July 8, 2025 • 42 mins
The Dodgers were hammered in Milwaukee 9-1 as their mid-season skid continues. If the Clippers do sign Bradley Beal (and even if they dont) - do they have a better roster than the Lakers?
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
The hight.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
Here we go one hour today, Rodney is off.
Speaker 3 (00:06):
Kevin and Adam are back in for Rodney and guys,
appreciate you hanging out today.
Speaker 4 (00:12):
Thanks for getting the invite. Fred. I wasn't sure if
they let us do this again, so I'm glad to
be back.
Speaker 5 (00:16):
I'm still on the right side of the seat. He's
on the left side, on right cheeks, left, he's left cheek.
We're filling the seat of Rodney Pete. It's not easy here.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
You know.
Speaker 3 (00:24):
The thing you have to remember is this. We're all
renewed on a twenty four hour basis, so you did
well enough yesterday where we picked up for another twenty
four hours. The business has changed. There are no long
term deals. We get renewed every day.
Speaker 5 (00:37):
Come on, give me a ten day Fred, something here
a little bit more.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
Don't push it. You know you're here and that's good.
Speaker 4 (00:44):
Adam. You're going a two way contract. If we get
demoted to the to the iHeartRadio app. If this doesn't
work out, I guess is out.
Speaker 3 (00:50):
That's right, all right. I don't know what's going on
with the Dodgers. Maybe it's the perfect storm. I simply
wrote off what happened against Houston. Yeah, that's gonna happen,
all right. They looked awful yesterday. They looked awful. Ya'm amodo.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
I'm just a god. I thought he was hurt. He
was so bad. I thought he was hurt.
Speaker 3 (01:11):
I thought they would come and get him, and they
and he's got to go on the injured the list,
one of those.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
But he wasn't hurt. They were killing him.
Speaker 3 (01:19):
He couldn't get a slider in the right place, Andrew
volunteered off on him. Dodgers couldn't hit their hat size.
And now not only are they losing, but they're losing poorly.
And I think, and it's a long season, it will
all be okay, but at least for today, if you're
getting beat like that, I think it could be reason
(01:40):
for some concern.
Speaker 5 (01:41):
It sounds like you're hitting the panic button harder than
the Dodgers are hitting the baseball right now, fred and
I like it. I'm here for it. I did want
an update on where you were. Are we in dark
orange heading towards red right now? What's happening? Are we
in magenta land? Where are we at? Where's the level
of panic on the panic meter?
Speaker 2 (01:59):
Freddy yeah, well, here's where we're at. I think people
should just be pissed.
Speaker 4 (02:04):
I don't think anybody if you go from everything's fine
to like, everything's.
Speaker 2 (02:07):
Pissed off, there's a difference different you.
Speaker 4 (02:11):
Went from one extreme to another.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
Fred, No, there's a difference. If you're panic, that's one thing.
If you're pissed that's another. You're just mad.
Speaker 3 (02:17):
And the thing about it is you're gonna lose games,
you're gonna get beat.
Speaker 2 (02:22):
It's a long season. But god, they just don't look good.
Even Dave Roberts alluded to the fact, you know, we're
just not really pitching, we're not really hitting, we're not
really playing defense. Add them up and you are in
a bit of a rut. And again, it's one thing
to lose, but it's another thing to lose the way
they're losing. They just don't look very good right now.
Speaker 5 (02:43):
They've been out floored thirty eight to seven the last
four games. The last time they had a run differential
that bad of minus thirty one during a four game
stretch was like nineteen thirty two. So yes, it is
bad for a team that is the defending champs. Right now,
they look lifeless. They look like a team that is
leaking oil and just getting ready for the All Star break.
(03:03):
They look like they need an All Star break before
the All Star break.
Speaker 4 (03:06):
Well that's the thing. And I've heard people say this too, like, oh,
they're just limping to the All Star break. You can't
get here soon enough. Have they checked out mentally? There's
still games left on the schedule, Like, I don't know,
if you've looked at the standings. They have a six
game lead against the Giants in their last three games
before the All Star Break are in San Francisco. So
the idea that they're just gonna run away with this division,
they haven't locked up and we're running promos from our
guy Bob Schmidz and the Dodgers are gonna have a
(03:27):
comfortable league going into the All Star break. I'm not
so sure the White things are looking right now, because
if they lose, get swept in Milwaukee and heaven Forbid
gets swept in San Francisco, you're what tied in the
division or one game back in the division going into
the All Star break. I mean, and that's a realistic possibility.
The way things are looking right.
Speaker 3 (03:44):
Now, I don't think they've checked out mentally, I don't
think that's the issue. They're just not playing very well.
I honestly, I wish the All Star break was today,
though I do think they need a break.
Speaker 6 (03:52):
So, yeah, it's not happening.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
The injuries, I think you can't use it as an excuse,
and you haven't used it all year long. But really,
at some point or another, you gotta believe it's going
to take its toll. And I think they finally are
taking their toll. They've been so banged up, so beat up.
Other guys are hurt now and it's like it finally
(04:15):
caught up with them. It's the perfect storm. Now you're
seeing the result of the attrition of all season long
going through it.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
That's the issue.
Speaker 5 (04:24):
Well, And speaking to this, Mookie Betts was asked about
the positional players out now it's not just pictures, it's batters.
Here he was with a reporter post game. I thought
this was interesting.
Speaker 7 (04:35):
I have as many guys out of the lineup as
you knew right now, Like, how do you kind of
work around that, you know, that's the guys that are
still left in there, or are there things you can
do just as a team to kind of compensate there.
Speaker 1 (04:46):
That's just you can't replace all stars. You can't replace
guys that have won MVP and postseason. You can't replace
those type of things, and so the next man has
to step up and do what he can do.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
But I mean, you.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
Can't can't replace those guys. You can only just have
someone come step up and do their best.
Speaker 5 (05:07):
Okay, I gotta say Mookie Betts has been criticized in
the past for shirking responsibility in the playoffs in twenty
twenty two and twenty twenty three when he wasn't hitting.
It was about the team, it wasn't about him. To
his credit, he stepped up against the Padres, he had
some big hits. He got out of that playoff slump.
Last season they win the World Series. But this is
(05:29):
not the answer I'm looking for. I understand Key K's
out ta Oscar Hernandez was out yesterday, Tommy Edmond was
out months. He is out right now. I'm sorry. Do
they not have Otani? Do they not have Freddy Freeman?
Do they not have Mooki Betts? Do they not have
Will Smith? Andy pa has is arguably having an all
star type of season.
Speaker 6 (05:49):
Do they not have enough? How much help?
Speaker 5 (05:51):
Do they need like I honestly, that is not the
answer I'm looking for there. And I love Muki, but
to me that looked a little bit like building a
He was answering a question, to be fair, but I
don't love that answer.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
Fred Well, at first he was telling the truth. Yeah,
you got a lot of guys out, so that's that's
a true statement. But I do see what you're saying
at him, Moki, you're here, you're an all star, Freddie Freeman, the.
Speaker 4 (06:16):
Group, the MVPs are there, all three guys, Freddy Otani,
and Muki is still there.
Speaker 3 (06:22):
And they've just picked a bad time to go, you know,
into the dumpster. And that's where's really what's happened here.
Nobody's hitting. Moki did not look good defensively last night either.
Speaker 4 (06:32):
He's the thing that got you. Yamamoto was struggling as
it was. And then Muki, you have a chance to
get out of the inning and and he, you know,
throws wide and low and Freddie can't get the ball
and that allows another run to score. So these self
inflicted errors is something the Dodgers typically don't have work
against them, and so far during this streak, even going
back to the Houston series or some defensive miscues there too.
(06:53):
They're just not playing like themselves. So I think to
your point, you're bringing it up correctly, Fred. Everything is
going wrong at the right time or at the wrong time,
I should say, offense, pitching, defense, all of it is
all converging together to be negative at the wrong time.
The good thing is you know that they're better than this.
You assume they're gonna get healthy at some point. That's
(07:14):
a big assumption, especially when it comes to the pitching staff,
with consistency and all that, and we can get to
that in a little bit as well. But offensively, I
do think they'll eventually be fine. These sorts of things
do ebb and flow during the course of a regular season,
and I still think they're one of the top offenses,
if not the top offense in all of baseball, even
amid their struggles over the past four or five games.
But it is concerning considering that you're this close to
(07:35):
the All Star break and that you thought you'd have
potentially a double digit lead in the division going into
the break, and to see it dwindling with the chance
of it possibly being gone completely is definitely concerning.
Speaker 5 (07:45):
And I'm not saying losing Muncie right now isn't a problem.
Speaker 4 (07:49):
He's that hottest hitter by the way.
Speaker 5 (07:51):
Yeah, I'm not saying that they aren't missing guys that
are critical to the lineup in their own way. What
I am saying is I would have either heard there.
Speaker 4 (08:01):
You know what.
Speaker 5 (08:02):
We got me, We got Otani, we got Freddie Freeman,
we got enough to get more than seven runs over
a four game span, we got plenty. We're all right.
Will Smith is an All Star this season, and we
got to turn around. And it starts with me. That's
the answer I was looking for.
Speaker 3 (08:20):
Wait, didn't get that answer, because they're they're crumbling again.
It's not the point they're losing. They're gonna lose games.
They're six up, they're gonna lose games. They won big
series against the Padres if you remember recently, and the Giants. Yep,
they're gonna lose games. But it's how they're losing that's
what's troubling here. They're gonna get beat. It's a long year,
(08:42):
you know that, And they'll probably finish in first place
and things will be okay at the All Star break,
but god, they don't look very good. That's the issue.
They just don't look good. It's like a cloud has
appeared over them and it's just raining on them.
Speaker 2 (08:57):
Right now.
Speaker 3 (08:59):
Now, Tyler Glass else supposed to go again, and he
should be back. I think Friday. Here's my concern. I
think tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow, actually, yes, tomorrow, if he knows tomorrow,
all right, here's my concern. I don't want to jinx them,
but I can't deny. I haven't thought about this. He
comes back, is he going to make it to the
(09:19):
rest of the season.
Speaker 4 (09:21):
I mean, they don't call him mister Glass for nothing.
Fred I know what's to play on his name, but
it's actually true. There's a lot of fans that calls
Tyler Glass now mister Glass for that reason.
Speaker 3 (09:31):
It's my god. If he doesn't make it now, you
do have problems. You talk about do we have to
get a picture at the All Star break well? And
Delan Hernandez wrote that here's the thing. If everybody comes
back and everybody is okay, it's kind of like you've
made a trade, right because you've got these guys back
who haven't pinched.
Speaker 2 (09:49):
But I am really concerned.
Speaker 3 (09:50):
Glassnow goes out there in two games and he gets
hurt again, because if he gets hurt again, he'll be
done for the year. There they you know, they're not
gonna sit them bring him back. There's something wrong if
he gets hurt again. And that's my worry. Now, when't
they come back? How long are they gonna make it?
Can they survive to the end of the year, will
will they be healthy enough to do it? That's my
(10:12):
concern with the pitching staff right now. And I just
don't have that answer.
Speaker 2 (10:15):
I don't want to jinx anybody, but I was really
thinking about that, going, oh God, what if he can't?
Speaker 4 (10:20):
Yeah, I don't think they have that answer either. Like
a lot of people, and we heard this, You and
Rodney have talked about it. We had callers say, you know,
I wants to get healthy in the second half of
the season once so Tony can pitch longer. Once Glass
now gets back once once once once once once. We're
all assuming that all of this is gonna happen, that
o'tani will be able to go over five six innings,
which you know, Dave Roberts brought this up over the weekend.
That might not be the case, you know, So we're
(10:42):
assuming Glass now is gonna be able to come back
and stay healthy. We assume Blake Snell's gonna come back
and be able to be healthy. We assume Kershaw's gonna
be able to hold up for an entire season. These
are a lot of assumptions. So I actually agree with
what Dylan wrote over the weekend, like you have to
basically operate as if you need to get a starting
pitcher or two at the deadline, and if you have
an embarrass riches and everybody's healthy at the end of
the season, so be it. You'll figure it out. But
(11:04):
it's a high wire act just assuming that guys are
going to be healthy when it matters most.
Speaker 5 (11:08):
They have too many mystery boxes and question marks on guys.
And they've always been this way, and it worked out
last season. It worked out in twenty twenty that they
find guys off the scrap heap that once had a
lot of high end potential. Maybe their career wasn't going
the right way. They correct it. They bring more out
of guys. But this is pretty extreme. What's happening now.
(11:30):
And you mentioned Glass, Now, I mean it's not just
physically with him, it's mentally. It's a psyche thing earlier
in the season, he was talking about, I don't know
what's going on. I try to change my control, I
try to change my release. I can't figure it out.
Like it was really concerning for a guy who has
what four more years left on his contract.
Speaker 6 (11:49):
And to your point, Fred, the way they're.
Speaker 5 (11:51):
Losing, they're just not even being competitive right now. When
they get down in games, they're just rolling over. They're
not mounting a comeback, they're not fighting their way out
of it. They're not having those Dodger comebacks like we
have seen throughout the majority of this season. That's why
it looks like before the All Star break they've lost
(12:12):
a little bit of their identity. Am I overly concerned? No,
this is a great team. They are the best team
talent wise on paper when they're right. But I think
it's one of the first times this season where we've
had this level of concern with the Dodgers.
Speaker 2 (12:29):
Yeah, they just gonna look good, but they'll be okay.
That's the thing. We know they'll be okay because I
have to be okay. There's really no other way to
look at it. The concern becomes, are you gonna have
enough pitching? Are you gonna have guys, Are guys gonna
be healthy enough? Last now, I think is really a
wild card. God, you can't wait to get them back
(12:49):
out there, because when he's there, he's good. But honest
to God, what if he can't make it? I mean,
can you even believe they're talking like this?
Speaker 4 (12:58):
Well, based on his fred yeah, based on his history, yes,
which is why a lot of people question why the
Dodgers gave him a five year extension and traded for him,
trading for him from Tampa Bay to begin with. So
this is not necessarily necessarily something new when it comes
to Tydle Glass. Now, I do agree with your notion,
though you almost have to treat him as if he's
a bonus. He's a luxury you can. You almost have
to assume he's not gonna be available when you need him,
(13:19):
and if he is phenomenal, But I would operate off
of the notion that I don't plan on Tyler Glass
now being somebody I could rely on when the playoffs
d all round. If he's around, great, but I assume
he's not gonna be there. It's unfortunate to think that
way for someone who gave that much money to and
in commitment to. But I just can't see it any
other way.
Speaker 5 (13:36):
I think this is the first time where there's real
doubt creeping in when it comes to just how hard
it is to go back to back. Guys, I know
we don't play games here anymore. This ain't who is
to say, they say, no, you're a squad, but this
may be. Know who the last team was to go
back to back to win two straight World Series?
Speaker 6 (13:58):
You know how far back?
Speaker 4 (13:59):
He's New York.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
Yeah, Yankees in two thousand.
Speaker 5 (14:02):
Okay, what about just the last team to win and
then make it back to the World Series the next year?
You want to venture a guest on that.
Speaker 4 (14:14):
I don't where you got. So I think Houston made
it two in three years. I don't think they did
it back to back years. The year they lost to
the Nationals, I think that was a year after so
that was seventeen and then nineteen, so they didn't go
in eighteen. So yeah, I don't even know.
Speaker 5 (14:25):
No, two thousand and eight, two thousand and nine, Phillies,
they beat Tampa Bay in two thousand and eight, they
got back to the World Series and lost to the
Yankees in two thousand and nine. It is damn difficult,
no matter how good you are. And this Dodgers team
is different, and they're the most stacked team maybe we've
seen in the modern era. But I just think it's
(14:46):
worth mentioning right now that you hadn't have some of
that World Series hangover. Sometimes it can be there, and
maybe this is just senior itis waiting for the All
Star break and it's nothing in its injuries and easily explained, but.
Speaker 6 (15:00):
It's difficult to get back. It's proven, it's historic.
Speaker 2 (15:04):
Long term, they're gonna be fine.
Speaker 3 (15:06):
I do believe that. I believe long term they're gonna
be fine. They'll end up exactly where they're supposed to be.
I think they'll win the Division. I think they will
be in physician to win the World Series. I do
believe that. So that's why I'm not panicked, but I'm pissed.
I'm pissed because they look so bad right now. I'm
not panicked, but it's like, God, it's just bad. It's
(15:28):
bad to watch him right now. Honestly, now tonight, maybe
they'll turn it around. And who thought at the beginning
of the year we would make this statement. Thank God,
Clayton Kershaw's back. Thank God, Clayton's here.
Speaker 6 (15:39):
Everybody all star Clayton KSh All.
Speaker 3 (15:41):
Star Clayton k Who thought no one thought we would
say that at the beginning of the year.
Speaker 2 (15:45):
Oh thank god he's back. Yeah, you wanted him to
come back, but you wouldn't be Oh thank you he's back.
Speaker 3 (15:52):
You thought, well, yeah, he'll get some spot starts, he'll
give a guy a little rest here, and if we
need him, he'll be ready to go. They have to
have him. Do you realize right now he is their stopper?
Think about what the rotation looked like at the beginning
of the year, at least on paper, and you're to
a point where the guy you want to send out
(16:13):
there with a ball who's your stopper is Clayton Kershaw.
Not that that's a bad thing, and he hasn't done
it to about his career, But the truth is, did
anyone expect that right now?
Speaker 2 (16:23):
Thank god he's pitching. No, they got a shot to win.
Speaker 5 (16:27):
He was supposed to be the bonus piece. Hey, if
Kershaw is healthy, that's great. He's in his late thirties.
He's a legacy guy. It doesn't matter. He can't hurt
his legacy. Continuing to pitch. It's all gravy for him
at this point. Now much more is demanded, and he's
been solid, you know, three point four to three era
out there this season. He's been good enough. I guess
(16:48):
they got to go back to John Wayne and see
if he's got a little bit more of that magic
to stop this losing streak.
Speaker 4 (16:52):
Yeah, between he and Dustin May, those are pretty much
been your two mainstays. And nobody would have said that
coming in from opening Day that dust Demand Clayt Kershaw
will be the lie of the starting rotation. People didn't
think people at Dustinmate, it will be in the bullpen
at this point in time. And there is a point
in time where people didn't think Claton Kershaw would even
be starting the season until now, until right before the
All Star break. So it really is insane. Although one
(17:12):
thing that is lin Creden is to what you're saying, Fred,
and why I do agree with you that it's not
time to necessarily panic. They'll end up being fine. At
no point this season, even when they started the year,
what was the seven to zero not eighty zh whatever
it was, They've never clicked on all cylinders, They've never
had their pitching. They've never had their offense everything clicking
at all cylinders, playing to the capabilities of the talent
(17:32):
on the roster, never once. Yet we sit here on
July eighth, and they have a six game leading the division.
So if again, there's another if we're talking about hypotheticals,
they get to a point where they're healthy enough, the
offense is clicking, I mean, the sky's the women at
this point in time, and again, six games up in
the division right now, despite the fact that they've had issues,
whether it's been the bullpen at times, whether it's been
(17:54):
the starting staff at times. Right now they're in the
giant offensive slump, so they get cooking on all cylinders. Again,
who's to say they can't run away with a division.
There's still plenty of time left to go. So that's
why so I will be optimistic, is the fact that
they have not played well all together, all at once,
and in still having all those issues, they're six games
up on the division right now.
Speaker 3 (18:13):
Dodgers take on the Brewers in Milwaukee with the first
pitch at four forty. Listen to all Dodger games on
AM five to seventy LA Sports live from the Galpla
Motors Broadcast Booth, stream all Dodger games and HD on
the iHeartRadio app. The keyword is AM five to seventy
LA Sports. All Right, if the basketball season started tomorrow tomorrow,
(18:35):
who's got the better roster? And apparently there's one guy
up for grabs that might tilt the scale, so we'll
talk about that, all right. Kevin figures Adam Oustlin in
for Rodney today. So Bradley Beal is the man apparently
(18:57):
on the most wanted list, and once expies him like
Captain Smirks once, once Phoenix bies him out, you know
what's every man for himself. So it comes down to
who is going to have the ability to sign him.
When Laurence Frank made the deal with Miami, he said,
we're not done yet, and that pointed everybody in the
direction of Bradley Beal when he gets bought out by Phoenix.
(19:20):
But where it is Adam that the Lakers are also
interested in Bradley Beal. Who's got the better shot of
signing him.
Speaker 5 (19:27):
I think it's the team that has the better shot
to give him a chance to start, and that's likely
the Clippers because Norman Powell was starting Bradley Beal makes
sense as of the replacement for him now with normOn
Powell in Miami. As you mentioned there, that's what it
comes down to to me. Now he could have friends
on the Lakers or on the Clippers that we don't
know about. Lawrence Frank also mentioned how James Harden has
(19:49):
helped with recruiting and the level of confidence Laurence Frank
had at that press conference yesterday announced in the trade
with John Collins for bringing in John Collins kind of
told me that they're pretty secure about they're getting somebody,
and it's most people are reading the tea leaves is
Bradley Beal, but it's not guaranteed. You never know. He
can be kind of mercurial. I guess we don't know
(20:11):
exactly what he wants, But it could also come down
to who can offer him more. The Clippers still have
five point three million dollars out of their mid level
exception to throw at him, and apparently Jackson Hayes got
more than just the veteran's minimum, so that cut into
the Lakers bi annual exception, So the Clippers might have
more money to offer Bradley Beal on top of being
(20:32):
a starter for them.
Speaker 4 (20:35):
Yeah, and he's gonna lose out on money during this buyout.
He's not gonna get the full amount of money that's left.
So there's gonna be money left on the table. So
for people asking like, oh, it doesn't matter if he
signs a veteran minimum, No, he's gonna be able to
make up some of the money that he lost depending
on who he signs with and depending on who has
the most money. So whoever has the most money to
offer him does make a big difference. And we've mentioned
(20:55):
this a little bit on the show yesterday. As it
pertains to the Lakers, I just don't think it it's
a great fit for them. Yes, he offers them he's
a good outside shooter, but he can't play defense. And
if he does want to start, which i'd assume he
does at this point in time, you're looking at a
starting lineup with him and potentially Lebron James and Rouyotchi
Mora possibly in there, along with Luka Doncik. There's Austin Reeves.
(21:17):
You name me a defensive stopper in that lineup, I'll
keep going. So you're gonna be an Even DeAndre Ayton
is solid defensively, but defense is not necessarily his strong
suit there at the center position. So unless you're gonna
outscore everybody one hundred and thirty eight to you know,
one hundred and thirty five, which I don't think that's
what JJ Redick really wants to do and how he
wants to build the team. I really think he's a
(21:37):
better fit with the Clippers one because he can start
in two. They are better equipped to hide him defensively
than the Lakers are.
Speaker 3 (21:44):
So let's look at the way it is right now.
If you just play TWU on two, you got Luca
and Lebron against Kawhi and James Harden, Right, those are
the superstars on the teams on two.
Speaker 6 (21:55):
NBA jam style. Freddy, Yeah, play.
Speaker 3 (21:57):
A little NBA jam He's right, Which who are you picking?
Harden and Kawhi or Lebron and Luca.
Speaker 4 (22:04):
By the way, none of those guys will be great
NBA jam players. None of those guys are high flyers
at this point in time. All drew respect to Lebron. James,
but at forty years old, not the same player he
was fifteen years ago.
Speaker 5 (22:13):
So Lucas lost weight, all right, he can get off
like fred Rogan used to back in the High scar you.
Speaker 4 (22:17):
Can slide two pieces of paper under Luca's feet now
instead of one.
Speaker 2 (22:20):
That's nice solid Kevin. That's just saying, all right, so
you got two on two? What two you're picking?
Speaker 6 (22:27):
Well, you know where I lie.
Speaker 4 (22:28):
Yeah, I mean see the clipper that Adam's wearing right now.
The clipper had objectively.
Speaker 2 (22:33):
Frek Yeah, objectively Who you're picking?
Speaker 4 (22:35):
I would take. I would take Lebron and Luka Doncic.
It's an easy one for me.
Speaker 5 (22:39):
I think you can make that argument because Luca's the
one guy for sure out of the four that is
in his prime. He's twenty six, twenty seven. Everybody else's well,
one of them's forty, and the other two mid thirties
to late thirties, with Kawhi and James Harden.
Speaker 3 (22:55):
Okay, so we're gonna pick Luca and Lebron over Kawhi
and James Harden.
Speaker 2 (23:00):
Now you know what we're gonna do. Add the rest
of the guys.
Speaker 3 (23:04):
Now we put the rest of the guys in, so
we know who he took two one two, But now
we put the rest of the players in there on
both teams.
Speaker 2 (23:13):
Now, who do you pick?
Speaker 5 (23:14):
I mean, who who's the third best player on both teams.
For the Clippers, it's probably it's Big Zoo. Yeah, when
you account for both ends of the floor. For the Lakers,
it's Austin Reeves. And he's not so great.
Speaker 4 (23:30):
On one end of the floor, right, so dynamic enough
offensively when he when he's on, you know. So there's
certain guys, even if they have a certain deficiency on
one end of the floor, they're so really so good
on the other side that it can make.
Speaker 2 (23:42):
Up for it.
Speaker 5 (23:43):
I bet you, though, the Lakers will be the one
signing off on a trade Austin Reeves for Viatza Zubots
and the Clippers would decline.
Speaker 6 (23:51):
I bet you they would.
Speaker 2 (23:53):
No, they wouldn't.
Speaker 6 (23:54):
Yes, they would.
Speaker 5 (23:55):
I Look, even though they just got DeAndre Ayton, if
they could get a Viatza Zuba Zubot's back, who's by
the way, on a great contract. He's only making like
nineteen million dollars and he looks like a top five
center now in the league and he's only twenty eight.
I think they would because the Austin Reeves fit doesn't work.
And that's kind of the point of your question here, Fred.
Even though it's not just about the talent. It's not
(24:16):
just about amassing the most talented NBAGM type of roster.
What about fit? What about chemistry? Kevin brought it up too,
like how many defenders do they have in the starting
lineup with the Lakers? And you want to add Bradley
Beal to that. I personally think they have a real problem.
I don't think Austin Reeves next to Luca is necessarily
a problem, but Austin Reeves next to Luca and Lebron
(24:38):
is I think that kind of capture ceiling with that team.
I think the Lakers know it too well, okay.
Speaker 4 (24:45):
And they've been saying this entire time that those are
their three lynch pins. I think in a perfect world
they would have Austin Reeves play the manager noble role
and be a star player coming off the bench. I
just don't know if in today's NBA, when he's up
for that extension next year, if you're going to pay
for your two thirty three million dollars to a guy
that's coming off the bench, I don't know if I
don't think that's feasible.
Speaker 5 (25:03):
Well, that's part of the equation too. He's about to
get paid. He's got like a thirteen million dollar player
option next year. He's going to opt out of it,
and some have wondered, are the Lakers are gonna get
out in front of this and get value for him
now and trade him because they might not want to
pay him thirty million dollars a year. I agree, Kevin.
I think most likely you do it, and then if
you have to trade him down the line, hopefully a
(25:25):
team will still take that deal. If Austin Reeves is
still playing at this high of a level. I believe
that I do like him as a player, but I
don't know if he can work in the starting lineup
with two other guys, your best two players that aren't
great defenders. Lebron can get up once in a while
and play defense. And I thought he was pretty solid
overall in that series against Minnesota, But over an eighty
to two game season, he's not giving you a great
(25:47):
defensive effort at forty now forty one, he's gonna be
in December.
Speaker 6 (25:51):
That's just not how it works.
Speaker 5 (25:52):
So I think they have real flaws on the defensive end,
like their roster, the way is constructed. How do you
ever become a great defense there, Freddie.
Speaker 3 (26:01):
All right, so now let's do this. We've played three
on three, now we'll play four on four. But now
we're gonna add Bradley Beal to the Clippers. So let's
put him on the Clippers.
Speaker 1 (26:12):
Now.
Speaker 2 (26:13):
So now what's what ruey for the Lakers? And Bradley
Beal's now on the Clippers.
Speaker 4 (26:17):
I'd probably put eighton in that slot at number four over.
Speaker 3 (26:21):
Okay, So now Bradley Beal's with the Clippers and DeAndre
Ayton's with the Lakers.
Speaker 2 (26:26):
Now look at the two rosters. Now, who do you like?
Speaker 5 (26:29):
We went from the Big three and ice Cube said, no,
you can't do that. You gotta go big four. And
fred said, all right, we're going big four.
Speaker 2 (26:34):
Now let's do it.
Speaker 5 (26:37):
I think I like the Clippers there because defensively they
have Big Zoo, they have Kawhi Leonard. I just don't
see enough defense there with the Lakers and DeAndre Ayden.
To Kevin's point, he is not a great defender. He
has potential, he's got a show a motor, he's got
to show a one two. Fredsman going after him from
(26:57):
his Phoenix days for a long time with DeAndre and
now you get cover him in La fred our.
Speaker 4 (27:01):
Freshman attacking Downdre Aidens. He was eight years old. It's
insane that.
Speaker 6 (27:04):
Was ahead of the curve.
Speaker 4 (27:05):
It It's ridiculous. But Adam brought up a good point though, Fred,
because fit does matter, and so when you talk about
there's individual talent than those collectives, I think the collective
of the Clippers, even if we just limited to that,
the four and four works better together because you have
a mix of really good defense and really good offense.
The Lakers ceiling offensively is disguise the limit, but defensively
(27:27):
there's a lot of issues there. So I do think
there's more balance on the Clipper side for that four
than there is on the Lakers side. We're therefore, so
which is the top two? I'd go Lakers. But if
we extrapolate that out to four and we get deeper
into the rosters five, six, seven, eight, whatever it is,
I kind of like the Clipper roster overall more than
the light the Laker roster.
Speaker 2 (27:45):
And then that's the point of this exercise right there.
Speaker 3 (27:48):
Yeah, two on two, Okay, we know we picked three
on three, but you play five at a time and
you have a full roster, So what you're saying is,
if you look at the full roster, you think the
Clippers are better, they work together better, they've got a
deeper roster, you would pick the Clippers. And if that
(28:08):
is the case, and by the way, I think it's
hard to argue that, to be quite honest with you,
take away the star power of oh my god, Luca's here,
and obviously that's how the Lakers are always constructive. Plus Lebron,
We're going to fill the seats. But if we have
to play basketball, I think the Clippers have the better roster.
And wouldn't it be incredible given the hype and the
(28:31):
expectation with Luca and Lebron on the same team, if
the Clippers have a better year.
Speaker 5 (28:37):
Oh yeah, well, I think right now, as you mentioned,
they're clearly the better team. There's three teams that you
can say are better than them in the Western Conference. Okay,
see obviously Houston with getting KD and the moves they
made in Denver. After that, you could say Clippers, you
could say Lakers, you could say Minnesota. There's a lot
of teams that are trying to buy for that four
(28:59):
spot Western Conference. But the Lakers may have Luca they
may have the guy who's in his prime right now,
but they haven't put together a roster that has that
balance that you need.
Speaker 4 (29:13):
Which is difficult to do well. They're also in a
tough spot because they've been on the Lebron James timeline
for so long. He's taking up a lot of their
salary cap. At this point in time, you're trying to
build for Luca in the future, which Rich Paul's comments
obviously going into the free agency and talking about the
Lakers are building for the future, even though we know
they're trying to win now. They're trying to do two
things at once. And in basketball, I think that's really
(29:34):
difficult to try to build for the future and trying
to win at the exact same time. You can do it,
but it's really really hard, especially when one of your
highest paid your highest paid player is a forty year
old who has half a foot out the door. It
seems like, can I throw.
Speaker 5 (29:47):
Out a theory to you guys regarding the situation with
Lebron James and the Lakers and that cryptic message or
not so cryptic message from Rich Paul recently, like I
think they both want out, but neither side was to
be the bad guy. I think Lebron would love to leave,
but he doesn't want to make it look bad on
(30:07):
his side and Clutch sports. I think the Lakers would
love to move on, but they've always been the franchise
that have taken care of superstars and even older ones
at that, and neither one wants to take the pr hit.
And nobody's blinking right now. We're on a standoff between
the Lakers and Lebron. I truly believe they both want
the same thing. They just don't want the public to
(30:29):
know that they're the bad guy. They don't want to
be played off as that.
Speaker 2 (30:34):
Why would Lebron be played off as a bad guy.
Speaker 5 (30:37):
A lot of people in LA will say, you left
because you didn't think the Lakers were good enough. You're
playing next to Luke and Donson, I think a great
I'm sure someone that the ones who defaced his murals
when he first came they would love to see Lebron
James leave, but there's still some and legacy wise, I
think from a national perspective, he's also concerned about that.
Speaker 4 (30:59):
He's very concerned about his legacy and how he looks
in the public eye. For sure, he doesn't want to
do anything to tank that even more than it already
has been. How does that make sense to me?
Speaker 3 (31:07):
How do you think he feels about how he looks
in his LA stay well, how would he sum that up?
What would he say? You know, I feel like in Cleveland,
I played Miami. Here's what I thought about this, Here's
what I thought about that. What would he say about
his LA's day.
Speaker 5 (31:23):
He'd give a George Bush like mission accomplished. I'm sure,
but I don't think he means it.
Speaker 4 (31:27):
Yeah, I will feel like he would try to present
it in his minds, like, hey, we won a championship.
Look at what the franchise was before I got here.
I was the savior. I made them respectable again. How
could you look at it any differently? That's how I
think he would like us to believe his tenure with
the LA has looked.
Speaker 5 (31:42):
I don't think he's necessarily wrong if he goes back
to twenty eighteen and what a mess they were before
they got him with Magic Johnston unceremoniously just stepping down
as GM or as vice president of Basketball Operations, saying
I'm not gonna be here anymore. Out of nowhere pregame.
That Lakers team over a five year stretch was winning
(32:02):
twenty five games per season. You could say they were
going to rebuild, but they weren't exactly figuring it out
anytime soon. I think Lebron does take a lot of
unnecessary criticism, like he ruined the franchise. The franchise was
in shambles. They were not in a good place.
Speaker 4 (32:18):
There is something to say for I mean, you look
at the guys they drafted and what has happened years
down the road. Had they kept Julius Randall, had they
kept brandon ingram Lonzo Ball, there's nothing to say those guys.
They couldn't have been a forty five forty eight win team,
make the playoffs. They wouldn't have won anything, sure, but
they would have been competitive had they kept that group together.
So I think there's I would give them a little
bit of credit as far as some of the draft
(32:38):
picks that they made, that those guys would have eventually
hit in jail together and grown together. They just would
have wouldn't been get enough win a championship though.
Speaker 5 (32:44):
But you remember the dumpster fire talk we did on
the Lakers organization after the twenty seventeen to twenty eighteen
season with Magic resigning, going on the Evil four Letter,
airing out dirty laundry with him and Rob Polenka, and
you know, Magic is my favorite player of ault, but
it was a bad look. They were a mess, They
didn't have much direction, and Lebron came in and probably
(33:06):
feels like he saved them. So maybe he can convince
himself that it's been a successful tenure here with the Lakers.
Speaker 2 (33:12):
Fred Kenny, convince you.
Speaker 5 (33:16):
I think there's a little meat left on the bone.
And I'm not saying it's all his fault. It really
comes down to one of the biggest moves was who
was in control of the Russell Westbrook trade, right who
pulled the trigger on that? Because that has a cascading
effect and a domino effect and a butterfly effect on
this franchise that is still here.
Speaker 4 (33:35):
Well, we know the thing is as much flak as
Lebron James and Anthony Davis took for that. Who pulled
the trigger? Genie Bust and Rob Polenka because there was
nothing stopping them from saying, like, we're not doing this.
He doesn't fit. It's a bad move. Sorry, Lebron, ad
it ain't happening, so ultimately it falls in their lap.
Speaker 5 (33:52):
You wonder with new ownership, and I know Genie is
still in the same position currently, but ownership still has
to sign off on a move like that, regardless if
they are making the basketball decisions, they're still signing off
on it to some degree. What Mark Walter would do
in a situation like that if he felt like, oh,
there's too much player empowerment going on and players are
(34:12):
dictating too much of our roster and playing GM. We
have a GM, and if the GM doesn't want to
do it, we are not going to be held hostage
by the players and the superstars saying you have to
do something that we think is a bad move.
Speaker 4 (34:25):
That's why we know. We know Rob, we know how
Mark Walter operates. We had neck Letty come on the show.
Was it last week or two weeks ago? Fred when
they took over the team and Ned was doing a
negotiation for a trade and he was trying to save
pennies and Mark Walter just slammed his hand on the
table said, damn it, just make the trade. Stop trying
to save pennies. I don't care. Make the damn deal.
Speaker 2 (34:46):
I lose millions to make billions.
Speaker 4 (34:48):
Correct, and that's how Mark Walter operates.
Speaker 2 (34:50):
Yeah, no problem. I'm good to go.
Speaker 3 (34:53):
You know what I think, And I'm sure that Mark
Walter and the Dodger folks will ease their way and
Jeanie's still in charge. They need a culture change, the
Lakers do. They need to start looking at things differently.
I understand they're the franchise that always takes care of
their veterans. My thing about Lebron, he wasn't their guy.
(35:16):
He got here, he showed up. He wasn't Kobe, he
wasn't Magic, he wasn't Kareem. He got here, and now
you're treating him as if he were those guys, and
he's not. He's not one of them. And I think
that's why we just bugged me. Well, we take care
of our guys.
Speaker 2 (35:35):
Is it your guy? Really? When he retires, where will
we remember he plagued? What will stop Number one be? Where?
Speaker 3 (35:45):
Los Angeles? I don't think so, Cleveland, Miami Lakers. He's
third Ela, his third on his hit parade. But we
got to take care of him because he's Lebron. He's
a superstar. He's not your superstar. He's a guy that
played for you. He's never ever I'm glad Rodney's not here.
Speaker 2 (36:08):
He walk off. He's never really embraced being a part
of Los Angeles. He is business wise, certainly that you
cannot deny that he's a shrewd business.
Speaker 3 (36:22):
Guy, but you really feel like he's a part of
LA like the other guys. And maybe it's because he
showed up late. He showed up at the end, maybe,
but even then, do you feel like he's been a
part of it.
Speaker 4 (36:38):
I don't, there's no, you don't. There's no connection for
him to the city. And I think that's what's been missing,
and that's something that existed for all the other guys
you mentioned beforehand. I mean, we remember back when Adam
was out there sweating his ass off at Blaze Pizza
waiting for Lebron to.
Speaker 6 (36:52):
Show up hashtag never forget Yeah, and Adam was.
Speaker 4 (36:54):
Talking to a bunch of angry Laker fans like, where
the hell are you at? Lebron were all here waiting
for you, man, Where the hell? That was day one
when he said he tweeted out that he might be
going to Blaze Pizza and he never showed up. He
got off on the wrong foot from day one, and
all the speculation as to why he came here. Was
it for basketball reasons, was it Forrest Production Company? Was
it a little bit of both? All those questions loomed
(37:15):
from day one, and I really don't think he's done
a lot personally to dispel any of that. And so
that's why people like you, Fred and a bunch of
others feel the same way.
Speaker 5 (37:22):
Well, and something came out earlier today from our friend
Jovon Boja, who said on his pode that Lebron and
the front office aren't exactly in the best place right now.
And he pointed out something interesting I didn't think about.
When it guy signs, even if it's a resign, there
is a publication for it. There is a little bit
(37:44):
of a media Hey, Lebron's back on a one year deal.
Nothing like that has been pushed to my knowledge on
Lakers social media that Lebron James's back isn't this great?
Why is it being celebrated like that? I'm just I
don't know. Yovan pointed it out, not me.
Speaker 2 (38:01):
Oh, you're right.
Speaker 4 (38:02):
There was no press release, There is no popping circumstance
around it. It was basically a statement for Rich Paul.
The Lakers organization has said nothing.
Speaker 3 (38:09):
Dodgers take on the Brewers and Milwaukee first pitch four forty.
Listen to every Dodger game on AM five seventy LA
Sports and stream all Dodger games in h DAN the
Ihear Radio app the keyword AM five seventy LA Sports.
It's brought to you by Navian High Efficiency water heaters,
boilers and the new np F hydro furnace. Learn more
at navianinc dot com. Got a pair of tickets to
(38:33):
give away for a Dodger game a future game, and
somebody can win them right now eight sixt six, nine
eighty seven, two five seventy Who wants to see the Dodgers.
Let's make it call a number four?
Speaker 2 (38:46):
All right? Mary Jones. That's a real name, Mary Jones.
Speaker 3 (38:51):
Yeah, it could be like an alias, right, doesn't Mary
Jones like an alias?
Speaker 6 (38:54):
Jane do?
Speaker 4 (38:55):
What kind of yah? To be honest?
Speaker 2 (38:57):
Anyway, I married Jones in the eight one eight.
Speaker 3 (38:59):
If that is your real name, we assume it is
you have won the Dodger ticket, So congratulations to you.
Speaker 5 (39:05):
Mary Joe was like another type of weed, Like Mary Jones.
Speaker 3 (39:11):
Okay, uh, as we wrap up here, Dodgers back at
it tonight. Do we all agree they have to look
better than they've looked? Can we agree the worse poorly?
Speaker 4 (39:22):
They look much worse for Itz.
Speaker 2 (39:24):
So that's what I'm saying.
Speaker 4 (39:25):
Yeah, the only way to go is up.
Speaker 2 (39:27):
Now.
Speaker 4 (39:27):
They can lose eighteen to one again. But you said
would never happen.
Speaker 2 (39:30):
No, that'll never happen again.
Speaker 4 (39:31):
So based on what happened yesterday, I mean, all all
the Brewers have to do is score nine more runs
than they scored yesterday, which is not out of the
Roman possibility. The way things have looked the last four
or five games.
Speaker 5 (39:40):
The bar is lower than Mookie's throw at their first
base that probably should have went to second base anyways, yesterday,
Like it's that bad right now? Compete fight, Look like
you give a damn Hey. I love the fact that
Otani got upset with that third strike that was bs
six inches off the plate in the batter's box, they
(40:01):
gave the call to the pitcher. You rarely see Otani
get like that. Correct me if I'm wrong, Kevin, because
I think you were the only person that saw him
playing for the Angels. But you rarely see Otani get
that fired up. I need more of that.
Speaker 4 (40:15):
Yeah, in the negative, I mean usually he gets fired up.
You know, you got the home run against Arizona earlier
this year when he was giving it a little bit
to Uriel's brother and all that. Sorry now and then,
But from that standpoint where you're arguing balls and strikes,
I don't think I can't recall Otani ever doing something
like that. He tells you he's probably feeling it because
he's been struggling too the last week and a half
or so.
Speaker 5 (40:34):
You know, since he's been pitching again. There we got
hit in two hundred. I'm just pointing it out, Fred.
The numbers are the numbers.
Speaker 2 (40:42):
And Mooki's struggling because he's playing shortstop.
Speaker 4 (40:45):
I get it.
Speaker 5 (40:45):
Causation, correlation two different things. But in this case, I
just think it's worth monitoring. That's all not sounding any alarms,
not yet, No, And.
Speaker 2 (40:54):
There's no alarm to sound because they're not gonna change anyway.
Speaker 4 (40:56):
That's the thing, Fred, Yeah, Like they're not gonna he's
not gonna not pitch right and he's not gonna not
dh So what are you gonna do? Forgive me?
Speaker 3 (41:03):
We know this is affecting your hitting. So we've made
a decision. We're not gonna let you pitch. That's not
gonna happen anyway. It doesn't matter.
Speaker 5 (41:11):
What about Mooki going to right field though? What about
Mooky going back to right field where it was the
second half of last season.
Speaker 2 (41:18):
Do you think Mooki would want to go back to
right field?
Speaker 6 (41:20):
No, exactly have a position at shortstop.
Speaker 4 (41:24):
I guess well, he has said it took a couple
of years ago. I wasn't that he wanted a premium position.
He thought. He actually thought it would save his legs.
If you were in the infield and not the outfield,
it could be having the reverse effect where it's actually
a little bit too much. Look atass A.
Speaker 2 (41:38):
Jeez, there you go.
Speaker 4 (41:40):
Try to do radio here, Dave, thank you.
Speaker 2 (41:42):
He's rocking that NBA shirt.
Speaker 4 (41:43):
Is that the generic NBA logo? Nice? Nice lotok vesse
all right.
Speaker 5 (41:46):
P Jerry west Massa is literally saying shows over, shows.
Speaker 2 (41:51):
Over you guys done? Okay, well wow, that's all. Hey,
when James walks in, it's all over. Dave's the biggest
start at the station. Now he walks inward done.
Speaker 4 (42:01):
He has his rob low NFL cap in his backpack.
I guess too, that he's getting ready to break outright.
Speaker 3 (42:08):
Adam Kevin, thank you guys. This is a lot of fun.
I really appreciate you doing it.
Speaker 4 (42:11):
Thank you for I appreciate it all right.
Speaker 2 (42:13):
Ronnie, thank you so much. Talk to him well.
The hight.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
Here we go one hour today, Rodney is off.
Speaker 3 (00:06):
Kevin and Adam are back in for Rodney and guys,
appreciate you hanging out today.
Speaker 4 (00:12):
Thanks for getting the invite. Fred. I wasn't sure if
they let us do this again, so I'm glad to
be back.
Speaker 5 (00:16):
I'm still on the right side of the seat. He's
on the left side, on right cheeks, left, he's left cheek.
We're filling the seat of Rodney Pete. It's not easy here.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
You know.
Speaker 3 (00:24):
The thing you have to remember is this. We're all
renewed on a twenty four hour basis, so you did
well enough yesterday where we picked up for another twenty
four hours. The business has changed. There are no long
term deals. We get renewed every day.
Speaker 5 (00:37):
Come on, give me a ten day Fred, something here
a little bit more.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
Don't push it. You know you're here and that's good.
Speaker 4 (00:44):
Adam. You're going a two way contract. If we get
demoted to the to the iHeartRadio app. If this doesn't
work out, I guess is out.
Speaker 3 (00:50):
That's right, all right. I don't know what's going on
with the Dodgers. Maybe it's the perfect storm. I simply
wrote off what happened against Houston. Yeah, that's gonna happen,
all right. They looked awful yesterday. They looked awful. Ya'm amodo.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
I'm just a god. I thought he was hurt. He
was so bad. I thought he was hurt.
Speaker 3 (01:11):
I thought they would come and get him, and they
and he's got to go on the injured the list,
one of those.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
But he wasn't hurt. They were killing him.
Speaker 3 (01:19):
He couldn't get a slider in the right place, Andrew
volunteered off on him. Dodgers couldn't hit their hat size.
And now not only are they losing, but they're losing poorly.
And I think, and it's a long season, it will
all be okay, but at least for today, if you're
getting beat like that, I think it could be reason
(01:40):
for some concern.
Speaker 5 (01:41):
It sounds like you're hitting the panic button harder than
the Dodgers are hitting the baseball right now, fred and
I like it. I'm here for it. I did want
an update on where you were. Are we in dark
orange heading towards red right now? What's happening? Are we
in magenta land? Where are we at? Where's the level
of panic on the panic meter?
Speaker 2 (01:59):
Freddy yeah, well, here's where we're at. I think people
should just be pissed.
Speaker 4 (02:04):
I don't think anybody if you go from everything's fine
to like, everything's.
Speaker 2 (02:07):
Pissed off, there's a difference different you.
Speaker 4 (02:11):
Went from one extreme to another.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
Fred, No, there's a difference. If you're panic, that's one thing.
If you're pissed that's another. You're just mad.
Speaker 3 (02:17):
And the thing about it is you're gonna lose games,
you're gonna get beat.
Speaker 2 (02:22):
It's a long season. But god, they just don't look good.
Even Dave Roberts alluded to the fact, you know, we're
just not really pitching, we're not really hitting, we're not
really playing defense. Add them up and you are in
a bit of a rut. And again, it's one thing
to lose, but it's another thing to lose the way
they're losing. They just don't look very good right now.
Speaker 5 (02:43):
They've been out floored thirty eight to seven the last
four games. The last time they had a run differential
that bad of minus thirty one during a four game
stretch was like nineteen thirty two. So yes, it is
bad for a team that is the defending champs. Right now,
they look lifeless. They look like a team that is
leaking oil and just getting ready for the All Star break.
(03:03):
They look like they need an All Star break before
the All Star break.
Speaker 4 (03:06):
Well that's the thing. And I've heard people say this too, like, oh,
they're just limping to the All Star break. You can't
get here soon enough. Have they checked out mentally? There's
still games left on the schedule, Like, I don't know,
if you've looked at the standings. They have a six
game lead against the Giants in their last three games
before the All Star Break are in San Francisco. So
the idea that they're just gonna run away with this division,
they haven't locked up and we're running promos from our
guy Bob Schmidz and the Dodgers are gonna have a
(03:27):
comfortable league going into the All Star break. I'm not
so sure the White things are looking right now, because
if they lose, get swept in Milwaukee and heaven Forbid
gets swept in San Francisco, you're what tied in the
division or one game back in the division going into
the All Star break. I mean, and that's a realistic possibility.
The way things are looking right.
Speaker 3 (03:44):
Now, I don't think they've checked out mentally, I don't
think that's the issue. They're just not playing very well.
I honestly, I wish the All Star break was today,
though I do think they need a break.
Speaker 6 (03:52):
So, yeah, it's not happening.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
The injuries, I think you can't use it as an excuse,
and you haven't used it all year long. But really,
at some point or another, you gotta believe it's going
to take its toll. And I think they finally are
taking their toll. They've been so banged up, so beat up.
Other guys are hurt now and it's like it finally
(04:15):
caught up with them. It's the perfect storm. Now you're
seeing the result of the attrition of all season long
going through it.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
That's the issue.
Speaker 5 (04:24):
Well, And speaking to this, Mookie Betts was asked about
the positional players out now it's not just pictures, it's batters.
Here he was with a reporter post game. I thought
this was interesting.
Speaker 7 (04:35):
I have as many guys out of the lineup as
you knew right now, Like, how do you kind of
work around that, you know, that's the guys that are
still left in there, or are there things you can
do just as a team to kind of compensate there.
Speaker 1 (04:46):
That's just you can't replace all stars. You can't replace
guys that have won MVP and postseason. You can't replace
those type of things, and so the next man has
to step up and do what he can do.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
But I mean, you.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
Can't can't replace those guys. You can only just have
someone come step up and do their best.
Speaker 5 (05:07):
Okay, I gotta say Mookie Betts has been criticized in
the past for shirking responsibility in the playoffs in twenty
twenty two and twenty twenty three when he wasn't hitting.
It was about the team, it wasn't about him. To
his credit, he stepped up against the Padres, he had
some big hits. He got out of that playoff slump.
Last season they win the World Series. But this is
(05:29):
not the answer I'm looking for. I understand Key K's
out ta Oscar Hernandez was out yesterday, Tommy Edmond was
out months. He is out right now. I'm sorry. Do
they not have Otani? Do they not have Freddy Freeman?
Do they not have Mooki Betts? Do they not have
Will Smith? Andy pa has is arguably having an all
star type of season.
Speaker 6 (05:49):
Do they not have enough? How much help?
Speaker 5 (05:51):
Do they need like I honestly, that is not the
answer I'm looking for there. And I love Muki, but
to me that looked a little bit like building a
He was answering a question, to be fair, but I
don't love that answer.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
Fred Well, at first he was telling the truth. Yeah,
you got a lot of guys out, so that's that's
a true statement. But I do see what you're saying
at him, Moki, you're here, you're an all star, Freddie Freeman, the.
Speaker 4 (06:16):
Group, the MVPs are there, all three guys, Freddy Otani,
and Muki is still there.
Speaker 3 (06:22):
And they've just picked a bad time to go, you know,
into the dumpster. And that's where's really what's happened here.
Nobody's hitting. Moki did not look good defensively last night either.
Speaker 4 (06:32):
He's the thing that got you. Yamamoto was struggling as
it was. And then Muki, you have a chance to
get out of the inning and and he, you know,
throws wide and low and Freddie can't get the ball
and that allows another run to score. So these self
inflicted errors is something the Dodgers typically don't have work
against them, and so far during this streak, even going
back to the Houston series or some defensive miscues there too.
(06:53):
They're just not playing like themselves. So I think to
your point, you're bringing it up correctly, Fred. Everything is
going wrong at the right time or at the wrong time,
I should say, offense, pitching, defense, all of it is
all converging together to be negative at the wrong time.
The good thing is you know that they're better than this.
You assume they're gonna get healthy at some point. That's
(07:14):
a big assumption, especially when it comes to the pitching staff,
with consistency and all that, and we can get to
that in a little bit as well. But offensively, I
do think they'll eventually be fine. These sorts of things
do ebb and flow during the course of a regular season,
and I still think they're one of the top offenses,
if not the top offense in all of baseball, even
amid their struggles over the past four or five games.
But it is concerning considering that you're this close to
(07:35):
the All Star break and that you thought you'd have
potentially a double digit lead in the division going into
the break, and to see it dwindling with the chance
of it possibly being gone completely is definitely concerning.
Speaker 5 (07:45):
And I'm not saying losing Muncie right now isn't a problem.
Speaker 4 (07:49):
He's that hottest hitter by the way.
Speaker 5 (07:51):
Yeah, I'm not saying that they aren't missing guys that
are critical to the lineup in their own way. What
I am saying is I would have either heard there.
Speaker 4 (08:01):
You know what.
Speaker 5 (08:02):
We got me, We got Otani, we got Freddie Freeman,
we got enough to get more than seven runs over
a four game span, we got plenty. We're all right.
Will Smith is an All Star this season, and we
got to turn around. And it starts with me. That's
the answer I was looking for.
Speaker 3 (08:20):
Wait, didn't get that answer, because they're they're crumbling again.
It's not the point they're losing. They're gonna lose games.
They're six up, they're gonna lose games. They won big
series against the Padres if you remember recently, and the Giants. Yep,
they're gonna lose games. But it's how they're losing that's
what's troubling here. They're gonna get beat. It's a long year,
(08:42):
you know that, And they'll probably finish in first place
and things will be okay at the All Star break,
but god, they don't look very good. That's the issue.
They just don't look good. It's like a cloud has
appeared over them and it's just raining on them.
Speaker 2 (08:57):
Right now.
Speaker 3 (08:59):
Now, Tyler Glass else supposed to go again, and he
should be back. I think Friday. Here's my concern. I
think tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow, actually, yes, tomorrow, if he knows tomorrow,
all right, here's my concern. I don't want to jinx them,
but I can't deny. I haven't thought about this. He
comes back, is he going to make it to the
(09:19):
rest of the season.
Speaker 4 (09:21):
I mean, they don't call him mister Glass for nothing.
Fred I know what's to play on his name, but
it's actually true. There's a lot of fans that calls
Tyler Glass now mister Glass for that reason.
Speaker 3 (09:31):
It's my god. If he doesn't make it now, you
do have problems. You talk about do we have to
get a picture at the All Star break well? And
Delan Hernandez wrote that here's the thing. If everybody comes
back and everybody is okay, it's kind of like you've
made a trade, right because you've got these guys back
who haven't pinched.
Speaker 2 (09:49):
But I am really concerned.
Speaker 3 (09:50):
Glassnow goes out there in two games and he gets
hurt again, because if he gets hurt again, he'll be
done for the year. There they you know, they're not
gonna sit them bring him back. There's something wrong if
he gets hurt again. And that's my worry. Now, when't
they come back? How long are they gonna make it?
Can they survive to the end of the year, will
will they be healthy enough to do it? That's my
(10:12):
concern with the pitching staff right now. And I just
don't have that answer.
Speaker 2 (10:15):
I don't want to jinx anybody, but I was really
thinking about that, going, oh God, what if he can't?
Speaker 4 (10:20):
Yeah, I don't think they have that answer either. Like
a lot of people, and we heard this, You and
Rodney have talked about it. We had callers say, you know,
I wants to get healthy in the second half of
the season once so Tony can pitch longer. Once Glass
now gets back once once once once once once. We're
all assuming that all of this is gonna happen, that
o'tani will be able to go over five six innings,
which you know, Dave Roberts brought this up over the weekend.
That might not be the case, you know, So we're
(10:42):
assuming Glass now is gonna be able to come back
and stay healthy. We assume Blake Snell's gonna come back
and be able to be healthy. We assume Kershaw's gonna
be able to hold up for an entire season. These
are a lot of assumptions. So I actually agree with
what Dylan wrote over the weekend, like you have to
basically operate as if you need to get a starting
pitcher or two at the deadline, and if you have
an embarrass riches and everybody's healthy at the end of
the season, so be it. You'll figure it out. But
(11:04):
it's a high wire act just assuming that guys are
going to be healthy when it matters most.
Speaker 5 (11:08):
They have too many mystery boxes and question marks on guys.
And they've always been this way, and it worked out
last season. It worked out in twenty twenty that they
find guys off the scrap heap that once had a
lot of high end potential. Maybe their career wasn't going
the right way. They correct it. They bring more out
of guys. But this is pretty extreme. What's happening now.
(11:30):
And you mentioned Glass, Now, I mean it's not just
physically with him, it's mentally. It's a psyche thing earlier
in the season, he was talking about, I don't know
what's going on. I try to change my control, I
try to change my release. I can't figure it out.
Like it was really concerning for a guy who has
what four more years left on his contract.
Speaker 6 (11:49):
And to your point, Fred, the way they're.
Speaker 5 (11:51):
Losing, they're just not even being competitive right now. When
they get down in games, they're just rolling over. They're
not mounting a comeback, they're not fighting their way out
of it. They're not having those Dodger comebacks like we
have seen throughout the majority of this season. That's why
it looks like before the All Star break they've lost
(12:12):
a little bit of their identity. Am I overly concerned? No,
this is a great team. They are the best team
talent wise on paper when they're right. But I think
it's one of the first times this season where we've
had this level of concern with the Dodgers.
Speaker 2 (12:29):
Yeah, they just gonna look good, but they'll be okay.
That's the thing. We know they'll be okay because I
have to be okay. There's really no other way to
look at it. The concern becomes, are you gonna have
enough pitching? Are you gonna have guys, Are guys gonna
be healthy enough? Last now, I think is really a
wild card. God, you can't wait to get them back
(12:49):
out there, because when he's there, he's good. But honest
to God, what if he can't make it? I mean,
can you even believe they're talking like this?
Speaker 4 (12:58):
Well, based on his fred yeah, based on his history, yes,
which is why a lot of people question why the
Dodgers gave him a five year extension and traded for him,
trading for him from Tampa Bay to begin with. So
this is not necessarily necessarily something new when it comes
to Tydle Glass. Now, I do agree with your notion,
though you almost have to treat him as if he's
a bonus. He's a luxury you can. You almost have
to assume he's not gonna be available when you need him,
(13:19):
and if he is phenomenal, But I would operate off
of the notion that I don't plan on Tyler Glass
now being somebody I could rely on when the playoffs
d all round. If he's around, great, but I assume
he's not gonna be there. It's unfortunate to think that
way for someone who gave that much money to and
in commitment to. But I just can't see it any
other way.
Speaker 5 (13:36):
I think this is the first time where there's real
doubt creeping in when it comes to just how hard
it is to go back to back. Guys, I know
we don't play games here anymore. This ain't who is
to say, they say, no, you're a squad, but this
may be. Know who the last team was to go
back to back to win two straight World Series?
Speaker 6 (13:58):
You know how far back?
Speaker 4 (13:59):
He's New York.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
Yeah, Yankees in two thousand.
Speaker 5 (14:02):
Okay, what about just the last team to win and
then make it back to the World Series the next year?
You want to venture a guest on that.
Speaker 4 (14:14):
I don't where you got. So I think Houston made
it two in three years. I don't think they did
it back to back years. The year they lost to
the Nationals, I think that was a year after so
that was seventeen and then nineteen, so they didn't go
in eighteen. So yeah, I don't even know.
Speaker 5 (14:25):
No, two thousand and eight, two thousand and nine, Phillies,
they beat Tampa Bay in two thousand and eight, they
got back to the World Series and lost to the
Yankees in two thousand and nine. It is damn difficult,
no matter how good you are. And this Dodgers team
is different, and they're the most stacked team maybe we've
seen in the modern era. But I just think it's
(14:46):
worth mentioning right now that you hadn't have some of
that World Series hangover. Sometimes it can be there, and
maybe this is just senior itis waiting for the All
Star break and it's nothing in its injuries and easily explained, but.
Speaker 6 (15:00):
It's difficult to get back. It's proven, it's historic.
Speaker 2 (15:04):
Long term, they're gonna be fine.
Speaker 3 (15:06):
I do believe that. I believe long term they're gonna
be fine. They'll end up exactly where they're supposed to be.
I think they'll win the Division. I think they will
be in physician to win the World Series. I do
believe that. So that's why I'm not panicked, but I'm pissed.
I'm pissed because they look so bad right now. I'm
not panicked, but it's like, God, it's just bad. It's
(15:28):
bad to watch him right now. Honestly, now tonight, maybe
they'll turn it around. And who thought at the beginning
of the year we would make this statement. Thank God,
Clayton Kershaw's back. Thank God, Clayton's here.
Speaker 6 (15:39):
Everybody all star Clayton KSh All.
Speaker 3 (15:41):
Star Clayton k Who thought no one thought we would
say that at the beginning of the year.
Speaker 2 (15:45):
Oh thank god he's back. Yeah, you wanted him to
come back, but you wouldn't be Oh thank you he's back.
Speaker 3 (15:52):
You thought, well, yeah, he'll get some spot starts, he'll
give a guy a little rest here, and if we
need him, he'll be ready to go. They have to
have him. Do you realize right now he is their stopper?
Think about what the rotation looked like at the beginning
of the year, at least on paper, and you're to
a point where the guy you want to send out
(16:13):
there with a ball who's your stopper is Clayton Kershaw.
Not that that's a bad thing, and he hasn't done
it to about his career, But the truth is, did
anyone expect that right now?
Speaker 2 (16:23):
Thank god he's pitching. No, they got a shot to win.
Speaker 5 (16:27):
He was supposed to be the bonus piece. Hey, if
Kershaw is healthy, that's great. He's in his late thirties.
He's a legacy guy. It doesn't matter. He can't hurt
his legacy. Continuing to pitch. It's all gravy for him
at this point. Now much more is demanded, and he's
been solid, you know, three point four to three era
out there this season. He's been good enough. I guess
(16:48):
they got to go back to John Wayne and see
if he's got a little bit more of that magic
to stop this losing streak.
Speaker 4 (16:52):
Yeah, between he and Dustin May, those are pretty much
been your two mainstays. And nobody would have said that
coming in from opening Day that dust Demand Clayt Kershaw
will be the lie of the starting rotation. People didn't
think people at Dustinmate, it will be in the bullpen
at this point in time. And there is a point
in time where people didn't think Claton Kershaw would even
be starting the season until now, until right before the
All Star break. So it really is insane. Although one
(17:12):
thing that is lin Creden is to what you're saying, Fred,
and why I do agree with you that it's not
time to necessarily panic. They'll end up being fine. At
no point this season, even when they started the year,
what was the seven to zero not eighty zh whatever
it was, They've never clicked on all cylinders, They've never
had their pitching. They've never had their offense everything clicking
at all cylinders, playing to the capabilities of the talent
(17:32):
on the roster, never once. Yet we sit here on
July eighth, and they have a six game leading the division.
So if again, there's another if we're talking about hypotheticals,
they get to a point where they're healthy enough, the
offense is clicking, I mean, the sky's the women at
this point in time, and again, six games up in
the division right now, despite the fact that they've had issues,
whether it's been the bullpen at times, whether it's been
(17:54):
the starting staff at times. Right now they're in the
giant offensive slump, so they get cooking on all cylinders. Again,
who's to say they can't run away with a division.
There's still plenty of time left to go. So that's
why so I will be optimistic, is the fact that
they have not played well all together, all at once,
and in still having all those issues, they're six games
up on the division right now.
Speaker 3 (18:13):
Dodgers take on the Brewers in Milwaukee with the first
pitch at four forty. Listen to all Dodger games on
AM five to seventy LA Sports live from the Galpla
Motors Broadcast Booth, stream all Dodger games and HD on
the iHeartRadio app. The keyword is AM five to seventy
LA Sports. All Right, if the basketball season started tomorrow tomorrow,
(18:35):
who's got the better roster? And apparently there's one guy
up for grabs that might tilt the scale, so we'll
talk about that, all right. Kevin figures Adam Oustlin in
for Rodney today. So Bradley Beal is the man apparently
(18:57):
on the most wanted list, and once expies him like
Captain Smirks once, once Phoenix bies him out, you know
what's every man for himself. So it comes down to
who is going to have the ability to sign him.
When Laurence Frank made the deal with Miami, he said,
we're not done yet, and that pointed everybody in the
direction of Bradley Beal when he gets bought out by Phoenix.
(19:20):
But where it is Adam that the Lakers are also
interested in Bradley Beal. Who's got the better shot of
signing him.
Speaker 5 (19:27):
I think it's the team that has the better shot
to give him a chance to start, and that's likely
the Clippers because Norman Powell was starting Bradley Beal makes
sense as of the replacement for him now with normOn
Powell in Miami. As you mentioned there, that's what it
comes down to to me. Now he could have friends
on the Lakers or on the Clippers that we don't
know about. Lawrence Frank also mentioned how James Harden has
(19:49):
helped with recruiting and the level of confidence Laurence Frank
had at that press conference yesterday announced in the trade
with John Collins for bringing in John Collins kind of
told me that they're pretty secure about they're getting somebody,
and it's most people are reading the tea leaves is
Bradley Beal, but it's not guaranteed. You never know. He
can be kind of mercurial. I guess we don't know
(20:11):
exactly what he wants, But it could also come down
to who can offer him more. The Clippers still have
five point three million dollars out of their mid level
exception to throw at him, and apparently Jackson Hayes got
more than just the veteran's minimum, so that cut into
the Lakers bi annual exception, So the Clippers might have
more money to offer Bradley Beal on top of being
(20:32):
a starter for them.
Speaker 4 (20:35):
Yeah, and he's gonna lose out on money during this buyout.
He's not gonna get the full amount of money that's left.
So there's gonna be money left on the table. So
for people asking like, oh, it doesn't matter if he
signs a veteran minimum, No, he's gonna be able to
make up some of the money that he lost depending
on who he signs with and depending on who has
the most money. So whoever has the most money to
offer him does make a big difference. And we've mentioned
(20:55):
this a little bit on the show yesterday. As it
pertains to the Lakers, I just don't think it it's
a great fit for them. Yes, he offers them he's
a good outside shooter, but he can't play defense. And
if he does want to start, which i'd assume he
does at this point in time, you're looking at a
starting lineup with him and potentially Lebron James and Rouyotchi
Mora possibly in there, along with Luka Doncik. There's Austin Reeves.
(21:17):
You name me a defensive stopper in that lineup, I'll
keep going. So you're gonna be an Even DeAndre Ayton
is solid defensively, but defense is not necessarily his strong
suit there at the center position. So unless you're gonna
outscore everybody one hundred and thirty eight to you know,
one hundred and thirty five, which I don't think that's
what JJ Redick really wants to do and how he
wants to build the team. I really think he's a
(21:37):
better fit with the Clippers one because he can start
in two. They are better equipped to hide him defensively
than the Lakers are.
Speaker 3 (21:44):
So let's look at the way it is right now.
If you just play TWU on two, you got Luca
and Lebron against Kawhi and James Harden, Right, those are
the superstars on the teams on two.
Speaker 6 (21:55):
NBA jam style. Freddy, Yeah, play.
Speaker 3 (21:57):
A little NBA jam He's right, Which who are you picking?
Harden and Kawhi or Lebron and Luca.
Speaker 4 (22:04):
By the way, none of those guys will be great
NBA jam players. None of those guys are high flyers
at this point in time. All drew respect to Lebron. James,
but at forty years old, not the same player he
was fifteen years ago.
Speaker 5 (22:13):
So Lucas lost weight, all right, he can get off
like fred Rogan used to back in the High scar you.
Speaker 4 (22:17):
Can slide two pieces of paper under Luca's feet now
instead of one.
Speaker 2 (22:20):
That's nice solid Kevin. That's just saying, all right, so
you got two on two? What two you're picking?
Speaker 6 (22:27):
Well, you know where I lie.
Speaker 4 (22:28):
Yeah, I mean see the clipper that Adam's wearing right now.
The clipper had objectively.
Speaker 2 (22:33):
Frek Yeah, objectively Who you're picking?
Speaker 4 (22:35):
I would take. I would take Lebron and Luka Doncic.
It's an easy one for me.
Speaker 5 (22:39):
I think you can make that argument because Luca's the
one guy for sure out of the four that is
in his prime. He's twenty six, twenty seven. Everybody else's well,
one of them's forty, and the other two mid thirties
to late thirties, with Kawhi and James Harden.
Speaker 3 (22:55):
Okay, so we're gonna pick Luca and Lebron over Kawhi
and James Harden.
Speaker 2 (23:00):
Now you know what we're gonna do. Add the rest
of the guys.
Speaker 3 (23:04):
Now we put the rest of the guys in, so
we know who he took two one two, But now
we put the rest of the players in there on
both teams.
Speaker 2 (23:13):
Now, who do you pick?
Speaker 5 (23:14):
I mean, who who's the third best player on both teams.
For the Clippers, it's probably it's Big Zoo. Yeah, when
you account for both ends of the floor. For the Lakers,
it's Austin Reeves. And he's not so great.
Speaker 4 (23:30):
On one end of the floor, right, so dynamic enough
offensively when he when he's on, you know. So there's
certain guys, even if they have a certain deficiency on
one end of the floor, they're so really so good
on the other side that it can make.
Speaker 2 (23:42):
Up for it.
Speaker 5 (23:43):
I bet you, though, the Lakers will be the one
signing off on a trade Austin Reeves for Viatza Zubots
and the Clippers would decline.
Speaker 6 (23:51):
I bet you they would.
Speaker 2 (23:53):
No, they wouldn't.
Speaker 6 (23:54):
Yes, they would.
Speaker 5 (23:55):
I Look, even though they just got DeAndre Ayton, if
they could get a Viatza Zuba Zubot's back, who's by
the way, on a great contract. He's only making like
nineteen million dollars and he looks like a top five
center now in the league and he's only twenty eight.
I think they would because the Austin Reeves fit doesn't work.
And that's kind of the point of your question here, Fred.
Even though it's not just about the talent. It's not
(24:16):
just about amassing the most talented NBAGM type of roster.
What about fit? What about chemistry? Kevin brought it up too,
like how many defenders do they have in the starting
lineup with the Lakers? And you want to add Bradley
Beal to that. I personally think they have a real problem.
I don't think Austin Reeves next to Luca is necessarily
a problem, but Austin Reeves next to Luca and Lebron
(24:38):
is I think that kind of capture ceiling with that team.
I think the Lakers know it too well, okay.
Speaker 4 (24:45):
And they've been saying this entire time that those are
their three lynch pins. I think in a perfect world
they would have Austin Reeves play the manager noble role
and be a star player coming off the bench. I
just don't know if in today's NBA, when he's up
for that extension next year, if you're going to pay
for your two thirty three million dollars to a guy
that's coming off the bench, I don't know if I
don't think that's feasible.
Speaker 5 (25:03):
Well, that's part of the equation too. He's about to
get paid. He's got like a thirteen million dollar player
option next year. He's going to opt out of it,
and some have wondered, are the Lakers are gonna get
out in front of this and get value for him
now and trade him because they might not want to
pay him thirty million dollars a year. I agree, Kevin.
I think most likely you do it, and then if
you have to trade him down the line, hopefully a
(25:25):
team will still take that deal. If Austin Reeves is
still playing at this high of a level. I believe
that I do like him as a player, but I
don't know if he can work in the starting lineup
with two other guys, your best two players that aren't
great defenders. Lebron can get up once in a while
and play defense. And I thought he was pretty solid
overall in that series against Minnesota, But over an eighty
to two game season, he's not giving you a great
(25:47):
defensive effort at forty now forty one, he's gonna be
in December.
Speaker 6 (25:51):
That's just not how it works.
Speaker 5 (25:52):
So I think they have real flaws on the defensive end,
like their roster, the way is constructed. How do you
ever become a great defense there, Freddie.
Speaker 3 (26:01):
All right, so now let's do this. We've played three
on three, now we'll play four on four. But now
we're gonna add Bradley Beal to the Clippers. So let's
put him on the Clippers.
Speaker 1 (26:12):
Now.
Speaker 2 (26:13):
So now what's what ruey for the Lakers? And Bradley
Beal's now on the Clippers.
Speaker 4 (26:17):
I'd probably put eighton in that slot at number four over.
Speaker 3 (26:21):
Okay, So now Bradley Beal's with the Clippers and DeAndre
Ayton's with the Lakers.
Speaker 2 (26:26):
Now look at the two rosters. Now, who do you like?
Speaker 5 (26:29):
We went from the Big three and ice Cube said, no,
you can't do that. You gotta go big four. And
fred said, all right, we're going big four.
Speaker 2 (26:34):
Now let's do it.
Speaker 5 (26:37):
I think I like the Clippers there because defensively they
have Big Zoo, they have Kawhi Leonard. I just don't
see enough defense there with the Lakers and DeAndre Ayden.
To Kevin's point, he is not a great defender. He
has potential, he's got a show a motor, he's got
to show a one two. Fredsman going after him from
(26:57):
his Phoenix days for a long time with DeAndre and
now you get cover him in La fred our.
Speaker 4 (27:01):
Freshman attacking Downdre Aidens. He was eight years old. It's
insane that.
Speaker 6 (27:04):
Was ahead of the curve.
Speaker 4 (27:05):
It It's ridiculous. But Adam brought up a good point though, Fred,
because fit does matter, and so when you talk about
there's individual talent than those collectives, I think the collective
of the Clippers, even if we just limited to that,
the four and four works better together because you have
a mix of really good defense and really good offense.
The Lakers ceiling offensively is disguise the limit, but defensively
(27:27):
there's a lot of issues there. So I do think
there's more balance on the Clipper side for that four
than there is on the Lakers side. We're therefore, so
which is the top two? I'd go Lakers. But if
we extrapolate that out to four and we get deeper
into the rosters five, six, seven, eight, whatever it is,
I kind of like the Clipper roster overall more than
the light the Laker roster.
Speaker 2 (27:45):
And then that's the point of this exercise right there.
Speaker 3 (27:48):
Yeah, two on two, Okay, we know we picked three
on three, but you play five at a time and
you have a full roster, So what you're saying is,
if you look at the full roster, you think the
Clippers are better, they work together better, they've got a
deeper roster, you would pick the Clippers. And if that
(28:08):
is the case, and by the way, I think it's
hard to argue that, to be quite honest with you,
take away the star power of oh my god, Luca's here,
and obviously that's how the Lakers are always constructive. Plus Lebron,
We're going to fill the seats. But if we have
to play basketball, I think the Clippers have the better roster.
And wouldn't it be incredible given the hype and the
(28:31):
expectation with Luca and Lebron on the same team, if
the Clippers have a better year.
Speaker 5 (28:37):
Oh yeah, well, I think right now, as you mentioned,
they're clearly the better team. There's three teams that you
can say are better than them in the Western Conference. Okay,
see obviously Houston with getting KD and the moves they
made in Denver. After that, you could say Clippers, you
could say Lakers, you could say Minnesota. There's a lot
of teams that are trying to buy for that four
(28:59):
spot Western Conference. But the Lakers may have Luca they
may have the guy who's in his prime right now,
but they haven't put together a roster that has that
balance that you need.
Speaker 4 (29:13):
Which is difficult to do well. They're also in a
tough spot because they've been on the Lebron James timeline
for so long. He's taking up a lot of their
salary cap. At this point in time, you're trying to
build for Luca in the future, which Rich Paul's comments
obviously going into the free agency and talking about the
Lakers are building for the future, even though we know
they're trying to win now. They're trying to do two
things at once. And in basketball, I think that's really
(29:34):
difficult to try to build for the future and trying
to win at the exact same time. You can do it,
but it's really really hard, especially when one of your
highest paid your highest paid player is a forty year
old who has half a foot out the door. It
seems like, can I throw.
Speaker 5 (29:47):
Out a theory to you guys regarding the situation with
Lebron James and the Lakers and that cryptic message or
not so cryptic message from Rich Paul recently, like I
think they both want out, but neither side was to
be the bad guy. I think Lebron would love to leave,
but he doesn't want to make it look bad on
(30:07):
his side and Clutch sports. I think the Lakers would
love to move on, but they've always been the franchise
that have taken care of superstars and even older ones
at that, and neither one wants to take the pr hit.
And nobody's blinking right now. We're on a standoff between
the Lakers and Lebron. I truly believe they both want
the same thing. They just don't want the public to
(30:29):
know that they're the bad guy. They don't want to
be played off as that.
Speaker 2 (30:34):
Why would Lebron be played off as a bad guy.
Speaker 5 (30:37):
A lot of people in LA will say, you left
because you didn't think the Lakers were good enough. You're
playing next to Luke and Donson, I think a great
I'm sure someone that the ones who defaced his murals
when he first came they would love to see Lebron
James leave, but there's still some and legacy wise, I
think from a national perspective, he's also concerned about that.
Speaker 4 (30:59):
He's very concerned about his legacy and how he looks
in the public eye. For sure, he doesn't want to
do anything to tank that even more than it already
has been. How does that make sense to me?
Speaker 3 (31:07):
How do you think he feels about how he looks
in his LA stay well, how would he sum that up?
What would he say? You know, I feel like in Cleveland,
I played Miami. Here's what I thought about this, Here's
what I thought about that. What would he say about
his LA's day.
Speaker 5 (31:23):
He'd give a George Bush like mission accomplished. I'm sure,
but I don't think he means it.
Speaker 4 (31:27):
Yeah, I will feel like he would try to present
it in his minds, like, hey, we won a championship.
Look at what the franchise was before I got here.
I was the savior. I made them respectable again. How
could you look at it any differently? That's how I
think he would like us to believe his tenure with
the LA has looked.
Speaker 5 (31:42):
I don't think he's necessarily wrong if he goes back
to twenty eighteen and what a mess they were before
they got him with Magic Johnston unceremoniously just stepping down
as GM or as vice president of Basketball Operations, saying
I'm not gonna be here anymore. Out of nowhere pregame.
That Lakers team over a five year stretch was winning
(32:02):
twenty five games per season. You could say they were
going to rebuild, but they weren't exactly figuring it out
anytime soon. I think Lebron does take a lot of
unnecessary criticism, like he ruined the franchise. The franchise was
in shambles. They were not in a good place.
Speaker 4 (32:18):
There is something to say for I mean, you look
at the guys they drafted and what has happened years
down the road. Had they kept Julius Randall, had they
kept brandon ingram Lonzo Ball, there's nothing to say those guys.
They couldn't have been a forty five forty eight win team,
make the playoffs. They wouldn't have won anything, sure, but
they would have been competitive had they kept that group together.
So I think there's I would give them a little
bit of credit as far as some of the draft
(32:38):
picks that they made, that those guys would have eventually
hit in jail together and grown together. They just would
have wouldn't been get enough win a championship though.
Speaker 5 (32:44):
But you remember the dumpster fire talk we did on
the Lakers organization after the twenty seventeen to twenty eighteen
season with Magic resigning, going on the Evil four Letter,
airing out dirty laundry with him and Rob Polenka, and
you know, Magic is my favorite player of ault, but
it was a bad look. They were a mess, They
didn't have much direction, and Lebron came in and probably
(33:06):
feels like he saved them. So maybe he can convince
himself that it's been a successful tenure here with the Lakers.
Speaker 2 (33:12):
Fred Kenny, convince you.
Speaker 5 (33:16):
I think there's a little meat left on the bone.
And I'm not saying it's all his fault. It really
comes down to one of the biggest moves was who
was in control of the Russell Westbrook trade, right who
pulled the trigger on that? Because that has a cascading
effect and a domino effect and a butterfly effect on
this franchise that is still here.
Speaker 4 (33:35):
Well, we know the thing is as much flak as
Lebron James and Anthony Davis took for that. Who pulled
the trigger? Genie Bust and Rob Polenka because there was
nothing stopping them from saying, like, we're not doing this.
He doesn't fit. It's a bad move. Sorry, Lebron, ad
it ain't happening, so ultimately it falls in their lap.
Speaker 5 (33:52):
You wonder with new ownership, and I know Genie is
still in the same position currently, but ownership still has
to sign off on a move like that, regardless if
they are making the basketball decisions, they're still signing off
on it to some degree. What Mark Walter would do
in a situation like that if he felt like, oh,
there's too much player empowerment going on and players are
(34:12):
dictating too much of our roster and playing GM. We
have a GM, and if the GM doesn't want to
do it, we are not going to be held hostage
by the players and the superstars saying you have to
do something that we think is a bad move.
Speaker 4 (34:25):
That's why we know. We know Rob, we know how
Mark Walter operates. We had neck Letty come on the show.
Was it last week or two weeks ago? Fred when
they took over the team and Ned was doing a
negotiation for a trade and he was trying to save
pennies and Mark Walter just slammed his hand on the
table said, damn it, just make the trade. Stop trying
to save pennies. I don't care. Make the damn deal.
Speaker 2 (34:46):
I lose millions to make billions.
Speaker 4 (34:48):
Correct, and that's how Mark Walter operates.
Speaker 2 (34:50):
Yeah, no problem. I'm good to go.
Speaker 3 (34:53):
You know what I think, And I'm sure that Mark
Walter and the Dodger folks will ease their way and
Jeanie's still in charge. They need a culture change, the
Lakers do. They need to start looking at things differently.
I understand they're the franchise that always takes care of
their veterans. My thing about Lebron, he wasn't their guy.
(35:16):
He got here, he showed up. He wasn't Kobe, he
wasn't Magic, he wasn't Kareem. He got here, and now
you're treating him as if he were those guys, and
he's not. He's not one of them. And I think
that's why we just bugged me. Well, we take care
of our guys.
Speaker 2 (35:35):
Is it your guy? Really? When he retires, where will
we remember he plagued? What will stop Number one be? Where?
Speaker 3 (35:45):
Los Angeles? I don't think so, Cleveland, Miami Lakers. He's
third Ela, his third on his hit parade. But we
got to take care of him because he's Lebron. He's
a superstar. He's not your superstar. He's a guy that
played for you. He's never ever I'm glad Rodney's not here.
Speaker 2 (36:08):
He walk off. He's never really embraced being a part
of Los Angeles. He is business wise, certainly that you
cannot deny that he's a shrewd business.
Speaker 3 (36:22):
Guy, but you really feel like he's a part of
LA like the other guys. And maybe it's because he
showed up late. He showed up at the end, maybe,
but even then, do you feel like he's been a
part of it.
Speaker 4 (36:38):
I don't, there's no, you don't. There's no connection for
him to the city. And I think that's what's been missing,
and that's something that existed for all the other guys
you mentioned beforehand. I mean, we remember back when Adam
was out there sweating his ass off at Blaze Pizza
waiting for Lebron to.
Speaker 6 (36:52):
Show up hashtag never forget Yeah, and Adam was.
Speaker 4 (36:54):
Talking to a bunch of angry Laker fans like, where
the hell are you at? Lebron were all here waiting
for you, man, Where the hell? That was day one
when he said he tweeted out that he might be
going to Blaze Pizza and he never showed up. He
got off on the wrong foot from day one, and
all the speculation as to why he came here. Was
it for basketball reasons, was it Forrest Production Company? Was
it a little bit of both? All those questions loomed
(37:15):
from day one, and I really don't think he's done
a lot personally to dispel any of that. And so
that's why people like you, Fred and a bunch of
others feel the same way.
Speaker 5 (37:22):
Well, and something came out earlier today from our friend
Jovon Boja, who said on his pode that Lebron and
the front office aren't exactly in the best place right now.
And he pointed out something interesting I didn't think about.
When it guy signs, even if it's a resign, there
is a publication for it. There is a little bit
(37:44):
of a media Hey, Lebron's back on a one year deal.
Nothing like that has been pushed to my knowledge on
Lakers social media that Lebron James's back isn't this great?
Why is it being celebrated like that? I'm just I
don't know. Yovan pointed it out, not me.
Speaker 2 (38:01):
Oh, you're right.
Speaker 4 (38:02):
There was no press release, There is no popping circumstance
around it. It was basically a statement for Rich Paul.
The Lakers organization has said nothing.
Speaker 3 (38:09):
Dodgers take on the Brewers and Milwaukee first pitch four forty.
Listen to every Dodger game on AM five seventy LA
Sports and stream all Dodger games in h DAN the
Ihear Radio app the keyword AM five seventy LA Sports.
It's brought to you by Navian High Efficiency water heaters,
boilers and the new np F hydro furnace. Learn more
at navianinc dot com. Got a pair of tickets to
(38:33):
give away for a Dodger game a future game, and
somebody can win them right now eight sixt six, nine
eighty seven, two five seventy Who wants to see the Dodgers.
Let's make it call a number four?
Speaker 2 (38:46):
All right? Mary Jones. That's a real name, Mary Jones.
Speaker 3 (38:51):
Yeah, it could be like an alias, right, doesn't Mary
Jones like an alias?
Speaker 6 (38:54):
Jane do?
Speaker 4 (38:55):
What kind of yah? To be honest?
Speaker 2 (38:57):
Anyway, I married Jones in the eight one eight.
Speaker 3 (38:59):
If that is your real name, we assume it is
you have won the Dodger ticket, So congratulations to you.
Speaker 5 (39:05):
Mary Joe was like another type of weed, Like Mary Jones.
Speaker 3 (39:11):
Okay, uh, as we wrap up here, Dodgers back at
it tonight. Do we all agree they have to look
better than they've looked? Can we agree the worse poorly?
Speaker 4 (39:22):
They look much worse for Itz.
Speaker 2 (39:24):
So that's what I'm saying.
Speaker 4 (39:25):
Yeah, the only way to go is up.
Speaker 2 (39:27):
Now.
Speaker 4 (39:27):
They can lose eighteen to one again. But you said
would never happen.
Speaker 2 (39:30):
No, that'll never happen again.
Speaker 4 (39:31):
So based on what happened yesterday, I mean, all all
the Brewers have to do is score nine more runs
than they scored yesterday, which is not out of the
Roman possibility. The way things have looked the last four
or five games.
Speaker 5 (39:40):
The bar is lower than Mookie's throw at their first
base that probably should have went to second base anyways, yesterday,
Like it's that bad right now? Compete fight, Look like
you give a damn Hey. I love the fact that
Otani got upset with that third strike that was bs
six inches off the plate in the batter's box, they
(40:01):
gave the call to the pitcher. You rarely see Otani
get like that. Correct me if I'm wrong, Kevin, because
I think you were the only person that saw him
playing for the Angels. But you rarely see Otani get
that fired up. I need more of that.
Speaker 4 (40:15):
Yeah, in the negative, I mean usually he gets fired up.
You know, you got the home run against Arizona earlier
this year when he was giving it a little bit
to Uriel's brother and all that. Sorry now and then,
But from that standpoint where you're arguing balls and strikes,
I don't think I can't recall Otani ever doing something
like that. He tells you he's probably feeling it because
he's been struggling too the last week and a half
or so.
Speaker 5 (40:34):
You know, since he's been pitching again. There we got
hit in two hundred. I'm just pointing it out, Fred.
The numbers are the numbers.
Speaker 2 (40:42):
And Mooki's struggling because he's playing shortstop.
Speaker 4 (40:45):
I get it.
Speaker 5 (40:45):
Causation, correlation two different things. But in this case, I
just think it's worth monitoring. That's all not sounding any alarms,
not yet, No, And.
Speaker 2 (40:54):
There's no alarm to sound because they're not gonna change anyway.
Speaker 4 (40:56):
That's the thing, Fred, Yeah, Like they're not gonna he's
not gonna not pitch right and he's not gonna not
dh So what are you gonna do? Forgive me?
Speaker 3 (41:03):
We know this is affecting your hitting. So we've made
a decision. We're not gonna let you pitch. That's not
gonna happen anyway. It doesn't matter.
Speaker 5 (41:11):
What about Mooki going to right field though? What about
Mooky going back to right field where it was the
second half of last season.
Speaker 2 (41:18):
Do you think Mooki would want to go back to
right field?
Speaker 6 (41:20):
No, exactly have a position at shortstop.
Speaker 4 (41:24):
I guess well, he has said it took a couple
of years ago. I wasn't that he wanted a premium position.
He thought. He actually thought it would save his legs.
If you were in the infield and not the outfield,
it could be having the reverse effect where it's actually
a little bit too much. Look atass A.
Speaker 2 (41:38):
Jeez, there you go.
Speaker 4 (41:40):
Try to do radio here, Dave, thank you.
Speaker 2 (41:42):
He's rocking that NBA shirt.
Speaker 4 (41:43):
Is that the generic NBA logo? Nice? Nice lotok vesse
all right.
Speaker 5 (41:46):
P Jerry west Massa is literally saying shows over, shows.
Speaker 2 (41:51):
Over you guys done? Okay, well wow, that's all. Hey,
when James walks in, it's all over. Dave's the biggest
start at the station. Now he walks inward done.
Speaker 4 (42:01):
He has his rob low NFL cap in his backpack.
I guess too, that he's getting ready to break outright.
Speaker 3 (42:08):
Adam Kevin, thank you guys. This is a lot of fun.
I really appreciate you doing it.
Speaker 4 (42:11):
Thank you for I appreciate it all right.
Speaker 2 (42:13):
Ronnie, thank you so much. Talk to him well.
Roggin And Rodney News
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