October 23, 2025 • 45 mins
Adam Auslund talks about why the Clippers were dominated in Utah on opening night. Allen Sliwa hops on to talk about the Lakers. We dive deeper into this Bluejays-Dodgers World Series matchup.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Oh yes, we keep it moving, my man, Double A
Adam Austlin in for Fred Rogan as we go forward.
Don't forget. Uh. We are also gonna have Alan Sleeve.
We are keep getting the name Slee Wah sleeve wah.
I'll get it here. And yeah, you know uh he
is the host of Hoops Talk with Alan Slee Wah
(00:25):
yeah on YouTube. Really really insightful. Guy, really knows what
he's talking about. He'll be joining us throughout the NBA season.
Got a lot of insight on the Lakers especially, so
we're gonna join him. But the fact that we have
double A you're in studio with me right now.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Don't make me do it.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
Come on, man, we got to get into we got
to get into the NBA, and we got to get
into that Clipper game last night, man Opening night for
the Clippers and Utah in Utah and it was a
route Adam.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
I uh, you know myself, Clipper Nation. We didn't this
one coming. Clippers lose one forty nine to one oh eight.
The score was not indicative of how poorly that game
was played by the Clippers. They were down by as
many as thirty seven. Rodney and what irks people, is
this is the first real basketball that counts we've gotten
from the Clippers since losing Game seven big to Denver
(01:21):
in the first round series this past year. So they
got down by thirty five in that Game seven, and
the next time we see them in a game that counts,
they're down by thirty seven against Utah to open up
the next season. It was brutal last night. It was embarrassing. Honestly,
I coach lusaid postgame, you know, I put this bs
on me. He was not happy at all, understandably, and
(01:43):
they came out lifeless, flat, and they looked as old
as they are, you know, told to be the oldest
team in NBA history.
Speaker 1 (01:51):
Yeah, I mean, so what stood out to you other
than Zubats actually had a pretty good game.
Speaker 2 (01:58):
You know, he's twenty, he's a young buck for this team.
Speaker 1 (02:01):
Right, But other than that man, first of all, you
know what stood out? But also what was the big
disappointment for you in terms of in terms of their play.
I know Tyler wants to take it and put it
all on himself, but in terms of players, what were
you most disappointed in in this opener?
Speaker 2 (02:21):
Defensively, they should never give up forty three points in
a quarter. This team was a top three defense last season.
I know they bring in Bradley Beal to the starting
lineup with Kawhi, Dereck Jones junior of East Zubos, and James.
Speaker 1 (02:33):
Harden, but he's on a Bradley, he's on a minutes
restriction right now.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
He's on that, Yeah, twenty minutes. It looks like that's
what he played last night because he had a scope,
a little knee clean up back in May, and they've
been bringing him along slowly.
Speaker 1 (02:44):
Here.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
It was the first time those starters got together. They
didn't play together in the preseason. Bradley Beal only got
in one preseason game. But there's really no excuse for
giving up forty three points in the opening quarter and
getting behind like that. And this is how you lose
a game against a team like Utah. Who's over under?
Are you listening, Chauncey, I'm sorry no. Who's over Under
(03:06):
was nineteen and a half. And many people are taking
the under on wins with them because they are incentivized
to lose this season or else their pick goes to OKC.
They need to be really bad to hold on to
their first round pick. But they gave them life, they
gave them confidence, and they made them look much more
competent than they looked all of last season. And this
(03:27):
can't happen Opening night in Utah. It's always a tough
place to play, and they're on fire because it's Game
one and the players you know this, Rodney. You can
say you want to tank all you want to. The
players out there on the court, I don't think they
care about getting that first round pick. They're out there
the ball and marketing and Walker Lay.
Speaker 1 (03:48):
Yeah, your instinct is to play and play to win.
You know. You can talk all of that, you know,
off the in the off season and off the court
in between games, all that kind of stuff, but when
the ball is tipped, you got a lot. There's too
much pride inside of you, too much ego for guys
to say, oh, I'm not gonna play hard. Well, I'm
not gonna play to win, or I'm not gonna I'm
not gonna try to make this shot. It doesn't happen.
(04:09):
Guys are gonna play and you're gonna have to play
against them otherwise you're gonna get beat like the Clippers did.
Speaker 2 (04:14):
Unfortunately, Marcellus Wiley or Marcellus Wallace didn't get in the
Utah I'm thinking of the Clippers. He is a Clippers fan.
He didn't get in the Clippers' ear and said, that's
just that pride effing with you. He didn't give him
that pep talk, or maybe he did and it didn't work,
just like it didn't work with Bruce Willis and pull fiction.
Because they came out, believe it or not, their first
(04:35):
miss came at the nine minute mark of the second
quarter from inside the three point line the Utah Jazz Rodney.
They shot almost sixty percent from three in the first half,
and they made sixteen of their eighteen to two pointers
in the first half. Like this was God tears shooting
you don't see in an open gym. So some of
that hot shooting team, but the Clippers let them get
(04:58):
comfortable and find a rhythm and gain confidence early when
you got to set the tone defensively, because that's what
they were known for last season. So that's what most
I think, that's what most Clippers fans were disappointed by.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
And but you know, obviously it's a it's a long
season basketball like baseball, it's a it's a journey and
it's a marathon, not a sprint. But can you take
away anything from this game one other than this may
be a wake up call to the point where we
gotta we gotta play, and we are getting older, so
(05:31):
it's gonna take more of an effort for us to
play as a team as opposed to rolling the ball
out there and let James Harden get forty and Kawhi
one night get forty and we can just roll up wins.
That way, They're gonna have to play collective team basketball.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
Well, I put out a tweet last night because there's
been a lot of talk about these substances in the NFL,
but I was wondering if smelling salts were legal in
the NBA, because that's what it looked like they needed.
They were whatever new offshooters spin off of the Walking
Day that's happening on AMC. That was the Clippers last night,
and they are old, but it's game one. Those tired
(06:06):
legs are supposed to catch up with you in the
dog days of you know, right before yeah, right before
the All Star break where you gotta put out the
door and some senioritis. Not now, you gotta wake up
and play the right way. But I do think if
there's anything you can take away from one game, it's that, yeah,
you're gonna have to manage these guys because they're average
age is the oldest in NBA history, is something like
(06:28):
thirty three point six. But to me, this was a
mindset that was a problem for them, and it has
been over the years. You see it here and there
where they have some duds, and this is the positive
spin that I put on it. They lost a game
by fifty one during the twenty twenty one season, where
they ended up going to the Western Conference Finals and
having their most successful year in franchise history by the
(06:50):
end of it. Yet in Game three in the regular season,
they lost a game by fifty one. Did it mean anything? No,
it didn't define their season. I don't think this will
either for the Clippers. The Lakers are a team where
you can extrapolate and pull away more long reaching conclusions
from their Game one loss, where they have flaws that
aren't necessarily going away, you know, because to me, that
(07:13):
Lakers team was flawed coming into this year and it's
been flawed four years. And we'll get into it with
Alan coming up here. Sliwa Is that right? How can
we go the sleewa I'm shying here. I love his YouTube.
That Lakers team has the same issues they've had forever,
which is, you got a bunch of one way guys
(07:33):
that are extremely flawed on one on one end of
the court. And it starts with their three best guys
even without Lebron Right now, what are Luca and Austin
Reeves doing on the defensive side? They're good on one end,
they get picked on on the other. Even though Luca
did look a little bit better in Game one defensively,
We'll see see how the along that lasts. But the Lakers,
(07:54):
to me, are more problematic with just roster construction. The
Clippers roster is there, they have the they have the
guys that can do it. They just didn't show up
in Game one and had a big letdown for whatever reason.
The Lakers, I don't know.
Speaker 1 (08:07):
They may so the concern, and I do I do
agree with you because it is it feels like the
roster construction for the Lakers they almost have to be
perfect right to make things happen, whereas the Clippers they
have more of a room for error. But also the Clippers,
they are getting older and when you talk about Harden
(08:28):
and Kawhi and Bradley Beale. Now, how do you see
this plane out and how because I think he's going
to be the most challenging year for Tylo and how
he manages those guys. I mean, Kawhi, would he have
ten points last night? He was three of nine, said
didn't look he was a non factor and looked like
(08:50):
he was a little bit disengaged. What do you make
of him this season? And has he gone on to
that not only back nine, but is he on that
like back three?
Speaker 2 (09:00):
I swear, as I'm looking at the box score here,
I had a speck of dust next to his ten
points and it made it look like he had negative
ten points Kawhi Leonard, and it felt like that last night.
It was that bad. I'm not overly concerned, though I
have seen Kawhi slowly ramp up in a season. The
reports of his demise have been greatly exaggerated for years.
With Kawhi Leonard, he comes back from injury, he starts slow,
(09:24):
everybody thinks, oh, this is the end, He's never gonna
be the same, and then eventually he gets back to
playing like Kawhi Leonard. I'm not too concerned about him.
But age is a real factor with this team. The
idea is they're so deep that they can cycle guys
in and out and you don't have to play older
guys heavy minutes, so that keeps everybody fresh because they
(09:45):
cover for one another. And it may play out that way,
but against a team like Utah, every team going into
a game against the Clippers, especially that has young legs
like the Utah Jazz, they're gonna try to run him
off the floor. They're gonna try to get in transition lot.
The Clippers have made it very open and very clear
that they may not be the best team when it
comes to running in fast breaks and easy transition baskets
(10:08):
because of their age. Well, the opposition's game plan is
to get them in an up tempo game and use
that against them. So they have to know that. They
have to be aware of that, and it was shocking
to see that go against them in game one when
you should know how Utah is going to attack you,
and they did it to perfection.
Speaker 1 (10:25):
Yeah, they were Our young legs are going to take
care of your old legs, and we're going to show
you that early on. Like you mentioned, the forty three
points in a quarter. Just wow. Okay, switch real quick
to the Lakers. Do you think that do you think
that this now that it is clearly Luca's team? He
got the deal. Lebron being out now for the first
(10:52):
month will be a good thing for the Lakers as
they kind of transition to Luca being the guy. Or
this is going to be a struggle and maybe not
such a good thing and they need to get Lebron
back as soon as possible. Obviously they're a better team
with Lebron. But does this allow the Lakers and Luca
to really solidify the next generation? A new face and
(11:15):
let me run this team. Let me see if I
can run this team without Lebron.
Speaker 2 (11:19):
Yeah, I think it does crystallize that this is a
new era of Lakers basketball without Lebron for the first
three weeks or a month or whatever it's going to
be with the sciatica which could spring up at any
time during the season even when he does come back.
Speaker 1 (11:31):
Do not know it?
Speaker 2 (11:33):
Okay, you got some experience here too. Well, Luca is young.
He's twenty seven, and he dropped forty three points in
Game one. This is a top five player again, especially
because of how he looks out there with his own health,
with dropping the weight that he did a good fifteen
to twenty pounds whatever it was this past summer, he
(11:53):
looks like he's ready for a scoring burden that's going
to be thrust it upon him because Lebron being out
but twenty one minutes a night, it's not sustainable either.
And so as much as it gives that clear hierarchy
of who's the guy now in where this Lakers franchise
is going on the court, not having Lebron is a
(12:14):
real problem because it just lowers their margin for error.
They really have to be at their best because well,
even when Luca was with forty three points on just
twenty seven shots, they still lost that ballgame. If he
can have a night like that and you still lose,
you got issues. Austin Reeves had twenty six, they still lost,
and it felt a little bit like your turn, my turn.
(12:36):
They weren't running a lot of offense. It was just
those two creating a lot. That's concerning to me. DeAndre
Ayton very concerning. Fred's gonna have a field day.
Speaker 1 (12:45):
I know it.
Speaker 2 (12:46):
He'll be DeAndre hating up a storm because those ten
points and six boards you gotta contextualize it. He's going
up against forget oh yeah, yeah, they were low impact.
He's going up against a team doesn't play many bigs.
So what's gonna happen? Going up against a team like
Minnesota like they're gonna see tomorrow, it's a totally different thing.
If there was a game for him to dominate a
(13:08):
little bit and show, hey, this is my year. I'm
playing for my next contract. I'm only making eight million
this year with the Lakers. I gotta show something. Would
have been nice to see it against a team like
Golden State who plays small. Didn't happen. So that between
that and gave Vincent and the starting lineup and the
shuffling that could be going on there, and just the
lack of two way guys that are playable against good
(13:30):
teams like the Golden State Warriors, are the Lakers have problems.
I said this on Twitter and I stand by it.
I think they are desperate, and you tell me how
realistic this is. They need either a breakout season a
career year from Vanderbilt Jake Laavia or Marcus Smart. Marcus
(13:51):
looked decent, but he's past his prime.
Speaker 1 (13:54):
Vanderbuilt something from something that resembles, you know, is time
in Boston. It'll be a good thing.
Speaker 2 (14:02):
His intensity's there. You need that competitiveness, But I don't
know if he can have a career year at this age.
Vanderbilt's offense has never come around, and he looked more
unsure from three in that game, going zero of two.
Jake la Ravi is probably the most likely guy. He's
somebody and not a lot of people have watched in
Sacramento or in Memphis. He's young, but he can do
(14:23):
a lot, jack of all trades, master of none. He
can really help this team. But again I am saying
the Lakers have to rely on one of these three guys.
That is not a ringing endorsement for the way this
team was built, because I don't know if any of
them are gonna pop and have a huge.
Speaker 1 (14:39):
Season, and they need that, they need it. Ed you
mentioned all right before we break, man, I just got
to get your take on Wimby. Wimby and the performance
he had opening night. Man, it is just his progression
of everybody what they thought of him coming over and
as a young kid coming over with all this talent,
you know, eight foot tall, all those things and being
(14:59):
able to to shoot at three. What he showed on
opening night was to me it was scary for the
rest of the NBA.
Speaker 2 (15:08):
Adam he can go from taking a three to taking
one long step and a little crab dribble inside the
three point line to having it be a layup like
it can change that quickly from being a layup or
a three. You want to talk about threes in layups
and analytics in today's league, Wemby can do all that
for you. But that reverse dunk he had going baseline
(15:30):
like that, everybody kept saying some some people, some of
the older generations, said, we had Ralph Simpson. What are
you talking about? This is this is nothing new here.
Did you see the handle that he showed off against
Anthony Davis. Yeah, to get to that fallaway jumper on
the right elbow for the and one. What are we
talking about? This is absolute alien stuff. I saw a
(15:52):
tweet regarding Wemby and I thought this person said it best,
just talking about the uniqueness of this player and how
in a world of one of One's and unicorns and
what we're seeing with Otani and everything, Wemby is otherworldly,
Like there's nothing else like this right now, and it
(16:14):
seems like our wildest imaginations and that's what the tweet
is alluding to, are coming true in sports. Between Otani
and Wemby, stuff we only dreamed of, we are actually
seeing and it's frying brains. Like poor Rob Parker can't
figure out that Otani might be the best player ever. No,
because you've never seen anyone do this before. It's hard
(16:35):
to wrap your head around it. Same thing with Wemby
out there. He's so special. He went from again on
a day when we've been talking a lot of gambling,
he went from plus twelve hundred in MVP odds to
plus two fifty in one game where he dropped forty fifteen,
shot seventy percent from the field and didn't have a turnover.
(16:56):
Nobody's ever done that before in NBA history.
Speaker 1 (16:58):
You have fifty point. Yeah, And the scary part about
it is that what I saw and I saw this
towards the end of last year, which you gotta have,
and I saw it in that game won. And you
talk about the reverse, Donkey had some other ones that
were incredible as well. He got that dog in him now,
(17:19):
he's got that real dog in him, like like he's
talking a little smack and he's he's given that look
like you can't stop me no matter what you do.
And as he gets to there with all the talent
and size and natural god given gifts, that kid is
special and will be special because of that. All of
(17:42):
the all of the great ones we talk about, they
not only had the raw talent, but they also had
that that that killer, that dog, that whatever you want
to call it in him. And I saw that came
out last night. Man. It is scary for the rest
of the NBA.
Speaker 2 (17:57):
And he wants to be great. Yeah, you said it.
This guy wants to be great. He looks like SGA
with how driven he is, and we saw what happened there.
Speaker 1 (18:06):
I don't know. I brought it up there.
Speaker 2 (18:07):
Title Pain.
Speaker 1 (18:14):
You brought us from Clever Lane. You brought Clever Lane
into that.
Speaker 2 (18:17):
What's your prediction pain for Clippers fans watching my man?
Speaker 1 (18:22):
All right? He is the host of Hoops Talk with
Alan Sleiewah. There you go, coming to join us next
talk some Lakers NBA as well. Adam Austin in for
Fred Rogan and five to seventy LA Sports.
Speaker 3 (18:37):
Make Am five seventy LA Sports a preset before you
plug in your phone presets in the iHeartRadio app, now
available with Apple car Play and Android Auto. Just another
easy way to listen to LA's best sports talk.
Speaker 1 (18:51):
Oh yes, coming back on a throwback Thursday, Adam Auslin
in for Fred Rogan. It's always a pleasure, especially gonna
throw back Allan, because I know you recognize every single
song that Ronnie's throwing at us. I'm all right, let's
bring him on. He's the host of Hoops Talk with
Alan Fleewah on YouTube. Alan, thanks for joining us. Man
(19:15):
appreciate it, of.
Speaker 4 (19:17):
Course, thank you for having me on.
Speaker 5 (19:18):
I really appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (19:19):
All right, Man, listen early on. We're gonna get your
take and we're gonna have you on several times during
the UH during the NBA season, So we look forward
to that. But UH, one game in basically for most
of the NBA and all of the NBA, one game
in for the Lakers. Is there any takeaways that you
have or anybody could have after one game? You know,
(19:39):
kind of leading up to this, UH, and also want
to get your take on just your thoughts going forward.
But one game in, can you pull away anything?
Speaker 5 (19:47):
Well?
Speaker 4 (19:48):
I think will there be overreaction?
Speaker 5 (19:51):
Sure?
Speaker 4 (19:51):
And I think overreaction can go both ways. I think
if you're a Warrior fan today, you're saying, oh my gosh,
look how great our team is and look at the
chemistry they order you have. If you're a Laker fan,
you're obviously saying the sky is falling and you know
what's going to happen here moving forward. Well, the good
news is is neither are accurate, and you shouldn't be
(20:12):
either too optimistic or too pessimistic. I would say my
takeaway from the Lakers game, at least in Game one,
they're going to rely so much on Luka Doncic. That part,
I think in itself, especially with Lebron out, that part
I think is a concern because you can't really ask
one player to do everything and the Lakers will be
that relying on him. What role players can the Lakers
(20:36):
depend on? What role players? You got to have two
or three role players a game that's contributing. And I
thought the Lakers in Game one there was nobody that
stood out outside of Luca and outside of Austin Reeves,
and Austin Reeves really got his more towards the end
of the game. So my number one observation after Game
one was the dependency on Luca and how these role
(20:59):
players are obviously going to have to play a much
bigger role if the Lakers are going to have any
resemblance of some success this year.
Speaker 2 (21:06):
Alan, one of the storylines heading into the ballgame was
the starting lineup and gave Vincent being in it. Were
you surprised by that? How long of the least do
you think he has with JJ Reddick, who could be
some of the alternatives.
Speaker 5 (21:19):
So I think this one was it.
Speaker 4 (21:21):
Yes, I was surprised, But I was surprised more by
the Friday preseason game, which was kind of their JJ
called did a dress rehearsal, and he went with gave
Vincent in that starting lineup. So I think that kind
of triggered, Hey, this is what Opening Night's going to
look like. I'm going to go to a couple of
quotes that I've heard jjsay that we got to be flexible.
(21:41):
Sometimes it depends on matchups. Let me give you an
example tomorrow when they play the Minnesota Timberwolves. I can't
see a scenario where they say we have gave Vincent
in the starting lineup just because of the size, just
because of how Minnesota plays Lakers obviously eliminated by the
Timberwolves in game or in the first round last year.
(22:04):
Isn't that supposed to potentially be a matchup where you say, Okay, well,
now you've got to use Vando, Now you got to
use some of the other side that the Lakers have.
So I was surprised in a sense, but I understood
because it was the Golden State Warriors. I don't think
there's anything said on a starting lineup. I have a
feeling that that's just going to be something that can
change depending on matchup.
Speaker 1 (22:24):
Alan you mentioned Luca and Lebron being out. Just going
back to that, how much of an impact will this
be and is this a good thing that Lebron is
out early on this season to really establish Luca as
the leader and new face of this franchise, or is
this something that this may not be a good thing
(22:46):
that Lebron's going to miss the first month of the season.
Speaker 4 (22:48):
I'd rather have Lebron there. And I understand your point,
and I think it's a fair one where you're saying, look,
twenty third season in the NBA, the man's got to
pace himself. I think we just got too accustomed to
I mean, even the last couple of years, Lebron's playing
seventy games a year, so it's you know, it's it's
doesn't make any sense, it's unheard of. But they need Lebron,
(23:08):
and Luca needs Lebron. I think the keys have already
been handed to Luca. I think the front office and
I think the organization has already shown we're going to
make decisions based off of the twenty six year old.
We're not going to base them off the forty year old.
It's no disrespect to Lebron, but they're obviously have to
make business decisions from that perspective. But I think what
you could see is, if you're watching that game, you're
(23:31):
saying to yourself, they if they're going to have any success,
Lebron's got to be there with them, and Lebron's got
to be there with Luka Doncic. So I get some
of the angles of saying, Okay, well, he's not going
to play seventy or he's not gonna play eighty two
games anyways, but they really really need him in that lineup,
(23:52):
and I'd rather have them pull Lebron out for a
game here and there as a luxury but right now
it's you know, obviously it's it's out of necessity. They
don't have a choice. He's not coming back till mid November.
And I don't see many positives there other than the
fact that it's super early in the season. It's not
late in the season.
Speaker 2 (24:09):
Alan, what did you make of his body language? I
know he's always under the most scrutiny, and then you
see a story that comes out yesterday, Well, he's helping
everyone in practice, and Draymond did joke after the game
he's in his Phil Jackson chair. It felt a little
bit like pr spin yesterday after so many people reacted
to Lebron looking a little bit disengaged. How did you
interpret that?
Speaker 4 (24:30):
Well, I think it just kind of shows you that
if the man says something, it's a story. If Rich
Paul puts something out, it's a story. If he sits
on the bench and doesn't give you the amount of expression.
Speaker 5 (24:42):
You're looking for, it's a story.
Speaker 4 (24:44):
I think, really, what it says to me is whatever
Lebron says does doesn't say.
Speaker 5 (24:51):
It's a story.
Speaker 1 (24:54):
Him.
Speaker 4 (24:57):
No, you're one hundred percent right, And I think, listen,
do I make a lot out of the body language.
I don't. I could see how people make an angle
out of it, but that that, to me is kind
of what I take more than anything else. I was
doing my podcast this morning, and I think the thing
that probably stands out to me the most is you
cannot there is no story that isn't gonna be written
(25:21):
about Lebron and the attention of where some of these
storylines go that's gonna nobody has any control of that.
And I do agree. I think the JJ ing of
a little bit of like he was so great in
practice and here's what he did in the film session
maybe a little oversell a little.
Speaker 5 (25:39):
Bit right, like I think?
Speaker 4 (25:40):
Yeah, so I think I think might that might add
to the story rather than take away from the story.
Speaker 1 (25:46):
Yeah, I hear you, Alan Slee. What joins us host
of Hoops Talk going forward? You know, we all know
about Luca, we know about Lebron, and who else do
you see has to have a big year or big
impact for this team to go deep? I liking it too.
Maybe DeAndre Ayden has to be big for them. This
is his kind of you know, last last opportunity to
(26:10):
kind of prove himself. But who is your pick for that?
That Laker that has to have a big year in
order for the Lakers to go deep.
Speaker 4 (26:18):
Yeah, that's the name. I think, you know, I think
you pointed it out. And it's not gonna be one player.
They're gonna need multiple players. But I think I do
think Aighton is the one where he is very underwhelming
in Game one and you know Game two you got
coming up tomorrow against Minnesota.
Speaker 5 (26:36):
They're gonna have.
Speaker 4 (26:36):
Rudy Gobert and Nas Reed and Julius Randall and Jaden
McDaniels and the way they expose the Lakers because of
their lack of size in the playoffs. If if he's
a very average to below average center this upcoming season,
I don't I don't see a pass how this is
a team that you know, as great as Luca is
(26:57):
and the potential of Austin Reeves again and Lebron there's
the question mark, is he healthy?
Speaker 5 (27:02):
Is he not? Let's just pretend he's healthy.
Speaker 4 (27:04):
If you don't have a big and you don't have
a couple enforcers down low, you can't really make that
much noise in the scope of the NBA. And I
think they're relying a lot on DeAndre Ayton and I
think it's a very very fair question of will Layton
deliver or not. I don't think anybody has that answer,
(27:25):
and I don't think we have to have that answer
on you know, going into the second game of the
regular season. But we're going to find out ten to
fifteen to twenty games how much of an impact he's
going to have or he's not. And then from there,
obviously the Lakers are going to have to make some decisions.
If this season is a season that they believe they got,
they got to really make noise because Lebron is age
(27:47):
and how much more time he has.
Speaker 2 (27:49):
Alan you deal with the same fan reaction stuff, I
do you lose your first game. There's an overreaction from
fans saying trade everyone, fire everyone. But to me, because
the Lakers obviously didn't fulfill that trade with Mark Williams
after he didn't pass the physical, they still have trade chips.
We're talking about a lot of ships today, but they
(28:09):
still have some amo. They still have that war chest.
Is this a team that earlier on in the season,
well before the trade deadline, could be looking to make
a move Because to me, they have the same flaw
that they've had for years not enough solid two way
players that aren't extremely flawed on one end of the floor,
which just leaves them vulnerable. And I'm not sure they
(28:30):
fully addressed that. Do you see something where this Lakers
team could make a move early on the first couple
of months.
Speaker 4 (28:38):
Well, first off, I think you're one hundred percent right.
They haven't addressed it. And the two way players that
you mentioned, you know, you could look at a guy
like Vanderbilt and say, Wow, you know that's a guy
you definitely want on the defensive side. He's also a
guy that nobody's going to pay attention to on offense.
And they got guys like that, and they have inconsistent
players as well. Ruby Hatchamura gave Vince you can go
(29:00):
down the list, So I think you're one hundred percent
right on that.
Speaker 5 (29:03):
And the one.
Speaker 4 (29:04):
Player that they did get for a quick second Dorian
Finish Smith, which was a two way player signed with Houston,
and they got Jake Laavia, So you know, the question
mark from that perspective, I think the idea of will
they use the assets that they have here's what Polanka
has to weigh. And I wish I had that answer
and I don't, But Here's what Polanka is going to
(29:26):
have to weigh. Do I use these limited assets that
I have because I feel like I can make noise
right now? Or am I looking at my hand and
saying to myself, I got ten jack? Why am I
going to go all in with ten jack when I'm
already seeing the river cut or the looking at the
(29:48):
other cards on the tape. There's already a king there,
there's already an ace there. It's like, how much risks
do you want to take based off of the assets
that you have and where your team is. Is there
gonna be a ton of sure from Lebron? Does that
matter if there's pressure from Lebron? Is Luca saying, guys,
I'm twenty six, I've already been to the NBA finals.
(30:08):
I'm not interested in waiting and competing for a couple
of years. I think there's a lot of different you know,
a lot of different variables that can influence Rob Polenka.
Speaker 5 (30:19):
And I think the other.
Speaker 4 (30:20):
One is is there a deal in front of him
that he's comfortable with? And I will say Polanka hasn't
made many moves in the summer, but he's made a
lot of his moves there's been a lot more action
at the trade deadline. Do I think this is going
to be the same roster that they have after the
trade deadline, I'll say no.
Speaker 5 (30:37):
I think they will make moves at some point.
Speaker 2 (30:39):
Would you characterize it as maybe they're looking for such
of a perfect trade where it not only helps them now,
but it helps them in the future, and those are
just hard to come by, especially in today's NBA. You're
going to have to give up a lot for those guys.
Like if you're waiting for the Utah Jazz to start
tanking and they've beat up on the Clippers last night
so you can go back after Walker Kessler. It seems
(31:01):
like those are the type of guys that perfect situation
is what rob may be looking for.
Speaker 4 (31:06):
Well, i'd say this.
Speaker 5 (31:07):
I would say that.
Speaker 4 (31:10):
No matter what move you make, sure there's going to
be some risk you might have to overpay. And Polanka
has always said in all these pressers, if we feel
like there's a move out there that makes sense for
the organization president future.
Speaker 5 (31:21):
Then we will act on it. I would say that
the biggest thing is is this.
Speaker 4 (31:29):
A player that I can see on the roster for
the next three to four years, and can he be
next to Luka Doncic, because if it's a really really
short term type of player, no, I don't think it
makes sense. I think it's you know, it is time
to kind of build for what you think is this
next version of the Lakers around Luca and whatever trade
(31:51):
they do make, whatever player you bring up. A young
player is a good example like Walker Kessler. You just
have to know that this guy's going to be on
the roster for the next few years and he's going
to be a good fit with Luka Doncic. If it
doesn't fit that mold and you're trying to kind of
squeeze something in for one year with Lebron, I mean
we look at the Western Conference, it's tough to justify that.
(32:14):
And even with Lebron, I mean, here we are, we're
going to probably miss the first He'll probably missed the
first ten to fifteen games. So you don't really even
know one hundred percent what Lebron is.
Speaker 1 (32:24):
You're twenty three, Allen, before we let you go, just
to have a question because given the Lakers' recent history
with head coaches, whether it be Frank Vogel, Darvin Ham,
and then you throw the new ownership and Mark Walters
and the Gugenheim guys coming in and have a different
philosophy as they've run the Dodgers. How big a year
(32:45):
or how critical is this year for JJ Reddick.
Speaker 4 (32:49):
It's a good question, you know, I would have told
you two months ago that, you know, I think JJ
had a really good rookie season as a head coach,
and then I think he got exposed in the playoffs,
and I think that just comes with, Hey, I need
more experience. I haven't had these opportunities, and that's okay,
(33:11):
that's that's a natural fit, part of the part of
the job. But I also would have said that, well,
he's got three years left on his contract, so he's
going to probably have two more years to figure it out,
and then the Lakers can you know, make an.
Speaker 5 (33:25):
Educated decision from there.
Speaker 4 (33:27):
But what happened was Polenka and JJ Reddick talked before
training camp, and Polenka pretty much started that press or
by saying that JJ Reddick got an extension. So even
with three years left on his contract, he got a
two year or he got a multi year extension. I
don't think we ever saw how many years it was.
(33:48):
I don't think there's that much pressure on him now.
I think that he knows he's going to be the
Lakers head coach for at least, you know, a few
more years. I'm sure the only way they give him
that extension is if his relationship with Luka Doncic is strong.
So I don't think there's a lot of pressure on him.
But I also think he's the type of head coach
that probably puts a lot of pressure on himself. Yeah,
(34:09):
is one of those perfectionists, is going to stay and
do everything you possibly can to try to find the solution.
So I do think he's got great upside, but I
was a little.
Speaker 5 (34:18):
Surprised they offered an extension just one year.
Speaker 1 (34:20):
In It's Hoops Talk with Alan Sliewah on YouTube. Alan listen,
thanks for joining us, Man, I look forward to talking
to you on a regular basis as the NBA season
unfolds and gets going here. Man, really really appreciate it.
Thanks Al.
Speaker 4 (34:37):
I appreciate your guys time as well.
Speaker 5 (34:38):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (34:43):
That's right from the field to the work site. Strauss
Powers World Series coverage on AM five seventy LA Sports
and when we come back, we'll get into that World
Series talk Dodgers, Blue Jays, Dreminet.
Speaker 2 (34:58):
Kendrick Lamar. Let's go all that bring it out?
Speaker 3 (35:01):
Hello Rogan and Rodney listener. Did you know Am five
seventy LA Sports has a wide range of LA sports podcasts.
Shows like Petros in Money. We are streaming Matt Dodger
Talk with David Vasse.
Speaker 4 (35:15):
The Dodger Podcast of Record.
Speaker 3 (35:16):
Clipper Talk with Adam Musk, follow us all and many more.
Just go to AM five seventy LA Sports on the
iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1 (35:24):
Oh yes, come on back on a throwback Thursday, Adam.
What do you think brother?
Speaker 2 (35:31):
I think we got to remind you from the field
to the work site. Strauss Powers World Series coverage here
on A five seventy LA Sports. Good show. Still got
an hour left?
Speaker 1 (35:42):
Yeah we do, Yeah, we do. So we got to
get into that World Series talk powered by Strauss. That's
right on AM five seventy LA Sports. Hey, as we
get ready for tomorrow. Obviously this is a big deal
and there are a lot of folks out there, I
would say in July, late July August that were extremely concerned,
(36:04):
extremely worried that the Dodgers this was not going to
be their year. They have too many injuries. They weren't
playing well, they weren't hitting the ball, the bullpen was terrible,
too many guys from the starting rotation were hurt. Just
didn't look like a team that could make it to
the World Series, let alone win it. And fast forward
to now it is. They are the most dominant team
(36:26):
ever and looking to be the first team to back
to back since the Yankees did it in the late
late nineties and early two thousand, actually the first. I
didn't realize this either. They could be the first National
League team to do it since the Big Red Machine
back in nineteen seventy five, seventy six. I believe, Okay,
(36:46):
that's yeah. People thought that there's no parody in Major
League Baseball, But man, is.
Speaker 2 (36:52):
There another connection to gambling there since we've been talking
about it so much with that Big Red Machina.
Speaker 1 (36:57):
I don't know, all right, Adam, So listen. I said
this to net Coletti because I feel this like in
the national media that the folks aren't there really trying
to convince themselves that this is going to be a
competitive series, and it very well, you know, could be. Look,
I've always said this, it doesn't matter the money, and
people want to get into the payroll, and the big
(37:19):
Bad Dodgers got more money than everybody else. That's why
you know they're in the position that they are. Now.
You still got to go play the game. Ask the
Mets if the payroll matters. They're not even in the playoffs.
But when you look at payrolls, nobody's saying that about Toronto,
who's in the top five in payroll. Everybody focuses on
the Dodgers. And yes, they do spend the money and
(37:39):
they invested back into the team and back into the organization,
which is great, and some of the other clubs don't
do that. But it's not a foregone conclusion because the
Dodgers spend the money and they have stars that they're
gonna walk away with this title for the second year
in a row. Because I do think whether they sweep
(38:00):
but or not, it's going to be competitive. And you know,
just because you sweep a team doesn't mean that the
games weren't competitive. It could be two to one, it
could be one, nothing could be five to four, that
comes down to it. But from a national standpoint, it
does feel like they're all trying to convince themselves let's
make this competitive. That's convinced the world that it's going
(38:21):
to be competitive, so we don't just throw it out there.
The Dodgers are going to dominate. How do you feel
about this series and where the Dodgers are going into
it and is this going to be a competitive series
with the Blue Jays.
Speaker 2 (38:36):
I think the one thing that's really going in their
favor as opposed to if they had played Seattle is
the Blue Jays they got home field in Toronto. They're
going up against the country there and they haven't felt
this way Toronto fans since the Raptors were in the
NBA Finals back in twenty nineteen with Kawhi. That could
mean something that could lift their spirits a little bit,
(38:58):
have them on fire and have because anybody that gets
to this point has that belief that we're a team
of destiny. It's our year. And with the way they
have hit in this postseason, Toronto has scored the most runs,
hit the most home runs, struck out the lowest rate
of any team in the postseason. They pose the biggest
(39:19):
threat to what the Dodgers have been doing in the
way they've been dominating, mostly through their starting pitching Toronto
does or could at least have an answer for that.
They have the best shot because Lad Guerrero Junior is
having in all time legendary postseason hitting four thirty two,
eighteen hits, six home runs, ALCSMVP. It's funny because he
(39:44):
didn't have a great regular season, especially towards the back
end of it. He's flipped the switch. He's turned into
mister October. He has been that good for them. So
they have the belief they have the bats. I'd still
be very concerned with their pitching. That's where Seattle had
the advantage over Toronto. If you look at it between
who was the better matchup for the Dodgers in this series?
(40:06):
But rest versus rust. There's something to that. I guess
if you look I guess if you look at past
history there which you can say teams that swept in
the Championship series came up short against teams that went
seven games in THEIRS. This Dodgers team, though, is so stacked,
like their margin for error. We love to talk about
(40:28):
that all the time. Don McLain, who I think is
on with Petros coming up later on Petrels and Money
today filling in, he put me on game when it
came to margin of error with teams, and if you
can play at your B minus level and still be
better than your opponent when they're playing at their A level,
(40:48):
that tells you the difference in talent between you and them,
because the Dodgers haven't hit that well overall. Otani got
going in Game four, it was historic. Before that, he
wasn't hitting Freddie Freeman's like a two. Right down the playoffs, it's.
Speaker 1 (41:01):
Really been The story has been the pitching. Yes, they're
starting pitching for.
Speaker 2 (41:04):
The Dodgers, and the bullpens stepped up too. Yeah, you
mentioned all the issues coming into this segment that we
talked about all season long. They look to be rectified.
For the most part. Dodgers have figured it out. And
Dave Roberts we talked about with Nick Letty earlier when
he said it's time to hunt his guys fell online.
They flipped a switch because they won ninety three games
this season, one less than Toronto by the way. So
(41:27):
if you do, if they do lose this series somehow,
and if you do have doubts because they don't have
home field, you can look back to all those Tanner
Scott blown saves and say if we just could have
won a couple more games there.
Speaker 1 (41:40):
Well stay there. Uh do you think? And I do
think sometimes home field matters in certain situations, in certain
series against certain franchises. But for the most part, when
you get to the World Series, you know, guys have
been there because it's such a difficult old and and
and in basketball and baseball, you gotta play at both places.
(42:03):
So you got to you got to perform at both
places as opposed to a super Bowl. In football, it's
a neutral site. Home field only matters getting there right
in the in the NFC championship game or AFC Championship game.
But when you play the Super Bowl, it's it's a
neutral site and and equal amount of fans on both sides.
But to get there in baseball, especially this year, which
(42:26):
I think is a little bit different. Do you think
it has any impact or will it have any impact
on this series given the fact what you said, they've
got the whole country behind them. It is Toronto, Canada
versus the US. It's almost like a World Cup kind
of still to it. Olympic World Yeah, it does, it does,
(42:49):
and that team, that team has really embraced that city
of Toronto. They talk about that and the same breadth
of we just are We're going to the World Sirie,
We're doing this for Canada, We're doing this for Toronto.
You hear every one of those players say that. Do
you think that has any impact or will have any
impact on this seria in terms of just energy level,
(43:12):
motivation going forward because it is Canada versus US.
Speaker 2 (43:17):
I mean it has an impact on my prediction because
if the Dodgers had home field, I'd say they're sweeping
or winning in five. Now I'm thinking Dodgers and six.
So I do think it's meaningful. It gives them a
chance out there. Guys still have to perform. But the
difference between home field and baseball versus basketball, well, the
court length is the same no matter where you play football,
(43:39):
one hundred yards, no matter where you're playing at Baseball,
different dimensions to the park, different intricacies to the park.
Toronto came out and faced the Dodgers here in La
back in August. Dodgers were in Toronto last year and oh,
by the way, oh Tani hit a home run in
that series. But they haven't been there in a while,
so maybe the fans can get on top of them,
(44:02):
and you know that feeling they had in ninety two
and ninety three when they went back to back will
be there. Plus they don't have the Expos anymore. This
is it. This is their only team. I don't know
how many of those fans came over to be Blue
Jays fans, but.
Speaker 1 (44:17):
Yeah, this is a.
Speaker 2 (44:20):
Yeah, you're right, great documentary on Netflix right now with
the Expos. By the way, it should have won in
ninety four, but Major League Baseball strike that was the
best team in baseball.
Speaker 1 (44:30):
They had it rolling in ninety four, by the way. Yeah, hey, listen,
it's time for World Series Dodger Baseball. Tomorrow night, the
Dodgers take on the Toronto Blue Jays for Game one
of the World Series, with first pitch at five live
from Gallpin's Motors Broadcast Booth, and stream all games in
HD on the iHeartRadio app Keyword AM five seventy l
(44:55):
A sports all right. On the other side, our man
Annie Bonseigneur is on to talk a little NFL football. Uh,
big game tonight and we'll talk to Chargers, we'll talk
to Rams, we'll talk to Raiders, and where it's going
with our man Bennie, Bonseigneur Adam Austin and for Fred
Rogan and five to seventy l E Sports. Yeah, that's right,
(45:22):
our man, Bennie Bonseneur. Coming up next, NFL football. Let's
go
Oh yes, we keep it moving, my man, Double A
Adam Austlin in for Fred Rogan as we go forward.
Don't forget. Uh. We are also gonna have Alan Sleeve.
We are keep getting the name Slee Wah sleeve wah.
I'll get it here. And yeah, you know uh he
is the host of Hoops Talk with Alan Slee Wah
(00:25):
yeah on YouTube. Really really insightful. Guy, really knows what
he's talking about. He'll be joining us throughout the NBA season.
Got a lot of insight on the Lakers especially, so
we're gonna join him. But the fact that we have
double A you're in studio with me right now.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Don't make me do it.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
Come on, man, we got to get into we got
to get into the NBA, and we got to get
into that Clipper game last night, man Opening night for
the Clippers and Utah in Utah and it was a
route Adam.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
I uh, you know myself, Clipper Nation. We didn't this
one coming. Clippers lose one forty nine to one oh eight.
The score was not indicative of how poorly that game
was played by the Clippers. They were down by as
many as thirty seven. Rodney and what irks people, is
this is the first real basketball that counts we've gotten
from the Clippers since losing Game seven big to Denver
(01:21):
in the first round series this past year. So they
got down by thirty five in that Game seven, and
the next time we see them in a game that counts,
they're down by thirty seven against Utah to open up
the next season. It was brutal last night. It was embarrassing. Honestly,
I coach lusaid postgame, you know, I put this bs
on me. He was not happy at all, understandably, and
(01:43):
they came out lifeless, flat, and they looked as old
as they are, you know, told to be the oldest
team in NBA history.
Speaker 1 (01:51):
Yeah, I mean, so what stood out to you other
than Zubats actually had a pretty good game.
Speaker 2 (01:58):
You know, he's twenty, he's a young buck for this team.
Speaker 1 (02:01):
Right, But other than that man, first of all, you
know what stood out? But also what was the big
disappointment for you in terms of in terms of their play.
I know Tyler wants to take it and put it
all on himself, but in terms of players, what were
you most disappointed in in this opener?
Speaker 2 (02:21):
Defensively, they should never give up forty three points in
a quarter. This team was a top three defense last season.
I know they bring in Bradley Beal to the starting
lineup with Kawhi, Dereck Jones junior of East Zubos, and James.
Speaker 1 (02:33):
Harden, but he's on a Bradley, he's on a minutes
restriction right now.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
He's on that, Yeah, twenty minutes. It looks like that's
what he played last night because he had a scope,
a little knee clean up back in May, and they've
been bringing him along slowly.
Speaker 1 (02:44):
Here.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
It was the first time those starters got together. They
didn't play together in the preseason. Bradley Beal only got
in one preseason game. But there's really no excuse for
giving up forty three points in the opening quarter and
getting behind like that. And this is how you lose
a game against a team like Utah. Who's over under?
Are you listening, Chauncey, I'm sorry no. Who's over Under
(03:06):
was nineteen and a half. And many people are taking
the under on wins with them because they are incentivized
to lose this season or else their pick goes to OKC.
They need to be really bad to hold on to
their first round pick. But they gave them life, they
gave them confidence, and they made them look much more
competent than they looked all of last season. And this
(03:27):
can't happen Opening night in Utah. It's always a tough
place to play, and they're on fire because it's Game
one and the players you know this, Rodney. You can
say you want to tank all you want to. The
players out there on the court, I don't think they
care about getting that first round pick. They're out there
the ball and marketing and Walker Lay.
Speaker 1 (03:48):
Yeah, your instinct is to play and play to win.
You know. You can talk all of that, you know,
off the in the off season and off the court
in between games, all that kind of stuff, but when
the ball is tipped, you got a lot. There's too
much pride inside of you, too much ego for guys
to say, oh, I'm not gonna play hard. Well, I'm
not gonna play to win, or I'm not gonna I'm
not gonna try to make this shot. It doesn't happen.
(04:09):
Guys are gonna play and you're gonna have to play
against them otherwise you're gonna get beat like the Clippers did.
Speaker 2 (04:14):
Unfortunately, Marcellus Wiley or Marcellus Wallace didn't get in the
Utah I'm thinking of the Clippers. He is a Clippers fan.
He didn't get in the Clippers' ear and said, that's
just that pride effing with you. He didn't give him
that pep talk, or maybe he did and it didn't work,
just like it didn't work with Bruce Willis and pull fiction.
Because they came out, believe it or not, their first
(04:35):
miss came at the nine minute mark of the second
quarter from inside the three point line the Utah Jazz Rodney.
They shot almost sixty percent from three in the first half,
and they made sixteen of their eighteen to two pointers
in the first half. Like this was God tears shooting
you don't see in an open gym. So some of
that hot shooting team, but the Clippers let them get
(04:58):
comfortable and find a rhythm and gain confidence early when
you got to set the tone defensively, because that's what
they were known for last season. So that's what most
I think, that's what most Clippers fans were disappointed by.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
And but you know, obviously it's a it's a long
season basketball like baseball, it's a it's a journey and
it's a marathon, not a sprint. But can you take
away anything from this game one other than this may
be a wake up call to the point where we
gotta we gotta play, and we are getting older, so
(05:31):
it's gonna take more of an effort for us to
play as a team as opposed to rolling the ball
out there and let James Harden get forty and Kawhi
one night get forty and we can just roll up wins.
That way, They're gonna have to play collective team basketball.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
Well, I put out a tweet last night because there's
been a lot of talk about these substances in the NFL,
but I was wondering if smelling salts were legal in
the NBA, because that's what it looked like they needed.
They were whatever new offshooters spin off of the Walking
Day that's happening on AMC. That was the Clippers last night,
and they are old, but it's game one. Those tired
(06:06):
legs are supposed to catch up with you in the
dog days of you know, right before yeah, right before
the All Star break where you gotta put out the
door and some senioritis. Not now, you gotta wake up
and play the right way. But I do think if
there's anything you can take away from one game, it's that, yeah,
you're gonna have to manage these guys because they're average
age is the oldest in NBA history, is something like
(06:28):
thirty three point six. But to me, this was a
mindset that was a problem for them, and it has
been over the years. You see it here and there
where they have some duds, and this is the positive
spin that I put on it. They lost a game
by fifty one during the twenty twenty one season, where
they ended up going to the Western Conference Finals and
having their most successful year in franchise history by the
(06:50):
end of it. Yet in Game three in the regular season,
they lost a game by fifty one. Did it mean anything? No,
it didn't define their season. I don't think this will
either for the Clippers. The Lakers are a team where
you can extrapolate and pull away more long reaching conclusions
from their Game one loss, where they have flaws that
aren't necessarily going away, you know, because to me, that
(07:13):
Lakers team was flawed coming into this year and it's
been flawed four years. And we'll get into it with
Alan coming up here. Sliwa Is that right? How can
we go the sleewa I'm shying here. I love his YouTube.
That Lakers team has the same issues they've had forever,
which is, you got a bunch of one way guys
(07:33):
that are extremely flawed on one on one end of
the court. And it starts with their three best guys
even without Lebron Right now, what are Luca and Austin
Reeves doing on the defensive side? They're good on one end,
they get picked on on the other. Even though Luca
did look a little bit better in Game one defensively,
We'll see see how the along that lasts. But the Lakers,
(07:54):
to me, are more problematic with just roster construction. The
Clippers roster is there, they have the they have the
guys that can do it. They just didn't show up
in Game one and had a big letdown for whatever reason.
The Lakers, I don't know.
Speaker 1 (08:07):
They may so the concern, and I do I do
agree with you because it is it feels like the
roster construction for the Lakers they almost have to be
perfect right to make things happen, whereas the Clippers they
have more of a room for error. But also the Clippers,
they are getting older and when you talk about Harden
(08:28):
and Kawhi and Bradley Beale. Now, how do you see
this plane out and how because I think he's going
to be the most challenging year for Tylo and how
he manages those guys. I mean, Kawhi, would he have
ten points last night? He was three of nine, said
didn't look he was a non factor and looked like
(08:50):
he was a little bit disengaged. What do you make
of him this season? And has he gone on to
that not only back nine, but is he on that
like back three?
Speaker 2 (09:00):
I swear, as I'm looking at the box score here,
I had a speck of dust next to his ten
points and it made it look like he had negative
ten points Kawhi Leonard, and it felt like that last night.
It was that bad. I'm not overly concerned, though I
have seen Kawhi slowly ramp up in a season. The
reports of his demise have been greatly exaggerated for years.
With Kawhi Leonard, he comes back from injury, he starts slow,
(09:24):
everybody thinks, oh, this is the end, He's never gonna
be the same, and then eventually he gets back to
playing like Kawhi Leonard. I'm not too concerned about him.
But age is a real factor with this team. The
idea is they're so deep that they can cycle guys
in and out and you don't have to play older
guys heavy minutes, so that keeps everybody fresh because they
(09:45):
cover for one another. And it may play out that way,
but against a team like Utah, every team going into
a game against the Clippers, especially that has young legs
like the Utah Jazz, they're gonna try to run him
off the floor. They're gonna try to get in transition lot.
The Clippers have made it very open and very clear
that they may not be the best team when it
comes to running in fast breaks and easy transition baskets
(10:08):
because of their age. Well, the opposition's game plan is
to get them in an up tempo game and use
that against them. So they have to know that. They
have to be aware of that, and it was shocking
to see that go against them in game one when
you should know how Utah is going to attack you,
and they did it to perfection.
Speaker 1 (10:25):
Yeah, they were Our young legs are going to take
care of your old legs, and we're going to show
you that early on. Like you mentioned, the forty three
points in a quarter. Just wow. Okay, switch real quick
to the Lakers. Do you think that do you think
that this now that it is clearly Luca's team? He
got the deal. Lebron being out now for the first
(10:52):
month will be a good thing for the Lakers as
they kind of transition to Luca being the guy. Or
this is going to be a struggle and maybe not
such a good thing and they need to get Lebron
back as soon as possible. Obviously they're a better team
with Lebron. But does this allow the Lakers and Luca
to really solidify the next generation? A new face and
(11:15):
let me run this team. Let me see if I
can run this team without Lebron.
Speaker 2 (11:19):
Yeah, I think it does crystallize that this is a
new era of Lakers basketball without Lebron for the first
three weeks or a month or whatever it's going to
be with the sciatica which could spring up at any
time during the season even when he does come back.
Speaker 1 (11:31):
Do not know it?
Speaker 2 (11:33):
Okay, you got some experience here too. Well, Luca is young.
He's twenty seven, and he dropped forty three points in
Game one. This is a top five player again, especially
because of how he looks out there with his own health,
with dropping the weight that he did a good fifteen
to twenty pounds whatever it was this past summer, he
(11:53):
looks like he's ready for a scoring burden that's going
to be thrust it upon him because Lebron being out
but twenty one minutes a night, it's not sustainable either.
And so as much as it gives that clear hierarchy
of who's the guy now in where this Lakers franchise
is going on the court, not having Lebron is a
(12:14):
real problem because it just lowers their margin for error.
They really have to be at their best because well,
even when Luca was with forty three points on just
twenty seven shots, they still lost that ballgame. If he
can have a night like that and you still lose,
you got issues. Austin Reeves had twenty six, they still lost,
and it felt a little bit like your turn, my turn.
(12:36):
They weren't running a lot of offense. It was just
those two creating a lot. That's concerning to me. DeAndre
Ayton very concerning. Fred's gonna have a field day.
Speaker 1 (12:45):
I know it.
Speaker 2 (12:46):
He'll be DeAndre hating up a storm because those ten
points and six boards you gotta contextualize it. He's going
up against forget oh yeah, yeah, they were low impact.
He's going up against a team doesn't play many bigs.
So what's gonna happen? Going up against a team like
Minnesota like they're gonna see tomorrow, it's a totally different thing.
If there was a game for him to dominate a
(13:08):
little bit and show, hey, this is my year. I'm
playing for my next contract. I'm only making eight million
this year with the Lakers. I gotta show something. Would
have been nice to see it against a team like
Golden State who plays small. Didn't happen. So that between
that and gave Vincent and the starting lineup and the
shuffling that could be going on there, and just the
lack of two way guys that are playable against good
(13:30):
teams like the Golden State Warriors, are the Lakers have problems.
I said this on Twitter and I stand by it.
I think they are desperate, and you tell me how
realistic this is. They need either a breakout season a
career year from Vanderbilt Jake Laavia or Marcus Smart. Marcus
(13:51):
looked decent, but he's past his prime.
Speaker 1 (13:54):
Vanderbuilt something from something that resembles, you know, is time
in Boston. It'll be a good thing.
Speaker 2 (14:02):
His intensity's there. You need that competitiveness, But I don't
know if he can have a career year at this age.
Vanderbilt's offense has never come around, and he looked more
unsure from three in that game, going zero of two.
Jake la Ravi is probably the most likely guy. He's
somebody and not a lot of people have watched in
Sacramento or in Memphis. He's young, but he can do
(14:23):
a lot, jack of all trades, master of none. He
can really help this team. But again I am saying
the Lakers have to rely on one of these three guys.
That is not a ringing endorsement for the way this
team was built, because I don't know if any of
them are gonna pop and have a huge.
Speaker 1 (14:39):
Season, and they need that, they need it. Ed you
mentioned all right before we break, man, I just got
to get your take on Wimby. Wimby and the performance
he had opening night. Man, it is just his progression
of everybody what they thought of him coming over and
as a young kid coming over with all this talent,
you know, eight foot tall, all those things and being
(14:59):
able to to shoot at three. What he showed on
opening night was to me it was scary for the
rest of the NBA.
Speaker 2 (15:08):
Adam he can go from taking a three to taking
one long step and a little crab dribble inside the
three point line to having it be a layup like
it can change that quickly from being a layup or
a three. You want to talk about threes in layups
and analytics in today's league, Wemby can do all that
for you. But that reverse dunk he had going baseline
(15:30):
like that, everybody kept saying some some people, some of
the older generations, said, we had Ralph Simpson. What are
you talking about? This is this is nothing new here.
Did you see the handle that he showed off against
Anthony Davis. Yeah, to get to that fallaway jumper on
the right elbow for the and one. What are we
talking about? This is absolute alien stuff. I saw a
(15:52):
tweet regarding Wemby and I thought this person said it best,
just talking about the uniqueness of this player and how
in a world of one of One's and unicorns and
what we're seeing with Otani and everything, Wemby is otherworldly,
Like there's nothing else like this right now, and it
(16:14):
seems like our wildest imaginations and that's what the tweet
is alluding to, are coming true in sports. Between Otani
and Wemby, stuff we only dreamed of, we are actually
seeing and it's frying brains. Like poor Rob Parker can't
figure out that Otani might be the best player ever. No,
because you've never seen anyone do this before. It's hard
(16:35):
to wrap your head around it. Same thing with Wemby
out there. He's so special. He went from again on
a day when we've been talking a lot of gambling,
he went from plus twelve hundred in MVP odds to
plus two fifty in one game where he dropped forty fifteen,
shot seventy percent from the field and didn't have a turnover.
(16:56):
Nobody's ever done that before in NBA history.
Speaker 1 (16:58):
You have fifty point. Yeah, And the scary part about
it is that what I saw and I saw this
towards the end of last year, which you gotta have,
and I saw it in that game won. And you
talk about the reverse, Donkey had some other ones that
were incredible as well. He got that dog in him now,
(17:19):
he's got that real dog in him, like like he's
talking a little smack and he's he's given that look
like you can't stop me no matter what you do.
And as he gets to there with all the talent
and size and natural god given gifts, that kid is
special and will be special because of that. All of
(17:42):
the all of the great ones we talk about, they
not only had the raw talent, but they also had
that that that killer, that dog, that whatever you want
to call it in him. And I saw that came
out last night. Man. It is scary for the rest
of the NBA.
Speaker 2 (17:57):
And he wants to be great. Yeah, you said it.
This guy wants to be great. He looks like SGA
with how driven he is, and we saw what happened there.
Speaker 1 (18:06):
I don't know. I brought it up there.
Speaker 2 (18:07):
Title Pain.
Speaker 1 (18:14):
You brought us from Clever Lane. You brought Clever Lane
into that.
Speaker 2 (18:17):
What's your prediction pain for Clippers fans watching my man?
Speaker 1 (18:22):
All right? He is the host of Hoops Talk with
Alan Sleiewah. There you go, coming to join us next
talk some Lakers NBA as well. Adam Austin in for
Fred Rogan and five to seventy LA Sports.
Speaker 3 (18:37):
Make Am five seventy LA Sports a preset before you
plug in your phone presets in the iHeartRadio app, now
available with Apple car Play and Android Auto. Just another
easy way to listen to LA's best sports talk.
Speaker 1 (18:51):
Oh yes, coming back on a throwback Thursday, Adam Auslin
in for Fred Rogan. It's always a pleasure, especially gonna
throw back Allan, because I know you recognize every single
song that Ronnie's throwing at us. I'm all right, let's
bring him on. He's the host of Hoops Talk with
Alan Fleewah on YouTube. Alan, thanks for joining us. Man
(19:15):
appreciate it, of.
Speaker 4 (19:17):
Course, thank you for having me on.
Speaker 5 (19:18):
I really appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (19:19):
All right, Man, listen early on. We're gonna get your
take and we're gonna have you on several times during
the UH during the NBA season, So we look forward
to that. But UH, one game in basically for most
of the NBA and all of the NBA, one game
in for the Lakers. Is there any takeaways that you
have or anybody could have after one game? You know,
(19:39):
kind of leading up to this, UH, and also want
to get your take on just your thoughts going forward.
But one game in, can you pull away anything?
Speaker 5 (19:47):
Well?
Speaker 4 (19:48):
I think will there be overreaction?
Speaker 5 (19:51):
Sure?
Speaker 4 (19:51):
And I think overreaction can go both ways. I think
if you're a Warrior fan today, you're saying, oh my gosh,
look how great our team is and look at the
chemistry they order you have. If you're a Laker fan,
you're obviously saying the sky is falling and you know
what's going to happen here moving forward. Well, the good
news is is neither are accurate, and you shouldn't be
(20:12):
either too optimistic or too pessimistic. I would say my
takeaway from the Lakers game, at least in Game one,
they're going to rely so much on Luka Doncic. That part,
I think in itself, especially with Lebron out, that part
I think is a concern because you can't really ask
one player to do everything and the Lakers will be
that relying on him. What role players can the Lakers
(20:36):
depend on? What role players? You got to have two
or three role players a game that's contributing. And I
thought the Lakers in Game one there was nobody that
stood out outside of Luca and outside of Austin Reeves,
and Austin Reeves really got his more towards the end
of the game. So my number one observation after Game
one was the dependency on Luca and how these role
(20:59):
players are obviously going to have to play a much
bigger role if the Lakers are going to have any
resemblance of some success this year.
Speaker 2 (21:06):
Alan, one of the storylines heading into the ballgame was
the starting lineup and gave Vincent being in it. Were
you surprised by that? How long of the least do
you think he has with JJ Reddick, who could be
some of the alternatives.
Speaker 5 (21:19):
So I think this one was it.
Speaker 4 (21:21):
Yes, I was surprised, But I was surprised more by
the Friday preseason game, which was kind of their JJ
called did a dress rehearsal, and he went with gave
Vincent in that starting lineup. So I think that kind
of triggered, Hey, this is what Opening Night's going to
look like. I'm going to go to a couple of
quotes that I've heard jjsay that we got to be flexible.
(21:41):
Sometimes it depends on matchups. Let me give you an
example tomorrow when they play the Minnesota Timberwolves. I can't
see a scenario where they say we have gave Vincent
in the starting lineup just because of the size, just
because of how Minnesota plays Lakers obviously eliminated by the
Timberwolves in game or in the first round last year.
(22:04):
Isn't that supposed to potentially be a matchup where you say, Okay, well,
now you've got to use Vando, Now you got to
use some of the other side that the Lakers have.
So I was surprised in a sense, but I understood
because it was the Golden State Warriors. I don't think
there's anything said on a starting lineup. I have a
feeling that that's just going to be something that can
change depending on matchup.
Speaker 1 (22:24):
Alan you mentioned Luca and Lebron being out. Just going
back to that, how much of an impact will this
be and is this a good thing that Lebron is
out early on this season to really establish Luca as
the leader and new face of this franchise, or is
this something that this may not be a good thing
(22:46):
that Lebron's going to miss the first month of the season.
Speaker 4 (22:48):
I'd rather have Lebron there. And I understand your point,
and I think it's a fair one where you're saying, look,
twenty third season in the NBA, the man's got to
pace himself. I think we just got too accustomed to
I mean, even the last couple of years, Lebron's playing
seventy games a year, so it's you know, it's it's
doesn't make any sense, it's unheard of. But they need Lebron,
(23:08):
and Luca needs Lebron. I think the keys have already
been handed to Luca. I think the front office and
I think the organization has already shown we're going to
make decisions based off of the twenty six year old.
We're not going to base them off the forty year old.
It's no disrespect to Lebron, but they're obviously have to
make business decisions from that perspective. But I think what
you could see is, if you're watching that game, you're
(23:31):
saying to yourself, they if they're going to have any success,
Lebron's got to be there with them, and Lebron's got
to be there with Luka Doncic. So I get some
of the angles of saying, Okay, well, he's not going
to play seventy or he's not gonna play eighty two
games anyways, but they really really need him in that lineup,
(23:52):
and I'd rather have them pull Lebron out for a
game here and there as a luxury but right now
it's you know, obviously it's it's out of necessity. They
don't have a choice. He's not coming back till mid November.
And I don't see many positives there other than the
fact that it's super early in the season. It's not
late in the season.
Speaker 2 (24:09):
Alan, what did you make of his body language? I
know he's always under the most scrutiny, and then you
see a story that comes out yesterday, Well, he's helping
everyone in practice, and Draymond did joke after the game
he's in his Phil Jackson chair. It felt a little
bit like pr spin yesterday after so many people reacted
to Lebron looking a little bit disengaged. How did you
interpret that?
Speaker 4 (24:30):
Well, I think it just kind of shows you that
if the man says something, it's a story. If Rich
Paul puts something out, it's a story. If he sits
on the bench and doesn't give you the amount of expression.
Speaker 5 (24:42):
You're looking for, it's a story.
Speaker 4 (24:44):
I think, really, what it says to me is whatever
Lebron says does doesn't say.
Speaker 5 (24:51):
It's a story.
Speaker 1 (24:54):
Him.
Speaker 4 (24:57):
No, you're one hundred percent right, And I think, listen,
do I make a lot out of the body language.
I don't. I could see how people make an angle
out of it, but that that, to me is kind
of what I take more than anything else. I was
doing my podcast this morning, and I think the thing
that probably stands out to me the most is you
cannot there is no story that isn't gonna be written
(25:21):
about Lebron and the attention of where some of these
storylines go that's gonna nobody has any control of that.
And I do agree. I think the JJ ing of
a little bit of like he was so great in
practice and here's what he did in the film session
maybe a little oversell a little.
Speaker 5 (25:39):
Bit right, like I think?
Speaker 4 (25:40):
Yeah, so I think I think might that might add
to the story rather than take away from the story.
Speaker 1 (25:46):
Yeah, I hear you, Alan Slee. What joins us host
of Hoops Talk going forward? You know, we all know
about Luca, we know about Lebron, and who else do
you see has to have a big year or big
impact for this team to go deep? I liking it too.
Maybe DeAndre Ayden has to be big for them. This
is his kind of you know, last last opportunity to
(26:10):
kind of prove himself. But who is your pick for that?
That Laker that has to have a big year in
order for the Lakers to go deep.
Speaker 4 (26:18):
Yeah, that's the name. I think, you know, I think
you pointed it out. And it's not gonna be one player.
They're gonna need multiple players. But I think I do
think Aighton is the one where he is very underwhelming
in Game one and you know Game two you got
coming up tomorrow against Minnesota.
Speaker 5 (26:36):
They're gonna have.
Speaker 4 (26:36):
Rudy Gobert and Nas Reed and Julius Randall and Jaden
McDaniels and the way they expose the Lakers because of
their lack of size in the playoffs. If if he's
a very average to below average center this upcoming season,
I don't I don't see a pass how this is
a team that you know, as great as Luca is
(26:57):
and the potential of Austin Reeves again and Lebron there's
the question mark, is he healthy?
Speaker 5 (27:02):
Is he not? Let's just pretend he's healthy.
Speaker 4 (27:04):
If you don't have a big and you don't have
a couple enforcers down low, you can't really make that
much noise in the scope of the NBA. And I
think they're relying a lot on DeAndre Ayton and I
think it's a very very fair question of will Layton
deliver or not. I don't think anybody has that answer,
(27:25):
and I don't think we have to have that answer
on you know, going into the second game of the
regular season. But we're going to find out ten to
fifteen to twenty games how much of an impact he's
going to have or he's not. And then from there,
obviously the Lakers are going to have to make some decisions.
If this season is a season that they believe they got,
they got to really make noise because Lebron is age
(27:47):
and how much more time he has.
Speaker 2 (27:49):
Alan you deal with the same fan reaction stuff, I
do you lose your first game. There's an overreaction from
fans saying trade everyone, fire everyone. But to me, because
the Lakers obviously didn't fulfill that trade with Mark Williams
after he didn't pass the physical, they still have trade chips.
We're talking about a lot of ships today, but they
(28:09):
still have some amo. They still have that war chest.
Is this a team that earlier on in the season,
well before the trade deadline, could be looking to make
a move Because to me, they have the same flaw
that they've had for years not enough solid two way
players that aren't extremely flawed on one end of the floor,
which just leaves them vulnerable. And I'm not sure they
(28:30):
fully addressed that. Do you see something where this Lakers
team could make a move early on the first couple
of months.
Speaker 4 (28:38):
Well, first off, I think you're one hundred percent right.
They haven't addressed it. And the two way players that
you mentioned, you know, you could look at a guy
like Vanderbilt and say, Wow, you know that's a guy
you definitely want on the defensive side. He's also a
guy that nobody's going to pay attention to on offense.
And they got guys like that, and they have inconsistent
players as well. Ruby Hatchamura gave Vince you can go
(29:00):
down the list, So I think you're one hundred percent
right on that.
Speaker 5 (29:03):
And the one.
Speaker 4 (29:04):
Player that they did get for a quick second Dorian
Finish Smith, which was a two way player signed with Houston,
and they got Jake Laavia, So you know, the question
mark from that perspective, I think the idea of will
they use the assets that they have here's what Polanka
has to weigh. And I wish I had that answer
and I don't, But Here's what Polanka is going to
(29:26):
have to weigh. Do I use these limited assets that
I have because I feel like I can make noise
right now? Or am I looking at my hand and
saying to myself, I got ten jack? Why am I
going to go all in with ten jack when I'm
already seeing the river cut or the looking at the
(29:48):
other cards on the tape. There's already a king there,
there's already an ace there. It's like, how much risks
do you want to take based off of the assets
that you have and where your team is. Is there
gonna be a ton of sure from Lebron? Does that
matter if there's pressure from Lebron? Is Luca saying, guys,
I'm twenty six, I've already been to the NBA finals.
(30:08):
I'm not interested in waiting and competing for a couple
of years. I think there's a lot of different you know,
a lot of different variables that can influence Rob Polenka.
Speaker 5 (30:19):
And I think the other.
Speaker 4 (30:20):
One is is there a deal in front of him
that he's comfortable with? And I will say Polanka hasn't
made many moves in the summer, but he's made a
lot of his moves there's been a lot more action
at the trade deadline. Do I think this is going
to be the same roster that they have after the
trade deadline, I'll say no.
Speaker 5 (30:37):
I think they will make moves at some point.
Speaker 2 (30:39):
Would you characterize it as maybe they're looking for such
of a perfect trade where it not only helps them now,
but it helps them in the future, and those are
just hard to come by, especially in today's NBA. You're
going to have to give up a lot for those guys.
Like if you're waiting for the Utah Jazz to start
tanking and they've beat up on the Clippers last night
so you can go back after Walker Kessler. It seems
(31:01):
like those are the type of guys that perfect situation
is what rob may be looking for.
Speaker 4 (31:06):
Well, i'd say this.
Speaker 5 (31:07):
I would say that.
Speaker 4 (31:10):
No matter what move you make, sure there's going to
be some risk you might have to overpay. And Polanka
has always said in all these pressers, if we feel
like there's a move out there that makes sense for
the organization president future.
Speaker 5 (31:21):
Then we will act on it. I would say that
the biggest thing is is this.
Speaker 4 (31:29):
A player that I can see on the roster for
the next three to four years, and can he be
next to Luka Doncic, because if it's a really really
short term type of player, no, I don't think it
makes sense. I think it's you know, it is time
to kind of build for what you think is this
next version of the Lakers around Luca and whatever trade
(31:51):
they do make, whatever player you bring up. A young
player is a good example like Walker Kessler. You just
have to know that this guy's going to be on
the roster for the next few years and he's going
to be a good fit with Luka Doncic. If it
doesn't fit that mold and you're trying to kind of
squeeze something in for one year with Lebron, I mean
we look at the Western Conference, it's tough to justify that.
(32:14):
And even with Lebron, I mean, here we are, we're
going to probably miss the first He'll probably missed the
first ten to fifteen games. So you don't really even
know one hundred percent what Lebron is.
Speaker 1 (32:24):
You're twenty three, Allen, before we let you go, just
to have a question because given the Lakers' recent history
with head coaches, whether it be Frank Vogel, Darvin Ham,
and then you throw the new ownership and Mark Walters
and the Gugenheim guys coming in and have a different
philosophy as they've run the Dodgers. How big a year
(32:45):
or how critical is this year for JJ Reddick.
Speaker 4 (32:49):
It's a good question, you know, I would have told
you two months ago that, you know, I think JJ
had a really good rookie season as a head coach,
and then I think he got exposed in the playoffs,
and I think that just comes with, Hey, I need
more experience. I haven't had these opportunities, and that's okay,
(33:11):
that's that's a natural fit, part of the part of
the job. But I also would have said that, well,
he's got three years left on his contract, so he's
going to probably have two more years to figure it out,
and then the Lakers can you know, make an.
Speaker 5 (33:25):
Educated decision from there.
Speaker 4 (33:27):
But what happened was Polenka and JJ Reddick talked before
training camp, and Polenka pretty much started that press or
by saying that JJ Reddick got an extension. So even
with three years left on his contract, he got a
two year or he got a multi year extension. I
don't think we ever saw how many years it was.
(33:48):
I don't think there's that much pressure on him now.
I think that he knows he's going to be the
Lakers head coach for at least, you know, a few
more years. I'm sure the only way they give him
that extension is if his relationship with Luka Doncic is strong.
So I don't think there's a lot of pressure on him.
But I also think he's the type of head coach
that probably puts a lot of pressure on himself. Yeah,
(34:09):
is one of those perfectionists, is going to stay and
do everything you possibly can to try to find the solution.
So I do think he's got great upside, but I
was a little.
Speaker 5 (34:18):
Surprised they offered an extension just one year.
Speaker 1 (34:20):
In It's Hoops Talk with Alan Sliewah on YouTube. Alan listen,
thanks for joining us, Man, I look forward to talking
to you on a regular basis as the NBA season
unfolds and gets going here. Man, really really appreciate it.
Thanks Al.
Speaker 4 (34:37):
I appreciate your guys time as well.
Speaker 5 (34:38):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (34:43):
That's right from the field to the work site. Strauss
Powers World Series coverage on AM five seventy LA Sports
and when we come back, we'll get into that World
Series talk Dodgers, Blue Jays, Dreminet.
Speaker 2 (34:58):
Kendrick Lamar. Let's go all that bring it out?
Speaker 3 (35:01):
Hello Rogan and Rodney listener. Did you know Am five
seventy LA Sports has a wide range of LA sports podcasts.
Shows like Petros in Money. We are streaming Matt Dodger
Talk with David Vasse.
Speaker 4 (35:15):
The Dodger Podcast of Record.
Speaker 3 (35:16):
Clipper Talk with Adam Musk, follow us all and many more.
Just go to AM five seventy LA Sports on the
iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1 (35:24):
Oh yes, come on back on a throwback Thursday, Adam.
What do you think brother?
Speaker 2 (35:31):
I think we got to remind you from the field
to the work site. Strauss Powers World Series coverage here
on A five seventy LA Sports. Good show. Still got
an hour left?
Speaker 1 (35:42):
Yeah we do, Yeah, we do. So we got to
get into that World Series talk powered by Strauss. That's
right on AM five seventy LA Sports. Hey, as we
get ready for tomorrow. Obviously this is a big deal
and there are a lot of folks out there, I
would say in July, late July August that were extremely concerned,
(36:04):
extremely worried that the Dodgers this was not going to
be their year. They have too many injuries. They weren't
playing well, they weren't hitting the ball, the bullpen was terrible,
too many guys from the starting rotation were hurt. Just
didn't look like a team that could make it to
the World Series, let alone win it. And fast forward
to now it is. They are the most dominant team
(36:26):
ever and looking to be the first team to back
to back since the Yankees did it in the late
late nineties and early two thousand, actually the first. I
didn't realize this either. They could be the first National
League team to do it since the Big Red Machine
back in nineteen seventy five, seventy six. I believe, Okay,
(36:46):
that's yeah. People thought that there's no parody in Major
League Baseball, But man, is.
Speaker 2 (36:52):
There another connection to gambling there since we've been talking
about it so much with that Big Red Machina.
Speaker 1 (36:57):
I don't know, all right, Adam, So listen. I said
this to net Coletti because I feel this like in
the national media that the folks aren't there really trying
to convince themselves that this is going to be a
competitive series, and it very well, you know, could be. Look,
I've always said this, it doesn't matter the money, and
people want to get into the payroll, and the big
(37:19):
Bad Dodgers got more money than everybody else. That's why
you know they're in the position that they are. Now.
You still got to go play the game. Ask the
Mets if the payroll matters. They're not even in the playoffs.
But when you look at payrolls, nobody's saying that about Toronto,
who's in the top five in payroll. Everybody focuses on
the Dodgers. And yes, they do spend the money and
(37:39):
they invested back into the team and back into the organization,
which is great, and some of the other clubs don't
do that. But it's not a foregone conclusion because the
Dodgers spend the money and they have stars that they're
gonna walk away with this title for the second year
in a row. Because I do think whether they sweep
(38:00):
but or not, it's going to be competitive. And you know,
just because you sweep a team doesn't mean that the
games weren't competitive. It could be two to one, it
could be one, nothing could be five to four, that
comes down to it. But from a national standpoint, it
does feel like they're all trying to convince themselves let's
make this competitive. That's convinced the world that it's going
(38:21):
to be competitive, so we don't just throw it out there.
The Dodgers are going to dominate. How do you feel
about this series and where the Dodgers are going into
it and is this going to be a competitive series
with the Blue Jays.
Speaker 2 (38:36):
I think the one thing that's really going in their
favor as opposed to if they had played Seattle is
the Blue Jays they got home field in Toronto. They're
going up against the country there and they haven't felt
this way Toronto fans since the Raptors were in the
NBA Finals back in twenty nineteen with Kawhi. That could
mean something that could lift their spirits a little bit,
(38:58):
have them on fire and have because anybody that gets
to this point has that belief that we're a team
of destiny. It's our year. And with the way they
have hit in this postseason, Toronto has scored the most runs,
hit the most home runs, struck out the lowest rate
of any team in the postseason. They pose the biggest
(39:19):
threat to what the Dodgers have been doing in the
way they've been dominating, mostly through their starting pitching Toronto
does or could at least have an answer for that.
They have the best shot because Lad Guerrero Junior is
having in all time legendary postseason hitting four thirty two,
eighteen hits, six home runs, ALCSMVP. It's funny because he
(39:44):
didn't have a great regular season, especially towards the back
end of it. He's flipped the switch. He's turned into
mister October. He has been that good for them. So
they have the belief they have the bats. I'd still
be very concerned with their pitching. That's where Seattle had
the advantage over Toronto. If you look at it between
who was the better matchup for the Dodgers in this series?
(40:06):
But rest versus rust. There's something to that. I guess
if you look I guess if you look at past
history there which you can say teams that swept in
the Championship series came up short against teams that went
seven games in THEIRS. This Dodgers team, though, is so stacked,
like their margin for error. We love to talk about
(40:28):
that all the time. Don McLain, who I think is
on with Petros coming up later on Petrels and Money
today filling in, he put me on game when it
came to margin of error with teams, and if you
can play at your B minus level and still be
better than your opponent when they're playing at their A level,
(40:48):
that tells you the difference in talent between you and them,
because the Dodgers haven't hit that well overall. Otani got
going in Game four, it was historic. Before that, he
wasn't hitting Freddie Freeman's like a two. Right down the playoffs, it's.
Speaker 1 (41:01):
Really been The story has been the pitching. Yes, they're
starting pitching for.
Speaker 2 (41:04):
The Dodgers, and the bullpens stepped up too. Yeah, you
mentioned all the issues coming into this segment that we
talked about all season long. They look to be rectified.
For the most part. Dodgers have figured it out. And
Dave Roberts we talked about with Nick Letty earlier when
he said it's time to hunt his guys fell online.
They flipped a switch because they won ninety three games
this season, one less than Toronto by the way. So
(41:27):
if you do, if they do lose this series somehow,
and if you do have doubts because they don't have
home field, you can look back to all those Tanner
Scott blown saves and say if we just could have
won a couple more games there.
Speaker 1 (41:40):
Well stay there. Uh do you think? And I do
think sometimes home field matters in certain situations, in certain
series against certain franchises. But for the most part, when
you get to the World Series, you know, guys have
been there because it's such a difficult old and and
and in basketball and baseball, you gotta play at both places.
(42:03):
So you got to you got to perform at both
places as opposed to a super Bowl. In football, it's
a neutral site. Home field only matters getting there right
in the in the NFC championship game or AFC Championship game.
But when you play the Super Bowl, it's it's a
neutral site and and equal amount of fans on both sides.
But to get there in baseball, especially this year, which
(42:26):
I think is a little bit different. Do you think
it has any impact or will it have any impact
on this series given the fact what you said, they've
got the whole country behind them. It is Toronto, Canada
versus the US. It's almost like a World Cup kind
of still to it. Olympic World Yeah, it does, it does,
(42:49):
and that team, that team has really embraced that city
of Toronto. They talk about that and the same breadth
of we just are We're going to the World Sirie,
We're doing this for Canada, We're doing this for Toronto.
You hear every one of those players say that. Do
you think that has any impact or will have any
impact on this seria in terms of just energy level,
(43:12):
motivation going forward because it is Canada versus US.
Speaker 2 (43:17):
I mean it has an impact on my prediction because
if the Dodgers had home field, I'd say they're sweeping
or winning in five. Now I'm thinking Dodgers and six.
So I do think it's meaningful. It gives them a
chance out there. Guys still have to perform. But the
difference between home field and baseball versus basketball, well, the
court length is the same no matter where you play football,
(43:39):
one hundred yards, no matter where you're playing at Baseball,
different dimensions to the park, different intricacies to the park.
Toronto came out and faced the Dodgers here in La
back in August. Dodgers were in Toronto last year and oh,
by the way, oh Tani hit a home run in
that series. But they haven't been there in a while,
so maybe the fans can get on top of them,
(44:02):
and you know that feeling they had in ninety two
and ninety three when they went back to back will
be there. Plus they don't have the Expos anymore. This
is it. This is their only team. I don't know
how many of those fans came over to be Blue
Jays fans, but.
Speaker 1 (44:17):
Yeah, this is a.
Speaker 2 (44:20):
Yeah, you're right, great documentary on Netflix right now with
the Expos. By the way, it should have won in
ninety four, but Major League Baseball strike that was the
best team in baseball.
Speaker 1 (44:30):
They had it rolling in ninety four, by the way. Yeah, hey, listen,
it's time for World Series Dodger Baseball. Tomorrow night, the
Dodgers take on the Toronto Blue Jays for Game one
of the World Series, with first pitch at five live
from Gallpin's Motors Broadcast Booth, and stream all games in
HD on the iHeartRadio app Keyword AM five seventy l
(44:55):
A sports all right. On the other side, our man
Annie Bonseigneur is on to talk a little NFL football. Uh,
big game tonight and we'll talk to Chargers, we'll talk
to Rams, we'll talk to Raiders, and where it's going
with our man Bennie, Bonseigneur Adam Austin and for Fred
Rogan and five to seventy l E Sports. Yeah, that's right,
(45:22):
our man, Bennie Bonseneur. Coming up next, NFL football. Let's
go
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