Bleeding purple and gold from the Heart of Los Angeles is the lakersnation.com podcast with your host Trevor Lane. Hello Lakers Nation welcome and this is the Lakers Nation live postgame show your Lakers fall to the Phoenix Suns 114 210 for ten point loss tough one. The thoughts were red-hot from behind the arc shot 55% from 3 tonight that is tough to deal with I know a lot of our talk tonight is going to focus on the three-point shooting which the Lakers did not have tonight and the son said they did so we’ll break down that will talk a little bit about some players who did stand out. We’ll talk about a few who did not and why they didn’t flush we’re going to be taking your questions and comments and give it away some lakersnation.com license plate frames. So if you’re joining us from YouTube from Facebook from Periscope, welcome and joining me tonight is Chris the Masterpiece Masters Chris tough one, but how are you holding up man? You know, that was just a weird kind of crazy game to watch. I mean, I’m fine. It sucks that we lost. Honestly I was starting to feel in the first half. I was almost kind of anticipation in the lost or down to solve were down kuz I mean and obviously we’re down a deep but I have some hope once you know, and I I don’t wish you know Booker got thrown out. I think the third quarter super chippy was like so many thousand we’re going to get into that but you know, I had some hope when Devin got thrown out, you know what I mean that okay, maybe that evens up the match up at least a little bit with all our guys out and maybe we can actually get the win but you know as we’re going to get into I mean the production was not good tonight, even with poker going out we didn’t get the win. So a little disappointing a lot of you know, a lot of potential Master logs to go around tonight for labor. And yeah, unfortunately, we lost this one and I don’t know what who knows wage. Happens miles game so, you know going into the All-Star break is going to be kind of questionable here for us. Yeah. Absolutely. I wonder how how pretty that one’s going to look probably not very but so in this one girl had like you mentioned a bunch of Lakers outside already Anthony Davis out that alone that I mean that’s difficult to deal with and then you also lose Marcus all and some people were excited about that. But I knew that I mean that’s that’s not what you want to see you don’t want to see a starter going out like that, especially against DeAndre. Ayton who was eating up Montrezl Harrell on the offensive. And so that was that was a problem there and then you also lose Kyle kuzma to a heel contusion. So that’s three guys three big rotation guys two of them starters who are out now that’s tough to deal with but then you’re right Devin Booker got kicked out of the game. I didn’t feel that was warranted for an injection, but I don’t know what Booker’s said. We couldn’t hear it from there and CNC man. They did a terrible job all night in terms of showing replays in terms of keeping us up-to-date on what was going on. That was Rough out Not only was it a rough outing for the Lakers TNT rough outing from them that was not an easy game to follow but the Devin Booker objection you thought maybe that would level things out a little bit but in my head I was thinking if the sons are shooting fifty plus percent from three, it’s not going to matter. It’s not going to regression had to come for the Phoenix Suns in that game cuz you know, they’re not going to shoot 55% from wherever they were going to need to get a cold streak in order for the Lakers to catch back up and they didn’t they continue their hot shooting throughout the entire game and we can certainly make the argument that the Lakers left them to open and we can talk about the 3.5. It’s but yeah look ultimately it was just a rough one a lot of weird rotations that were coming in weird lineups and it never felt like a game. The Lakers were going to win like sometimes we see these games the Lakers are down a little bit, but we know they’re going to come back and they’re going to get the way you can just kind of feel it this game didn’t feel that way. I even thought to myself like this. It just it doesn’t feel like a win tonight. Yeah, I didn’t I mean and that’s why I don’t think I’m too bummed out about this. I mean, you can’t go into a game where you’re you lose you’ve already you don’t have anybody lose you saw you lose computer can’t get a game feeling so good about that. You know what? I mean? Like you said as much as we don’t, you know, we like our nation hasn’t been too happy with Gasol this season as a whole but I mean, you don’t want to lose them in a situation like this. So I’m not too bummed out about this. I mean, I kind of anticipated the loss the broker thing. Like I said gave me some hope that maybe we can pull this but man. Yeah that shooting range in ages outshot us tonight. Chris based on the the comments here that I’m seeing people are saying Trevor making excuses for the Lakers know I’m telling you what they did wrong. I’m telling you exactly what they didn’t do. They did not make threes.

to make more threes. That’s not excuse they lost because they missed so many threes kcp where we at. I’ve seen a lot of em, Negative kcp comments in here a lot a lot a lot of negative kcp comments, but the best thing kcpt did tonight was draw the foul that got booked rejected. Yeah, right off is is this the Tipping Point because for weeks now the general sentiment and people have been getting gradually more frustrated with k c p but the general sentiment has been home. We’ve seen this before from kcp. We know this happens. We know he goes through slumps. We know he’s also goes through hot streaks as well at the beginning of the Season. He was one of the best shooters in the NBA now, he’s in a major slump by tonight 5045 from behind the arc and based on the chat right now. I’m seeing a lot of people a lot of people who are making comments kind of similar to the beginning of last season. Was this the Tipping Point four K CP do you think do you think this is the point now? We’re fans are like out. That’s it. We’re done. No, I don’t personally me. I smelt the Tipping Point for me, but the frustration frustration is building and it’s being compounded by the fact that not even just tasty people lack of production. We were getting from West Matthews it just you know, it’s doubly frustrating because you know, we’re already having to deal with a k c p slump but k c p is our guy he’s been here a while back and we see this out of him and it is it’s super frustrating and you know, what a night like tonight when you look at Casey’s line is 1 / 7 and then over five from the three-point line. I mean, you can’t log out / get you know, this is getting frustrating. It really is I would say it’s the Tipping Point not for me personally, but I mean between kcp and West Matthews man, we’re just we are not getting enough out of those guys. It’s compounded by, you know, all the people we have out at this point when and we really need production from them and it’s just it’s kind of at the point where tasty P where you understand. It’s a slump but You look at some of this. It’s almost it feels to the point where it’s unacceptable almost right? I mean, like what I’m looking at is like right now it’s like that’s unacceptable. Like what what they gave tonight and and just the production they brought you know, both of them is just it’s not kind of and yeah, I mean, obviously we lost I mean it’s not all on them. There’s a lot of stuff for us to get into but again wage The Tipping Point but in frustration is building on kcb. Yeah. Yeah for sure but here’s this is I’m shocked when I see this as I just pulled up kcp shooting stats. Kcpt on the season is shooting 41% from 3. Wow, on the season. That’s that just speaks to how well he was shooting at the beginning of the season right? Because I mean shooting terribly terribly for what feels like forever. Now. But on the season, he’s still at 41% because he shot so incredibly unsustainably well to start the season West Matthews is 34% for BEP. I thought he would be lower honestly because we’ve had so many rough rough shooting Nights from from West Matthews, but you’re right those two guys, right we expect it. The Lakers they went out. I got a question on on Twitter said, why didn’t the Lakers address off the off season? Why didn’t they add more three-point shooting right? It’s obvious. This is a big weakness. They followed the 25th. I believe in the NBA in 3-point shooting 3-point percentage. Why didn’t they add more they did they did address three point shooting right? Kcp shot 39% They brought him back. They brought they brought in West Matthews 39% last season schruder 39% last season brought him in kasol. Is a stretch big the guys they parted ways with Avery Bradley Rondo Dwight JaVale all the guys who are essentially non Shooters. They added three point shooting this offseason wage. They’re just not hitting shots. Yeah, no kidding. But now you know that 40% number is pretty shocking from k c p at least have you know, thinking when you said that is how like rotation is going to say you’re making excuses for cases p with that package with that. Well, I mean, that’s just that’s just a fact that’s the stat but somebody says Avery Bradley can shoot look Avery Bradley can shoot a little bit but compared to what Casey people like Joe Casey P or Avery Bradley. Who’s the better shooter? It’s K CP, right statistically. It’s k c p. That’s the better shooter Avery Bradley historically has had more struggles. I’m not saying they are varying degrees of non Shooters game not saying that Rondo can’t shoot a three at all. I’m not saying saying every Bradley can’t shoot at 3 at all saying the Lakers Were Ten guys that were higher percentage Shooters than went out. That’s what they did. Not yet. It hasn’t really made an impact right now. We haven’t seen these guys shoot will kcps 32% for the month of February from behind the arc. That’s not going to get it done and then old for 5 tonight, so Sure, the guys that you really rely on we thought okay. The Lakers have two shooting guards here. Kcp and West Matthews. Both of them can hit from downtown. Both of them can defend at a decently high level great and off right now. Both of them looked like a real problem out there. Pretty much everywhere West Matthews even more on the defensive and I think than k c p but she hasn’t been great. They’re either. I hope that both

I hope that both of these guys can kind of hit the reset button during the All-Star break because they need it badly maybe more than anybody else on the team at least anybody else. That’s healthy. They do these guys need the All-Star break cuz I don’t know what else is going to finally get them back on track. That’s a great Point throughout let’s just hope that like you’re saying man the All-Star break kind of resets these guys a little bit of time away from the game and hopefully they can come back and get in Rhythm wage. That’s why I’m saying with k c p man. I just hopefully he can get his rhythm back. We’ve seen this before so that’s why it’s not the Tipping Point. But man, you’re just you know, even though we got some wins before this we’re back at that situation where at least after tomorrow’s game the break is here, you know what I mean? Cuz we’ve been talking about this for a while feeling like the team needs this All-Star break and walk, you know after tonight and tomorrow, I’m sure it’s definitely going to be necessary. Yeah, for sure. All right guys, I do need to give away some somebody’s calling them the brick Brothers. Oh no. Oh, no, that’s how they got a nickname coming up with nicknames for k c p and West negative nicknames. Oh, Yeah, it’s like the opposite of the Splash Brothers isn’t yes it is. Yes. It is a boy. All right, so guys we don’t need to give away lakersnation.com license plate frame. I’m going to go with Luis Martinez from YouTube by the way, guys, if you hear me call your name during the show send me a damn. I’m going to send you a Lakers nation, license plate frame. So as you’re putting comments in asking questions, all that kind of stuff YouTube Facebook Periscope off fire mauve and if you hear me call your name, you get a lakersnation.com license plate frame just send me your name mailing address and email address. You can send it to act Trevor underscore Lane on Twitter. So he asked them in all caps. I lost the question here, but it was in all caps and he said why didn’t Damian Jones get to play down the stretch. That was the question because the sons went small. They didn’t go back to the office. And so with the Suns going small you’re not going to ask Damian Jones particularly dealing with a back injury, like he was to go out there and Chase Chase a Dario saric and I think that’s also the answers to why Montrezl Harrell Get back into the game. I personally would not have done that though. I would have still put I feel at least a little more comfortable with tries chasing a guy like storage and I believe you needed him offensive boards. You needed the offensive punch from when the sons were small I would have gone to Montrezl Harrell personally Vogel decided to try to go with a little bit more spacing. That’s what he went with and also guys who are a little bit more switchable defensively home understandable because you know, that trans probably would have got switched on to undo Chris Paul quite a bit. They would’ve ran Screen World there so that could have been a challenge. But again, I I probably would have pulled the trigger and just gone to tries and say hey if you can go beast mode in the paint and you get us a bucket on put backs and things like that and bring us some energy cool. I would have I would have taken that gamble Damian Jones. I totally understand why you didn’t go back to him know big on the floor for him to defend. So that’s where we went. But but Chris, let’s let’s dive into Damian Jones for a minute. So right now Damian Jones 7 Minutes tonight 1 a.m. Four Points one which is refreshed one rebound 242 shooting he has not missed a shot as a Laker just interesting has not been shot his Laker but Damian Jones 7 Minutes tonight your thoughts on what you saw of him. He was all right. I don’t think it was anything spectacular I what I like about it is that from the you know, like the first minute he got in within the first place. I think he got a block and he got a bucket. So it was nice that he was he instantly made an impact on the game. But you know, it takes you during it and you had brought up a good point. It’s just you would kind of hope for a little bit more production from a rebounding perspective from him. And so we didn’t see that so I don’t think it was a particularly great outing. I think it might have been kind of amount have been better. You know, I felt like trash getting take advantage taking advantage of you. Bye DeAndre. Ayton. So I don’t know if maybe gave me the Damian Jones matchup might have been better in that case and I think that’s where you know, obviously maybe we’ll talk about the life somewhat vulgar kind of put out there and how you did a little bit about going small but some of it just it kind of makes sense if Vogel was taking a lot of heat on the fluid cap and Twitter so long But you know for Dave enjoyed it was it was okay, you know

You know it was what did you think anything? You know, Chris said I you mentioned the the lineups being a little weird right? You mentioned. He might have been better against DeAndre and that’s exactly what I was thinking during the game Montrezl Harrell. There’s we’ve talked about this Montrezl Harrell is great. I love what we’ve seen from Iraq, but there’s some matchups where you can tell that he’s under sized. Sometimes you don’t notice sometimes he’s just so he just brings so much energy so much aggression that you don’t notice that he’s undersized DeAndre. Ayton is one of them will make you notice right? That’s just that’s the way it is if I was Vogel I probably would have and I understand starting tries. I probably would have tried to match Damian Jones about 5 minutes with DeAndre and I understand if you’re dealing with the back injury, you’re probably not going to match them. Exactly cuz they ain’t going to play more minutes than Jones, but I would have tried to see that match up a bit more and then let Treasures go home. The bench unit for the sun’s where he’s going up against some smaller players can do a little bit more damage there that I think would have been a lot more successful than letting a much smaller trash try to deal with with it and I understand trying it and give it a shot but it was pretty clear early on that. That wasn’t that matchup just wasn’t going to work but overall Damian Jones. I’d like to we saw the right. I thought he needed to be a little bit off of going after rebounds. There were a couple of times where I thought you know, he could have really gone and gotten into the mix for a ball and he just didn’t and maybe that’s he didn’t want physical contact because of the back injury. That’s that’s certainly possible. But I also did like his his lateral movement. There were a couple of times he got switched onto a guard and while he wasn’t like he you know, he got down in his stance and just stayed in front of them. They couldn’t break them off or anything like that, but he stuck with them long enough. And I didn’t think he had that he’s a little bit more Nimble defending on the perimeter than I expected. So I like that obviously I like the the shot-blocking that he had in there and and I like that he was able to get in when she gets the ball. He doesn’t do anything too crazy just stays within himself turned finish. I thought he looked good. I mean, I mean like it’s only two games. I want to see what he does tomorrow night against the Sacramento Kings suck so far so good for Damian Jones. Yeah, and everything you just talked about was kind of like the opposite of what we’ve been getting from consol. And that’s not to disparage Gasol cuz you know as much as we do that enough as she cuz cuz saw does bring bring things obviously is Clay making and and you know, he’s able to stretch his able to stretch the floor, but I forgot the point I was making on that but I thought well, I’ve got people saying dude just vocal just not like trees or something like that. I don’t think that’s it. I I really think that Vogel had a set plan in mind when she wanted to make sure in the second half especially when they were down that they had as much floor spacing as possible and then they matched up with the sons as much as they could and the sons were small and putting in trays would would give the sun something to pick on a bit defensively, but at that point the sons were already eating you up with their three-point shooting they were already generating a ton of open threes. Again, I would have gambled on tries, but I can understand what Vogel was thinking there as well. A lot of people do saying Master Lock Vogel. I think it’s I don’t know. I don’t know how much of the rotations tonight we’re because Vogel was missing three guys. I think that was a big part of it. Right? I mean when you’re when you’re coaching in the NBA You see a lot of coaches where when the starter goes out. They don’t bring in they don’t just call up one of their bench rotation guys, they call up their tenth man or whoever it is that normally doesn’t get into the game and put them in the starting lineup because that chemistry matters and blood say you call up you lose a starter and you call up a guy from your bench rotation a guy who normally plays every night with them in the starting lineup now. Only is there a different chemistry and you’re starting group. There’s a different chemistry now in your bench group as well and vocals kind of one of those guys where he likes to have that chemistry establish of you likes to have that kind of continuing to grow and tonight. It was impossible to do that cuz you were missing so many players and I think it got to a point where he just started throwing stuff out there trying to see if he would stick getting some guys some minutes of nothing else. We saw a lot of Jared Dudley out there. Obviously some of the lineups were not successful most of the lineups were not successful, but he always kind of forced into that because he so many guys missing and it’s funny that whenever juror deadly gets in that’s automatically alerted you of something and you know, that’s not be burying a jerk. Who by the way that his audio package was amazing. I told you that I just picked that up or downloaded that yesterday’s very good. But yeah, man, well happy. What are you going to do? You know what I mean? Like, I understand I saw all that he was getting and a lot of you know, some of the lineups were questionable. It kind of seemed like they might have been getting outcoached but at certain points but like you like you said man, I mean, you know, when you’re you know, we’re just we’re hurt the team is just missing guys big time. I mean, these are not these are key players, you know, it was like when Once Cruz was out of the game where you say you had sent me that text is just kind of like, you know hands up in the air.

You know, what are you going to do? What are our chances now tonight? You know, we already Luz Casal and then you lose cruise on top of it like and then you you know them. Well, I personally am not putting too much cheat on BOGO, but it was still a question the question one night from him from a coaching perspective granted. I understand what you were referring to about going smaller and the versatility and what not. But still, you know what I mean, in terms of the you know the day mean not you, you know, having DeAndre ayton and and and treasures out there about you know what I mean? Those matches were just not working out too. Well, Tom Lee said with from YouTube said with Devin Booker out we missed out. Yeah, I mean that was an opportunity right with Devin Booker out to go out there and get away over this this unseen. But again, if you allow them keep shooting for that well from 3, that’s not going to work out so well for you and here’s here’s the big thing where vocal failed on tonight. Right? And I understand being forced into some tough rotation things like that, but they interviewed him between quarters and I don’t remember if it was between 3rd and 4th or half time when it was but they interviewed him and he I think it was between 3rd and 4th. He mentioned it was worth. For the sons and so they’ve been killing us from there all night long. Fix it then you have to adjust but Vogel has been and we saw this last year. He’s been the guy who makes adjustments the next game rather than in game. We saw that quite a bit during the pack UPS you kind of figured out a team. Then you make adjustments and go from there in this game. We saw the Lakers continually over helping into the middle. We saw Talen horton-tucker below it a few times rotating off of the wrong guy and dropping off the paint and then that left the sun’s open shooters from behind the arc. Now part of that may have been the Lakers thinking. Okay. We don’t have a d we don’t have guess all we really have to make sure the team helps and and protects the pain more but the sons were just destroying them from behind the arc. So you have to make sure you’re staying at home and Shooters and I just didn’t see the adjustments being made in game that needed to happen. Now, that could be just saying look this game’s not going our way. Why show the sun’s how I’m going to defend them if we meet them in the playoffs maybe that was part of the thinking but it was still disappointing to not see that adjustment made off. Aim, at least not too high enough degree. So that’s I think that’s the one big part where if the Lakers are lost but they made a bunch of adjustments to stop the sons from hitting all these open threes. Then you could have said, okay. Well, they’re getting they could but we didn’t see that. Yeah, I just felt like it was raining tonight,

It felt like it was raining tonight, you know Phoenix just so many open looks from the ark and they were just hitting I mean Lakers got a lot of open looks too. We just didn’t convert. Yeah. Yeah absolutely did absolutely did. All right. Somebody say, okay. So Sean. Table Aziza Ziva. Sorry Tom has Eva from YouTube said Wes or McKinney. Who are you taking? Interesting was what’s up Wes Matthews or Alfonzo mckinnie. I don’t feel like we’ve seen enough Alfonzo mckinnie, but I mentioned, a lot of times the comments go by and I’m just like no that’s not worth eating West we’ve seen so much negative from and he’s a veteran and we keep thinking okay. It’s going to come around at some point. He’s a veterans got a click. He’s just getting used to coming off the bench all this month at what point do you just say, you know, what Wes, it’s not happening. Let’s see what this younger guy Alfonzo mckinnie. Let’s see what he’s got. Now again, we can’t see them in practice. So maybe it’s very evident that Matthews is just a better player in practice. Maybe that’s the thing. But at some point if Matthews is going to continue to not produce you gotta turn to something else and see what they’ve got. I wouldn’t be opposed to seeing Alfonzo mckinnie out there and just giving it giving him a look and maybe you just give them a little bit more garbage time early on or something like that. Maybe we see a more tomorrow night against the Kings right right before the All-Star break at some point though. I want to see a real look like I’m talking a game where he plays 20-plus minutes and we get an idea of what he can really do out there. Yeah, I’m with you Travis honestly, cuz you know how you asking me about is this the Tipping Point basically and I told you know, not for me personally will I think with Wes Matthews birthday is the Tipping Point. It’s kind of been because again, you know West Matthews doesn’t have the equity that case he has we’re already at the boiling point with k c p but we just really it felt feels like wage doesn’t really gotten anything out of Matthew’s at least specifically from the offensive perspective. So I kind of say when you look at what he’s been giving us, I mean why not and like you said maybe U guys and this is just a fan perspective cuz we’re not obviously in the practices that we’re not getting everything they see but you know, just we’re getting such a lack of production from West Matthews. It’s the heck not, you know, try that out. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I think it’s worth it. I mean just just to find out you never know. I mean, he’s got the tools. He’s got the skill set the physical profile might be Worth a look a little disappointed. We didn’t see any Kostas antetokounmpo Devon take a cock. But again the Suns win so small I understand that but it could have been an opportunity to get those guys in. All right, Chris. We do need to get into the next-man-up word always feels weird doing this award when it’s kind of a down down her game like this, but let’s do it the next man up award. All right. So next man up award goes to a non Star level player that we felt stepped up. So not LeBron not Anthony Davis. Obviously a t is out. So anyone not named LeBron can win this award? I’m sure the chat is going to be given us some some thoughts on that Chris. Who are you giving it to? You know, I’m leaning towards our boy tht Dynamite I like it but there but I mean we obviously talked about it like defense office. He had some mistakes, you know, he was collapsing into the pain and that allowed some open threes. But I do I just I like what I got what we got from him offensive. We we you know in right when you attacked me and said who’s is out tonight, you know, my first thought was okay. Well who can pick up the psyche and automatically just see popped in mind like maybe tht can step up a little more tonight and kind of wage so that void and I think he was trying to do that and I liked what he was doing offensively. I know, you know again he gets he got lost defensively a few times but I like the offensive output. Yeah, I agree with you on that and 2 or 5 from three or four Talen horton-tucker that solid you’ll take that 40% from downtown 649 16 points. I like the offensive output. He tried he really tried to kind of Step Up and provide the Lakers with them. More of a scoring punch that they certainly needed and so I like that part as but he did look really lost a few times defensively. He blew it on a couple of planes just rotated off of the wrong man. I am committed fouls. They didn’t want to five personal files and in Nineteen Minutes. So there was there was good and bad but I think in terms of the offensive end of the floor, he’s certainly deserving my guy. I’m going to go with though and this is the second game in a row, which is amazing. But Markieff Morris, I thought Markieff Morris was good and I V 46243 from 36 boards 12 points 34 minutes long and I felt like Markieff Morris. I don’t know. I don’t want to say the other guys didn’t care because they care but but Markieff Morris was the one guy that you could see where the poor play was bothering him. Like he was getting upset. He was getting angry. He was getting sucked up. There was the one play where he kind of got into it. I found Cameron Payne and they were looking at you know, was it a flagrant foul? He just grabbed him on the arm, but then the next time down they give him the ball in the instantly puts it up and drains the three. We got a little bit of angry Markieff today even took Chris Paul into the paint and shot over him and

I liked what we saw out a Markieff Morris today and this has been now building. We had a good game out of a mile long. He’s got played well tonight. It just keeps getting better. And so hopefully we’re getting closer to seeing the Markieff Morris from the playoffs last season. I thought tonight was a good performance for him. So I’m going to recognize him for the the next man up a word from my side. Yeah, Morris was pretty awesome tonight. I liked some of the aggressiveness he was bringing. You know what I mean? It’s kind of nice having having a Morris brother on the team cuz it does bring a little element of toughness and a little bit of you know, especially when the game’s getting chippy, you know what I mean? There’s something about you know, seeing Morrison out there talking smack where you like that on your side when it’s on your side of the ball, you know, absolutely absolutely unique that guy you need that guy who’s going to be out there that’s going to be kind of mixing it up a little bit and and isn’t afraid to do that. So I like that I like that so that dog Sports YouTube said Chris needs to Master Lock the refs. Let’s talk about that. The officiant So Not only was I thought the ejection for Devin Booker and again, I don’t know what he said. Maybe he used the words that we didn’t we weren’t privy to and and it was adjusted by dejection. I don’t know but it looked like a pretty quick ejection double dog. Nicole then and then kicked out. Okay, but beyond that I feel like the rest just had a rough time in this game making calls in general that were I mean how many Lakers got smacked in the I think there were four guys. They got smacked in the face in this game Devin Booker grabbing kcp and tripping him because he was upset on the play and then just there was a lot of stuff on this one and then they reviewed that one song they did they did but I felt like this this game was not it’s not great in terms of the official terms of the officials. So yeah. I was not too pleased with the existing this one. Now there was not much flow to the game. I mean the third quarter just went was absolutely insane. It was just like there was I don’t know there was like for Texas test and it was like a foul on every plane and just kind of Life lyrics killed the rhythm of the game. And yeah, everybody was just kind of hot about that the referees and what they were doing with the game it just I don’t know. There’s just a weird game around you know what I mean? Like there was a lot of weird stuff going on and yeah primarily that primarily that third-quarter just come out of the house time. I don’t know what the heck happened but it was it got pretty wild in that home. Here’s the thing though. I don’t I don’t look at this game and feel like oh man, you know the Reps they cost the Lakers this game know they weren’t defending the three-point line. Well enough in the sons were making threes. That’s what I see as the culprit for why the Lakers lost the game. That doesn’t mean the officials were good, but I don’t look at the Reps as the reason why the Lakers lost That’s a good point. Try to you know what? I mean? Like when you get that when you hit that many with the way they were shooting three, it’s just, you know wasn’t going to matter in the end. Once again, yeah, yeah there unless you you were able to chop that three-point percentage and have for the sons that was going to be a tough one for them to get that’s for sure. Okay, somebody said the calls matter in a close game. Yeah, it wasn’t it wasn’t a close game down the stretch Dennis Schroder had a bad game Dennis Schroder 6-4 17 shooting. I thought he got out of control a few times. He had three phone numbers, but I believe I know at least two of them were probably the third one as well. They were the type of turnover where he was trying to thread the needle on a pass that just wasn’t there and it led there were live-ball turnovers that led to run out and transition for the Phoenix Suns. That’s one of my issues with Dennis Schroder and don’t get me wrong. Overall. I like sugar a lot. I like what he’s brought to this team him coming back was a big boost for the Lakers. I don’t want to speak to negatively about him. But one of the issues he’s got is that he can be overly optimistic with his passes. He can try to make passes that are just too risky and they lead to turnovers and trains and opportunities and we saw that tonight times where he was trying to get the ball back to LeBron. It was telegraphed everybody knew he was trying to get it back to LeBron and the sun’s read it and picked it off. So that was an issue. For tonight missing some shots at The Rim was an issue as well and then to 2 and 5 from deep, you’ll take 17 points you’ll take from it, but just wasn’t all that efficient. So I mean the counting stats 17.66 3-point shooting you like all that stuff but the turnovers and some big shots at The Rim I think kind of really really took this from being a good shooter game to being probably a met and maybe even a bad one else. Do you think he was trying to do too much trouble with all the people out or do you think that’s something you think he tries to do too much or do you like exact cuz I mean I’m with you I like there’s production but I’m everything you’re saying as well. Yeah. Yeah. I do think that he was probably trying to step up a bit much but but In fairness the last two games he stepped up and the Lakers won right so long, I understand that part of me, but he struggled to the very beginning. It’s the Blazers and then kind of got himself under control later on as the game went on the sons very much though. The sons are good defensive team there forth in the NBA Defensive rating dead. But they also were employing a defense that was encouraging the Lakers to shoot from outside. They were doing a really good job collapsing into the paint which were going to see more and more of as teams around the league look at the stats and they said oh my gosh, the Lakers can’t shoot threes. Let’s collapse into the pain and make them beat us from behind the arc. So with a guy like schruder who thrives getting into the paint that means he’s going to see more pressure at the rim and and the sons didn’t really nice job they’re dead. Yeah, I mean if I was defending the Lakers right now, I would definitely leave because I’m open on the art, especially with again with cases be in West Matthew shooting the way they are and you know, it just makes sense. So

I mentioned we we are wasting LeBron’s effort LeBron 38 points tonight hit of countries right at the end because he was over five from deep and then he finished 348 off that pulled the Lakers up to 35.5% which is still below league-average, but 35.5% on the night. Imagine if he didn’t hit those threes, the Lakers would have been well below league-average but 38 minutes from the minute watch continues overall. He’s minutes are still down on the season, but he’s certainly playing quite a bit more and I wish you look at all these guys, right? Lamelo ball that says no I’m not going to go to the skills challenge these Alex Caruso apparently had an opportunity to go to the dunk contest and he said no, thanks these guys who are declining to go to the All-Star Game and go to participate in these contests. I wish LeBron had it out because my goodness can we get this guy a week off, but now he’s going to have to go to Atlanta and play in the All-Star Game unfortunately, so that’s something that we’re going to have to deal with hopefully sneakers in the future. We’ll be able to trim down as minutes cuz you know what, he only played 24 minutes in the last game against the Warriors, but then tonight it’s right back up to 38. It’s funny Travis cuz people accused us of and in general almost kind of babying LeBron in terms of us always being so scared about him playing too many minutes off talking about how he’s just kind of a different breed of player to maybe we shouldn’t worry about that. And I don’t know, you know, maybe we should it, you know, I don’t know if it’s our history with, you know, after seeing Katie and then Thursday what happened with Kobe back in the day, maybe that’s just kind of what we can’t help but think about and worry about when you see a guy putting in so many minutes, but the only time tonight I was kind of odd, you know, cuz we did it did feel like we start again with Booker going out felt like we had a chance to win but there was a point where I guess it was just the last two minutes where Phoenix had gone up ten or eleven and I think long and that was you know, the Lakers had inbound the ball and LeBron was driving to the basket and I was just like, oh, I don’t know. It’s just felt like such a useful useless point for LeBron to be on the court at that place. I was just like get him out of there video like just you know, you just don’t want to see something stupid like LeBron, you know, the games already Out Of Reach and LeBrons driving to the bucket and he’s right and wrong choice and Ankle. I mean granted we are going into All-Star break. So at least that would be helpful. But you know, you know, you don’t you guys don’t want to get out we just we don’t want we don’t want to get hurt absolutely especially especially when wage is Out Of Reach and you know, it already felt like the dagger was in I think were two minutes left or something like that. It was it was after LeBron had already hit those two threes, you know, I think Phoenix had gotten a job another possession or stop in a possession and it was just you could tell wasn’t going to happen. You know, some people in the chat are talking about Kyle kuzma being out and how big of an impact that may I think as much as we talk about Kyle kuzma as offense. I think the kuzma being out might have been a big factor in terms of the open 3, so he’s actually because he’s like six ten and he’s able to guard the page. Kuzma closing out to a person is very different than West Matthews closing out. Now. You can argue maybe West Matthews has a little bit more lateral quickness, but kuzma closing out putting a hand up is going to extension a lot farther than say a Wes. Matthews would are certainly a Jared Dudley wood right now. I thought Jared Dudley was fine. He did some some good banging in the post and things like that. But kuzma closing out on Shooters is just a very different thing compared to those guys that they turned you tonight. And so that’s where I think you see how well the sun shot from 3 not saying kuzma would have solved everything and the sons would have shot 20% cuz Kyle kuzma would have just blocked every shot no choice, but I think he could have made a difference in terms of contesting 3-point shots. And that’s where I see the Lakers missing him. The most tonight was in terms of his perimeter defense and his ability to get a hand up in effect 3-point shots off. Yeah, and you didn’t even and I understand that’s how I would have affected the game the most tonight, but you didn’t even talked about his rebounding as which has been one of the standout things from him. So it’s just funny how bout you know, we’re doing may have talked about this before about how we as a as a fan base can go hot and cold about the players. Like, you know, how cold was it has Laker Nation been on a cruise before? Yeah, and then all of a sudden, you know, we don’t have them tonight and he’s like he’s are missing piece. So, you know, it just goes to show that sometimes you know, I’m not all or nothing with these guys, you know, sometimes it just, you know, you gotta hang in there with them and you know, obviously we like what Cruz brings to the team and I’ve never really been down on cruise that much money, you know, I think we just went through an adjustment period where we realized that you know, he wasn’t exactly what we were visiting as the third guy but he’s still a valuable asset to the team and a good contributor and birth. But he’s been putting in lately and just it cannot be denied. Even if it’s a bad shooting night. I mean, he’s hustling to grab boards. Like you said he would have been useful in defense wise with his wife tonight so long, you know. Yeah. We’re big on cruise. Yeah for sure.

I like to what we’ve seen from him this season. He’s been he’s been very good for the Lakers. All right. So I’ve got a few more comments in here that we need to get you but first, we really need to get to the Master Lock of the night. So let’s get there the Master Lock of the night Chris. Are you going to open it up everybody and do like a like a vote again? I have a feeling but based on what I’ve seen from the comments. I almost feel like they’ve already heard he voted on who they want Master unlocked. Oh my God, I don’t know how they decide. I mean there’s so many possibilities tonight. And I don’t know are we doing the master? Like video? Are you not running the video tonight know I can I can run it, but I wanted but do you want to give some options. Yeah, we’re about we’re going to open it up to like Renee for sure. So let’s let’s hit him with some options and then we’ll go to our Master Lock intro and then we’ll we’ll go over the results. So why don’t you give us the tight the three options? I bet I don’t we might be more than $3. So okay. So for the master. Come tonight Laker Nation, you tell us let’s see who you vote for over overwhelmed. There’s a lot of different kind of options here. And unfortunately, none of them are really Phoenix Suns at least from me tonight. So that’s not really good sign when the opposing team is lighting Master locked. But okay, so we have Frank Vogel or a Master Lock candidate. Do I even need to go into while we talked about the whole Sawridge Montrezl Harrell Damian Jones DeAndre and kind of fiasco a little bit that didn’t work out too. Well some of the questionable items, although again, it’s Jus bogle’s in his defense. We’re missing guys. So not completely all his fault second option Laker Nation is the refs what was going on tonight? So many thousands technical fouls, I’m not mad about the objection to Booker. I think that kind of even the playing field but the referees were very questionable tonight. I saw a lot of people on flick off Twitter talking about the officials and you know, really killed the flow of the game. So the rest are other option is I’m going to say the combination of West in k c p i mean you guys can vote for one the other or both. We don’t need to go into that any more than we already have. There’s been a lack of production there Casey peas in a slump West Matthews has been in his life since he got to the team so that makes it even worse on his past and I guess you can even go to UNC the network incidents for someone policy coverage tonight. You can Master Lock TNT, I guess if she wants so, what do you guys think? All right. So fire them off guys, let us know and you know what so we’ve got either Vogel getting the Master Lock kcp West Palm Fuse or the referees right firearm off. I’m going to run our intro and then we’ll give you the results, right we get back for the Master Lock of the night. Thursday and open until

This is closed. Why is it not supposed that I am I think the refs are getting a pass tonight. I don’t see a lot of of the refs on here, but I’m seeing a lot of people saying either kcp and west or Vogel and I’m saying something saying triple Master Lock all three of them. I know I’m really named Alex Brothers. Hey, let me let me hit you with something that popped into my head here. And so last season last season. We took Dwight Howard in Javale McGee and because they played the same position have the same role we push them together and it was July and it was the White Lake Howard. Let’s so let me let me put on you here. Let’s tavius Matthews pump wage. That’s way too much to spend too much rather, but that’s a mouthful right? That’s right. I thought you I thought you were going to go with one of these names are putting out here in the chat. I saw the brake brother headers. I took all I saw this is just terrible people are calling from the trash Brothers. I’m not condoning that I don’t like calling our guys trash. Although I don’t know, you know know off the classroom. Okay, so but we got it. Let’s let’s pick some of that one here though. I’m going to I’ll put you on the spot. I’ll leave it to you. Is it Vogel or is it the duo of k c p and Wes Matthews who’s getting getting put in the south? Along tonight, you know what? I’m going to give it to k c p and Matthews and that’s only because I mean it’s because of you know, being out happy sallah having crews out, you know and seeing. You know, I know that Vogel was just you know, he was making the best of a bad situation kind of you know what I mean? And like there was he could have done better things off the line up. Obviously, it wasn’t exactly a it wasn’t Perfect by any means but on I don’t know I just feel like there’s there’s really no excuse kind of Perkasie p in West Matthews, especially last West month is at this point. You know what I mean? Yeah agreed. Yeah. I’m good with that. So kcp West Matthews the I don’t want to I don’t want to start this but the brick Brothers. Do you know what I hope? I hope it doesn’t last. Yeah, I hope it does allows either but I mean it’s going to have to stick at least for a minute and hopefully they’ll help get them out of this slump. We I just want to repeat I haven’t completely lost faith in that month as getting frustrating very frustrating. All right, Chris one other thing that that I want to get into tonight, you know, I do know some people that cover the Phoenix Suns and one of those people that that covers the sons they mentioned something on Twitter through something out there and said, you know, the Reps have not been good tonight with the technicals and everything even from the Sun side. They weren’t happy with the with the officiating. But they said they weren’t prepared for the heat that comes with a Lakers vs Suns matchup. And I thought huh? This is to me I don’t do is that just me where I like, I don’t have any animosity towards the sun’s wage. I don’t feel that way. I mean the Celtics and the Clippers that’s where I think I take most of my focus most of my attention. Most of my negative thoughts basketball-wise go towards the Celtics of the Clippers wage, but you’ve got these like the sun’s they look at the Lakers as their biggest deadliest mortal enemy, right? That’s that’s how the sunseed like I have. I just don’t have any ill will towards the sons and I feel like it’s the same thing with the Blazers. It’s the same thing with the Kings. I don’t I don’t feel like there’s a son’s Lakers rivalry right now, but I think from the sun’s perspective there is are you or are you with me? Do you feel like I do what you just don’t feel any kind of way towards the sun’s an hour. Are you? Yeah, no trans. I mean you pass. I mean, we’ve kind of known this for a while like us as Laker fans. I mean, we only focus on like you said, it’s the Celtics and it’s you know lately it’s been the conquerors and it’s even turned into the Vets a little bit now, but that’s just cuz that’s a potential match up. But yeah, I don’t think we the reason these teams are are we don’t they’re not armed was what were their Rivals is because look how many championships that we’ve won on and you know what I mean? And those are Western Conference teams. So I mean they just thought it was can you look at it? You know when you’re a team that is you know in the Western Conference and you’re saying you’ve seen the Lakers do what they’ve done for literally decades at this point. So the Lakers have built up a rivalry with them jeans, that’s not necessarily a mutual rivalry for us. Now. The sun’s is not a rivalry. You know what I mean? Like the closest it was to a rivalry was you know on those Kobe maybe Steve Nash & Young Yeah, that was first that was for a rotary short. So and then you know Portland same thing so I completely agree with you. I mean, we have a lot of people that gave us like they’re rival but for us, you know, it’s a much smaller scope. I was I was on a radio show in Portland. It was a couple of years ago was like an NBC show and off and they were asking me about this, you know, the big Lakers are going to play the Blazers isn’t this this big rivalry and I kind of said, I don’t hear Lakers fans talk about the plays that I didn’t mean to be disrespectful anything, but I’m like, I know there’s not a lot of hatred towards the Blazers from the Lakers side of things even though they’re there is a just it’s the way it goes what happens when you’re winning championships, but we need to talk about this crash just came up Markieff Morris being very very honest surprisingly honest. He said, I’m mentally drained.

I know a lot of the guys on my team are mentally drained, but that’s not an excuse. So I mean Markieff is just coming on. I thought Mark had a good game today, but he’s coming right out and saying we’re tired. I mean, that’s he’s saying he’s drained like that song that makes me wonder what tomorrow is going to look like the last game before the All-Star break. Are they going to be able to focus at all? This team really is desperate for this for this break and I wish it was a longer cuz it feels like they need they need some time to recuperate. Well Trevor, you can’t blame them. I mean look how condense this season has been. I mean, I feel like we’re I mean we can feel it cuz I do the post game show here with you a lot of time. I mean we live or is there I can’t remember the last it doesn’t seem like I can’t really remember the last time or I feel like the last time that we’ve had two days without a game after he was almost like there’s a game every day and there is a very condensed and and it can be even exhausting for us just as terms of, you know doing like post games having to do post-game shows that often so I can only imagine as a player. You know what I mean? This is a team that went as deep as they did, you know to win the championship last season so you can only imagine kind of how these guys are feeling. Yeah. Absolutely. They I mean I I was surprised usually guys won’t admit when they’re tired. Right? I mean people have been asking LeBron for a while now like hey, do you feel like you’re getting worn out playing all these minutes and you keep saying no tires. Just a mental thing. I’m fine, but you know shaking it off. But here’s Markieff Morris just saying. Yep. I am tired. The rest of the team is tired to where mentally fatigued. I mean, it’s Gotta gotta be for now. She can’t blame him. So there’s All-Star break is going to be necessary or would be good for the team. And how long are these are all star break. I guess it’s till the 19th miles game start breaks down. And what is the date so they have tomorrow’s game they play they’re playing the Sacramento Kings tomorrow. So another Western Conference opponent and then they don’t play again until the 12th. So they get a week on the 12th the 12th. They’re going to play the Pacers. So so they get well Okay. So Thursday is the first day really of the All-Star break. So they get a week in a day before they have to play a game again a week and a half a day. Basically they get Thursday through the next Friday off. Okay. Well, it’s something you know, they they obviously need it and I personally don’t blame them, you know, cuz it’s it’s been you know this season. I know it’s less games but it’s super condensed just it’s very condensed and that’s and that’s a grind that’s a grind for sure people asking are there any trade rumors heading into the brake know but the All-Star break it’s going to be different this year the All-Star game though off right around the All-Star break. That’s typically when a lot of teams start really talking trade because everybody goes to whatever City for the All-Star game so they meet up and they’re talking obviously that’s not happening this year in terms of getting all the executives to go travel there. But I would imagine trade talks around the NBA are going to heat up here while there’s a break in play cuz at this point teams are starting to figure out what they’ve really got now will the fact that there’s you can get into the playoffs even if you have the tenth place spot in the in your conference will that change things were more teams don’t want to sell off players because they think they can get sick. 10 spot and get into the playoff tournament or play n tournament. Maybe maybe that’s a factor but we do no trade talks. Look, there’s no question. They’re going to pick up March 25th is inching closer. That’s the trade deadline between now and then we’re going to hear more and more and more in regards to trade rumors who might be on the move. So of course keep it tuned right here Lakers Nation YouTube channel guys. I keep you guys updated as we can. Make sure you are subscribed and don’t forget to bring that notification Bell Chris think we should call it a night. Well considering it’s 1:41 a.m. For me. I should be definitely call it a night. Let’s do it. Thank you for staying up late with us. Chris appreciate everybody coming up with your questions or comments. I know for Thursday night, but hopefully the Lakers can put together enough focus on the Sacramento Kings tomorrow night to finish off with a win and then go into the All-Star break and get a bit of a rest of tomorrow night. We’ll do another post game show after Lakers vs Kings. Thank you. Again. Everybody appreciates you guys joining us till tomorrow night. See you at stay safe.

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to the podcast version of this song on Apple podcast Spotify, wherever make sure you do rate review And subscribe with the Lakers do lose to the Miami Heat. Oh Alex Caruso had a chance to tie it up at the buzzer, but misses the shot was not an easy shot by came up just short gruesome misses and the Lakers do fall to the Miami Heat LeBron. James had a bit off of an off night and we have to remember of course Dennis Shooters still out and not going to miss two more games. They are really struggling to get offense going without him. And of course Anthony Davis out as well and he’ll be out for at least the next four weeks or so, which will take him out all the way through a little bit past the old star breaks up the Lakers clearly struggling clearly undermanned and we got a lot to talk about because there’s some rumors popping up about what the Lakers might do about it and some people that they dead Try to bring in so a lot to break down joining me tonight. We’ve got Chris the Masterpiece Masters Chris. How you doing, man? I’m okay disappointing disappointing loss. It was it was a weird game. I know we’re going to get into all of it. But you know, there’s the world we live in when you don’t have off Anthony Davis and then to a compound things you don’t have demonstrated or who plays a big role for our team. So 12 plus tonight. Yeah, let’s get on here. I think that the schruder think really is it’s a big deal. It really is. It’s a big deal to not have him out there because of what he brings in terms of the skill set his ability to get into the paint his ability to run the offense. You can just see it when LeBron is not on the floor. I mean, you’re you’re you’re hanging on the edge of the cliff and you’re just praying that your drink it doesn’t give out and you just tumble over the edge. That’s what they’re doing right now when LeBron’s not on the floor, it’s like it’s like Frank Vogel is just constantly watching the clock one. Can I put it back in yet? Can I put them back in yet? Because any minute that LeBron is not on the floor the Lakers offense looks dead. Lately lost because they don’t have anybody that can really be a threat off the dribble. They can get into the paint and do anything from there. And and so it’s a bit of a mess. They’re just trying to hold on for dear life reminds me a little of the Lakers bench Squad last year except right now. You don’t have Anthony Davis to help claw you back into games either. So it’s that’s certainly a challenge and Dennis Schroder is going to miss two thousand more games. No, he did test negative for covid-19 will do to contact tracing he is out for two more games. So this is going to be a couple more games where the Lakers have to grind it out without some really key pieces here. Yeah, you know and it’s funny you say that cuz that’s exactly how I felt during the game and I’m assuming that’s just how all of Laker Nation feels when you don’t have LeBron on the floor man. I mean worse and it is it’s just compounded by the fact that you don’t have dentist router who can kind of take some of that responsibility, you know, obviously, we don’t have Rondo from last year. We kind of the light on Rhonda when those moments but yeah, you just don’t really have anybody really truly run the offense, you know, when you don’t have LeBron you don’t have schruder and yeah, it’s kind of difficult to watch it was a little difficult at certain points tonight. But like you said to even LeBron LeBron started out real good in the first like the first half but he started struggling in the second half a little bit off. So it’s just a tough loss tonight. You know, I’m just afraid, you know, we need to let a d rest obviously and I think that’s the most important but you know what? I think we’re just in birth. A tough stretch here at this point in the season and I guess you know, it’s a good time for the All-Star break to be coming. Let’s at least say that that’s the other thing they’re hanging on for that not only hanging on to see if they can get the minutes of the June is playing right now. They’re hanging on to get to the all-star break. It can’t come fast enough. There’s too many games between now and the All-Star break. I keep thinking it’s only a couple of weeks away and yet still feels like an eternity because the Lakers are going to be coasting into the All-Star break on fumes. That’s the way it’s looking like right now just without these pieces. They’re really struggling. I will say though. This game could have very easily been a win and that would have changed the whole narrative, you know, a couple of shots here. It’s not like the game against the Nets couple of nights ago. We’re very clearly the Nets just completely outplayed the Lakers. I like the Lakers got outplayed tonight, but this one could have been a win had the ball bounced their way a couple of times and then that would have changed our narrative up a little bit. So this one isn’t quite as long I don’t want to say demoralizing but but quite as defeating as that lost to the Nets where it was just clear the entire game that they weren’t going to get the W this one they had their chances. They had their opportunities and very easily. This could have followed into the Lakers record books as a w but unfortunately just didn’t go that way. You know, I mean people are going to point to Alex Caruso missing that shot but there was a lot happened that that happened before then that really led to the Lakers ended up ending up in the position. They’re in right now.

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Yeah, you know we had text right in the fourth quarter talking about how you know, this has been kind of it’s been a bad game to watch it certain points, but I would like to point out and I put it out to you but you know for us to still be in the game without a the Intruder is still you know, that’s something to be recognized. You know what I mean? Like we were still had a chance to tie it, you know, the end of the game and they even they made the comeback in the third of fortunately as soon as they made the comeback the heat went on a run again and went on 10:00, but, you know, it wasn’t pretty by any means, but still for them to have a chance to tie it. I mean, you know could have been worse. I think I had a question here. And by the way guys we’re going to give away some lakersnation.com license plate frames. So make sure you guys use suck your questions your comments. We’re going to give these things away. If I call your name, all you got to do is shoot me a DM on Twitter and I will send me your name your mailing address email address send you a lakersnation.com. Lysosome. Frame, so I had somebody asking and I just lost the name. I just lost the name. Somebody asked why was Wes Matthews shooting that three? I thought the exact same thing when that play went off on that way. You’ve got a chance you’re down to you’ve got a chance to either tie or go up and you don’t give the bow you use LeBron as a decoy on that plate to get a West Matthews three Chris. What was what were your thoughts in that moment when you saw that happen? All I all I know is I didn’t like that shot. And now that you mention it it kind of reminds me of kcp from a couple of years ago when you know, you have these kind of clutch moments in the game and it just for whatever reason did not want them taking that shot. What did you think of it? Cuz I I had the same reaction as soon as he saw it as like, oh that doesn’t feel like the best possession for this point in the game. And it kind of like we weren’t going to have another shot at winning the game, you know, obviously, we we got that steal at the end and and always Charissa was able to get a shot off and to tie it but it felt like afterthoughts West Matthew shot. It was kind of, you know demoralizing. I kind of felt like oh, okay. Well, this might be it was it was kind of like that play the Chiefs ran off who they were going up against in the semifinals where it looked like they were just going to try to fake the the on site or fake the other team off side and then they were going to put the ball away they would call log I’m out and put the ball ways to play clock was winding down and then they actually snapped the ball and ran a play. They got the first down that they needed and and end of the game right there. And oh maybe that was against Cleveland. Anyway, it was kind of like that. It’s the kind of place where if it doesn’t work. You’re going to look really stupid and if it works, you look like a genius as it happens. It didn’t work. And so people are going to be asking the question mark West Matthews taken that shot. If Wes Matthews knocks that down and he got a wide-open three, right? He had he had no one out of moves wide open. He knocks that down and we’re all saying Frank vogel’s a genius the guts to ye Le Bron James of all people as as a decoy at the end of a game like that but looking back hindsight being twenty-twenty. You probably watch ball in LeBron’s hands, even though they did get a wide open shot for for Wes Matthews. Well, yeah, it’s where’s his credit? I mean he hit a couple shots. I think in the in the third and even maybe in the fourth, so I mean, you know, it wasn’t a bad shot. And from what it looked like to me. They kept chopping LeBron. So you were getting some good clean shots. A lot of them. The Lakers just didn’t convert on. I think they’re still kind of struggling from the ark a little bit but you know, I’m just I’m with you. I am interested in feel good in the moment for at least that point of the game, even though it was wide open and you know, it was

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age of 21 shooting rare off shooting night for LeBron. I mean if he has a normal night, this is the wind for the Lakers, right? He was a normal shirt. That’s when we started out. All right, but I start off just couldn’t get it going on nine boards 9 to 6, and we we should mention right after I finished these stats will talk about the officiating but nine boards nine is this one steal one block for LeBron. Kyle kuzma needs the job. Points 23 points for boards eight of 21 shooting we talked about this on the pregame video that kuzma Irishman was going to be one of the guys that was going to need to step up with the scoring and sure enough. He did with Gasol Marcus all six points two blocks did play 24 minutes Montrezl Harrell play 24 minutes as well. So they split those minutes evenly at center for the first time in a wild ten boards Fortress. Nice page for him 18.7 of 12 shooting West Matthews 247 from Deep kcp. He lives 3:05 or 3 or 5 from Deep for kcpe gotta like that. I am asking for get some great for assist for him 11:11 like that. He was able to get that done. That’s about it of note on the night though on the night. Oh God is 39% from the field for the Lakers 29% from 3. That’s not going to get it done. The shooting woes continued for the Lakers even though case you’d be home. Right shooting the three bolts. So that’s that’s a problem. If you knock in even league-average from 3 you win this game easily. Although we should note that Miami also shot 29% from 3 month. So Chris the officiating LeBron James was very very very frustrated as I came when I saw a number of places where he didn’t he should have got back on defense, but he was so frustrated with attacking the basket not getting call after call after call after call that he was just he was just throwing his arms up in despair at that point 404 from the free throw line for LeBron. He probably could have taken double-digit free throws in this game probably could have been 10 to 12 free throws pretty easily and yet he just could not buy a whistle and that certainly in a two-point game that’s going to be particularly frustrating for the Lakers for Lakers fans for everybody involved to see that kind of thing happen. Yeah, I mean LeBron I cuz you can see the frustration like you said you didn’t get back on defense on a lot of plays but I don’t know what it is with the officiating off the bronze bigger and stronger than everybody a lot of the time. So, I don’t know if the reps are just taking that into account the old, you know kind of Shaquille O’Neal thing where it’s hard to move to point. What is a foul but I think he could have definitely got more the officiating was a bit sketchy tonight. And you know, I kind of feel bad for LeBron sometimes you know, he’s absorbing. He’s getting to the rim. He’s absorbed all this contact and then you know just to not get the whistle blown is just you know, he was definitely frustrated Jaden Coleman said the officials have been so weird this year. I agree. That’s that’s a good word for it weird. It’s just been very inconsistent. And I know that’s that’s kind of a theme every year but it feels like what’s a foul one night is in a foul the next night and and change. Just it changes every night what is and isn’t a foul and I I try to support the referees as much as possible because it’s an extremely difficult job. I would be terrible at it. Terrible awful. I mean these guys are so fast. So strong and some of them unfortunately have become so good at pretending like there’s contact when there isn’t that it makes the jobs of the officials so so difficult just about impossible. So there’s a human element to it. There’s error there’s no question there, but it’s still frustrating when you’re seeing things like that is changing the outcome of the game in this situation cold-blooded dagger for YouTube said, it wasn’t bands tap back into the backcourt a violation not if the referees decided he didn’t have possession of the ball off. You didn’t have possession then it’s not going to be a backcourt. Once the shot goes up that it’s a 50-50 ball. The ball gets tapped into the backcourt. You can still retrieve it. So if they they determine that you didn’t have possession of it, that’s why I’m Was allowed to to do that. All right. I am going to talk a little bit about DeMarcus Cousins as well. We’ll get into that one Kendrick Nunn. Oh my goodness that play Chris I tweeted about this play. I tried to stay off of social media tonight. My my my in-laws are in town. And so we were sitting watching the game with them and talking with them and everything. So I tried to stay off of social media during the game just watch the game and just kind of just take it in that way. Now it’s way out there was no tree so that that was kind of my plan coming in and that play I couldn’t help but go on Twitter and said something out Kendrick package runs into Bam. Adebayo Bam adebayo steps up too far to set a screen and puts his shoulder into Kendrick Nunn and Alex Caruso. Somehow gets called for a foul. They would that was just one of many head-scratchers from the the officials tonight. I’m like, I can’t believe that just happened

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just happened at BAM. Adebayo fouled his own player and Alex Caruso happened to be standing next to him. So they called a foul on Alex Caruso. It’s unbelievable. Just a bad night for the officials tonight. Yeah, all around hundred percent hundred percent. All right, so when I’m looking at this game and I look at everything that happened off tonight and I see that the Lakers they got outrebounded by this Miami Heat team, which may be okay. Maybe you expect that with no Anthony Davis, but otherwise, they played fifty-two points in the pay. They played them fairly even except for that the points in the paint difference here. This is here’s the thing we talked about we talk about how much of a margin for error you’ve got right from game to game. How big is the margin of error is that was something we talked about a few seasons ago when the Lakers were looking at getting getting Kawhi Leonard along with LeBron James and Anthony Davis and we said, well, that’s the reason why this would be such a big deal isn’t just yeah, you have three Superstars together, but your margin for error be khong Enormous, right like you even if LeBron has an off-night, you have two other superstars that can get going. So your margin of error is huge. Whereas promotes most teams playing you you’ve no margin of error the Lakers missing Anthony Davis them for Eric goes down missing Anthony Davis or with Anthony Davis. You can probably lose the points in the paint battle. You shouldn’t but you could and still win the game because you’ve got a superstar that’s going to be plenty or you’ve got to shoot. Well from 3, if you’re shooting well from 3, you can lose the points of the paint battle. What you can’t do is not have a second star lose the points of the paint battle and not shoot. Well from that you do all three of those things you’re done you’re going to you’re probably going to lose that game and that’s what we’re seeing more of out of the Lakers. The three-point shooting is not picking up and the points of the paint is continued to be an issue again Chris. Like you said 52 points in the paint. What do they do there? Oh my gosh, I mean this is going to go right back to the whole you’re going to open up the chat to completely going nuts. Oh poor Microsoft wage. It’s just like you said, I mean that would basically summarized the game as the Lakers bad three-point shooting and points of the paint for Miami. So I don’t know. I mean, I know we’re going to talk about this in a few minutes, but you know, it’s going to I’m sure everybody right on the chat is saying we gotta look for another big man, right? Yeah, and that’s something well, you know what let’s just talk about it. Let’s pray about it. We do need to get into a few Awards and things like that. But remember came out about an hour and half for the game DeMarcus Cousins sounds like he’s going to get released by the Houston Rockets and the Lakers according to Kevin O’Connor of the ringer. The Lakers are one of the teams that that will be expected to pursue DeMarcus Cousins. Here’s my thing Chris. I don’t think that DeMarcus Cousins fixes the points of the paint issue. That’s that’s my challenge. Like I like the idea. I like the talent level. I didn’t like the Boogie left. I would have liked to see him. Hey, but I don’t think he fixes the points of the paint problem. So, where are you at on this? Would you be if the Lakers signed if we find out tomorrow? Hey cousins is getting released and on the 24th when the Lakers are eligible to sign another player. He’s going to come back to the Lakers would how would you feel would you be on the pro side for that or would you be against that? Well, you know, it’s kind of one of those things where it sounds good at first, you know Boogie cousins. I mean, we’ve always kind of liked the idea of Boogie cuz he was on this team. He was on the text right all along but he was with the team but I think the more you think about it after the initial thought you realize that you know when you cuz I don’t know how well the thing is is I haven’t seen too many of em games with Houston. I haven’t I don’t know, you know how well he’s been playing as of late, but I’m a little reluctant because of the injuries, he’s had I mean it almost feels like I don’t want to say it seems like you’re you’re signing another Marcus all but I mean, you know, it might be a slight upgrade from Basalt. But again, it’s like you said it’s not going to kind of solve our interior defense problems because I you know, he’s not going to be that type of player at this point. You know what I mean? He’s kind of going to be doing some of the things cuz all of us doing as far as shooting from the outside and you know, obviously hopefully rebounding wage I don’t know. I just I’d like to think that there might be somebody else we can look for you know what I mean? Like them something more of a bold again, you know to go back to you know, an athletic long rim protector, you know of like a Dwight Howard’s machine type a little more so than a you know, another I don’t know don’t you think? Oh DeMarcus Cousins and Marcus Al’s kind of skill-set at this point are kind of comparable. I do you think Boogie is an upgrade from kassala. I mean he probably is but I’m just factoring the injuries have or might you know what I mean? It’s a bit of a it’s a bit of an overlap. I agree. It’s a bit of an overlap. It’s

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a bit of an overlap. It’s kind of like like Boogie cousins and Marcus all are like West Matthews and kcp. It’s not the exact same player. There’s differences. There’s no question. There’s differences but their skill-set is more similar than it is different at this point like the difference between Boogie and say a general is Noelle or JaVale or Dwayne or Dwight Howard. One of those guys that the true like Rim protecting centers that that are kind of the lower-tier rim protectors Boogie to those guys is I mean, it’s a completely different skill-set completely different style of player. Boogie is a lot closer to a Mark assault-style Player. That’s that’s what he is right now. But on the Sea Shack DeMarcus Cousins are shooting 38% and that’s with me rounding up from the field not from 3 from the field 38% for a center. That’s bad. That’s bad bad bad 34% from 3, and I will say that about half of his shots right now our threes. So that’s probably what’s pulling his field goal percentage down, but he is also getting seven points. Yep. Rebounds in just 20 minutes of play. So that is very solid nine point six points defensively the Houston Rockets right now are slightly better with Boogie on the cord actually than off its close. I don’t know see. I think the ceiling is high on DeMarcus Cousins, like I look at the skillset. It’s not a perfect fit, but is there going to be anybody out there that’s better on the market if Andre Drummond gets out there sure you would absolutely take Andre Drummond over DeMarcus Cousins, but we don’t know he might just get traded. We don’t know if he’s going to be on the market. Do you take Blake Griffin over to Marcus cousins? I don’t know if I do that and bugging, you know, the you know that he does have the chemistry with the team. I know he got into it a little bit with Markieff Morris from the Lakers played the Rockets earlier this season, but from everything we’ve heard that was just kind of a game thing and they were cool after the game. Everything was fine. So if you can find a way to make it a non-guaranteed deal I’m up for it just to give it a shot just to see what happens and then worst-case if it’s non-guaranteed you part ways clear that money off the books and then you can go look at somebody on the buyout Market. But again in just a few days the Lakers are going to open up that 15 roster spot and I don’t know. I wonder if it’s coincidence that this comes out now about DeMarcus Cousins off leaving the Houston Rockets just a few days before the Lakers happened to have a roster spot opening up. I just think that’s an interesting coincidence there. sounds yeah, it’s like so it seems like a coincidence or just weird timing, right? Yeah. Exactly. It is interesting time. Somebody said Travis Hayden said what’s the cousin’s talk? So to take it all the way back beginning guys Sean strontium reported. That cousins is going to be leaving the Houston Rockets which means he’s going to be a free agent. And by the way, by the way credit to the Houston Rockets, I didn’t expect this from them. They are guaranteeing his contract before releasing him. That means he’s going to get his money for the whole season. They’re going to continue to pay him and given the opportunity to go back or else because they realize they’re not going to have enough minutes for them. They want to play small. They want to run Christian. What is their Center? So again credit to them out Koro? He’s all for it from YouTube said DeMarcus Cousins is a double upgrade from God all Are we just that down on Gasol or we that high on DeMarcus Cousins? Maybe a little bit of both. I don’t know. Yeah, I don’t know. I think we’re that. I think we’re that down on on Kasam. I I understand where he’s coming from. Normally Boogie is like a double upgrade, but I’m the only thing I’m factoring is is all the injuries. You know what I mean? That’s where I and I haven’t got just I’m watching the Houston Rockets game in and game out this season. So it’s hard to kind of you know, is he a double upgrade at this point is in his career? I’m not sure but yeah, probably not with the injuries, but it’s not to say he’s still not an upgrade from Gasol. Like I would still probably lean towards Adam sure you would yeah. Absolutely. Absolutely. I think you have to push. Okay Chris. We need to get in some of our Wards. I am going to talk. I’ve had some people in the chat asking about PJ Tucker. We’re going to talk about that rumor. We’re going to talk about some other trades the Lakers could be poking around, but first we thought Talk a little bit more about tonight’s game and let’s get into I’ve been calling to the Third Man Award, but it doesn’t make any sense anymore with Anthony Davis out to call the third man. So we’ve changed the name and and we’ve changed it to the next man up award and I want to see somebody hit me up with that on on Twitter wage and they sent me that as as a name. They thought would would work and I’m trying to look into my Twitter account here and I’m not seeing the name. So I’ll look forward to make sure I have it next time but oh, here it is. Here it is. So this is where I got it from @lakers Stand 20/20 on Twitter. Thank you for hitting me up with this. I know some people had different variations of it, but the next man up award. I think it just makes a lot of sense Works no matter how many players do the Lakers have in the rotation and it works for what the Lakers Mantra has been right next man up. So the next man up award. Here we go.

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All right, Chris. So the next man up award goes to not LeBron not Anthony Davis if they’re both healthy, we’re talking about who’s the next guy to step up for the Lakers that has not a superstar level player. Who do you have that as your next man up tonight? I think you’re going to agree with this probably most likely Nationwide. I don’t you know trans had a good fourth quarter and you know even West Matthews was good at certain points of the game, but I think if we were going to hand it to one person, I think you’d have to be cous cous started out. I just we love what we’ve been seeing from Coos lately and we got all of that plus we got off, uh more more scoring out of Clues which obviously we need with the absence of a d and shrewder so I would go. Khus. I’m betting you probably are going to go. Khus but let’s go down there with you a hundred percent. I think that this is and I love the games where there’s like five guys that we could potentially give it to you. And then we have a little bit of a debate because that means a lot of guys played really well, but now I think it’s Gotta Be Kyle kuzma tone night. He was tremendous Kyle kuzma 23 points for boards eight of 21 shooting for of 11 from 3 is not good and his 3-point percentage has ticked down a little bit. He was shooting a career-high fog From 3 for most of the season and now he’s dropped slightly below his career-high. So I’d like to see that come up. But other than that, I liked we saw it or Kyle kuzma the night that three-pointer you hit near the beginning of the game towards the end of the shot clock. Oh, wow. Yeah. That was that was Kobe asked right not to compare Kobe and kuzma at the two very different players right different levels. Yeah, but it was that type of a shot. It was kind of shot where you see them shooting you just go. Oh no way. There’s no way he’s going to make oh my God, he made it right like Kyle kuzma had himself a very nice night tonight for the Lakers so credit to him definitely gets the next man up award. So gotta love that. All right. Let’s give away some more lakersnation.com license plate frames. And somebody said relax with the Kobe comparisons I’m saying it’s that type of shot a kobe-style shot. That’s it. That’s it. I’m not saying like if I blow up a piece of paper and I took it in the trash can and I say Kobe that doesn’t mean that I’m comparing myself to Kobe Bryant know it’s that type of thing. I’m not saying who is Muscovy. Everybody deep breath deep breath is killing herself some heat. I know man. I know Chris. I just saw it somebody mentioned Mo Bamba. You know, it’s funny cuz you’ve been very clear to keep pumping that that is not a real groomer, but it’s so come up and I was dying off the post game and show of the Nets after we did our watch party which by the way was a lot of fun outside of the actual, you know, the results actually like myself and I enjoy I really enjoyed that but yeah. Yeah mobamba, here we go. That was a fun watch party. But yeah, unfortunately the game was not too excited. Dustin Briggs me from Facebook said are you worried that we’re now the third seed? Do you have any concern? Well, you know, here’s the thing, you know, we this goes back to we kind of talked a little bit about this but we are at a point where we we took after resting. You know what I mean? Like, I don’t think anybody should be thinking like, oh he needs to come back, but I do worry because it’s going to be a long stretch. We’re talking about possibly a month. So I am Just hoping that we don’t drop too far in in the west. You know what I mean like in and so what are we with the four-seat now? Yeah. Well the right now they have they’ve dropped you. Are they for I gotta look at the standings right now. I thought they were the third three see at least that’s what the question said. So let me let me look at it right now. There’s still this resets, right? They are two games up of the Phoenix Suns. So it’s right now Utah long won. The Clippers are the two and the Lakers and Clippers have identical records. They’re both 22 and 9. Okay, and the Lakers are sitting in the third seed and so that means whatever. I can’t remember off top my head with the next page maker is but so the Lakers fall below the Clippers on a tiebreaker right now to be the third seed. So is that something you’re worried about? Well a little bit. What I am thinking now is thank goodness. We got like that seven-game winning streak and we had a relative we had a pretty good start to the season because it looks like now we’re going to be struggling at it and we’re going to be struggling for a while dog. And I don’t think there is anything else. There’s nothing we can do about it. Cuz you know, even if we drop as far as our positioning in the west the most important thing is having a D healthy, I think he needs the rest as long as possible. Like yeah, we’re going to be watching the standings and we’re going to start sweating it out as we see ourselves fall as time progresses here, but I think we gotta maintain our focus is on the the playoffs and and we know I mean the worst possible thing in the world would be to see you know, and I know nobody’s talking about eighty coming back. I’m just saying, you know, this is what we’re going to be out for as long as he’s out and I think you know, we’re going to have to pay attention to our standings and we’re going to be sweating it but we gotta try not to and hopefully the team can stay above water over the next four years and just not fall too far and hopefully at least still win a majority of their games. I mean again tonight, I mean, let’s not discredit them without a d Intruder they were they were almost interests. They almost home. Almost forced overtime. So I think we’re going to be okay, but we you know, we’re definitely we’re not going to be the first seat any time and that’s you know, like you said that’s with the bench looking not good right today. Not not good recently wage. That’s been the biggest disappointment. I think are at least one of the bigger disappointments is the bench has really not stepped up beside from one random guy here or there has stepped up Kyle kuzma, I think has stepped up pretty consistently, but I had

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what they’ve always done and we’re not in that situation. You don’t have the luxury of doing what you’ve always done with and when Anthony Davis Intruder out everybody ought to get more more and I think we haven’t seen that and I don’t know what that is. That’s looking ahead to the all-star break or what but we haven’t seen that at this point. And so that’s got to be a disappointment based on all of the talk we had about how much better the Lakers bench was this season so far, this is your time. Let’s show it and hasn’t really happened yet. But am I worried that they have fallen to the 3 seed know because wage Saying it all along health is the most important thing and Chris. You mentioned it early on in the season. They were able to stack up some wins and early on in the season. We kept saying you want to get caught wins now rack up the wins against some of the bad teams put them on your record

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case something happened. Somebody goes down to injury you lose somebody for covid-19 since now they’ve done both of those things off. Now you’ve got those wins on your record already too kind of buffer you and it keeps you from going into a free-fall and dropping too far in the standing. So sitting third, I’m not too worried about that. Again. The the main focal point has to be health. Is it comfortable watching the Lakers drop in the standings? No, absolutely not. It’s not what you want to see but it’s not the end of the world knowing that the end goal is winning an NBA league championship not finishing as the number one seed. When would you get nervous though? I mean, let’s just say for argument’s sake we start following and you know would say we father V seat then the 6th seed by the time we fought 16, would you start stressing? Yeah, if they fell all the way to the 6 seed then I’d worry a little bit but you’re talking about a four-game drop to get to the 6 seed. That’s that’s a pretty probably hopefully not hopefully not but still. Yeah, I mean, then you would start to stress a little bit. Once they get into the play in rounds. Like you don’t want them to drop that far. They they shouldn’t they should if they do then we’ve got, you know bigger problems to to discuss speaking of problems to discuss LeBron James not a great night, but also played 37 minutes when Anthony Davis was playing we saw a lot of Nights LeBron was playing like 33 minutes. Is that a concern it is for me. Yes, it is a concern just because he’s in his eighteen season and to be putting in this many minutes is not going to make it should make any of us comforting them to have the as much as I was even nervous at certain points tonight. I saw LeBron kind of shaking off his ankle at a certain point in life. My stomach almost dropped cuz I mean, could you imagine like, you know knock on wood God forbid if something happened to LeBron at this point and how much that would just derail are seasoned and derail just everything you know what I mean? It was just basically we’re Laker Nation. So it ruined our lives is right. So yeah it is. It is concerning. I’m just going to have faith that he can he’s the most durable athlete of all time that he can stay healthy through this stretch and hopefully, you know, there aren’t any problems. But yeah, you can’t, you know, we’ve seen here specifically with the Lakers we’ve seen wage. It’s happened before and you know, you just again, you just don’t want to see him get hurt and you’re just hoping that you know, LeBron can stay healthy throughout this and he doesn’t overtax himself. I mean, you know how long he seemed he seems like he’s in good shape. He’s healthy and he’s ready for it. But I don’t know you just you cannot be a little where he takes a lot of pride in playing every single game and that’s something that matters to him. Yeah, but it’s almost like the losses like this hurt you even more you know what I mean, like against the Nets it was a blowout loss. And so the Lakers only played LeBron. I think he played like 32 minutes. That’s fine. But then tonight hours that are closed vogel’s thinking. Okay, I gotta I gotta try to get the win and so they’ll Braun is playing more because the team just Falls to Pieces when he’s not on the floor because no shrewder. No Anthony Davis and so he’s playing more and then it doesn’t pay off and you still lose and you just pushed all those minutes on the LeBron James, so it’s kind of a bit of a double whammy there and so that’s Thursday. Frustrating and especially knowing schruder even is going to be out to more games that stuff that stuff knowing that you’re without him. Look if should replace this game. I think the Lakers win they win fairly easily in this one you miss him a lot tonight and he can’t get back fast enough because it takes some of the burden off of the brawn right now. It feels like everybody on the team has to watch LeBron do his thing and off and play off of that and when he’s not out there it does. It just doesn’t work and so 37 minutes tonight. That’s too many. You don’t want LeBron racking up these minutes right now because we know as players fatigue off the hood of injury goes up man all goes back to what we’re saying the beginning the All-Star break cannot get here fast enough just fast-forward. We need the All-Star break now, I’m well, you know just the overall mileage on the Braun cuz you have to kind of look at it in terms it out when your agencies and agencies and gender and all that. I mean, there’s only a certain amount of birth. So when you’re done such a great point and a game like tonight where you did it rests LeBron cuz it wasn’t a situation like the Mets and we still lose. Yeah, it’s tough cuz you just put all those thoughts on the speedometer and you know, it didn’t amount to a win and you’re not you’re not going to get those bats. So next game the Lakers take on the Washington Wizards that’s on Monday that becomes strangely enough a must-win because there’s such a bad team you have to win that game and get that because the rest of the schedule is really tough. You won’t have shooter against Washington, but found Wednesday the 24th, you have the Utah Jazz. I’m really conflicted about what to do here because we know there’s no sugar for this game. You know, there’s no Anthony Davis. It’s a nationally televised game on ESPN. And so I know they’re not actually going to do it. But I’d almost be tempted to just bench LeBron. for the game against, Utah

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Cuz you know if they’re going to have any chance in this game, he’s going to have to go nuclear and even then because you touched been playing so well without shooter without Anthony Davis. What’s the likelihood even a LeBron goes berserk that you win that game? Probably not very high. So could you just use that as a rest opportunity and say look? Okay. Hey, if it’s if the likelihood of us winning this game is not high because we’re missing so many players and LeBrons going to have to tax himself an incredibly in order to even keep us in this thing because you touched Planet playing very very good basketball. Do you just sit him down? I don’t know and I know they they won’t actually do it but it’s a thought that pops into my head. Like is that something where you just kind of say? Yeah, we’re going to we’re going to get him some rest in this one rather than have him go a hundred miles an hour and try to beat the Utah Jazz by himself. I understand where you’re coming from Trap. I mean logically that makes sense. But it’s like you also said, I mean it’s a national T game. It’s a big match up in with the way LeBron’s been you know off as of late and since he’s been with the Lakers, I mean, he’s not just going to load manage on a game like that. You just hope again that he doesn’t have to put in fact, it’s not a situation where he’s putting in more minutes than he has to 4 that night, you know, hopefully you can keep them at his regular minutes and you know, if if the Lakers take you know, they’d taken ill and I you know, just hopefully you’re not extending LeBron too much type of thing, you know, I and I almost feel bad even suggesting that because I know that’s that’s non-competitive right like that. That’s not what you really want to do and I do push comes to shove. I probably wouldn’t do that. I probably wouldn’t mention but not does pop into my head cuz that game that game definitely looms large with no shirt. That’s the thing. It’s it’s not dead. Don’t have any Anthony Davis. It’s not having schruder that puts even more pressure on LeBron James and you look at these games man, Washington, Utah, Portland Golden State Phoenix Sacramento wage.

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I’ll give you have everybody you’re going to have some battles here but games you should win but missing the pieces that they’re missing. This is going to be a really rough stretch. And that’s why becomes even more important that you get that win against Washington cause other than maybe Sacramento and they’re playing pretty well. Actually every other game there is going to be really close I think. Yeah, and it’s going to make you know, we’re all going through this together you me all Laker Nation. It’s going to be a tough stretch, I think and all that that tells me is off our show is never more necessary than like this I go back I go back to when I started watching you that first your post game shows that first year with the Lonzo ball and John Brandon Ingram and LeBron and Stark. We’re also hopeful and you know, that’s just when you know, these tough stretches are really when we Thrive as a a show in Laker Nation at home. All right? Well, I hope it’s group therapy for for Lakers fans. That’s right. That’s that’s how this really started. That’s how it was most nights, you know, it was funny back then our audience our numbers wage increase significantly when the Lakers lost and dropped when they were one. It’s the opposite manner which is how it should be right. It should be people are excited and coming here to celebrate a win and everything, but it’s like people were dead. Then when the show first started people were so upset when the Lakers lost that they needed an outlet. They needed some place to come. Yeah, and that’s what that’s what we became for everybody. That’s how the show kind of started off. Oh, yeah. Totally was I was one of them. All right. We need to get into the Master Lock of the night Chris and then we need to talk a little bit about these PJ Tucker rumors. So here we go Let’s Do It Off song? All right, Chris, the Masterpiece masters job is getting put in the Master Lock to night. Okay. Well Trev Laker Nation. I just want to forewarn you tonight’s Master Lock might not make the most sense. You didn’t necessarily do anything specifically tonight, but tonight’s master of his person. Oh. The guy we’re going to Master Lock tonight and this’ll everybody’s going to like to hear this. He was a former Boston Celtic. He now obviously plays the Miami Heat tonight’s Master Lock is going to an individual just annoys me and who I kind of look at like he’s a bit of a dirty player. I’ve seen him have quite a few dirty replaced the Master Lock of the night goes to mister Kelly Olynyk new my friend have just been Master locked and I’m just saying straight up and he didn’t do anything specifically tonight, but I just I don’t care for him very much. So I wanted to take this opportunity to master Walkin. I I I had no idea Chris that you have this grudge against Kelly Olynyk is an anti ponytail thing off or what? What is it? Because he was a former Boston Celtic all of these things. The man bun is a yeah, and you know there I can’t remember who maybe it was against Dwayne wage. But I’ve seen Kelly Olynyk involved in some really dirty plays and there was one specifically that I saw that I I knew you know on top first of all, it’s a bus he was a Boston Celtics then I just saw this specific dirty player. I think it was Dwyane Wade against Dwyane Wade, baby, and I’m sure it’s maybe somebody in the chat you could knows which one but it was just it was real nasty and he just got a real history of that and I I just I do not like it you just one of those guys you kind of gets to me and you know what I watch tonight’s game. I just kept popping in my head. I’m like, you know, I need

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I’m like, you know, I need to Master Lock here fair enough fair enough. The chat is affecting us that he he dislocated Kevin Love’s shoulder. That was the that was the play you were thinking was You like? Yeah, I don’t know why it’s Dwayne. Wait, but it was yeah, it was Kevin Love and it was it was awful as one of the worst Thirty plays I’ve seen in basketball and I know there’s been a lot but that one just stood out to me and I’ve never bought a white some sense that you know, cuz kettle of seems like a pretty good dude, and I don’t know it just it really irked me understandable understandable. I get it and people are saying that they need to get a chance to square off with alenick in the squared Circle. Oh you go. All right. So let’s let’s talk. We need to talk about it the PJ Tucker rumors the rumored that the Lakers are are poking around looking for shooters. That was from Asian wage house key before the game. First of all, Gary Sheffield Junior. I mean this this is his like favorite. This is his dream. The Lakers are interested in trading for PJ Tucker now, they are not the only team I think that there is a very very good chance PJ Tucker is traded before the trade deadline. Why because he makes no sense on this team, right if they’re getting rid of DeMarcus Cousins and not saying we’re going to go young. We’re going to go with the quicker players and all of that PJ Tucker makes no sense. They’re John Wall kind of makes no sense either but his contract is so big. You can’t really move him or do anything with him. Their cleavage need the Rockets are going to rebuild and PJ Tucker is a guy who can help a lot of teams a guy who can shoot threes and defend three-and-d Wing player Chris. What do you think about that Target? Is that somebody that you you’re happy to hear the Lakers connected to? Definitely not upset about it. I’m very happy for getting like this favorite player. You know, PJ Tucker has one of the greatest shoe collection, but that decide that that is true all the kicks. Yes. But yeah, I mean, that’s a great addition. I think that’s kind of an upgrade to what you consider that maybe an upgrade for a martini. Absolutely. Yes, 100% hundred percent upgrade. I think he’s got a lot more versatility as a wing defender in terms of he can do a better job on a Kawai or a Paul George not that he’s going to stop them but he’s slightly more quick footed than Markieff is Mark has bigger taller but but PJ Tucker, I think is that better three indy-style wing player and off. So, yeah, I think you’d be an upgrade over Marquis. Yeah, I think it’s all what you said the versatility and PJ compared to Marty and just yeah, I think that would be a good addition. I definitely wouldn’t be mad at that. Let’s put it that way and then that gives somebody, you know, cuz we always look at that or at least we did look at that Clippers matchup. I mean, I think we’re still looking at it, but we’re obviously looking at a potential let’s match up as well. But yeah, I like the idea of PJ Tucker now, here’s the challenge Chris making a trade work. The Lakers are less than a million dollars away from the hard cap. So let’s say this is your let’s say that the Houston Rockets and they’re going to get plenty of offers for PJ Tucker. There’s three in D Wing Defenders are always in demand and so they’re getting a plenty of offers but let’s say the Rockets really want to do a deal with the linkage whatever reason And PJ Tucker’s making just under eight million dollars.

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So if you’re the Lakers, it’s not like you can accept a lot of extra salary back in a trade. So you have to come up essentially with eight million dollars to send out at least and so the candidates Montrezl Harrell’s making nine point two, but he also has a defect of no trade clause and I don’t think you’re trading him. Tucker. Well West Matthews at 3.6. You’ve got Kyle kuzma, but he’s poison pill provision that makes him pretty tough to move. And I also don’t think you’re moving him for PJ Tucker Caruso at 2.7 Jared Dudley a 2.5 mark a solid 2.5 Keef at 2.3 Alfonzo mckinnie. Talen Horton Tucker a 1.5 Quinn cook a 1 million. So you would essentially have to stack up. Say Wes Matthews. another contract maybe Markieff Morris and then G h t as much as I hate to say like is that in terms of you don’t have many pics to give up. You could give up a second. Are you would you would you start with with tht if it meant getting PJ Tucker? Oh, man, that’s tough. Wow. How old is PJ? Do you know? How old is PJ Thirty thirty-five? I want to say off top my head. Let me double-check here. Let me double-check. Yep 35 and he’s almost thirty-six. He’s thirty-five basketball reference.com is fantastic. They give you not just how many years old he is, but the number of days he’s thirty-five years old and 291 days. So he will be he’ll be 36 in May before the Mind might be playoff time right around playoff time. He’ll be turning 36. This is my only problem with that is I look at you know, we gotta look at guys who can grow with a d and what i c t h d and the the ceiling but potential ceiling he has and the fact that he could grow with a d and where she got PJ would just be looking it would be good for us immediately. Yes, but then, you know, you gotta think big picture on some of these so I mean if you were able package West Matthews along with somebody else that isn’t named tht or or somebody else obviously that we don’t go want to get rid of that would be one thing which I don’t know if we could even do that job. So I don’t know I don’t feel so good about it. When you do GHz into the pouch just for the bigger. So I don’t know that the money works but let’s say that it’s Wes Markieff Morris and a second or west Markieff Morris Quinn cook and they’ll just wait for somebody and a second router then you’d be yes. Yes, what about I agree? I agree with that. I agree with that. Yeah, I think that’s that’s a move that I would make. The question is though. Will the Houston Rockets get a better offer than that and they might but I also think it’s interesting that won’t specified that often occurs. They’re not looking for a big they’re not looking for Rim protection. Now either that means they don’t think that’s something they really need or it means they think that’s something they can get off on the Bayou Market after somebody gets bought out. Maybe it’s Boogie cousins. Maybe it’s not maybe somebody else they feel like they can get on the buyout market and so they don’t see it as big of a as as big of a need but on the trade market specifically their life for shooting. What do you think about that? Well, when you see the three point this month we’re going through now. I mean, it makes complete sense. Although you know, you would think based on everything we’ve talked about since the beginning of the Season that you know with the problems of Youth Advocates all that they’d be looking at a ram protecting big man. So, you know, it’s kind of weird in that sense that you know what I mean that you’re looking at shooting rather than Rim package there. Maybe there is somebody that you know, they’re looking at that. We don’t know I guess but you know, you can’t go wrong looking for either one at this point. I mean, I think we we need those other two off kind of maintains at least start shooting Although our shooting can sync back up like I’m sure just in a slump right now shooting wise so, you know, I think the rim protection is still the more pressing issue cuz I don’t think that’s going to make some turn around like we’re shooting. Well, you know, like kcp will shoot better and he did a little better tonight and West Matthews, you know, all the you know, all the regular guys that shoot better so dead. It’s surprising. What do I do think that the three-point shooting is going to be really important for this Lakers team and I agree. I think we’re just in a dip right now and that’s not good. That’s not that’s not ideal. Right? You don’t want to see the team do that. But I continue to go back to is this just who they really are as a team shooting the basketball and I don’t think so. I don’t think there is but if they were to start the season where they’re the third best 3-point shooting team in the league. I don’t think that’s them but I also don’t think they are like the worst which is essentially what they are right now. I think there’s a middle ground. I think they will bounce back up. However, I also think that you can’t have too much shooting. So if they go in to make a trade for somebody that they feel like is going to be a more consistent shooter, maybe somebody who fits their defensive scheme and can shoot off all for it for it. I think what you don’t do is you don’t go make a trade for somebody who can’t shoot shooting I think has to be the priority here shooting a defense those two things have to be the priority at this moment dead. Hey kind of surprising that Alex Caruso didn’t put any points up tonight either and he did. Yeah,

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Yeah, it’s you know would have been nice if you could I know this is out of nowhere, but it’s too bad. It would have been nice if I’m able to hit that last shot soon as that he didn’t score before that. You know what I mean? Like you would have came through it just the right. Yeah, and he was frustrated with himself for that one. And and you know, he’s going to be tough spot to be in office. I would have liked to have seen the ball with with the brawn and that situation with LeBron tried taking the shot but perusa was open he got the ball. He took the shot and unfortunately, he came up short it’s gone. Unfortunately. It’s going to be a talking point tomorrow some of the big National shows. They’re going to be talking about it. They’re going to be talking about yet. Again, LeBron James doesn’t take the shot in crunch-time. Why does he not do that. That’s that’s going to be happening. But sometimes The big National shows and stuff they do they do a good job covering the entire league right? Like you look at somebody like a like Zach Lowe right for ESPN. Does a great job do I know more of the ins-and-outs than the Lakers do the exact load has probably right because I watch every single Lakers game every single play I go back I break every single thing down. Does he need the other 29 teams better than I do? Yeah. Okay. So there’s guys out there that do a really great job at this but then there’s also guys who just look at the surface-level stuff. Those are the guys who are think are going to continue correct sizing LeBron for not taking that shot and and keep throwing stuff out there again, and I don’t mean to I’m using Zach Lowe as an example of some of the guys that are really good that cover the entire league, but unfortunately, there’s some who aren’t good as well and we’ll just harp on stuff like that heck there tonight. Who said well, you know, we really want to need to see Kyle kuzma do something other than score. Where are you been all season? Kyle kuzma’s Mo. All season has been he hasn’t been scoring. He’s been doing everything else and that’s just sometimes the the young guys who are covering the entire league that don’t that aren’t like obsessive watching every single game. They don’t know some of this stuff so they fall under kind of the old narrative and I think that’s going to happen tomorrow. I think there’s going to be going to be people that are criticizing LeBron for not taking the last shots the last shot and I think there’s going to be people who are criticizing Alex Caruso for the Miss, but I was okay with the play. Is it the ideal scenario a 20-footer from Caruso? No, probably not West Matthews taking the three if it had gone in. Yeah, we’d be talking about how great of a play that was thought. It was a good play design. I got a wide-open look just didn’t go down. But yeah, well, I don’t know. I don’t know like to know honestly, you know, what probably dead. Usually I’m I feel better about Lebron in those moments if he would take the shot or drive to the rim, but I mean with the way LeBron was struggling tonight. I mean, you know, maybe that West Matthews Chef Alex Caruso shop. What is the best shop press, you know, regardless of who it was or open? You know what I mean? Cuz I mean LeBron was struggling. I mean a lot of his shots were not looking good. I think especially in the second half. So, you know, that’s what it is. We just got to take this out tonight and you know, I think we had an opportunity and you know West had an opportunity AC had an opportunity and that was probably the the best dog. Shots we had considering LeBron struggling. No way Dean Oceana, you know, absolutely well. It was a rough one. It was a rough one for sure. But you know what, we’ve got another opportunity on Monday against the Washington Wizards. Hopefully the bench everybody else will pick it up because frankly the last two games they just have not been good enough haven’t picked up their game enough to help with the heavy lifting of Anthony Davis is out. Well Chris. I think that’s a good spot to leave off game coming up on Monday against the Wizards. Like I said, I see this now has a must-win on Monday, but thanks for joining me as always been nice to be able to talk through a tough loss. Yeah, man good as always brother touched my life, but we will bounce back. All right, everybody coming in from YouTube from Facebook for periscope. Thank you guys for joining us appreciate your questions and comments. Don’t forget subscribe to the Lakers Nation

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Don’t forget subscribe to the Lakers Nation YouTube channel makes you turn on notifications. So you get notified every time we put out a new video which there’s new Lakers content out there every single day including I did a video earlier today about the DeMarcus Cousins rumors and broke down exactly what he would mean for the Lakers to make sure you guys go check out that one till next time everybody. See you and stay safe.

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The NBA is just days away from starting scrimmages at Walt Disney World, which means the Los Angeles Lakers will be resuming their title quest. The conditions are different than any of us ever would have predicted.

Home-court advantage is gone, but the bubble appears to be working (so far). On this episode of the Lakers Nation Podcast, host Trevor Lane is joined by Gary Sheffield Jr. and Chris “The Masterpiece” Masters to discuss the NBA start and excitement that comes with it.

Lakers head coach Frank Vogel recently praised the play of Kyle Kuzma so far in training camp, claiming that he has been “dominant” for stretches. Kuzma has been a roller coaster this season, following up tremendous performances with ones where he is barely noticeable.

However, he did struggle with injuries going all the way back to last summer; is it a possible that a now-healthy Kuzma will be the player that Lakers fans were hoping he would turn into this season?

It’s best to be cautious due to Kuzma’s reputation for inconsistency, but if he can become a deadlier threat for the Lakers that will go a long way towards winning an NBA championship.

Plus, what should be expected from LeBron James in the playoffs? Is “Playoff LeBron” a real thing, and what does it look like? Can Anthony Davis also take his game to the next level? We dive into all that and more on this packed episode.

Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!

The Los Angeles Lakers are getting ready to restart the NBA season at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, at the end of the month, but just how much will the time off impact their title chances?

On one hand, they had momentum and had just picked up big wins over the Milwaukee Bucks and L.A. Clippers the weekend before the season was shut down. On the other, they have a veteran team full of players who have handled adversity and the players appear to have stayed in great shape.

Might they actually have a leg up on their competition in Orlando because of this?

On the latest episode of the Lakers Nation Podcast, Trevor Lane dives into that dynamic. Should the Lakers be considered stronger favorites for a title because the makeup of their roster might be able to withstand the mental toll better than other teams?

Plus, how would they handle losing Dwight Howard? It still isn’t clear if he will be joining the team at Disney World or not.

With Avery Bradley already opting out of the resumed season, can the Lakers withstand the loss of Howard as well? Head coach Frank Vogel mentioned that he wouldn’t want to increase Anthony Davis’ minutes at center much, so how would the team handle that paint?

Plus, we dig into what the playoffs could look like and some times in the middle of the pack in the West that we will keep a close eye on. Basketball is coming back but there are still plenty of questions to be answered.

Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!

The Los Angeles Lakers are preparing to return to the hardwood at the end of July, but will they be able to find the chemistry that made them so formidable all season?

It’s a strange new world that we are living in, and that could pose a challenge for a Lakers team that was rolling to a first-place finish in the NBA’s Western Conference.

On this episode of the Lakers Nation Podcast, host Trevor Lane is joined by managing editor Matthew Moreno to talk about the challenges facing the Lakers, starting with the question marks still surrounding the roster.

It remains unclear whether Dwight Howard or Avery Bradley will play, and if both skip the trip to Orlando, that could leave the Lakers scrambling to replace their minutes.

While Howard’s skill set and physical presence is particularly difficult to replace, DeMarcus Cousins would be an intriguing option should Howard decide not to report. Bradley would also be a big loss, though it’s possible that the Lakers could absorb his minutes by increasing the roles of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Alex Caruso, Rajon Rondo, and perhaps even newcomer Dion Waiters.

With the NBA’s season suspension lasting more than four months, getting back into basketball shape and rebuilding chemistry on the court will also be a formidable challenge.

LeBron James and Anthony Davis will do what they can to keep players in shape, and head coach Frank Vogel will build schemes to play to their strengths and allow them to re-establish themselves, but getting back to playing winning basketball is still a daunting task.

Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!