
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but knowing that it's gonna be kind of a
longer term project.
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Yeah. It has to be refreshing a little bit to,
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you know, have a fresh start, you know,
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without LeBron James. I mean, obviously
everyone wants would love
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to have LeBron James on their team,
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but at the same time it comes with this sort
of expectation and
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Yeah.
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pressure, right? Like that you gotta win now
and like you kinda he's influencing
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the team in many ways. So I hear you on that.
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Is there anything about the team that
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would be concerning because obviously what a
lot of the stuff you're saying,
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I mean, it would be great if the team works
out,
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but if this is the team going forward and the
team's
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Ha.
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not working out, that could also be a worry.
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Yeah. I think it's a lead into some of the
other questions,
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but I definitely think that is the number one
it's a lot of uncertainty,
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right? We see so many teams that look cohesive
on paper,
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but when they get on the court,
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you're like, something's not clicking,
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something's not quite right. And the Lakers
are this is the team.
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Like this is like I don't care what the what
people can mock up
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in their trade machines and stuff like that.
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This is the team. And
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There is no easy out here, other than quite
frankly,
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like a Luka Dončić trade. Like that is it.
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Other than that, this is the core of the team
for the next foreseeable future.
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And if it doesn't work, or what I am worried
about personally
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is like Walker Kessler was a massive swing.
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And if you look at what the Lakers needed.
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what Luka Dončić needed, what Luka Dončić was
promised,
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as soon as he got traded to the Lakers,
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they were like, We'll get you we'll get you a
franchise big man.
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That's what we promise you. We know you need a
center.
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We will get that to you.
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They felt pressure to deliver on that.
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They said we're gonna go all in on Walker
Kessler.
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He's the only guy that fits what we need.
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But this is also a guy who played,
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what, five games last year? Played,
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you know, hasn't played much. Now there are
circumstances behind that.
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The Utah Jazz weren't looking to win and they
just kept putting him on ice.
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but it is a risk, and that is if Walker
Kessler is not healthy and not
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the kind of player that the Lakers hope they
are.
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That is a big, big problem because there's not
depth behind him at all.
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And so that is my number one fear overall
coming into this season
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is the Walker Kessler gamble. Now,
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if Walker Kessler is who they think he can be,
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which is a All-NBA center who can do exactly
what Luka needs,
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to, you know, open up the court for him,
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that'll look like a brilliant gamble.
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But this is what gambles do. And on one level,
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I appreciate and respect that they went all in
on that because the alternative was
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what like you know sign Mitchell Robinson and
have these more stopgap solutions.
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Like it's funny, Anthony Davis had been
wanting a center and it's been like
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a funny kind of bone of contention for the
front office for years
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and years and years. And the Lakers really
haven't had a center
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in place until now. So I appreciate that they
went for it.
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I do wonder if they had been more prudent over
the years to find another solution
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that they wouldn't need to kind of go all in
as much as they did this time.
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But scared money don't make no money,
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man. So I respect it at one level.
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But that is to me the biggest risk factor.
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If Walker Kessler is out and he's day to day
and he's,
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you know, in for two games, out for two games,
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and he's like just not built to be like the
eighty two game kind of center
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and a playoff center, well then this whole
experiment
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is gonna fall apart.
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Yep. No, I think you hit it spot on.
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I mean, he is he is the key piece.
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He's like the determining piece of I think how
the season goes.
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And so I wanna I mean, is he would you say
he's the third best player on
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the on the Lakers right now, if you had to
guess?
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Zero question. Yeah, zero question.
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Okay.
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It's like Luka and Austin obviously are kind
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of the pillar pairing that this is built
around,
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but both of them have similar deficiencies.
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If Walker Kessler cannot be I mean,
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I'll put it this way, if he's not the third
best player on this team,
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something went wrong, or like Cameron Carr
blew up to an all star somehow
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out of nowhere. But I think it's very clear
that if there's three pillars
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on this team, he's very clearly the third
pillar.
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Yeah. I agree. I think you know,
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he helps with the rim protection,
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right? I mean, you with Austin and with Luka,
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Yep.
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you gotta
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have defense around those guys.
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He's gonna help with the rim protection.
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I'm not sure how he's gonna do,
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you know, defending the pick and roll.
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That is like a concern I have,
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especially, you know, more in the playoffs.
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But it looks like the Lakers know that they
wanna build around Austin
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and Luka and it's like, okay,
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let's get
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Collin Sexton, he could help defensively.
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Let's get Walker. You know, Grimes isn't bad
defensively.
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So how do you think this team is actually
going to do on the defensive end?
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Yeah, this is the question, right?
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Because you trust at some level with Luka and
Austin as the centerpieces,
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that the offense will be very good to
excellent and you can kind
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of count on that. The defense is it often
becomes about more about like
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your weakest links and how other teams can
attack them.
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My goal, my like goal for the Lakers would be
to somehow just keep afloat,
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keep around that 15th to 20th
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Average, yeah.
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best defense.
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Let's just like stay average. And that allows
for a player like Luka to
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be able to step up in a playoff type setting
to maybe then push the
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defensive ceiling higher. That's not gonna be
a regular season thing though.
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Like regular season, you're just gonna he's
gonna focus on his offensive game.
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And I will say, Luka's defense
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has generally speaking
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I watch Luka obviously, like we all watch
Luka,
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but when a player comes on your team that
you're watching every game
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and you're watching closer and you see more of
the ups and you see more
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of the downs. I actually found his defense to
be I'm not saying it's good.
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I'm saying it's not as disastrous,
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especially since he's been gotten in shape and
he looks like continues
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to look like he's in great shape.
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where I can trust that Luka's not gonna
elevate the team's defense,
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but he's not gonna be
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he's not gonna necessarily be a liability.
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And I do think, though, from that point of
view,
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but I still want to set realistic expectations
and I just say keep
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it league average with space to get better and
kinda go from there.
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I mean JJ Redick has kind of outperformed,
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I would say, the team's performance on the
defensive end.
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So I mean, I
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Yes.
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I don't think it's crazy to say that they
could be league average.
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And if you're telling me league average,
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I mean, with Luka and Austin, do you really
want to face this team in the playoffs?
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Like, no, I mean, you don't. but I also look
and I'm like,
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who's the fourth best player on this team?
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So tell me tell
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this is this is a big
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so you're touching on actually what the
biggest after
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the dust settled and everybody's like,
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okay, wow, Walker Kessler, Quentin Grimes,
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like I just as the dust settled and
everybody's started to think about,
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okay, what is this team actually gonna look
like now?
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So Luka, Austin,
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Walker Kessler, locks in the starting lineup,
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right? I would say at this point it looks like
Quentin Grimes locked to
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be in the starting lineup.
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That fifth position at that kind of three,
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four position, man, it is it I still I don't
have an answer.
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I talk to people like I talk to other people
who cover the Lakers,
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and I'm just messaging them. I'm like,
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who would you start? Who would you start?
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And everybody has a different answer because
sometimes that's a good reason because
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you have too many options.
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In this case, though, I think is because they
are short that one starter,
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really. So whoever slots in, so whether it's
Mamu,
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who I think is gonna be positioned more like a
backup five on this team,
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especially because they, you know,
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you can't rely too much on Kevon Looney at
this stage to take that role.
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So Mamu probably is a cross-off,
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although I am I am leaning towards I'd want to
start Mamu because I just
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For me, I defer to size. So if you put Mamu
next to Walker Kessler,
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that's interesting to me at the four five.
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But I mean,
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you're looking at there's buzz about like,
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Sexton, Jake.
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Yeah, there's buzz about Ziaire Williams
looking good
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in training camp. There's buzz about Matisse
Thybulle looking great.
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And so Matisse Thybulle is a good example of
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All things, if we could live in a perfect
world and he was healthy,
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I would want to start Matisse because he's a
veteran,
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00:12:38,330 --> 00:12:40,151
he can set the tone defensively,
233
00:12:40,151 --> 00:12:44,093
and he's raised his offensive game to the
point where he's not
234
00:12:44,093 --> 00:12:45,764
a complete liability there anymore.
235
00:12:45,764 --> 00:12:49,595
Of course, the opposing defenses would love
for Matisse to be taking those shots.
236
00:12:49,595 --> 00:12:51,936
So, but because that's not an option,
237
00:12:51,936 --> 00:12:54,418
I think the decision will come to,
238
00:12:54,418 --> 00:12:57,759
and just reading between the lines and reading
between how the coaches
239
00:12:57,759 --> 00:13:00,160
are talking about this, how the players are
talking about this,
240
00:13:00,160 --> 00:13:01,431
I think it's gonna come.
241
00:13:01,521 --> 00:13:05,948
Between like Ziaire Williams or Mamu.
242
00:13:05,948 --> 00:13:08,552
I think like those are the kinds of decisions.
243
00:13:08,552 --> 00:13:12,859
I think that they're pretty set on Collin
Sexton running the bench units.
244
00:13:13,567 --> 00:13:15,108
and they like him fitting there.
245
00:13:15,108 --> 00:13:18,489
They he also has very good chemistry with
Walker Kessler going back to Utah days.
246
00:13:18,489 --> 00:13:21,971
And I think that they're gonna run bench units
kind of with Walker.
247
00:13:21,971 --> 00:13:23,792
They'll mix in units with Walker,
248
00:13:23,792 --> 00:13:26,033
and Collin Sexton that way.
249
00:13:26,033 --> 00:13:29,975
I don't anticipate Collin Sexton being a
consideration right now as a starter.
250
00:13:29,975 --> 00:13:34,207
but yeah, that's kind of like the Ziaire
Williams,
251
00:13:34,207 --> 00:13:37,878
Matisse or Mamu, like I think there's gonna be
a little bit
252
00:13:37,878 --> 00:13:39,179
of an experimental process here.
253
00:13:39,179 --> 00:13:40,600
But these aren't great answers.
254
00:13:40,600 --> 00:13:43,201
Like what we're talking about is in an ideal
situation
255
00:13:43,274 --> 00:13:48,229
all those players are bench players and you
have a more clear
256
00:13:48,229 --> 00:13:52,393
cut starting forward in that position and that
is the number one deficit.
257
00:13:52,393 --> 00:13:57,628
Like there is a reason why there was so much
it was almost weird like there
258
00:13:57,628 --> 00:14:00,331
was so much hope that
259
00:14:00,569 --> 00:14:02,922
Kuminga would choose would have chosen the
Lakers.
260
00:14:02,922 --> 00:14:05,466
And I understood it. On one level,
261
00:14:05,466 --> 00:14:07,789
I'm not a Kuminga person, but on the other
level,
262
00:14:07,789 --> 00:14:12,816
I understood that the prototype of who Kuminga
is as a player is what this team
263
00:14:12,816 --> 00:14:14,017
needs. And he
264
00:14:13,646 --> 00:14:14,646
Yeah.
265
00:14:14,017 --> 00:14:15,520
would have fit that need very well,
266
00:14:15,520 --> 00:14:17,682
but it's just, you know, it didn't happen.
267
00:14:18,212 --> 00:14:19,252
Yeah, he would have been a good fit,
268
00:14:19,252 --> 00:14:21,033
I would say. I mean his
269
00:14:20,237 --> 00:14:21,237
Yeah.
270
00:14:21,033 --> 00:14:22,714
shooting is like it comes and goes,
271
00:14:22,714 --> 00:14:25,975
but you know, with the players that you guys
do have,
272
00:14:25,975 --> 00:14:32,798
I mean I mean I personally I would go with
Collin Sexton just because he's gonna
273
00:14:32,798 --> 00:14:39,021
bring it on the defensive end and he's I don't
want Austin Reaves
274
00:14:39,021 --> 00:14:40,982
to have to guard point guards or,
275
00:14:40,982 --> 00:14:42,263
you know, maybe and maybe
276
00:14:41,719 --> 00:14:42,719
Yeah.
277
00:14:42,483 --> 00:14:44,384
that would be for Grimes anyways,
278
00:14:44,384 --> 00:14:45,384
you know, maybe but
279
00:14:46,116 --> 00:14:47,859
But that would kinda be my reasoning,
280
00:14:47,859 --> 00:14:50,312
I guess. But then you're looking at you know,
281
00:14:50,312 --> 00:14:51,915
the team gets a lot smaller then,
282
00:14:51,915 --> 00:14:54,368
you know, and it's like then rebounding
becomes the issue.
283
00:14:54,368 --> 00:14:56,712
And so, maybe Mamu—
284
00:14:55,981 --> 00:14:56,981
And then you're already
285
00:14:56,748 --> 00:14:58,112
you're already dealing with the
286
00:14:58,727 --> 00:15:01,308
Luka and Austin both are kind of high volume
players.
287
00:15:01,308 --> 00:15:03,969
They do play on and off ball quite a bit.
288
00:15:03,969 --> 00:15:06,050
Like Luka plays a lot of on ball reps,
289
00:15:06,050 --> 00:15:07,411
Austin plays a lot of on ball reps.
290
00:15:07,411 --> 00:15:10,312
And then you're like, are we losing Sexton a
little bit,
291
00:15:10,312 --> 00:15:12,853
keeping him off ball, like as a cutter or
something like that?
292
00:15:12,853 --> 00:15:17,555
Like that's part of I think why they're
thinking about Collin as a bench guy.
293
00:15:17,555 --> 00:15:19,156
But I mean I understand what you're saying.
294
00:15:19,156 --> 00:15:21,417
Like there's an energy that Sexton brings to
that.
295
00:15:21,417 --> 00:15:24,742
And you can throw him on the on the point
guard and you know,
296
00:15:24,742 --> 00:15:26,179
I do understand where you're coming from.
297
00:15:26,360 --> 00:15:29,031
Yeah. And like you said, there's no great
answer.
298
00:15:29,031 --> 00:15:30,161
I mean, I was looking at
299
00:15:29,507 --> 00:15:31,246
There is no great answer. That's the key.
300
00:15:31,361 --> 00:15:35,373
yeah. I was looking at Matisse's stats from
three and it's gotten better,
301
00:15:35,373 --> 00:15:36,980
but it's on short volume and I'm like,
302
00:15:36,980 --> 00:15:40,324
really, teams are just gonna beg him to shoot.
303
00:15:40,324 --> 00:15:41,324
You know, they're gonna
304
00:15:40,812 --> 00:15:41,812
Absolutely.
305
00:15:41,725 --> 00:15:43,965
and so you know, if he if he earns the trust,
306
00:15:43,965 --> 00:15:47,606
but if we just how many years have you been
saying that at the same time?
307
00:15:47,265 --> 00:15:49,314
Yeah. Yep.
308
00:15:50,487 --> 00:15:53,588
so it is interesting. I think time will tell.
309
00:15:54,139 --> 00:15:56,430
But I do think they have the right foundation.
310
00:15:56,430 --> 00:16:00,713
you know, I do want to go back to Walker a
little bit.
311
00:16:00,713 --> 00:16:05,026
And it did seem like you guys gave up a lot
for him.
312
00:16:05,026 --> 00:16:08,208
And at the same time, Utah kind of knew that
knew that.
313
00:16:08,208 --> 00:16:11,170
And, you know, you guys are stuck between a
rock and a hard place,
314
00:16:11,170 --> 00:16:14,443
and you're gonna have to give control of four
first round picks.
315
00:16:14,443 --> 00:16:17,164
And, you know, two of those picks,
316
00:16:17,164 --> 00:16:19,926
you know, in a way, in a way,
317
00:16:19,926 --> 00:16:22,288
this new lottery structure is gonna
318
00:16:22,902 --> 00:16:28,196
It's interesting, right? 'Cause it devalued
the worst team's picks,
319
00:16:28,196 --> 00:16:31,098
but it increased the value for everyone else's
picks.
320
00:16:30,637 --> 00:16:31,637
Yeah.
321
00:16:31,278 --> 00:16:34,980
And so it increased the value of the swaps
also.
322
00:16:34,980 --> 00:16:41,645
So do you think do you think the Lakers gave
up too much for him?
323
00:16:41,645 --> 00:16:44,487
And I understand they needed a big,
324
00:16:44,487 --> 00:16:45,487
but do you think
325
00:16:45,017 --> 00:16:46,017
Yeah.
326
00:16:45,347 --> 00:16:50,231
they could have found a way to get a big maybe
during the season
327
00:16:50,231 --> 00:16:52,052
or something instead of
328
00:16:52,580 --> 00:16:56,391
you know, having a finished r more of a
finished roster or a finished answer
329
00:16:56,117 --> 00:16:57,117
It's it
330
00:16:56,391 --> 00:16:57,391
for that end.
331
00:16:56,918 --> 00:17:00,192
it's i it's a question. So I'll tell you my
initial instinct.
332
00:17:00,192 --> 00:17:02,205
My initial instinct was I was furious.
333
00:17:02,205 --> 00:17:03,266
I'm like, not only did
334
00:17:02,618 --> 00:17:03,618
Yeah.
335
00:17:03,266 --> 00:17:05,819
we pay him, you know, whatever we paid him,
336
00:17:05,819 --> 00:17:09,684
but you gave like the full boat trade kind of
w package.
337
00:17:09,262 --> 00:17:10,262
Yeah.
338
00:17:09,684 --> 00:17:11,936
Like you gave all the first and you gave all
of that.
339
00:17:12,887 --> 00:17:14,157
And then somebody asked me, like,
340
00:17:14,157 --> 00:17:16,450
he's like, okay, what was the alternative?
341
00:17:16,450 --> 00:17:22,454
And the answers were so bad to that question
that I kind of understood where
342
00:17:22,474 --> 00:17:26,989
it came from. I think that there is a it's
like
343
00:17:26,989 --> 00:17:32,654
a fluctuation between where I fault the Lakers
for the Walker Kessler thing
344
00:17:32,654 --> 00:17:34,785
is not their decision this summer to do it.
345
00:17:34,785 --> 00:17:40,590
It was that you saw that over the last three,
346
00:17:40,590 --> 00:17:41,590
four years.
347
00:17:42,010 --> 00:17:46,513
Kind of had the same conversation that was the
biggest need that
348
00:17:46,513 --> 00:17:48,785
the Lakers have had for a while now.
349
00:17:48,785 --> 00:17:53,168
And it also is a position that has like the
least amount
350
00:17:53,249 --> 00:17:57,222
of like a crude way of saying the
supply-demand,
351
00:17:57,222 --> 00:18:01,375
right? You have a very high demand and there's
a low supply of these people.
352
00:18:01,375 --> 00:18:04,637
You look at the trade that the Pacers made for
Zubac,
353
00:18:04,637 --> 00:18:06,599
right? They gave up.
354
00:18:07,019 --> 00:18:11,326
a lot for that trade and they but they also
identified they're like if
355
00:18:11,326 --> 00:18:15,973
we want a center and you have a starting level
center like Zubac available that
356
00:18:15,973 --> 00:18:19,378
is the cost and I look at that and I
understand where
357
00:18:20,429 --> 00:18:25,723
Look, man, if this works out and Kessler is
like the franchise cornerstone,
358
00:18:25,723 --> 00:18:31,086
to get a player at his age who can be like all
defensive player,
359
00:18:31,086 --> 00:18:36,399
like he's so young still. if you look at the
average age now of the Lakers
360
00:18:36,399 --> 00:18:38,271
and you look at Luka, Austin and Walker,
361
00:18:38,271 --> 00:18:43,095
I mean, that is a worthwhile experiment.
362
00:18:43,095 --> 00:18:48,288
Did they pay too much? I would say the answer
to that is no in the short term,
363
00:18:48,288 --> 00:18:49,369
but in the long term
364
00:18:49,721 --> 00:18:53,074
for poor planning purposes, is why they landed
in there.
365
00:18:53,074 --> 00:18:57,639
And so my criticism will be more directed at
them not identifying this
366
00:18:57,679 --> 00:19:03,204
and taking shots in the draft and signing guys
and doing more to
367
00:19:03,285 --> 00:19:06,327
to kind of shore up that position for years
now.
368
00:19:06,327 --> 00:19:08,950
And they paid the price for that this summer.
369
00:19:08,950 --> 00:19:11,212
It's not so much about the individual
transaction.
370
00:19:11,212 --> 00:19:13,434
It's about the missed opportunities over the
years.
371
00:19:14,030 --> 00:19:19,041
Yeah, it's fair. That's fair. you know the
other thing is like
372
00:19:20,082 --> 00:19:24,783
it just it's you guys gave up so many picks
that you guys don't have
373
00:19:24,863 --> 00:19:28,004
any picks pick flexibility now going forward.
374
00:19:28,004 --> 00:19:33,075
So it's like if he doesn't pan out—it's more
likely he pans out,
375
00:19:33,075 --> 00:19:35,656
but it's it can he stay healthy,
376
00:19:35,656 --> 00:19:37,276
you know. Health is another
377
00:19:36,141 --> 00:19:37,141
Yep. Yep.
378
00:19:37,276 --> 00:19:41,607
big thing with him. But like let's say for
whatever reason it's not working out,
379
00:19:41,607 --> 00:19:43,418
it's hard to pivot
380
00:19:43,918 --> 00:19:47,569
Or it's you know, it's just hard to pivot to
another way to get the team better,
381
00:19:47,569 --> 00:19:51,461
right? When you don't have that pick flexib
flexibility and you don't have
382
00:19:51,461 --> 00:19:56,673
a whole lot of players that they're I would
say like I like Collin,
383
00:19:56,673 --> 00:19:59,004
I like Grimes, I like Walker,
384
00:19:59,004 --> 00:20:01,558
but these guys are more like all right,
385
00:20:01,558 --> 00:20:05,586
they're also in like a proven mode where teams
want to see what they could
386
00:20:05,586 --> 00:20:08,317
do before they become trade assets.
387
00:20:08,317 --> 00:20:11,168
You know what I mean? So are you are you kind
of worried about like,
388
00:20:11,168 --> 00:20:13,469
man, we kind of went all in on this team.
389
00:20:13,881 --> 00:20:17,187
And we don't have like a whole lot of ways to
get better if things go south.
390
00:20:18,535 --> 00:20:20,509
definitely. And is because it
391
00:20:19,429 --> 00:20:20,429
Yeah.
392
00:20:20,509 --> 00:20:22,722
it's not only that they went all in,
393
00:20:22,722 --> 00:20:26,939
it's like they went all in on total wild
cards.
394
00:20:26,939 --> 00:20:29,834
Like we really do not know how
395
00:20:30,539 --> 00:20:36,404
Mamu and Luka will interact with each other
and how Austin and you know Grimes will
396
00:20:36,404 --> 00:20:38,506
fit together and like all of these things.
397
00:20:38,506 --> 00:20:43,690
So it's not only that there's a brand new
roster and a potential brand
398
00:20:43,690 --> 00:20:46,432
new way of playing. On top of that,
399
00:20:46,432 --> 00:20:49,835
it's like, hey, not only are we changing the
entire roster,
400
00:20:49,835 --> 00:20:51,357
you're now stuck with this. Like,
401
00:20:51,357 --> 00:20:57,061
there is no it's it's the most this team this
season
402
00:20:57,242 --> 00:20:58,863
is probably the biggest.
403
00:20:59,107 --> 00:21:02,449
black box wild card season I've experienced as
a fan.
404
00:21:02,449 --> 00:21:08,002
Like I can't remember in how many years
because even when like LeBron joined
405
00:21:08,002 --> 00:21:10,824
the team, that yeah there was a bunch of young
guys and there
406
00:21:10,824 --> 00:21:12,835
was speculation about the AD trade and that.
407
00:21:12,835 --> 00:21:15,637
But LeBron himself, just his presence,
408
00:21:15,637 --> 00:21:19,139
you knew what to expect that how everything
would kind of shape around it.
409
00:21:20,099 --> 00:21:23,881
This is completely just a complete new thing.
410
00:21:23,881 --> 00:21:26,842
And you're right. Like I said this at the
start of the episode,
411
00:21:26,842 --> 00:21:31,955
but I really think like I and I might be on an
island here as
412
00:21:31,955 --> 00:21:35,416
far as Lakers fans, but yeah, there is an out
for this team.
413
00:21:35,416 --> 00:21:38,518
And the out would be that it doesn't work and
Luka just asked for a trade
414
00:21:38,518 --> 00:21:41,529
and that's the league. Luka has no connection,
415
00:21:41,529 --> 00:21:43,630
like no long term loyalty to the Lakers.
416
00:21:43,630 --> 00:21:47,822
And if this is if this fails and he's getting
older and he's like,
417
00:21:47,822 --> 00:21:49,563
Listen, I need to win a championship.
418
00:21:49,563 --> 00:21:50,563
I'm
419
00:21:50,267 --> 00:21:54,326
you know, twenty seven pushing thirty if i if
I'm stuck here and
420
00:21:55,280 --> 00:21:57,371
Title windows are two, three, four years long,
421
00:21:57,371 --> 00:21:59,122
anyways, in the league, the way it's
structured.
422
00:21:59,122 --> 00:22:02,123
So yeah, the if this doesn't work,
423
00:22:02,123 --> 00:22:04,624
I think that the next step would be a Luka
trade,
424
00:22:04,624 --> 00:22:05,965
which is crazy to think about.
425
00:22:05,965 --> 00:22:08,056
But you just have to be realistic about it.
426
00:22:08,056 --> 00:22:09,376
Sometimes that's the situation.
427
00:22:09,376 --> 00:22:14,508
They're all in. And you can criticize
organizations sometimes for not going
428
00:22:14,508 --> 00:22:20,311
all in on things. And so I prefer them to
taking these kinds of moves rather than
429
00:22:20,511 --> 00:22:22,852
treading water as they have for a long time.
430
00:22:22,852 --> 00:22:25,213
That was a big criticism at the end of the
LeBron AD.
431
00:22:25,353 --> 00:22:29,746
era after Russell Westbrook after Russell
Westbrook trade was that we're just
432
00:22:29,746 --> 00:22:32,158
treading water. We don't wanna we don't want
to risk anything.
433
00:22:32,158 --> 00:22:35,081
We want to keep our powder dry and do this and
do that.
434
00:22:35,081 --> 00:22:41,125
Luka fell into their lap and I'm actually I'm
at least happy that they have made
435
00:22:41,125 --> 00:22:44,748
a very conscious decision and they made very
aggressive moves to
436
00:22:44,748 --> 00:22:46,870
put this team together. And yeah,
437
00:22:46,870 --> 00:22:51,113
if it doesn't work then I that's how it's
gonna be a disaster.
438
00:22:51,113 --> 00:22:53,295
It's gonna be horrible. But—
439
00:22:54,361 --> 00:22:55,361
At
440
00:22:54,461 --> 00:22:57,062
least there's direction. Yeah.
441
00:22:54,593 --> 00:22:57,035
I don't see the alternative. Yes, exactly.
442
00:22:57,035 --> 00:22:58,035
Yes.
443
00:22:57,062 --> 00:22:58,062
Yeah.
444
00:22:57,512 --> 00:23:01,583
I could see like there's you could see the
vision with this team.
445
00:23:01,336 --> 00:23:02,336
Yes.
446
00:23:01,583 --> 00:23:02,583
And
447
00:23:01,763 --> 00:23:04,384
that's what you could appreciate about the
front office.
448
00:23:04,384 --> 00:23:09,115
The thing is like it what are the ways to get
better?
449
00:23:09,115 --> 00:23:11,296
You could develop players, you could draft
players,
450
00:23:11,296 --> 00:23:12,886
you could trade players. Okay,
451
00:23:12,886 --> 00:23:16,207
well, trading and signing players is gonna be
tough with this team.
452
00:23:16,207 --> 00:23:18,638
You could develop your roster, you know,
453
00:23:18,638 --> 00:23:21,889
you the young players you have on this team
and
454
00:23:22,489 --> 00:23:23,909
You could also buy draft picks,
455
00:23:23,909 --> 00:23:25,620
which we've seen them do in the draft.
456
00:23:25,620 --> 00:23:26,620
And, you know,
457
00:23:25,806 --> 00:23:26,806
Yep.
458
00:23:26,220 --> 00:23:28,761
they basically bought their way into the first
round.
459
00:23:28,761 --> 00:23:31,241
And they I think they got a steal in Cameron
Carr,
460
00:23:31,241 --> 00:23:33,062
who, you know, I had a lot higher.
461
00:23:32,387 --> 00:23:33,965
Fingers crossed, man. Fingers crossed.
462
00:23:33,062 --> 00:23:34,792
Yeah.
463
00:23:34,792 --> 00:23:39,744
I mean I mean, I don't know if there was some
personality thing that maybe caused
464
00:23:39,744 --> 00:23:42,665
him to drop. I don't know how I really never
know what to think
465
00:23:42,665 --> 00:23:44,865
of those because we don't have a access to
that.
466
00:23:44,865 --> 00:23:45,865
I mean, well,
467
00:23:45,187 --> 00:23:46,187
Yep.
468
00:23:45,665 --> 00:23:49,286
All I could say is on film he should have gone
a lot higher than
469
00:23:49,286 --> 00:23:51,357
he actually did. And so
470
00:23:50,915 --> 00:23:51,915
Good to hear.
471
00:23:51,455 --> 00:23:52,455
Good to hear.
472
00:23:52,507 --> 00:23:55,609
Yeah. I mean basically, you know,
473
00:23:55,609 --> 00:23:56,900
you the Lakers could always do that,
474
00:23:56,900 --> 00:23:59,942
you know, they could always buy draft picks
and find ways
475
00:23:59,942 --> 00:24:02,554
to get better. But I just look at the team and
I'm like,
476
00:24:02,554 --> 00:24:04,616
man, there's just not a whole lot of way outs.
477
00:24:04,616 --> 00:24:08,879
And I personally probably wouldn't have done
the Walker Kessler move.
478
00:24:08,879 --> 00:24:13,522
I understand it. and I don't blame him for it
because at least you see the vision.
479
00:24:13,522 --> 00:24:17,916
I would have preferred and I don't know if
this would have been possible,
480
00:24:17,916 --> 00:24:18,916
but like
481
00:24:19,300 --> 00:24:23,302
you see the bigs that he Luka played with in
Dallas and they're just like more
482
00:24:23,302 --> 00:24:27,677
lob-threat guys, you know, like a Dereck
Lively,
483
00:24:27,677 --> 00:24:33,002
a Gafford. I feel like that's where maybe
Walker doesn't excel,
484
00:24:33,002 --> 00:24:39,037
but I've also heard guys say that you could he
could still thrive in the short roll.
485
00:24:39,037 --> 00:24:43,431
He's just gonna—he may not finish with as many
lob dunks,
486
00:24:42,243 --> 00:24:44,116
Yes. Yeah.
487
00:24:43,431 --> 00:24:44,431
you know. So
488
00:24:44,492 --> 00:24:46,844
it just we may see it a little differently.
489
00:24:47,132 --> 00:24:48,605
But he could still be, you know,
490
00:24:48,605 --> 00:24:50,494
very successful. So
491
00:24:51,511 --> 00:24:52,792
I do think I do think
492
00:24:52,792 --> 00:24:59,525
to that point, though, as far as this team's
ceiling being
493
00:24:59,525 --> 00:25:04,498
elevated, I think the answer is it'll happen
if Adou Thiero
494
00:25:04,618 --> 00:25:07,309
and Cameron Carr develop
495
00:25:07,521 --> 00:25:10,152
And pop. Like there is upside here.
496
00:25:10,152 --> 00:25:13,264
I'm not counting on it because it's always
hard to count on young players
497
00:25:13,264 --> 00:25:15,075
to contribute to winning right away.
498
00:25:15,075 --> 00:25:18,776
But like Adou is the most physical,
499
00:25:18,776 --> 00:25:21,758
physically gifted player the Lakers have on
their roster.
500
00:25:21,758 --> 00:25:25,099
And he's he was hurt for part of last year.
501
00:25:25,099 --> 00:25:26,640
He kind of had an up and down,
502
00:25:26,640 --> 00:25:29,941
like he wasn't able to establish himself
because he was in and out of the lineup.
503
00:25:29,941 --> 00:25:33,443
But like Adou was the kind of player who,
504
00:25:33,443 --> 00:25:35,704
when people were looking at the Jonathan
Kuminga thing,
505
00:25:35,704 --> 00:25:37,425
Adou could be a figure that kind of
506
00:25:37,378 --> 00:25:38,378
kind
507
00:25:37,518 --> 00:25:39,223
of fits into that role.
508
00:25:38,748 --> 00:25:39,748
Mm-hmm.
509
00:25:40,326 --> 00:25:44,718
And it does seem like they the Lakers have
been very
510
00:25:45,772 --> 00:25:48,843
like reinvigorated to develop those young
guys.
511
00:25:48,843 --> 00:25:54,536
Like they hired their D League coach to be on
the main roster on
512
00:25:54,656 --> 00:25:58,658
the main coaching staff now, focused on
developing Cameron Carr and Adou.
513
00:25:58,658 --> 00:26:04,181
And the best case scenario for this team and
how their season gets elevated
514
00:26:04,641 --> 00:26:09,023
is if one of Cameron Carr or Adou Thiero are
in the rotation.
515
00:26:09,023 --> 00:26:11,344
That means that they've developed enough and
they've shown enough.
516
00:26:11,344 --> 00:26:14,215
And then we start talking about okay,
517
00:26:14,215 --> 00:26:15,606
now we got something cooking. Like
518
00:26:15,666 --> 00:26:19,738
Now there's like additional layers to this
that this team
519
00:26:19,738 --> 00:26:22,961
can go even higher, especially projecting not
just next year,
520
00:26:22,961 --> 00:26:24,152
but then like the year after that.
521
00:26:24,666 --> 00:26:27,508
Yeah. I like him. I like Thiero.
522
00:26:27,508 --> 00:26:31,110
athletic and I think he was a steal too.
523
00:26:31,110 --> 00:26:32,421
I want to say he was a second rounder,
524
00:26:32,421 --> 00:26:36,853
if I'm not mistaken. so you need one of those
young guys to pop,
525
00:26:36,853 --> 00:26:38,934
basically.
526
00:26:37,391 --> 00:26:38,391
Yeah. Yeah.
527
00:26:39,475 --> 00:26:44,768
so all that being said, let's get down to
predictions and where do you
528
00:26:44,768 --> 00:26:47,720
see this team finishing in the Western
conference?
529
00:26:47,720 --> 00:26:49,011
It's still a brutal conference.
530
00:26:49,011 --> 00:26:51,292
The East has gotten better, but the West is
still tough.
531
00:26:52,079 --> 00:26:53,079
And
532
00:26:52,390 --> 00:26:56,558
so where do you see them finishing? And then
let's just start there, actually.
533
00:26:56,782 --> 00:27:02,174
So I have a differing opinion a little bit on
the Western Conference.
534
00:27:02,174 --> 00:27:05,215
obviously San Antonio, Oklahoma City,
535
00:27:05,215 --> 00:27:06,876
they're in a kind of class of their own,
536
00:27:06,876 --> 00:27:07,876
and
537
00:27:07,066 --> 00:27:08,066
Yeah.
538
00:27:07,716 --> 00:27:11,877
the conference will go through them this
season at least and
539
00:27:11,877 --> 00:27:13,518
and probably for some years now.
540
00:27:13,518 --> 00:27:17,479
I think though, outside of those two,
541
00:27:17,479 --> 00:27:18,560
there's more
542
00:27:19,852 --> 00:27:24,015
Yes, there's quality teams, but I don't think
that the conference itself
543
00:27:24,015 --> 00:27:26,197
is as tough as it has been in the past.
544
00:27:26,197 --> 00:27:30,661
And I actually think people are losing sight
of the fact that especially with this
545
00:27:30,661 --> 00:27:32,963
new lottery rules, like the Eastern
Conference,
546
00:27:32,963 --> 00:27:37,827
top to bottom, there is like there's more
challenging nights,
547
00:27:37,827 --> 00:27:41,329
I feel like, especially when you're facing
like I mean the Wizards,
548
00:27:41,329 --> 00:27:43,641
right? Like the Wizards out of nowhere could
be a pain in the
549
00:27:43,641 --> 00:27:45,193
ass opponent this season. Like
550
00:27:44,807 --> 00:27:45,807
Yeah.
551
00:27:45,553 --> 00:27:49,296
I so I look at it as actually in the West.
552
00:27:49,765 --> 00:27:51,967
When people are kind of doing their over-under
projections,
553
00:27:51,967 --> 00:27:57,970
I think that there is a lag in adjusting to
the fact and the reality that actually
554
00:27:58,312 --> 00:28:02,115
the Western Conference might be have more
winnable games on a night
555
00:28:02,115 --> 00:28:07,739
to night basis than the East. And that
partially influences my optimism
556
00:28:07,739 --> 00:28:10,221
for the Lakers in the regular season.
557
00:28:10,221 --> 00:28:16,326
So if you were looking at the consensus, I
think 46—
558
00:28:16,386 --> 00:28:17,927
46 wins is a projection.
559
00:28:19,064 --> 00:28:22,117
I would comfortably go higher on that and I
think that they will push
560
00:28:22,117 --> 00:28:25,251
a fifty win season this year. a few reasons
for that.
561
00:28:25,251 --> 00:28:27,793
One is they're relatively younger now.
562
00:28:27,793 --> 00:28:32,158
They've you know, Walker Kessler obviously is
the we don't know,
563
00:28:32,158 --> 00:28:33,420
but
564
00:28:33,998 --> 00:28:37,510
Their offense, I think, the baseline for their
offense will be very high.
565
00:28:37,510 --> 00:28:40,171
JJ Redick is a very good regular season coach.
566
00:28:40,171 --> 00:28:43,983
Like he will has a team prepared on a nightly
basis in a very good way.
567
00:28:43,983 --> 00:28:48,636
And I think the baseline of this team will be
very good in a regular season.
568
00:28:48,636 --> 00:28:52,228
And so I think that they will be pushing home
court advantage in
569
00:28:52,228 --> 00:28:55,940
the first round kind of four seed kind of
territory.
570
00:28:57,052 --> 00:29:00,957
I am, for all the reasons we talked about as
far as that fourth starter
571
00:29:00,957 --> 00:29:02,439
and that forward and all that,
572
00:29:02,439 --> 00:29:07,426
I'm actually more pessimistic about them in
the play as a playoff team than maybe
573
00:29:07,426 --> 00:29:10,991
the consensus, but as a regular season team
I'm more optimistic.
574
00:29:10,991 --> 00:29:14,125
So that's where I currently my prediction
would rest.
575
00:29:14,125 --> 00:29:15,125
What about you?
576
00:29:16,430 --> 00:29:19,202
So their over-under is 46 and a half.
577
00:29:19,202 --> 00:29:20,232
I was just checking.
578
00:29:19,576 --> 00:29:20,727
Yep. Yeah.
579
00:29:20,753 --> 00:29:23,262
And I would probably take the over too.
580
00:29:23,262 --> 00:29:25,270
You know, I think they're gonna be a very you
know,
581
00:29:25,270 --> 00:29:27,586
close to that fifty game mark.
582
00:29:27,586 --> 00:29:31,238
You know, I think they're I wouldn't be
shocked if they finished third.
583
00:29:31,238 --> 00:29:33,339
I also wouldn't be shocked if they finished
like sixth,
584
00:29:33,339 --> 00:29:36,101
you know. I would be kind of surprised if they
585
00:29:33,956 --> 00:29:36,637
Yeah, yeah. That is the range it feels like,
586
00:29:36,637 --> 00:29:37,637
right?
587
00:29:37,282 --> 00:29:39,122
Yeah, and that's to your point,
588
00:29:39,122 --> 00:29:45,596
I think the West is OKC and San Antonio and a
whole bunch of other teams.
589
00:29:45,894 --> 00:29:49,316
And we just have to—I think it's a lot of
teams figuring stuff out.
590
00:29:49,316 --> 00:29:53,529
I mean, Houston, what are they gonna look like
with VanVleet,
591
00:29:53,529 --> 00:29:56,831
you know? The Timberwolves are completely
different this year.
592
00:29:54,468 --> 00:29:57,115
Yep. Totally.
593
00:29:57,344 --> 00:30:02,414
the Nuggets, you know, they their question
mark is Aaron Gordon,
594
00:30:02,414 --> 00:30:04,745
right? I mean, he's the question mark with
that team.
595
00:30:04,745 --> 00:30:08,258
There's so there's still a lot of stuff that
you know,
596
00:30:08,258 --> 00:30:10,639
we'll we're that's the whole point of playing
and we're gonna find out.
597
00:30:09,644 --> 00:30:10,654
It's the quality
598
00:30:10,654 --> 00:30:13,265
the quality of teams is good. It's just
599
00:30:12,700 --> 00:30:13,700
Yeah.
600
00:30:13,305 --> 00:30:18,347
There was, for years, this juggernaut that
601
00:30:18,347 --> 00:30:21,628
you would feel like it was just a gauntlet
every night in the West that
602
00:30:21,628 --> 00:30:23,068
I don't see the gauntlet level.
603
00:30:23,068 --> 00:30:25,989
I see quality teams like all the teams you
listed there.
604
00:30:25,989 --> 00:30:30,550
I just I think there's more opportunities to
grab cheap wins in the West,
605
00:30:30,550 --> 00:30:32,841
kind of like it's been in the East for years.
606
00:30:32,841 --> 00:30:35,332
And I think the East, I'm like
607
00:30:35,993 --> 00:30:39,003
scaling down their win totals in the east
mentally,
608
00:30:39,003 --> 00:30:41,612
thinking that I think there will be a little
bit of an adjustment this year.
609
00:30:42,277 --> 00:30:48,525
Yeah, and also it's the first year that we're
having this new lottery odds
610
00:30:48,525 --> 00:30:50,037
and that is gonna
611
00:30:49,412 --> 00:30:50,412
Yep.
612
00:30:50,037 --> 00:30:51,037
impact
613
00:30:51,577 --> 00:30:55,163
It's crazy. I think like I it's I think it's
underappreciated
614
00:30:55,163 --> 00:30:59,251
how much things are gonna look different on a
night to night basis with
615
00:30:59,693 --> 00:31:01,496
the tanking incentives not there.
616
00:31:01,979 --> 00:31:05,934
Yeah. Like we're saying the Lakers will be
around 50 wins,
617
00:31:05,934 --> 00:31:11,492
but it's very possible with everyone being
more competitive that it's like
618
00:31:11,492 --> 00:31:14,966
like 46 is maybe where they will be at,
619
00:31:14,966 --> 00:31:16,849
you know, it just—
620
00:31:15,512 --> 00:31:17,143
Yeah. Which might
621
00:31:17,143 --> 00:31:20,855
be—which might somehow be the fourth seed
because all the—
622
00:31:20,337 --> 00:31:21,337
Yeah.
623
00:31:21,195 --> 00:31:25,297
you know, so you're right. It's there will be
a lot of strange
624
00:31:25,317 --> 00:31:28,809
like standings things that we have to get
adjusted to just because of
625
00:31:28,809 --> 00:31:30,580
the new kind of lottery rules,
626
00:31:30,580 --> 00:31:31,580
for sure.
627
00:31:31,035 --> 00:31:32,035
Yeah.
628
00:31:32,616 --> 00:31:36,517
Well, I wanna switch over to ownership and
629
00:31:36,120 --> 00:31:37,120
Yeah.
630
00:31:36,677 --> 00:31:38,958
you're well versed in this topic.
631
00:31:39,032 --> 00:31:40,032
Yeah.
632
00:31:42,120 --> 00:31:46,952
you guys had a lot of ownership changes over
the last so many months,
633
00:31:46,952 --> 00:31:48,382
I guess.
634
00:31:47,664 --> 00:31:48,664
Yeah.
635
00:31:49,063 --> 00:31:54,365
I read your letter on Twitter to the new
ownership group,
636
00:31:54,545 --> 00:31:57,106
and very well written. Everyone should check
that out.
637
00:31:57,412 --> 00:31:58,412
Thank you.
638
00:31:59,267 --> 00:32:00,267
and
639
00:32:00,070 --> 00:32:04,512
You know, you urged them on a lot of things,
640
00:32:04,512 --> 00:32:10,504
but one thing that stuck out to me was don't
price out the everyday fan,
641
00:32:10,504 --> 00:32:15,306
you know? Like this Laker team is what keeps
what keeps LA together,
642
00:32:15,306 --> 00:32:20,067
you know? Like the richest of the rich and
like the people who maybe don't have
643
00:32:20,067 --> 00:32:22,208
it the best financially, but they have this
team.
644
00:32:22,208 --> 00:32:23,949
Don't take that away from them.
645
00:32:23,949 --> 00:32:28,641
so that's kind of one of the essences of the
letter that I got.
646
00:32:28,641 --> 00:32:29,641
you could
647
00:32:29,681 --> 00:32:32,256
You know, correct me if I'm wrong there,
648
00:32:32,256 --> 00:32:36,203
but what did you feel like that was the one of
the main points you wanted
649
00:32:36,203 --> 00:32:37,977
to tell the new ownership group?
650
00:32:37,678 --> 00:32:38,678
Yeah,
651
00:32:38,059 --> 00:32:43,988
you know, I think that this is this is as much
change from
652
00:32:43,988 --> 00:32:46,222
the ownership level that I've ever witnessed,
653
00:32:46,222 --> 00:32:49,347
with the Lakers. Obviously it's been in the
Buss family for so many years.
654
00:32:49,347 --> 00:32:51,491
The transition to the Mark Walter
655
00:32:52,502 --> 00:32:55,133
was definitely jarring. It was a big change,
656
00:32:55,133 --> 00:32:59,095
but there was still an element of Mark Walter
was a minority owner,
657
00:32:59,095 --> 00:33:03,507
he owns the Dodgers. There was like a still
somewhat of a okay,
658
00:33:03,507 --> 00:33:07,549
we'll transition into this. Now it's a
complete wild card.
659
00:33:07,549 --> 00:33:10,340
Like we have zero idea what to expect.
660
00:33:10,340 --> 00:33:12,982
And the dollar amounts are getting so big.
661
00:33:12,982 --> 00:33:16,963
You know, there was projections that the new
ownership group were putting
662
00:33:16,963 --> 00:33:21,105
out because they're gathering investors of
like projecting revenue.
663
00:33:21,105 --> 00:33:22,386
And you
664
00:33:22,426 --> 00:33:23,939
Start putting it together, you're like,
665
00:33:23,939 --> 00:33:26,482
wait, projecting revenue increases of this
much,
666
00:33:26,482 --> 00:33:28,647
where's that coming from? It's the fans,
667
00:33:28,647 --> 00:33:29,779
right? Like that is
668
00:33:29,320 --> 00:33:30,320
Yeah.
669
00:33:30,927 --> 00:33:34,850
You already started hearing stories about like
I have some friends who are long,
670
00:33:34,850 --> 00:33:36,241
long time season ticket holders.
671
00:33:36,241 --> 00:33:38,932
So season tickets already are not cheap for
Laker fans,
672
00:33:38,932 --> 00:33:42,965
right? And their renewals are coming 50%
higher,
673
00:33:42,965 --> 00:33:48,219
55% higher, 60% higher. And they're putting
more restrictions on you can't sell,
674
00:33:48,219 --> 00:33:50,330
you gotta keep it, like you gotta do these
things.
675
00:33:50,330 --> 00:33:53,883
And they're adding a courtside row.
676
00:33:53,883 --> 00:33:57,015
And that courtside row is gonna take away from
the experience a little bit.
677
00:33:57,015 --> 00:33:58,746
You start looking at this, you're like,
678
00:33:58,746 --> 00:33:59,746
huh.
679
00:34:00,632 --> 00:34:02,953
Of course I understand supply demand,
680
00:34:02,953 --> 00:34:08,705
I understand all these dynamics that LA has a
very rich population,
681
00:34:08,705 --> 00:34:11,357
has also a very big working class population,
682
00:34:11,357 --> 00:34:13,938
and I understand that, you know,
683
00:34:13,938 --> 00:34:18,290
there is some obvious management of like,
684
00:34:18,290 --> 00:34:22,541
you know, you need revenue to be at a certain
level to justify expenses,
685
00:34:22,541 --> 00:34:26,583
all that. I get all that. But I think that
what I was trying to implore
686
00:34:26,583 --> 00:34:27,984
to the new ownership, I'm like
687
00:34:28,716 --> 00:34:32,768
If you completely isolate yourself and
separate yourself and you extract
688
00:34:32,768 --> 00:34:37,735
and you completely shut out the working class
that lives,
689
00:34:37,735 --> 00:34:40,007
dies, and breathes Lakers.
690
00:34:40,888 --> 00:34:44,770
You will start to lose and become an ordinary
team.
691
00:34:44,770 --> 00:34:47,492
And the worst thing that the Lakers can do,
692
00:34:47,492 --> 00:34:51,275
it sounds arrogant, it sounds like all this
like rah-rah language,
693
00:34:51,275 --> 00:34:54,036
but the Lakers are a unique entity.
694
00:34:54,036 --> 00:34:58,379
And if you start treating them like a just
another business venture,
695
00:34:59,598 --> 00:35:04,245
You're gonna start losing and eroding all of
that goodwill that has generated,
696
00:35:04,245 --> 00:35:06,098
that has made the Lakers brand what it is.
697
00:35:06,098 --> 00:35:07,580
This is not like a magical thing.
698
00:35:07,580 --> 00:35:08,953
These things don't happen magically.
699
00:35:08,953 --> 00:35:12,849
There's a very organic process to get to where
the Lakers have gotten.
700
00:35:12,849 --> 00:35:13,908
And
701
00:35:14,988 --> 00:35:19,360
I just I hope that the ownership group
recognizes that and this
702
00:35:19,360 --> 00:35:20,771
is not just dollars and cents.
703
00:35:20,771 --> 00:35:25,933
And they also understand the value that the
community can still bring
704
00:35:25,933 --> 00:35:27,944
to the team. But if you shut them out,
705
00:35:27,944 --> 00:35:30,655
they'll go elsewhere. And so it's a warning.
706
00:35:30,655 --> 00:35:32,566
This is almost like not just about the Lakers,
707
00:35:32,566 --> 00:35:36,628
but this is a concern that's happening across
sports as the numbers
708
00:35:36,628 --> 00:35:38,259
are getting crazier and crazier.
709
00:35:38,259 --> 00:35:40,140
And once you get into those numbers,
710
00:35:40,140 --> 00:35:41,781
you start getting into the well,
711
00:35:41,781 --> 00:35:44,802
we need, you know, public funds to invest it
and we need
712
00:35:45,082 --> 00:35:47,855
you know, the money starts getting different
to where
713
00:35:47,855 --> 00:35:51,318
now you're bringing different types of
ownership groups who might not have that same
714
00:35:51,318 --> 00:35:55,792
feel and connection that we as fans have had
for a long time.
715
00:35:57,459 --> 00:36:03,481
Yeah. You know, what you're saying also is the
Lakers
716
00:36:03,481 --> 00:36:07,313
are a unique organization and I think they
know that.
717
00:36:07,313 --> 00:36:12,325
I think that's why they wanted this team
because, in
718
00:36:12,325 --> 00:36:16,707
a way they're I mean, they're one of the most
recognizable sports franchise
719
00:36:16,707 --> 00:36:21,283
in all of sports. And I hate to say it,
720
00:36:21,283 --> 00:36:24,099
but I just think it's not just a Lakers thing.
721
00:36:24,099 --> 00:36:25,240
I think the
722
00:36:26,424 --> 00:36:29,847
I could be wrong, but I would expect them to
milk it for that reason.
723
00:36:29,847 --> 00:36:33,540
You know, I would expect them to milk the fans
because, like you said,
724
00:36:33,540 --> 00:36:35,711
the valuations are going crazy high.
725
00:36:35,711 --> 00:36:36,711
And
726
00:36:35,791 --> 00:36:36,791
Yeah.
727
00:36:36,732 --> 00:36:39,779
it's not it's not just them who's doing it.
728
00:36:39,779 --> 00:36:42,717
It's I'm looking I live in Sacramento.
729
00:36:42,717 --> 00:36:47,581
Kings tickets for a horrible team is out of
this world.
730
00:36:47,581 --> 00:36:48,772
I was just like, okay,
731
00:36:47,943 --> 00:36:48,943
yeah.
732
00:36:48,772 --> 00:36:51,144
let me look in Portland for the Trail Blazers.
733
00:36:51,664 --> 00:36:55,398
It's like this team is probably gonna be a
play-in team and they're charging like
734
00:36:55,398 --> 00:36:57,211
three hundred bucks for lower bowl tickets.
735
00:36:57,211 --> 00:36:58,211
I
736
00:36:57,656 --> 00:36:58,656
It's amazing.
737
00:36:58,287 --> 00:37:03,922
It's like, I'm fortunate I get to go to games,
and I
738
00:37:04,122 --> 00:37:06,024
I have good friends who, you know,
739
00:37:06,024 --> 00:37:08,846
give me tickets at face value and stuff like
that.
740
00:37:08,846 --> 00:37:10,208
And even then I'm like
741
00:37:10,840 --> 00:37:12,381
I couldn't come to these games,
742
00:37:12,381 --> 00:37:17,855
man. Like I couldn't I at some level you're
like for a Tuesday regular season
743
00:37:17,855 --> 00:37:21,877
game, if I'm gonna go with like a couple of
friends or a family
744
00:37:21,877 --> 00:37:23,898
or something like that, we're talking how many
dollars?
745
00:37:23,898 --> 00:37:28,972
Like it's it's gotten to the point where at
some point there's
746
00:37:28,972 --> 00:37:33,385
a trade-off between you also want like this
old school,
747
00:37:33,385 --> 00:37:34,695
like you're talking about Sacramento,
748
00:37:34,695 --> 00:37:35,695
like
749
00:37:36,291 --> 00:37:40,833
old-school Arco Arena, like, those feelings.
We're losing
750
00:37:40,833 --> 00:37:44,024
this so fast. And at some level,
751
00:37:44,024 --> 00:37:47,265
at some point you would hope that there would
be recognition of this.
752
00:37:47,265 --> 00:37:49,066
There are practical problems, right?
753
00:37:49,066 --> 00:37:52,527
If you give cheap tickets and they can flip
them knowing that there's,
754
00:37:52,527 --> 00:37:55,638
you know, only 18,000 seats and there's a big
game.
755
00:37:55,638 --> 00:37:57,769
And so there's practical realities of it.
756
00:37:57,769 --> 00:38:01,680
But you would hope that there would be some
solution or some way for
757
00:38:01,680 --> 00:38:04,386
a middle ground to develop. And we'll see.
758
00:38:04,386 --> 00:38:05,712
It's crazy times.
759
00:38:05,461 --> 00:38:06,461
We'll see.
760
00:38:06,181 --> 00:38:12,703
It is crazy times. I mean, live events are
just in demand right
761
00:38:12,703 --> 00:38:13,703
now and they're gonna be
762
00:38:13,157 --> 00:38:14,157
Yeah.
763
00:38:13,611 --> 00:38:16,864
in demand, you know? And so, you know,
764
00:38:16,864 --> 00:38:22,736
I don't know if you've seen those, like, 12K
765
00:38:22,736 --> 00:38:26,317
or eight K screen like in a movie theater
where it's like they're kind
766
00:38:26,317 --> 00:38:29,868
of broadcasting the game and it kind of feels
like Yeah.
767
00:38:28,149 --> 00:38:29,790
yes, yes, yes, yes. Yeah, yeah,
768
00:38:29,790 --> 00:38:30,790
yeah, yeah, yeah.
769
00:38:29,868 --> 00:38:30,868
And
770
00:38:30,578 --> 00:38:32,598
so like we may see more of that,
771
00:38:32,598 --> 00:38:34,419
you know, or like
772
00:38:34,414 --> 00:38:35,414
Yeah,
773
00:38:34,594 --> 00:38:38,307
it's a it's there's a reason why sports
valuations and everything
774
00:38:38,307 --> 00:38:42,599
is also going up. It's like those shared
experiences are becoming less
775
00:38:42,599 --> 00:38:44,881
and less and sports is one of the only things
that,
776
00:38:44,881 --> 00:38:47,533
you know, brings that communities together
like that.
777
00:38:47,533 --> 00:38:48,533
And so yeah,
778
00:38:47,923 --> 00:38:48,923
Yeah.
779
00:38:48,243 --> 00:38:52,426
like those spaces that put those immersive
things and you
780
00:38:52,426 --> 00:38:55,118
can go together with a lot of people and enjoy
it that way.
781
00:38:55,118 --> 00:38:58,320
Yeah, I think there's gonna be a lot of things
like that.
782
00:38:58,739 --> 00:39:01,120
Yeah. Well I hope they don't price out the
fans.
783
00:39:01,120 --> 00:39:05,872
I hope the whole I mean, I just hope sports in
general doesn't do this because
784
00:39:05,969 --> 00:39:10,834
I paid to go to the World Cup this year and
that was also crazy expensive.
785
00:39:10,834 --> 00:39:12,355
That was I paid eight hundred
786
00:39:11,234 --> 00:39:12,291
Yeah, me too. I
787
00:39:12,355 --> 00:39:13,615
bucks and that was a good deal,
788
00:39:13,615 --> 00:39:15,856
you know, to sit lower level in the bay.
789
00:39:15,856 --> 00:39:21,418
So yeah, it's just crazy. But I hope I hope
you go to many Lakers games
790
00:39:21,418 --> 00:39:26,200
and you have a good time this year and hopeful
hopefully it's it doesn't
791
00:39:26,200 --> 00:39:28,041
hit the your bank account too hard.
792
00:39:28,730 --> 00:39:30,143
All right. thank
793
00:39:30,143 --> 00:39:32,108
you. And I hope you enjoy Ben Simmons.
794
00:39:32,565 --> 00:39:35,869
God.
795
00:39:35,905 --> 00:39:37,951
God. Don't get me started on that.
796
00:39:38,621 --> 00:39:40,045
You the most patient
797
00:39:40,206 --> 00:39:42,051
community in the world, Sacramento.
798
00:39:43,710 --> 00:39:47,831
Yeah. The this fan base deserves better.
799
00:39:47,831 --> 00:39:50,572
That's all I'll say for now.
800
00:39:49,710 --> 00:39:50,710
I agree.
801
00:39:51,113 --> 00:39:53,434
Well, I wanna appreciate you coming on,
802
00:39:53,434 --> 00:39:57,355
Daman. it was fun talking Lakers and ownership
and all that.
803
00:39:57,355 --> 00:40:01,103
where can the people find you your work?
804
00:40:01,914 --> 00:40:05,069
Just go to Twitter. Daman R is the handle.
805
00:40:05,069 --> 00:40:06,862
That's that's where you'll find me.
806
00:40:07,836 --> 00:40:11,792
It's a great follow. for Lakers fans,
807
00:40:11,792 --> 00:40:14,235
non-Laker fans, please follow him.
808
00:40:14,235 --> 00:40:17,831
And again, wanna thank you for your time, and
thank
809
00:40:17,831 --> 00:40:19,483
you for everyone watching. Thanks.
810
00:40:19,428 --> 00:40:20,428
Thank you for having me.
811
00:40:20,605 --> 00:40:21,605
Yep.
00:00:00,822 --> 00:00:02,685
Welcome to the Attack the Paint Show.
2
00:00:02,685 --> 00:00:06,290
My name is Ravneet Singh. I am here with Daman
Rangoola.
3
00:00:06,290 --> 00:00:09,175
He is a Laker expert and a tech expert.
4
00:00:09,175 --> 00:00:15,164
So I wanna thank you for coming today and
talking about some Lakers.
5
00:00:14,296 --> 00:00:16,151
Thank you for having me. Thank you for having
6
00:00:15,164 --> 00:00:16,164
Yeah.
7
00:00:16,151 --> 00:00:19,118
me, man. expert is doing a lot of work.
8
00:00:19,118 --> 00:00:20,201
I'll
9
00:00:19,778 --> 00:00:20,778
Ha.
10
00:00:20,201 --> 00:00:21,925
take it. I'll take it with thanks.
11
00:00:21,925 --> 00:00:23,269
but thanks for having me on.
12
00:00:23,852 --> 00:00:27,283
Yeah, yeah. So we're nearing basketball
season.
13
00:00:27,283 --> 00:00:33,185
it feels like this off season went by
relatively quickly because
14
00:00:33,185 --> 00:00:36,065
of all the news, the new ownership and all
that.
15
00:00:36,065 --> 00:00:40,457
we'll get into the ownership change in a
little bit,
16
00:00:40,457 --> 00:00:42,607
but I wanted to talk about some basketball
first.
17
00:00:43,192 --> 00:00:44,192
Yep.
18
00:00:43,488 --> 00:00:44,808
I want to talk about the actual game,
19
00:00:44,808 --> 00:00:49,369
what's going on the court. So what excites you
most about this team
20
00:00:49,769 --> 00:00:51,650
and what worries you about this team?
21
00:00:52,726 --> 00:00:54,148
You know, it's interesting.
22
00:00:54,148 --> 00:01:00,226
The Lakers have had kind of a similar we enter
the season and
23
00:01:00,554 --> 00:01:04,385
Every year it was like, Well, this is not
really the team that it'll be
24
00:01:04,385 --> 00:01:07,907
at the end of the season, and there's always
like an anticipation of some kind
25
00:01:07,907 --> 00:01:09,478
of change, some kind of something.
26
00:01:09,478 --> 00:01:13,840
And then obviously the Luka Dončić news comes
out of nowhere.
27
00:01:13,840 --> 00:01:19,963
And it felt like there was a constant sort of
we gotta take care of Luka,
28
00:01:19,963 --> 00:01:24,615
but LeBron's still here. And there was a lot
of I wouldn't even say tension.
29
00:01:24,615 --> 00:01:27,457
Like I feel like any sort of tension was
overblown.
30
00:01:27,457 --> 00:01:30,308
I do think that the Lakers
31
00:01:30,561 --> 00:01:37,405
as a franchise made a very like a very clear
decision that we're
32
00:01:37,405 --> 00:01:43,019
just gonna go all in on one thing. This is the
first time
33
00:01:43,019 --> 00:01:45,471
I feel like there has been a coherent
34
00:01:46,103 --> 00:01:52,436
top to bottom vision of we are just now the
Luka Dončić team,
35
00:01:52,436 --> 00:01:55,347
the JJ Redick, like whatever he wants in his
vision.
36
00:01:55,347 --> 00:02:00,199
And you can hear some of the comments that JJ
Redick specifically
37
00:02:00,199 --> 00:02:04,851
has been making to where it's being
interpreted a little bit like,
38
00:02:04,851 --> 00:02:07,222
is this shade towards LeBron? I actually don't
think so.
39
00:02:07,222 --> 00:02:13,515
I think it legitimately is that this is the
first roster top to bottom that just
40
00:02:13,775 --> 00:02:15,916
is like it's a single
41
00:02:16,016 --> 00:02:19,517
track, and it's, okay, this is what Luka does
well.
42
00:02:19,517 --> 00:02:21,937
Luka and Austin is sort of the core pairing.
43
00:02:21,937 --> 00:02:23,598
What can we build around that?
44
00:02:23,598 --> 00:02:27,639
Now that's not to say that this is a
championship or bust kind of season.
45
00:02:27,639 --> 00:02:33,570
It's not. But I think what excites me most is
there's not the we know the team.
46
00:02:33,570 --> 00:02:35,781
This is the team. There may be changes,
47
00:02:35,781 --> 00:02:39,382
there'll be minor changes, but there is like a
48
00:02:39,968 --> 00:02:44,998
It's completely new. The flurry of moves that
happened
49
00:02:44,998 --> 00:02:47,974
in the offseason, it's like jarring to look at
just how much of
50
00:02:47,974 --> 00:02:49,196
the roster has changed again.
51
00:02:50,146 --> 00:02:53,628
But it's a coherent vision and we know that
this is the team.
52
00:02:53,628 --> 00:02:56,009
This is the team for not only this season,
53
00:02:56,009 --> 00:03:00,071
but probably for the next two or three seasons
beyond incremental changes.
54
00:03:00,071 --> 00:03:03,772
And that part excites me because it's been a
while.
55
00:03:03,772 --> 00:03:08,565
Otherwise, it's always like we always had like
LeBron and AD and then LeBron
56
00:03:08,565 --> 00:03:12,266
and Luka and then just a bunch of guys who
would be like one year guys because they
57
00:03:12,266 --> 00:03:15,558
were just trying to keep their books clean for
what became the flurry
58
00:03:15,558 --> 00:03:20,050
of signings this summer. So at a high level I
think just having a team not only
59
00:03:20,100 --> 00:03:22,333
the team that you're rooting for this season,
60
00:03:22,333 --> 00:03:24,946
but knowing that it's gonna be kind of a
longer term project.
61
00:03:25,887 --> 00:03:30,879
Yeah. It has to be refreshing a little bit to,
62
00:03:30,879 --> 00:03:32,890
you know, have a fresh start, you know,
63
00:03:32,890 --> 00:03:35,871
without LeBron James. I mean, obviously
everyone wants would love
64
00:03:35,871 --> 00:03:37,202
to have LeBron James on their team,
65
00:03:37,202 --> 00:03:42,044
but at the same time it comes with this sort
of expectation and
66
00:03:42,572 --> 00:03:43,572
Yeah.
67
00:03:43,744 --> 00:03:48,946
pressure, right? Like that you gotta win now
and like you kinda he's influencing
68
00:03:48,987 --> 00:03:53,278
the team in many ways. So I hear you on that.
69
00:03:53,278 --> 00:03:54,859
Is there anything about the team that
70
00:03:55,597 --> 00:03:59,185
would be concerning because obviously what a
lot of the stuff you're saying,
71
00:03:59,185 --> 00:04:00,929
I mean, it would be great if the team works
out,
72
00:04:00,929 --> 00:04:03,624
but if this is the team going forward and the
team's
73
00:04:02,953 --> 00:04:03,953
Ha.
74
00:04:03,624 --> 00:04:05,740
not working out, that could also be a worry.
75
00:04:05,876 --> 00:04:08,807
Yeah. I think it's a lead into some of the
other questions,
76
00:04:08,807 --> 00:04:14,129
but I definitely think that is the number one
it's a lot of uncertainty,
77
00:04:14,129 --> 00:04:18,911
right? We see so many teams that look cohesive
on paper,
78
00:04:18,911 --> 00:04:20,262
but when they get on the court,
79
00:04:20,262 --> 00:04:21,862
you're like, something's not clicking,
80
00:04:21,862 --> 00:04:26,894
something's not quite right. And the Lakers
are this is the team.
81
00:04:26,894 --> 00:04:31,476
Like this is like I don't care what the what
people can mock up
82
00:04:31,476 --> 00:04:33,077
in their trade machines and stuff like that.
83
00:04:33,077 --> 00:04:34,918
This is the team. And
84
00:04:35,928 --> 00:04:39,980
There is no easy out here, other than quite
frankly,
85
00:04:39,980 --> 00:04:42,672
like a Luka Dončić trade. Like that is it.
86
00:04:42,672 --> 00:04:46,905
Other than that, this is the core of the team
for the next foreseeable future.
87
00:04:46,905 --> 00:04:52,139
And if it doesn't work, or what I am worried
about personally
88
00:04:52,139 --> 00:04:55,491
is like Walker Kessler was a massive swing.
89
00:04:55,491 --> 00:04:59,554
And if you look at what the Lakers needed.
90
00:05:00,210 --> 00:05:03,273
what Luka Dončić needed, what Luka Dončić was
promised,
91
00:05:03,273 --> 00:05:04,955
as soon as he got traded to the Lakers,
92
00:05:04,955 --> 00:05:07,238
they were like, We'll get you we'll get you a
franchise big man.
93
00:05:07,238 --> 00:05:09,390
That's what we promise you. We know you need a
center.
94
00:05:09,390 --> 00:05:10,390
We will get that to you.
95
00:05:11,074 --> 00:05:12,695
They felt pressure to deliver on that.
96
00:05:12,695 --> 00:05:14,907
They said we're gonna go all in on Walker
Kessler.
97
00:05:14,907 --> 00:05:16,879
He's the only guy that fits what we need.
98
00:05:16,879 --> 00:05:19,902
But this is also a guy who played,
99
00:05:19,902 --> 00:05:21,744
what, five games last year? Played,
100
00:05:21,744 --> 00:05:25,047
you know, hasn't played much. Now there are
circumstances behind that.
101
00:05:25,047 --> 00:05:28,490
The Utah Jazz weren't looking to win and they
just kept putting him on ice.
102
00:05:28,490 --> 00:05:34,836
but it is a risk, and that is if Walker
Kessler is not healthy and not
103
00:05:34,936 --> 00:05:36,977
the kind of player that the Lakers hope they
are.
104
00:05:38,051 --> 00:05:42,112
That is a big, big problem because there's not
depth behind him at all.
105
00:05:42,827 --> 00:05:46,849
And so that is my number one fear overall
coming into this season
106
00:05:47,489 --> 00:05:49,670
is the Walker Kessler gamble. Now,
107
00:05:49,670 --> 00:05:53,372
if Walker Kessler is who they think he can be,
108
00:05:53,372 --> 00:05:59,454
which is a All-NBA center who can do exactly
what Luka needs,
109
00:05:59,454 --> 00:06:02,696
to, you know, open up the court for him,
110
00:06:02,696 --> 00:06:05,647
that'll look like a brilliant gamble.
111
00:06:05,647 --> 00:06:08,338
But this is what gambles do. And on one level,
112
00:06:08,338 --> 00:06:12,280
I appreciate and respect that they went all in
on that because the alternative was
113
00:06:12,640 --> 00:06:17,183
what like you know sign Mitchell Robinson and
have these more stopgap solutions.
114
00:06:17,183 --> 00:06:21,126
Like it's funny, Anthony Davis had been
wanting a center and it's been like
115
00:06:21,126 --> 00:06:24,488
a funny kind of bone of contention for the
front office for years
116
00:06:24,488 --> 00:06:28,015
and years and years. And the Lakers really
haven't had a center
117
00:06:28,015 --> 00:06:32,914
in place until now. So I appreciate that they
went for it.
118
00:06:32,914 --> 00:06:38,727
I do wonder if they had been more prudent over
the years to find another solution
119
00:06:38,727 --> 00:06:42,400
that they wouldn't need to kind of go all in
as much as they did this time.
120
00:06:42,860 --> 00:06:46,392
But scared money don't make no money,
121
00:06:46,392 --> 00:06:49,423
man. So I respect it at one level.
122
00:06:49,423 --> 00:06:51,404
But that is to me the biggest risk factor.
123
00:06:51,404 --> 00:06:54,885
If Walker Kessler is out and he's day to day
and he's,
124
00:06:54,885 --> 00:06:57,366
you know, in for two games, out for two games,
125
00:06:57,366 --> 00:07:01,968
and he's like just not built to be like the
eighty two game kind of center
126
00:07:02,208 --> 00:07:05,530
and a playoff center, well then this whole
experiment
127
00:07:05,530 --> 00:07:06,530
is gonna fall apart.
128
00:07:06,764 --> 00:07:08,506
Yep. No, I think you hit it spot on.
129
00:07:08,506 --> 00:07:11,620
I mean, he is he is the key piece.
130
00:07:11,620 --> 00:07:15,445
He's like the determining piece of I think how
the season goes.
131
00:07:15,445 --> 00:07:19,740
And so I wanna I mean, is he would you say
he's the third best player on
132
00:07:19,740 --> 00:07:21,612
the on the Lakers right now, if you had to
guess?
133
00:07:21,312 --> 00:07:22,843
Zero question. Yeah, zero question.
134
00:07:21,612 --> 00:07:22,834
Okay.
135
00:07:22,843 --> 00:07:28,797
It's like Luka and Austin obviously are kind
136
00:07:28,797 --> 00:07:31,069
of the pillar pairing that this is built
around,
137
00:07:31,069 --> 00:07:33,370
but both of them have similar deficiencies.
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00:07:33,370 --> 00:07:36,512
If Walker Kessler cannot be I mean,
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00:07:36,512 --> 00:07:39,434
I'll put it this way, if he's not the third
best player on this team,
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00:07:39,434 --> 00:07:44,227
something went wrong, or like Cameron Carr
blew up to an all star somehow
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00:07:44,227 --> 00:07:48,931
out of nowhere. But I think it's very clear
that if there's three pillars
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00:07:48,931 --> 00:07:50,842
on this team, he's very clearly the third
pillar.
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00:07:51,319 --> 00:07:55,490
Yeah. I agree. I think you know,
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he helps with the rim protection,
145
00:07:56,640 --> 00:07:58,571
right? I mean, you with Austin and with Luka,
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Yep.
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you gotta
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00:07:58,921 --> 00:08:00,321
have defense around those guys.
149
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He's gonna help with the rim protection.
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I'm not sure how he's gonna do,
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you know, defending the pick and roll.
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That is like a concern I have,
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especially, you know, more in the playoffs.
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00:08:10,164 --> 00:08:16,655
But it looks like the Lakers know that they
wanna build around Austin
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00:08:16,655 --> 00:08:18,266
and Luka and it's like, okay,
156
00:08:18,266 --> 00:08:19,266
let's get
157
00:08:19,054 --> 00:08:20,818
Collin Sexton, he could help defensively.
158
00:08:20,818 --> 00:08:24,325
Let's get Walker. You know, Grimes isn't bad
defensively.
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00:08:24,325 --> 00:08:28,194
So how do you think this team is actually
going to do on the defensive end?
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00:08:29,731 --> 00:08:31,051
Yeah, this is the question, right?
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00:08:31,051 --> 00:08:36,633
Because you trust at some level with Luka and
Austin as the centerpieces,
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00:08:36,633 --> 00:08:42,335
that the offense will be very good to
excellent and you can kind
163
00:08:42,335 --> 00:08:48,537
of count on that. The defense is it often
becomes about more about like
164
00:08:49,678 --> 00:08:53,859
your weakest links and how other teams can
attack them.
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00:08:54,497 --> 00:09:01,151
My goal, my like goal for the Lakers would be
to somehow just keep afloat,
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keep around that 15th to 20th
167
00:09:04,448 --> 00:09:05,448
Average, yeah.
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00:09:04,803 --> 00:09:05,803
best defense.
169
00:09:05,693 --> 00:09:11,557
Let's just like stay average. And that allows
for a player like Luka to
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be able to step up in a playoff type setting
to maybe then push the
171
00:09:15,885 --> 00:09:19,090
defensive ceiling higher. That's not gonna be
a regular season thing though.
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Like regular season, you're just gonna he's
gonna focus on his offensive game.
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And I will say, Luka's defense
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has generally speaking
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00:09:30,914 --> 00:09:33,875
I watch Luka obviously, like we all watch
Luka,
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00:09:33,875 --> 00:09:38,047
but when a player comes on your team that
you're watching every game
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00:09:38,047 --> 00:09:41,619
and you're watching closer and you see more of
the ups and you see more
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00:09:41,619 --> 00:09:47,090
of the downs. I actually found his defense to
be I'm not saying it's good.
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00:09:47,090 --> 00:09:49,472
I'm saying it's not as disastrous,
180
00:09:49,472 --> 00:09:53,194
especially since he's been gotten in shape and
he looks like continues
181
00:09:53,194 --> 00:09:54,774
to look like he's in great shape.
182
00:09:54,774 --> 00:09:59,767
where I can trust that Luka's not gonna
elevate the team's defense,
183
00:09:59,767 --> 00:10:00,767
but he's not gonna be
184
00:10:00,877 --> 00:10:06,203
he's not gonna necessarily be a liability.
185
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And I do think, though, from that point of
view,
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00:10:12,560 --> 00:10:15,583
but I still want to set realistic expectations
and I just say keep
187
00:10:15,583 --> 00:10:20,359
it league average with space to get better and
kinda go from there.
188
00:10:21,017 --> 00:10:23,408
I mean JJ Redick has kind of outperformed,
189
00:10:23,408 --> 00:10:27,029
I would say, the team's performance on the
defensive end.
190
00:10:27,029 --> 00:10:28,029
So I mean, I
191
00:10:27,342 --> 00:10:28,342
Yes.
192
00:10:28,049 --> 00:10:31,320
I don't think it's crazy to say that they
could be league average.
193
00:10:31,320 --> 00:10:33,751
And if you're telling me league average,
194
00:10:33,751 --> 00:10:38,032
I mean, with Luka and Austin, do you really
want to face this team in the playoffs?
195
00:10:38,032 --> 00:10:42,884
Like, no, I mean, you don't. but I also look
and I'm like,
196
00:10:42,884 --> 00:10:44,514
who's the fourth best player on this team?
197
00:10:44,514 --> 00:10:45,667
So tell me tell
198
00:10:45,025 --> 00:10:46,425
this is this is a big
199
00:10:46,425 --> 00:10:51,137
so you're touching on actually what the
biggest after
200
00:10:51,137 --> 00:10:52,677
the dust settled and everybody's like,
201
00:10:52,677 --> 00:10:55,098
okay, wow, Walker Kessler, Quentin Grimes,
202
00:10:55,098 --> 00:10:59,249
like I just as the dust settled and
everybody's started to think about,
203
00:10:59,249 --> 00:11:01,400
okay, what is this team actually gonna look
like now?
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00:11:01,400 --> 00:11:04,941
So Luka, Austin,
205
00:11:04,941 --> 00:11:07,781
Walker Kessler, locks in the starting lineup,
206
00:11:07,781 --> 00:11:12,533
right? I would say at this point it looks like
Quentin Grimes locked to
207
00:11:12,533 --> 00:11:13,533
be in the starting lineup.
208
00:11:14,851 --> 00:11:17,353
That fifth position at that kind of three,
209
00:11:17,353 --> 00:11:23,305
four position, man, it is it I still I don't
have an answer.
210
00:11:23,305 --> 00:11:27,783
I talk to people like I talk to other people
who cover the Lakers,
211
00:11:27,783 --> 00:11:29,885
and I'm just messaging them. I'm like,
212
00:11:29,885 --> 00:11:31,186
who would you start? Who would you start?
213
00:11:31,186 --> 00:11:34,979
And everybody has a different answer because
sometimes that's a good reason because
214
00:11:34,979 --> 00:11:35,979
you have too many options.
215
00:11:36,994 --> 00:11:41,207
In this case, though, I think is because they
are short that one starter,
216
00:11:41,207 --> 00:11:45,711
really. So whoever slots in, so whether it's
Mamu,
217
00:11:45,711 --> 00:11:51,196
who I think is gonna be positioned more like a
backup five on this team,
218
00:11:51,196 --> 00:11:53,337
especially because they, you know,
219
00:11:53,337 --> 00:11:57,021
you can't rely too much on Kevon Looney at
this stage to take that role.
220
00:11:57,021 --> 00:12:00,163
So Mamu probably is a cross-off,
221
00:12:00,163 --> 00:12:03,987
although I am I am leaning towards I'd want to
start Mamu because I just
222
00:12:04,643 --> 00:12:08,977
For me, I defer to size. So if you put Mamu
next to Walker Kessler,
223
00:12:08,977 --> 00:12:10,468
that's interesting to me at the four five.
224
00:12:10,468 --> 00:12:13,941
But I mean,
225
00:12:13,941 --> 00:12:17,675
you're looking at there's buzz about like,
226
00:12:16,121 --> 00:12:17,442
Sexton, Jake.
227
00:12:17,675 --> 00:12:21,718
Yeah, there's buzz about Ziaire Williams
looking good
228
00:12:21,718 --> 00:12:26,683
in training camp. There's buzz about Matisse
Thybulle looking great.
229
00:12:26,683 --> 00:12:30,486
And so Matisse Thybulle is a good example of
230
00:12:31,657 --> 00:12:35,269
All things, if we could live in a perfect
world and he was healthy,
231
00:12:35,269 --> 00:12:38,330
I would want to start Matisse because he's a
veteran,
232
00:12:38,330 --> 00:12:40,151
he can set the tone defensively,
233
00:12:40,151 --> 00:12:44,093
and he's raised his offensive game to the
point where he's not
234
00:12:44,093 --> 00:12:45,764
a complete liability there anymore.
235
00:12:45,764 --> 00:12:49,595
Of course, the opposing defenses would love
for Matisse to be taking those shots.
236
00:12:49,595 --> 00:12:51,936
So, but because that's not an option,
237
00:12:51,936 --> 00:12:54,418
I think the decision will come to,
238
00:12:54,418 --> 00:12:57,759
and just reading between the lines and reading
between how the coaches
239
00:12:57,759 --> 00:13:00,160
are talking about this, how the players are
talking about this,
240
00:13:00,160 --> 00:13:01,431
I think it's gonna come.
241
00:13:01,521 --> 00:13:05,948
Between like Ziaire Williams or Mamu.
242
00:13:05,948 --> 00:13:08,552
I think like those are the kinds of decisions.
243
00:13:08,552 --> 00:13:12,859
I think that they're pretty set on Collin
Sexton running the bench units.
244
00:13:13,567 --> 00:13:15,108
and they like him fitting there.
245
00:13:15,108 --> 00:13:18,489
They he also has very good chemistry with
Walker Kessler going back to Utah days.
246
00:13:18,489 --> 00:13:21,971
And I think that they're gonna run bench units
kind of with Walker.
247
00:13:21,971 --> 00:13:23,792
They'll mix in units with Walker,
248
00:13:23,792 --> 00:13:26,033
and Collin Sexton that way.
249
00:13:26,033 --> 00:13:29,975
I don't anticipate Collin Sexton being a
consideration right now as a starter.
250
00:13:29,975 --> 00:13:34,207
but yeah, that's kind of like the Ziaire
Williams,
251
00:13:34,207 --> 00:13:37,878
Matisse or Mamu, like I think there's gonna be
a little bit
252
00:13:37,878 --> 00:13:39,179
of an experimental process here.
253
00:13:39,179 --> 00:13:40,600
But these aren't great answers.
254
00:13:40,600 --> 00:13:43,201
Like what we're talking about is in an ideal
situation
255
00:13:43,274 --> 00:13:48,229
all those players are bench players and you
have a more clear
256
00:13:48,229 --> 00:13:52,393
cut starting forward in that position and that
is the number one deficit.
257
00:13:52,393 --> 00:13:57,628
Like there is a reason why there was so much
it was almost weird like there
258
00:13:57,628 --> 00:14:00,331
was so much hope that
259
00:14:00,569 --> 00:14:02,922
Kuminga would choose would have chosen the
Lakers.
260
00:14:02,922 --> 00:14:05,466
And I understood it. On one level,
261
00:14:05,466 --> 00:14:07,789
I'm not a Kuminga person, but on the other
level,
262
00:14:07,789 --> 00:14:12,816
I understood that the prototype of who Kuminga
is as a player is what this team
263
00:14:12,816 --> 00:14:14,017
needs. And he
264
00:14:13,646 --> 00:14:14,646
Yeah.
265
00:14:14,017 --> 00:14:15,520
would have fit that need very well,
266
00:14:15,520 --> 00:14:17,682
but it's just, you know, it didn't happen.
267
00:14:18,212 --> 00:14:19,252
Yeah, he would have been a good fit,
268
00:14:19,252 --> 00:14:21,033
I would say. I mean his
269
00:14:20,237 --> 00:14:21,237
Yeah.
270
00:14:21,033 --> 00:14:22,714
shooting is like it comes and goes,
271
00:14:22,714 --> 00:14:25,975
but you know, with the players that you guys
do have,
272
00:14:25,975 --> 00:14:32,798
I mean I mean I personally I would go with
Collin Sexton just because he's gonna
273
00:14:32,798 --> 00:14:39,021
bring it on the defensive end and he's I don't
want Austin Reaves
274
00:14:39,021 --> 00:14:40,982
to have to guard point guards or,
275
00:14:40,982 --> 00:14:42,263
you know, maybe and maybe
276
00:14:41,719 --> 00:14:42,719
Yeah.
277
00:14:42,483 --> 00:14:44,384
that would be for Grimes anyways,
278
00:14:44,384 --> 00:14:45,384
you know, maybe but
279
00:14:46,116 --> 00:14:47,859
But that would kinda be my reasoning,
280
00:14:47,859 --> 00:14:50,312
I guess. But then you're looking at you know,
281
00:14:50,312 --> 00:14:51,915
the team gets a lot smaller then,
282
00:14:51,915 --> 00:14:54,368
you know, and it's like then rebounding
becomes the issue.
283
00:14:54,368 --> 00:14:56,712
And so, maybe Mamu—
284
00:14:55,981 --> 00:14:56,981
And then you're already
285
00:14:56,748 --> 00:14:58,112
you're already dealing with the
286
00:14:58,727 --> 00:15:01,308
Luka and Austin both are kind of high volume
players.
287
00:15:01,308 --> 00:15:03,969
They do play on and off ball quite a bit.
288
00:15:03,969 --> 00:15:06,050
Like Luka plays a lot of on ball reps,
289
00:15:06,050 --> 00:15:07,411
Austin plays a lot of on ball reps.
290
00:15:07,411 --> 00:15:10,312
And then you're like, are we losing Sexton a
little bit,
291
00:15:10,312 --> 00:15:12,853
keeping him off ball, like as a cutter or
something like that?
292
00:15:12,853 --> 00:15:17,555
Like that's part of I think why they're
thinking about Collin as a bench guy.
293
00:15:17,555 --> 00:15:19,156
But I mean I understand what you're saying.
294
00:15:19,156 --> 00:15:21,417
Like there's an energy that Sexton brings to
that.
295
00:15:21,417 --> 00:15:24,742
And you can throw him on the on the point
guard and you know,
296
00:15:24,742 --> 00:15:26,179
I do understand where you're coming from.
297
00:15:26,360 --> 00:15:29,031
Yeah. And like you said, there's no great
answer.
298
00:15:29,031 --> 00:15:30,161
I mean, I was looking at
299
00:15:29,507 --> 00:15:31,246
There is no great answer. That's the key.
300
00:15:31,361 --> 00:15:35,373
yeah. I was looking at Matisse's stats from
three and it's gotten better,
301
00:15:35,373 --> 00:15:36,980
but it's on short volume and I'm like,
302
00:15:36,980 --> 00:15:40,324
really, teams are just gonna beg him to shoot.
303
00:15:40,324 --> 00:15:41,324
You know, they're gonna
304
00:15:40,812 --> 00:15:41,812
Absolutely.
305
00:15:41,725 --> 00:15:43,965
and so you know, if he if he earns the trust,
306
00:15:43,965 --> 00:15:47,606
but if we just how many years have you been
saying that at the same time?
307
00:15:47,265 --> 00:15:49,314
Yeah. Yep.
308
00:15:50,487 --> 00:15:53,588
so it is interesting. I think time will tell.
309
00:15:54,139 --> 00:15:56,430
But I do think they have the right foundation.
310
00:15:56,430 --> 00:16:00,713
you know, I do want to go back to Walker a
little bit.
311
00:16:00,713 --> 00:16:05,026
And it did seem like you guys gave up a lot
for him.
312
00:16:05,026 --> 00:16:08,208
And at the same time, Utah kind of knew that
knew that.
313
00:16:08,208 --> 00:16:11,170
And, you know, you guys are stuck between a
rock and a hard place,
314
00:16:11,170 --> 00:16:14,443
and you're gonna have to give control of four
first round picks.
315
00:16:14,443 --> 00:16:17,164
And, you know, two of those picks,
316
00:16:17,164 --> 00:16:19,926
you know, in a way, in a way,
317
00:16:19,926 --> 00:16:22,288
this new lottery structure is gonna
318
00:16:22,902 --> 00:16:28,196
It's interesting, right? 'Cause it devalued
the worst team's picks,
319
00:16:28,196 --> 00:16:31,098
but it increased the value for everyone else's
picks.
320
00:16:30,637 --> 00:16:31,637
Yeah.
321
00:16:31,278 --> 00:16:34,980
And so it increased the value of the swaps
also.
322
00:16:34,980 --> 00:16:41,645
So do you think do you think the Lakers gave
up too much for him?
323
00:16:41,645 --> 00:16:44,487
And I understand they needed a big,
324
00:16:44,487 --> 00:16:45,487
but do you think
325
00:16:45,017 --> 00:16:46,017
Yeah.
326
00:16:45,347 --> 00:16:50,231
they could have found a way to get a big maybe
during the season
327
00:16:50,231 --> 00:16:52,052
or something instead of
328
00:16:52,580 --> 00:16:56,391
you know, having a finished r more of a
finished roster or a finished answer
329
00:16:56,117 --> 00:16:57,117
It's it
330
00:16:56,391 --> 00:16:57,391
for that end.
331
00:16:56,918 --> 00:17:00,192
it's i it's a question. So I'll tell you my
initial instinct.
332
00:17:00,192 --> 00:17:02,205
My initial instinct was I was furious.
333
00:17:02,205 --> 00:17:03,266
I'm like, not only did
334
00:17:02,618 --> 00:17:03,618
Yeah.
335
00:17:03,266 --> 00:17:05,819
we pay him, you know, whatever we paid him,
336
00:17:05,819 --> 00:17:09,684
but you gave like the full boat trade kind of
w package.
337
00:17:09,262 --> 00:17:10,262
Yeah.
338
00:17:09,684 --> 00:17:11,936
Like you gave all the first and you gave all
of that.
339
00:17:12,887 --> 00:17:14,157
And then somebody asked me, like,
340
00:17:14,157 --> 00:17:16,450
he's like, okay, what was the alternative?
341
00:17:16,450 --> 00:17:22,454
And the answers were so bad to that question
that I kind of understood where
342
00:17:22,474 --> 00:17:26,989
it came from. I think that there is a it's
like
343
00:17:26,989 --> 00:17:32,654
a fluctuation between where I fault the Lakers
for the Walker Kessler thing
344
00:17:32,654 --> 00:17:34,785
is not their decision this summer to do it.
345
00:17:34,785 --> 00:17:40,590
It was that you saw that over the last three,
346
00:17:40,590 --> 00:17:41,590
four years.
347
00:17:42,010 --> 00:17:46,513
Kind of had the same conversation that was the
biggest need that
348
00:17:46,513 --> 00:17:48,785
the Lakers have had for a while now.
349
00:17:48,785 --> 00:17:53,168
And it also is a position that has like the
least amount
350
00:17:53,249 --> 00:17:57,222
of like a crude way of saying the
supply-demand,
351
00:17:57,222 --> 00:18:01,375
right? You have a very high demand and there's
a low supply of these people.
352
00:18:01,375 --> 00:18:04,637
You look at the trade that the Pacers made for
Zubac,
353
00:18:04,637 --> 00:18:06,599
right? They gave up.
354
00:18:07,019 --> 00:18:11,326
a lot for that trade and they but they also
identified they're like if
355
00:18:11,326 --> 00:18:15,973
we want a center and you have a starting level
center like Zubac available that
356
00:18:15,973 --> 00:18:19,378
is the cost and I look at that and I
understand where
357
00:18:20,429 --> 00:18:25,723
Look, man, if this works out and Kessler is
like the franchise cornerstone,
358
00:18:25,723 --> 00:18:31,086
to get a player at his age who can be like all
defensive player,
359
00:18:31,086 --> 00:18:36,399
like he's so young still. if you look at the
average age now of the Lakers
360
00:18:36,399 --> 00:18:38,271
and you look at Luka, Austin and Walker,
361
00:18:38,271 --> 00:18:43,095
I mean, that is a worthwhile experiment.
362
00:18:43,095 --> 00:18:48,288
Did they pay too much? I would say the answer
to that is no in the short term,
363
00:18:48,288 --> 00:18:49,369
but in the long term
364
00:18:49,721 --> 00:18:53,074
for poor planning purposes, is why they landed
in there.
365
00:18:53,074 --> 00:18:57,639
And so my criticism will be more directed at
them not identifying this
366
00:18:57,679 --> 00:19:03,204
and taking shots in the draft and signing guys
and doing more to
367
00:19:03,285 --> 00:19:06,327
to kind of shore up that position for years
now.
368
00:19:06,327 --> 00:19:08,950
And they paid the price for that this summer.
369
00:19:08,950 --> 00:19:11,212
It's not so much about the individual
transaction.
370
00:19:11,212 --> 00:19:13,434
It's about the missed opportunities over the
years.
371
00:19:14,030 --> 00:19:19,041
Yeah, it's fair. That's fair. you know the
other thing is like
372
00:19:20,082 --> 00:19:24,783
it just it's you guys gave up so many picks
that you guys don't have
373
00:19:24,863 --> 00:19:28,004
any picks pick flexibility now going forward.
374
00:19:28,004 --> 00:19:33,075
So it's like if he doesn't pan out—it's more
likely he pans out,
375
00:19:33,075 --> 00:19:35,656
but it's it can he stay healthy,
376
00:19:35,656 --> 00:19:37,276
you know. Health is another
377
00:19:36,141 --> 00:19:37,141
Yep. Yep.
378
00:19:37,276 --> 00:19:41,607
big thing with him. But like let's say for
whatever reason it's not working out,
379
00:19:41,607 --> 00:19:43,418
it's hard to pivot
380
00:19:43,918 --> 00:19:47,569
Or it's you know, it's just hard to pivot to
another way to get the team better,
381
00:19:47,569 --> 00:19:51,461
right? When you don't have that pick flexib
flexibility and you don't have
382
00:19:51,461 --> 00:19:56,673
a whole lot of players that they're I would
say like I like Collin,
383
00:19:56,673 --> 00:19:59,004
I like Grimes, I like Walker,
384
00:19:59,004 --> 00:20:01,558
but these guys are more like all right,
385
00:20:01,558 --> 00:20:05,586
they're also in like a proven mode where teams
want to see what they could
386
00:20:05,586 --> 00:20:08,317
do before they become trade assets.
387
00:20:08,317 --> 00:20:11,168
You know what I mean? So are you are you kind
of worried about like,
388
00:20:11,168 --> 00:20:13,469
man, we kind of went all in on this team.
389
00:20:13,881 --> 00:20:17,187
And we don't have like a whole lot of ways to
get better if things go south.
390
00:20:18,535 --> 00:20:20,509
definitely. And is because it
391
00:20:19,429 --> 00:20:20,429
Yeah.
392
00:20:20,509 --> 00:20:22,722
it's not only that they went all in,
393
00:20:22,722 --> 00:20:26,939
it's like they went all in on total wild
cards.
394
00:20:26,939 --> 00:20:29,834
Like we really do not know how
395
00:20:30,539 --> 00:20:36,404
Mamu and Luka will interact with each other
and how Austin and you know Grimes will
396
00:20:36,404 --> 00:20:38,506
fit together and like all of these things.
397
00:20:38,506 --> 00:20:43,690
So it's not only that there's a brand new
roster and a potential brand
398
00:20:43,690 --> 00:20:46,432
new way of playing. On top of that,
399
00:20:46,432 --> 00:20:49,835
it's like, hey, not only are we changing the
entire roster,
400
00:20:49,835 --> 00:20:51,357
you're now stuck with this. Like,
401
00:20:51,357 --> 00:20:57,061
there is no it's it's the most this team this
season
402
00:20:57,242 --> 00:20:58,863
is probably the biggest.
403
00:20:59,107 --> 00:21:02,449
black box wild card season I've experienced as
a fan.
404
00:21:02,449 --> 00:21:08,002
Like I can't remember in how many years
because even when like LeBron joined
405
00:21:08,002 --> 00:21:10,824
the team, that yeah there was a bunch of young
guys and there
406
00:21:10,824 --> 00:21:12,835
was speculation about the AD trade and that.
407
00:21:12,835 --> 00:21:15,637
But LeBron himself, just his presence,
408
00:21:15,637 --> 00:21:19,139
you knew what to expect that how everything
would kind of shape around it.
409
00:21:20,099 --> 00:21:23,881
This is completely just a complete new thing.
410
00:21:23,881 --> 00:21:26,842
And you're right. Like I said this at the
start of the episode,
411
00:21:26,842 --> 00:21:31,955
but I really think like I and I might be on an
island here as
412
00:21:31,955 --> 00:21:35,416
far as Lakers fans, but yeah, there is an out
for this team.
413
00:21:35,416 --> 00:21:38,518
And the out would be that it doesn't work and
Luka just asked for a trade
414
00:21:38,518 --> 00:21:41,529
and that's the league. Luka has no connection,
415
00:21:41,529 --> 00:21:43,630
like no long term loyalty to the Lakers.
416
00:21:43,630 --> 00:21:47,822
And if this is if this fails and he's getting
older and he's like,
417
00:21:47,822 --> 00:21:49,563
Listen, I need to win a championship.
418
00:21:49,563 --> 00:21:50,563
I'm
419
00:21:50,267 --> 00:21:54,326
you know, twenty seven pushing thirty if i if
I'm stuck here and
420
00:21:55,280 --> 00:21:57,371
Title windows are two, three, four years long,
421
00:21:57,371 --> 00:21:59,122
anyways, in the league, the way it's
structured.
422
00:21:59,122 --> 00:22:02,123
So yeah, the if this doesn't work,
423
00:22:02,123 --> 00:22:04,624
I think that the next step would be a Luka
trade,
424
00:22:04,624 --> 00:22:05,965
which is crazy to think about.
425
00:22:05,965 --> 00:22:08,056
But you just have to be realistic about it.
426
00:22:08,056 --> 00:22:09,376
Sometimes that's the situation.
427
00:22:09,376 --> 00:22:14,508
They're all in. And you can criticize
organizations sometimes for not going
428
00:22:14,508 --> 00:22:20,311
all in on things. And so I prefer them to
taking these kinds of moves rather than
429
00:22:20,511 --> 00:22:22,852
treading water as they have for a long time.
430
00:22:22,852 --> 00:22:25,213
That was a big criticism at the end of the
LeBron AD.
431
00:22:25,353 --> 00:22:29,746
era after Russell Westbrook after Russell
Westbrook trade was that we're just
432
00:22:29,746 --> 00:22:32,158
treading water. We don't wanna we don't want
to risk anything.
433
00:22:32,158 --> 00:22:35,081
We want to keep our powder dry and do this and
do that.
434
00:22:35,081 --> 00:22:41,125
Luka fell into their lap and I'm actually I'm
at least happy that they have made
435
00:22:41,125 --> 00:22:44,748
a very conscious decision and they made very
aggressive moves to
436
00:22:44,748 --> 00:22:46,870
put this team together. And yeah,
437
00:22:46,870 --> 00:22:51,113
if it doesn't work then I that's how it's
gonna be a disaster.
438
00:22:51,113 --> 00:22:53,295
It's gonna be horrible. But—
439
00:22:54,361 --> 00:22:55,361
At
440
00:22:54,461 --> 00:22:57,062
least there's direction. Yeah.
441
00:22:54,593 --> 00:22:57,035
I don't see the alternative. Yes, exactly.
442
00:22:57,035 --> 00:22:58,035
Yes.
443
00:22:57,062 --> 00:22:58,062
Yeah.
444
00:22:57,512 --> 00:23:01,583
I could see like there's you could see the
vision with this team.
445
00:23:01,336 --> 00:23:02,336
Yes.
446
00:23:01,583 --> 00:23:02,583
And
447
00:23:01,763 --> 00:23:04,384
that's what you could appreciate about the
front office.
448
00:23:04,384 --> 00:23:09,115
The thing is like it what are the ways to get
better?
449
00:23:09,115 --> 00:23:11,296
You could develop players, you could draft
players,
450
00:23:11,296 --> 00:23:12,886
you could trade players. Okay,
451
00:23:12,886 --> 00:23:16,207
well, trading and signing players is gonna be
tough with this team.
452
00:23:16,207 --> 00:23:18,638
You could develop your roster, you know,
453
00:23:18,638 --> 00:23:21,889
you the young players you have on this team
and
454
00:23:22,489 --> 00:23:23,909
You could also buy draft picks,
455
00:23:23,909 --> 00:23:25,620
which we've seen them do in the draft.
456
00:23:25,620 --> 00:23:26,620
And, you know,
457
00:23:25,806 --> 00:23:26,806
Yep.
458
00:23:26,220 --> 00:23:28,761
they basically bought their way into the first
round.
459
00:23:28,761 --> 00:23:31,241
And they I think they got a steal in Cameron
Carr,
460
00:23:31,241 --> 00:23:33,062
who, you know, I had a lot higher.
461
00:23:32,387 --> 00:23:33,965
Fingers crossed, man. Fingers crossed.
462
00:23:33,062 --> 00:23:34,792
Yeah.
463
00:23:34,792 --> 00:23:39,744
I mean I mean, I don't know if there was some
personality thing that maybe caused
464
00:23:39,744 --> 00:23:42,665
him to drop. I don't know how I really never
know what to think
465
00:23:42,665 --> 00:23:44,865
of those because we don't have a access to
that.
466
00:23:44,865 --> 00:23:45,865
I mean, well,
467
00:23:45,187 --> 00:23:46,187
Yep.
468
00:23:45,665 --> 00:23:49,286
All I could say is on film he should have gone
a lot higher than
469
00:23:49,286 --> 00:23:51,357
he actually did. And so
470
00:23:50,915 --> 00:23:51,915
Good to hear.
471
00:23:51,455 --> 00:23:52,455
Good to hear.
472
00:23:52,507 --> 00:23:55,609
Yeah. I mean basically, you know,
473
00:23:55,609 --> 00:23:56,900
you the Lakers could always do that,
474
00:23:56,900 --> 00:23:59,942
you know, they could always buy draft picks
and find ways
475
00:23:59,942 --> 00:24:02,554
to get better. But I just look at the team and
I'm like,
476
00:24:02,554 --> 00:24:04,616
man, there's just not a whole lot of way outs.
477
00:24:04,616 --> 00:24:08,879
And I personally probably wouldn't have done
the Walker Kessler move.
478
00:24:08,879 --> 00:24:13,522
I understand it. and I don't blame him for it
because at least you see the vision.
479
00:24:13,522 --> 00:24:17,916
I would have preferred and I don't know if
this would have been possible,
480
00:24:17,916 --> 00:24:18,916
but like
481
00:24:19,300 --> 00:24:23,302
you see the bigs that he Luka played with in
Dallas and they're just like more
482
00:24:23,302 --> 00:24:27,677
lob-threat guys, you know, like a Dereck
Lively,
483
00:24:27,677 --> 00:24:33,002
a Gafford. I feel like that's where maybe
Walker doesn't excel,
484
00:24:33,002 --> 00:24:39,037
but I've also heard guys say that you could he
could still thrive in the short roll.
485
00:24:39,037 --> 00:24:43,431
He's just gonna—he may not finish with as many
lob dunks,
486
00:24:42,243 --> 00:24:44,116
Yes. Yeah.
487
00:24:43,431 --> 00:24:44,431
you know. So
488
00:24:44,492 --> 00:24:46,844
it just we may see it a little differently.
489
00:24:47,132 --> 00:24:48,605
But he could still be, you know,
490
00:24:48,605 --> 00:24:50,494
very successful. So
491
00:24:51,511 --> 00:24:52,792
I do think I do think
492
00:24:52,792 --> 00:24:59,525
to that point, though, as far as this team's
ceiling being
493
00:24:59,525 --> 00:25:04,498
elevated, I think the answer is it'll happen
if Adou Thiero
494
00:25:04,618 --> 00:25:07,309
and Cameron Carr develop
495
00:25:07,521 --> 00:25:10,152
And pop. Like there is upside here.
496
00:25:10,152 --> 00:25:13,264
I'm not counting on it because it's always
hard to count on young players
497
00:25:13,264 --> 00:25:15,075
to contribute to winning right away.
498
00:25:15,075 --> 00:25:18,776
But like Adou is the most physical,
499
00:25:18,776 --> 00:25:21,758
physically gifted player the Lakers have on
their roster.
500
00:25:21,758 --> 00:25:25,099
And he's he was hurt for part of last year.
501
00:25:25,099 --> 00:25:26,640
He kind of had an up and down,
502
00:25:26,640 --> 00:25:29,941
like he wasn't able to establish himself
because he was in and out of the lineup.
503
00:25:29,941 --> 00:25:33,443
But like Adou was the kind of player who,
504
00:25:33,443 --> 00:25:35,704
when people were looking at the Jonathan
Kuminga thing,
505
00:25:35,704 --> 00:25:37,425
Adou could be a figure that kind of
506
00:25:37,378 --> 00:25:38,378
kind
507
00:25:37,518 --> 00:25:39,223
of fits into that role.
508
00:25:38,748 --> 00:25:39,748
Mm-hmm.
509
00:25:40,326 --> 00:25:44,718
And it does seem like they the Lakers have
been very
510
00:25:45,772 --> 00:25:48,843
like reinvigorated to develop those young
guys.
511
00:25:48,843 --> 00:25:54,536
Like they hired their D League coach to be on
the main roster on
512
00:25:54,656 --> 00:25:58,658
the main coaching staff now, focused on
developing Cameron Carr and Adou.
513
00:25:58,658 --> 00:26:04,181
And the best case scenario for this team and
how their season gets elevated
514
00:26:04,641 --> 00:26:09,023
is if one of Cameron Carr or Adou Thiero are
in the rotation.
515
00:26:09,023 --> 00:26:11,344
That means that they've developed enough and
they've shown enough.
516
00:26:11,344 --> 00:26:14,215
And then we start talking about okay,
517
00:26:14,215 --> 00:26:15,606
now we got something cooking. Like
518
00:26:15,666 --> 00:26:19,738
Now there's like additional layers to this
that this team
519
00:26:19,738 --> 00:26:22,961
can go even higher, especially projecting not
just next year,
520
00:26:22,961 --> 00:26:24,152
but then like the year after that.
521
00:26:24,666 --> 00:26:27,508
Yeah. I like him. I like Thiero.
522
00:26:27,508 --> 00:26:31,110
athletic and I think he was a steal too.
523
00:26:31,110 --> 00:26:32,421
I want to say he was a second rounder,
524
00:26:32,421 --> 00:26:36,853
if I'm not mistaken. so you need one of those
young guys to pop,
525
00:26:36,853 --> 00:26:38,934
basically.
526
00:26:37,391 --> 00:26:38,391
Yeah. Yeah.
527
00:26:39,475 --> 00:26:44,768
so all that being said, let's get down to
predictions and where do you
528
00:26:44,768 --> 00:26:47,720
see this team finishing in the Western
conference?
529
00:26:47,720 --> 00:26:49,011
It's still a brutal conference.
530
00:26:49,011 --> 00:26:51,292
The East has gotten better, but the West is
still tough.
531
00:26:52,079 --> 00:26:53,079
And
532
00:26:52,390 --> 00:26:56,558
so where do you see them finishing? And then
let's just start there, actually.
533
00:26:56,782 --> 00:27:02,174
So I have a differing opinion a little bit on
the Western Conference.
534
00:27:02,174 --> 00:27:05,215
obviously San Antonio, Oklahoma City,
535
00:27:05,215 --> 00:27:06,876
they're in a kind of class of their own,
536
00:27:06,876 --> 00:27:07,876
and
537
00:27:07,066 --> 00:27:08,066
Yeah.
538
00:27:07,716 --> 00:27:11,877
the conference will go through them this
season at least and
539
00:27:11,877 --> 00:27:13,518
and probably for some years now.
540
00:27:13,518 --> 00:27:17,479
I think though, outside of those two,
541
00:27:17,479 --> 00:27:18,560
there's more
542
00:27:19,852 --> 00:27:24,015
Yes, there's quality teams, but I don't think
that the conference itself
543
00:27:24,015 --> 00:27:26,197
is as tough as it has been in the past.
544
00:27:26,197 --> 00:27:30,661
And I actually think people are losing sight
of the fact that especially with this
545
00:27:30,661 --> 00:27:32,963
new lottery rules, like the Eastern
Conference,
546
00:27:32,963 --> 00:27:37,827
top to bottom, there is like there's more
challenging nights,
547
00:27:37,827 --> 00:27:41,329
I feel like, especially when you're facing
like I mean the Wizards,
548
00:27:41,329 --> 00:27:43,641
right? Like the Wizards out of nowhere could
be a pain in the
549
00:27:43,641 --> 00:27:45,193
ass opponent this season. Like
550
00:27:44,807 --> 00:27:45,807
Yeah.
551
00:27:45,553 --> 00:27:49,296
I so I look at it as actually in the West.
552
00:27:49,765 --> 00:27:51,967
When people are kind of doing their over-under
projections,
553
00:27:51,967 --> 00:27:57,970
I think that there is a lag in adjusting to
the fact and the reality that actually
554
00:27:58,312 --> 00:28:02,115
the Western Conference might be have more
winnable games on a night
555
00:28:02,115 --> 00:28:07,739
to night basis than the East. And that
partially influences my optimism
556
00:28:07,739 --> 00:28:10,221
for the Lakers in the regular season.
557
00:28:10,221 --> 00:28:16,326
So if you were looking at the consensus, I
think 46—
558
00:28:16,386 --> 00:28:17,927
46 wins is a projection.
559
00:28:19,064 --> 00:28:22,117
I would comfortably go higher on that and I
think that they will push
560
00:28:22,117 --> 00:28:25,251
a fifty win season this year. a few reasons
for that.
561
00:28:25,251 --> 00:28:27,793
One is they're relatively younger now.
562
00:28:27,793 --> 00:28:32,158
They've you know, Walker Kessler obviously is
the we don't know,
563
00:28:32,158 --> 00:28:33,420
but
564
00:28:33,998 --> 00:28:37,510
Their offense, I think, the baseline for their
offense will be very high.
565
00:28:37,510 --> 00:28:40,171
JJ Redick is a very good regular season coach.
566
00:28:40,171 --> 00:28:43,983
Like he will has a team prepared on a nightly
basis in a very good way.
567
00:28:43,983 --> 00:28:48,636
And I think the baseline of this team will be
very good in a regular season.
568
00:28:48,636 --> 00:28:52,228
And so I think that they will be pushing home
court advantage in
569
00:28:52,228 --> 00:28:55,940
the first round kind of four seed kind of
territory.
570
00:28:57,052 --> 00:29:00,957
I am, for all the reasons we talked about as
far as that fourth starter
571
00:29:00,957 --> 00:29:02,439
and that forward and all that,
572
00:29:02,439 --> 00:29:07,426
I'm actually more pessimistic about them in
the play as a playoff team than maybe
573
00:29:07,426 --> 00:29:10,991
the consensus, but as a regular season team
I'm more optimistic.
574
00:29:10,991 --> 00:29:14,125
So that's where I currently my prediction
would rest.
575
00:29:14,125 --> 00:29:15,125
What about you?
576
00:29:16,430 --> 00:29:19,202
So their over-under is 46 and a half.
577
00:29:19,202 --> 00:29:20,232
I was just checking.
578
00:29:19,576 --> 00:29:20,727
Yep. Yeah.
579
00:29:20,753 --> 00:29:23,262
And I would probably take the over too.
580
00:29:23,262 --> 00:29:25,270
You know, I think they're gonna be a very you
know,
581
00:29:25,270 --> 00:29:27,586
close to that fifty game mark.
582
00:29:27,586 --> 00:29:31,238
You know, I think they're I wouldn't be
shocked if they finished third.
583
00:29:31,238 --> 00:29:33,339
I also wouldn't be shocked if they finished
like sixth,
584
00:29:33,339 --> 00:29:36,101
you know. I would be kind of surprised if they
585
00:29:33,956 --> 00:29:36,637
Yeah, yeah. That is the range it feels like,
586
00:29:36,637 --> 00:29:37,637
right?
587
00:29:37,282 --> 00:29:39,122
Yeah, and that's to your point,
588
00:29:39,122 --> 00:29:45,596
I think the West is OKC and San Antonio and a
whole bunch of other teams.
589
00:29:45,894 --> 00:29:49,316
And we just have to—I think it's a lot of
teams figuring stuff out.
590
00:29:49,316 --> 00:29:53,529
I mean, Houston, what are they gonna look like
with VanVleet,
591
00:29:53,529 --> 00:29:56,831
you know? The Timberwolves are completely
different this year.
592
00:29:54,468 --> 00:29:57,115
Yep. Totally.
593
00:29:57,344 --> 00:30:02,414
the Nuggets, you know, they their question
mark is Aaron Gordon,
594
00:30:02,414 --> 00:30:04,745
right? I mean, he's the question mark with
that team.
595
00:30:04,745 --> 00:30:08,258
There's so there's still a lot of stuff that
you know,
596
00:30:08,258 --> 00:30:10,639
we'll we're that's the whole point of playing
and we're gonna find out.
597
00:30:09,644 --> 00:30:10,654
It's the quality
598
00:30:10,654 --> 00:30:13,265
the quality of teams is good. It's just
599
00:30:12,700 --> 00:30:13,700
Yeah.
600
00:30:13,305 --> 00:30:18,347
There was, for years, this juggernaut that
601
00:30:18,347 --> 00:30:21,628
you would feel like it was just a gauntlet
every night in the West that
602
00:30:21,628 --> 00:30:23,068
I don't see the gauntlet level.
603
00:30:23,068 --> 00:30:25,989
I see quality teams like all the teams you
listed there.
604
00:30:25,989 --> 00:30:30,550
I just I think there's more opportunities to
grab cheap wins in the West,
605
00:30:30,550 --> 00:30:32,841
kind of like it's been in the East for years.
606
00:30:32,841 --> 00:30:35,332
And I think the East, I'm like
607
00:30:35,993 --> 00:30:39,003
scaling down their win totals in the east
mentally,
608
00:30:39,003 --> 00:30:41,612
thinking that I think there will be a little
bit of an adjustment this year.
609
00:30:42,277 --> 00:30:48,525
Yeah, and also it's the first year that we're
having this new lottery odds
610
00:30:48,525 --> 00:30:50,037
and that is gonna
611
00:30:49,412 --> 00:30:50,412
Yep.
612
00:30:50,037 --> 00:30:51,037
impact
613
00:30:51,577 --> 00:30:55,163
It's crazy. I think like I it's I think it's
underappreciated
614
00:30:55,163 --> 00:30:59,251
how much things are gonna look different on a
night to night basis with
615
00:30:59,693 --> 00:31:01,496
the tanking incentives not there.
616
00:31:01,979 --> 00:31:05,934
Yeah. Like we're saying the Lakers will be
around 50 wins,
617
00:31:05,934 --> 00:31:11,492
but it's very possible with everyone being
more competitive that it's like
618
00:31:11,492 --> 00:31:14,966
like 46 is maybe where they will be at,
619
00:31:14,966 --> 00:31:16,849
you know, it just—
620
00:31:15,512 --> 00:31:17,143
Yeah. Which might
621
00:31:17,143 --> 00:31:20,855
be—which might somehow be the fourth seed
because all the—
622
00:31:20,337 --> 00:31:21,337
Yeah.
623
00:31:21,195 --> 00:31:25,297
you know, so you're right. It's there will be
a lot of strange
624
00:31:25,317 --> 00:31:28,809
like standings things that we have to get
adjusted to just because of
625
00:31:28,809 --> 00:31:30,580
the new kind of lottery rules,
626
00:31:30,580 --> 00:31:31,580
for sure.
627
00:31:31,035 --> 00:31:32,035
Yeah.
628
00:31:32,616 --> 00:31:36,517
Well, I wanna switch over to ownership and
629
00:31:36,120 --> 00:31:37,120
Yeah.
630
00:31:36,677 --> 00:31:38,958
you're well versed in this topic.
631
00:31:39,032 --> 00:31:40,032
Yeah.
632
00:31:42,120 --> 00:31:46,952
you guys had a lot of ownership changes over
the last so many months,
633
00:31:46,952 --> 00:31:48,382
I guess.
634
00:31:47,664 --> 00:31:48,664
Yeah.
635
00:31:49,063 --> 00:31:54,365
I read your letter on Twitter to the new
ownership group,
636
00:31:54,545 --> 00:31:57,106
and very well written. Everyone should check
that out.
637
00:31:57,412 --> 00:31:58,412
Thank you.
638
00:31:59,267 --> 00:32:00,267
and
639
00:32:00,070 --> 00:32:04,512
You know, you urged them on a lot of things,
640
00:32:04,512 --> 00:32:10,504
but one thing that stuck out to me was don't
price out the everyday fan,
641
00:32:10,504 --> 00:32:15,306
you know? Like this Laker team is what keeps
what keeps LA together,
642
00:32:15,306 --> 00:32:20,067
you know? Like the richest of the rich and
like the people who maybe don't have
643
00:32:20,067 --> 00:32:22,208
it the best financially, but they have this
team.
644
00:32:22,208 --> 00:32:23,949
Don't take that away from them.
645
00:32:23,949 --> 00:32:28,641
so that's kind of one of the essences of the
letter that I got.
646
00:32:28,641 --> 00:32:29,641
you could
647
00:32:29,681 --> 00:32:32,256
You know, correct me if I'm wrong there,
648
00:32:32,256 --> 00:32:36,203
but what did you feel like that was the one of
the main points you wanted
649
00:32:36,203 --> 00:32:37,977
to tell the new ownership group?
650
00:32:37,678 --> 00:32:38,678
Yeah,
651
00:32:38,059 --> 00:32:43,988
you know, I think that this is this is as much
change from
652
00:32:43,988 --> 00:32:46,222
the ownership level that I've ever witnessed,
653
00:32:46,222 --> 00:32:49,347
with the Lakers. Obviously it's been in the
Buss family for so many years.
654
00:32:49,347 --> 00:32:51,491
The transition to the Mark Walter
655
00:32:52,502 --> 00:32:55,133
was definitely jarring. It was a big change,
656
00:32:55,133 --> 00:32:59,095
but there was still an element of Mark Walter
was a minority owner,
657
00:32:59,095 --> 00:33:03,507
he owns the Dodgers. There was like a still
somewhat of a okay,
658
00:33:03,507 --> 00:33:07,549
we'll transition into this. Now it's a
complete wild card.
659
00:33:07,549 --> 00:33:10,340
Like we have zero idea what to expect.
660
00:33:10,340 --> 00:33:12,982
And the dollar amounts are getting so big.
661
00:33:12,982 --> 00:33:16,963
You know, there was projections that the new
ownership group were putting
662
00:33:16,963 --> 00:33:21,105
out because they're gathering investors of
like projecting revenue.
663
00:33:21,105 --> 00:33:22,386
And you
664
00:33:22,426 --> 00:33:23,939
Start putting it together, you're like,
665
00:33:23,939 --> 00:33:26,482
wait, projecting revenue increases of this
much,
666
00:33:26,482 --> 00:33:28,647
where's that coming from? It's the fans,
667
00:33:28,647 --> 00:33:29,779
right? Like that is
668
00:33:29,320 --> 00:33:30,320
Yeah.
669
00:33:30,927 --> 00:33:34,850
You already started hearing stories about like
I have some friends who are long,
670
00:33:34,850 --> 00:33:36,241
long time season ticket holders.
671
00:33:36,241 --> 00:33:38,932
So season tickets already are not cheap for
Laker fans,
672
00:33:38,932 --> 00:33:42,965
right? And their renewals are coming 50%
higher,
673
00:33:42,965 --> 00:33:48,219
55% higher, 60% higher. And they're putting
more restrictions on you can't sell,
674
00:33:48,219 --> 00:33:50,330
you gotta keep it, like you gotta do these
things.
675
00:33:50,330 --> 00:33:53,883
And they're adding a courtside row.
676
00:33:53,883 --> 00:33:57,015
And that courtside row is gonna take away from
the experience a little bit.
677
00:33:57,015 --> 00:33:58,746
You start looking at this, you're like,
678
00:33:58,746 --> 00:33:59,746
huh.
679
00:34:00,632 --> 00:34:02,953
Of course I understand supply demand,
680
00:34:02,953 --> 00:34:08,705
I understand all these dynamics that LA has a
very rich population,
681
00:34:08,705 --> 00:34:11,357
has also a very big working class population,
682
00:34:11,357 --> 00:34:13,938
and I understand that, you know,
683
00:34:13,938 --> 00:34:18,290
there is some obvious management of like,
684
00:34:18,290 --> 00:34:22,541
you know, you need revenue to be at a certain
level to justify expenses,
685
00:34:22,541 --> 00:34:26,583
all that. I get all that. But I think that
what I was trying to implore
686
00:34:26,583 --> 00:34:27,984
to the new ownership, I'm like
687
00:34:28,716 --> 00:34:32,768
If you completely isolate yourself and
separate yourself and you extract
688
00:34:32,768 --> 00:34:37,735
and you completely shut out the working class
that lives,
689
00:34:37,735 --> 00:34:40,007
dies, and breathes Lakers.
690
00:34:40,888 --> 00:34:44,770
You will start to lose and become an ordinary
team.
691
00:34:44,770 --> 00:34:47,492
And the worst thing that the Lakers can do,
692
00:34:47,492 --> 00:34:51,275
it sounds arrogant, it sounds like all this
like rah-rah language,
693
00:34:51,275 --> 00:34:54,036
but the Lakers are a unique entity.
694
00:34:54,036 --> 00:34:58,379
And if you start treating them like a just
another business venture,
695
00:34:59,598 --> 00:35:04,245
You're gonna start losing and eroding all of
that goodwill that has generated,
696
00:35:04,245 --> 00:35:06,098
that has made the Lakers brand what it is.
697
00:35:06,098 --> 00:35:07,580
This is not like a magical thing.
698
00:35:07,580 --> 00:35:08,953
These things don't happen magically.
699
00:35:08,953 --> 00:35:12,849
There's a very organic process to get to where
the Lakers have gotten.
700
00:35:12,849 --> 00:35:13,908
And
701
00:35:14,988 --> 00:35:19,360
I just I hope that the ownership group
recognizes that and this
702
00:35:19,360 --> 00:35:20,771
is not just dollars and cents.
703
00:35:20,771 --> 00:35:25,933
And they also understand the value that the
community can still bring
704
00:35:25,933 --> 00:35:27,944
to the team. But if you shut them out,
705
00:35:27,944 --> 00:35:30,655
they'll go elsewhere. And so it's a warning.
706
00:35:30,655 --> 00:35:32,566
This is almost like not just about the Lakers,
707
00:35:32,566 --> 00:35:36,628
but this is a concern that's happening across
sports as the numbers
708
00:35:36,628 --> 00:35:38,259
are getting crazier and crazier.
709
00:35:38,259 --> 00:35:40,140
And once you get into those numbers,
710
00:35:40,140 --> 00:35:41,781
you start getting into the well,
711
00:35:41,781 --> 00:35:44,802
we need, you know, public funds to invest it
and we need
712
00:35:45,082 --> 00:35:47,855
you know, the money starts getting different
to where
713
00:35:47,855 --> 00:35:51,318
now you're bringing different types of
ownership groups who might not have that same
714
00:35:51,318 --> 00:35:55,792
feel and connection that we as fans have had
for a long time.
715
00:35:57,459 --> 00:36:03,481
Yeah. You know, what you're saying also is the
Lakers
716
00:36:03,481 --> 00:36:07,313
are a unique organization and I think they
know that.
717
00:36:07,313 --> 00:36:12,325
I think that's why they wanted this team
because, in
718
00:36:12,325 --> 00:36:16,707
a way they're I mean, they're one of the most
recognizable sports franchise
719
00:36:16,707 --> 00:36:21,283
in all of sports. And I hate to say it,
720
00:36:21,283 --> 00:36:24,099
but I just think it's not just a Lakers thing.
721
00:36:24,099 --> 00:36:25,240
I think the
722
00:36:26,424 --> 00:36:29,847
I could be wrong, but I would expect them to
milk it for that reason.
723
00:36:29,847 --> 00:36:33,540
You know, I would expect them to milk the fans
because, like you said,
724
00:36:33,540 --> 00:36:35,711
the valuations are going crazy high.
725
00:36:35,711 --> 00:36:36,711
And
726
00:36:35,791 --> 00:36:36,791
Yeah.
727
00:36:36,732 --> 00:36:39,779
it's not it's not just them who's doing it.
728
00:36:39,779 --> 00:36:42,717
It's I'm looking I live in Sacramento.
729
00:36:42,717 --> 00:36:47,581
Kings tickets for a horrible team is out of
this world.
730
00:36:47,581 --> 00:36:48,772
I was just like, okay,
731
00:36:47,943 --> 00:36:48,943
yeah.
732
00:36:48,772 --> 00:36:51,144
let me look in Portland for the Trail Blazers.
733
00:36:51,664 --> 00:36:55,398
It's like this team is probably gonna be a
play-in team and they're charging like
734
00:36:55,398 --> 00:36:57,211
three hundred bucks for lower bowl tickets.
735
00:36:57,211 --> 00:36:58,211
I
736
00:36:57,656 --> 00:36:58,656
It's amazing.
737
00:36:58,287 --> 00:37:03,922
It's like, I'm fortunate I get to go to games,
and I
738
00:37:04,122 --> 00:37:06,024
I have good friends who, you know,
739
00:37:06,024 --> 00:37:08,846
give me tickets at face value and stuff like
that.
740
00:37:08,846 --> 00:37:10,208
And even then I'm like
741
00:37:10,840 --> 00:37:12,381
I couldn't come to these games,
742
00:37:12,381 --> 00:37:17,855
man. Like I couldn't I at some level you're
like for a Tuesday regular season
743
00:37:17,855 --> 00:37:21,877
game, if I'm gonna go with like a couple of
friends or a family
744
00:37:21,877 --> 00:37:23,898
or something like that, we're talking how many
dollars?
745
00:37:23,898 --> 00:37:28,972
Like it's it's gotten to the point where at
some point there's
746
00:37:28,972 --> 00:37:33,385
a trade-off between you also want like this
old school,
747
00:37:33,385 --> 00:37:34,695
like you're talking about Sacramento,
748
00:37:34,695 --> 00:37:35,695
like
749
00:37:36,291 --> 00:37:40,833
old-school Arco Arena, like, those feelings.
We're losing
750
00:37:40,833 --> 00:37:44,024
this so fast. And at some level,
751
00:37:44,024 --> 00:37:47,265
at some point you would hope that there would
be recognition of this.
752
00:37:47,265 --> 00:37:49,066
There are practical problems, right?
753
00:37:49,066 --> 00:37:52,527
If you give cheap tickets and they can flip
them knowing that there's,
754
00:37:52,527 --> 00:37:55,638
you know, only 18,000 seats and there's a big
game.
755
00:37:55,638 --> 00:37:57,769
And so there's practical realities of it.
756
00:37:57,769 --> 00:38:01,680
But you would hope that there would be some
solution or some way for
757
00:38:01,680 --> 00:38:04,386
a middle ground to develop. And we'll see.
758
00:38:04,386 --> 00:38:05,712
It's crazy times.
759
00:38:05,461 --> 00:38:06,461
We'll see.
760
00:38:06,181 --> 00:38:12,703
It is crazy times. I mean, live events are
just in demand right
761
00:38:12,703 --> 00:38:13,703
now and they're gonna be
762
00:38:13,157 --> 00:38:14,157
Yeah.
763
00:38:13,611 --> 00:38:16,864
in demand, you know? And so, you know,
764
00:38:16,864 --> 00:38:22,736
I don't know if you've seen those, like, 12K
765
00:38:22,736 --> 00:38:26,317
or eight K screen like in a movie theater
where it's like they're kind
766
00:38:26,317 --> 00:38:29,868
of broadcasting the game and it kind of feels
like Yeah.
767
00:38:28,149 --> 00:38:29,790
yes, yes, yes, yes. Yeah, yeah,
768
00:38:29,790 --> 00:38:30,790
yeah, yeah, yeah.
769
00:38:29,868 --> 00:38:30,868
And
770
00:38:30,578 --> 00:38:32,598
so like we may see more of that,
771
00:38:32,598 --> 00:38:34,419
you know, or like
772
00:38:34,414 --> 00:38:35,414
Yeah,
773
00:38:34,594 --> 00:38:38,307
it's a it's there's a reason why sports
valuations and everything
774
00:38:38,307 --> 00:38:42,599
is also going up. It's like those shared
experiences are becoming less
775
00:38:42,599 --> 00:38:44,881
and less and sports is one of the only things
that,
776
00:38:44,881 --> 00:38:47,533
you know, brings that communities together
like that.
777
00:38:47,533 --> 00:38:48,533
And so yeah,
778
00:38:47,923 --> 00:38:48,923
Yeah.
779
00:38:48,243 --> 00:38:52,426
like those spaces that put those immersive
things and you
780
00:38:52,426 --> 00:38:55,118
can go together with a lot of people and enjoy
it that way.
781
00:38:55,118 --> 00:38:58,320
Yeah, I think there's gonna be a lot of things
like that.
782
00:38:58,739 --> 00:39:01,120
Yeah. Well I hope they don't price out the
fans.
783
00:39:01,120 --> 00:39:05,872
I hope the whole I mean, I just hope sports in
general doesn't do this because
784
00:39:05,969 --> 00:39:10,834
I paid to go to the World Cup this year and
that was also crazy expensive.
785
00:39:10,834 --> 00:39:12,355
That was I paid eight hundred
786
00:39:11,234 --> 00:39:12,291
Yeah, me too. I
787
00:39:12,355 --> 00:39:13,615
bucks and that was a good deal,
788
00:39:13,615 --> 00:39:15,856
you know, to sit lower level in the bay.
789
00:39:15,856 --> 00:39:21,418
So yeah, it's just crazy. But I hope I hope
you go to many Lakers games
790
00:39:21,418 --> 00:39:26,200
and you have a good time this year and hopeful
hopefully it's it doesn't
791
00:39:26,200 --> 00:39:28,041
hit the your bank account too hard.
792
00:39:28,730 --> 00:39:30,143
All right. thank
793
00:39:30,143 --> 00:39:32,108
you. And I hope you enjoy Ben Simmons.
794
00:39:32,565 --> 00:39:35,869
God.
795
00:39:35,905 --> 00:39:37,951
God. Don't get me started on that.
796
00:39:38,621 --> 00:39:40,045
You the most patient
797
00:39:40,206 --> 00:39:42,051
community in the world, Sacramento.
798
00:39:43,710 --> 00:39:47,831
Yeah. The this fan base deserves better.
799
00:39:47,831 --> 00:39:50,572
That's all I'll say for now.
800
00:39:49,710 --> 00:39:50,710
I agree.
801
00:39:51,113 --> 00:39:53,434
Well, I wanna appreciate you coming on,
802
00:39:53,434 --> 00:39:57,355
Daman. it was fun talking Lakers and ownership
and all that.
803
00:39:57,355 --> 00:40:01,103
where can the people find you your work?
804
00:40:01,914 --> 00:40:05,069
Just go to Twitter. Daman R is the handle.
805
00:40:05,069 --> 00:40:06,862
That's that's where you'll find me.
806
00:40:07,836 --> 00:40:11,792
It's a great follow. for Lakers fans,
807
00:40:11,792 --> 00:40:14,235
non-Laker fans, please follow him.
808
00:40:14,235 --> 00:40:17,831
And again, wanna thank you for your time, and
thank
809
00:40:17,831 --> 00:40:19,483
you for everyone watching. Thanks.
810
00:40:19,428 --> 00:40:20,428
Thank you for having me.
811
00:40:20,605 --> 00:40:21,605
Yep.
