Lakers Season Opener & NBA Predictions

Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Hey, what's going on?

Speaker 2 (00:01):
Welcome to a new episode, new season of the Late
Now Lake Show podcast powered by Prize Picks. It is
your host, Ricky Kwamiana Jody mick Fly is in the building,
bellas it's a new year.

Speaker 1 (00:13):
What the fuck is going on? Man, it's been a minute.

Speaker 2 (00:15):
I'll probably bleep out that last buck when I said
it twice, so now I really don't care.

Speaker 1 (00:19):
But we hear it's been a minute.

Speaker 3 (00:21):
Man.

Speaker 1 (00:22):
I feel rejuvenated.

Speaker 2 (00:23):
I feel like I was buried alive for four hundred
days about like, I don't know, man, there was a
couple of seasons going back that I just got.

Speaker 1 (00:33):
A little dark for the Lnls family for we hear,
how we feeling today? How we doing? My brothers feeling good?

Speaker 4 (00:39):
Man?

Speaker 3 (00:39):
I'm back the years here.

Speaker 5 (00:43):
Yeah, I gotta agree. Last three seasons were a little tough.

Speaker 6 (00:46):
The Rosh year than the back to back de Little years,
the Darwing years like it was, it was a little tough.

Speaker 3 (00:52):
Man.

Speaker 6 (00:52):
I'm not gonna lie to you, but I'll be honest.
They got me excited again, man. I watched a couple
of preseason games, you know, these first high seenon teams.
I'm excited they got the Lakers gone and got me
excited again.

Speaker 5 (01:03):
So ship, here we go. We're ready for another season.
But I think it's gonna be a good one.

Speaker 6 (01:07):
I think I think we I think we're much more
prime than we have been previously.

Speaker 5 (01:11):
So excited for him.

Speaker 3 (01:12):
Hey, in the words of Michael Corleone.

Speaker 4 (01:16):
Just when I thought I was out, pull me back in.

Speaker 5 (01:22):
Exactly.

Speaker 3 (01:23):
I'm ready for.

Speaker 5 (01:27):
Yeah, I'm ready.

Speaker 1 (01:29):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:29):
No, I mean to be honest, we kind of sound
like some Stockholm syndrome over here right like we're starting
to love our abuse there right now. But it's all good, man, Hey,
we are we we are ready for the new era
of Lakers basketball. The Lakers have a brand new head coach,
as we all know, Jj Reddick has got a couple
of preseason games under his belt. We will talk about

(01:51):
our expectations out of him, how much bail does he
deserve as a rookie head coach for the very first
time on any level organized basketball.

Speaker 1 (02:01):
So we'll get into that.

Speaker 2 (02:02):
We'll talk about our big dogs, A D and Lebron
the supporting cast. We'll then jump into our predictions for
the year. Y'all gotta hold it to us. We'll clip
it up we'll put it on the timeline so y'all
can roast Jody anytime he pull up in his escalade
and he flashing off folks, he could say, hey, remember
when you predicted the Lakers at this way. Hey, I'm
just saying, Man, the double r's outside. It's hard not

(02:24):
to see, bro, That's all I'm saying.

Speaker 3 (02:27):
Man.

Speaker 2 (02:31):
Broken, put on the Chevy hat Man jacket everyday, American.

Speaker 1 (02:36):
Right, It's all good man. We do it so we
still lovely Man.

Speaker 2 (02:41):
But yeah, if you guys don't already, make sure you
subscribe to the podcast. Make sure you're subscribed on YouTube
or wherever you get your hashtag good content. We're gonna
do things just a little bit differently this season. We're
gonna start every episode off with some NBA news and notes,
and we got some big ones. Since we haven't recapped
really the off season, we're gonna fly through these fellows.

Speaker 1 (03:02):
First question that I have for y'all.

Speaker 2 (03:05):
Which off season move was the most impactful for their
teams winning, Whether the Klay Thompson to the Dallas Mavericks
acquisition Big Cat Big Cat to the Knicks, which I'm
still processing. I'm not gonna lie to y'all CP three
to join the Jolly Green Giant Wenby over in San Antonio.

(03:26):
Or Kwame's favorite player Paul George to the seventy six ers.

Speaker 6 (03:30):
Kwame, I'll kick it off with you, broy Well, Paul
George is not my favorite player, and that is absolutely
not the acquisition that moves me, even in the slightest
for me, I'm being honest. It's the big Bodega Karl
Anthony Towns headed down heading over to the Knicks, man,
I'll be honest to The Knicks are going all in
and I actually love it.

Speaker 5 (03:49):
I love what they're doing over there. I love the
team they build.

Speaker 6 (03:53):
I think they're going to be a hell of it
out in the Eastern Conference, provided health can be good.
I think they match up very well with the Eastern
Conference champions Boston Celtics. I mean, they got wing defenders
to go against their scores, they got a stretch big
to go against their stretch big, and then hey, we
got the we got to battle the guard. So I
think it's it's it's a really good thing for the Knicks.

(04:14):
I think it's great for the league. I mean, you
really got to think of what New York did they
got brunts in that offseason. That offseason, they got Og
in the trade, Josh Harten the trade, Michael Bridges in
the trade. They got Miles McBride off the bench. They've
really revamped this team from just being the RJ Barrett
at Julius Randalls show, Like, look how far they've come,
so to beyonest, man, I really got to give it

(04:35):
up to them.

Speaker 5 (04:35):
I think the other acquisitions are cool. They they're they're
they're they're nice little acquisitions.

Speaker 6 (04:39):
I mean, Klay Thompson the Mavericks doesn't move me and
in she should have came to the Lakers.

Speaker 5 (04:42):
He sold the bag. But I get it, I get it.

Speaker 6 (04:44):
Chris Paul to the Spurs will be great for Wemby's development,
but they're not winning those games out there.

Speaker 5 (04:48):
For real, Like, let's be honest.

Speaker 6 (04:49):
It's just gonna get Wemby a whole new dimension to
his game, and I think it'll be great for his development.
Paul George is the Sixers. I mean, regardless, it's it's
Mbid who drives the end. If Embiid is not the
person who gets it done, they're not gonna be doing nothing.
We've seen it with James Hard We've seen it with
Ben Simmons. He's had his fair share teammates and at
the end of the day comes down to what is

(05:09):
MBID going to do?

Speaker 5 (05:10):
So I'll be honest.

Speaker 6 (05:12):
For me, it's the big bow Dagaby mile and I'm
excited for the next season. I think they're going to
be a fun team to watch.

Speaker 3 (05:19):
Yeah, i'd agree with with with Crime. I feel like
all the.

Speaker 4 (05:23):
Other moves are either marginal or just above marginal to
where it might move the needle. But you know, CP
and San Antonio is not gonna do anything but help
Wenby's mentality as far as the way that CP carries
itself as a professional and how he goes about the job.

Speaker 3 (05:41):
Every single day, you know what I mean.

Speaker 4 (05:43):
I think that what PAYDVID is down the line, but
that's not gonna affect anything this year.

Speaker 3 (05:50):
But yeah, man, with.

Speaker 4 (05:52):
The Knicks, I just they they made a trade that
makes them match up with the best team in the East,
the Celtic, in a way that I don't know that
anybody else in the East can match up with him.
Which the only other team in the East that has
something that I feel like they would be able to
say would be giannest because or the Bucks because they
have Gianni's and the way that the past two years

(06:14):
it went for him. I'm almost thinking this year is
going to be his year to kind of remind people
of who he is and what he brings to the table,
you know what I mean, as maybe the best player
in the league, second best player in the league.

Speaker 3 (06:26):
So but yeah, I think.

Speaker 4 (06:28):
The Knicks, by and by a considerable margin, made the
best move of.

Speaker 3 (06:35):
The off season. I don't know. I don't know how
much played.

Speaker 4 (06:40):
To the MAVs moves the needle. At the end of
the day, I think they'll be a better team, but
I don't know if that gets them quote unquote over
the hump over other teams in the West that have
gotten better. And I feel like the same question marks
that we have about Luca, we still have those same
question marks when it gets to that high level of basketball.
You know that they're trying to do and I don't

(07:02):
know that Clay impacts that end defensively. So I don't
know what it's gonna look like for the match at
the end of the row, but I think the Knicks
is gonna be the team that's gonna have everybody's.

Speaker 2 (07:16):
Issue man, So I'm not saying right. I'm gonna just
be honest. Something is not sitting right with my spirit.
First of all, this didn't get as much attention as
it deserves.

Speaker 1 (07:29):
The kr Anthony Towns trade.

Speaker 2 (07:31):
I feel like it happened on a Friday or Saturday
or whatever, a slow newsday.

Speaker 1 (07:35):
But regardless, it just I don't know.

Speaker 2 (07:39):
The Knicks were already in contention, they were already good and.

Speaker 1 (07:46):
Like they traded him for Julius Randal.

Speaker 2 (07:49):
Which you know, we were moving up to Minnesota. That's okay,
we'll figure it out. Laying up a thousand lakes, get
my island one of the lakes.

Speaker 1 (07:57):
It's not cheap up.

Speaker 2 (07:57):
The real estate of Minnesota's also not cheap. Is gonna
have a hell of a year with it, the big Frenchman.

Speaker 1 (08:04):
Appreciate your brother. We'll figure it out.

Speaker 2 (08:09):
Going back to Cat, I don't understand it, brother, How
does the league allow a deal this big?

Speaker 1 (08:19):
Feels so small?

Speaker 6 (08:22):
The bo Pieza that gave me, y'all like twenty.

Speaker 4 (08:23):
Four twenty six, that's crat don't got Cat doesn't have
a high approval.

Speaker 6 (08:28):
Rating, which is crazy because he hoops.

Speaker 1 (08:32):
That's exactly what it is.

Speaker 3 (08:34):
If he had a higher approval rating, it'd be respected more.
But and an underrated thing with what the Kniggs got
going on.

Speaker 4 (08:42):
Bro, they got Jalen Brunton to agree to a hundred
million dollars less than what he was worth.

Speaker 3 (08:47):
Yeah, Like, I just I've never seen some shit. I
don't know what the hell they got going on in
New York. I'm not sure it's legal.

Speaker 4 (08:54):
Yes, I hope if the Dodgers, if there's a commissioner
with the post with a lit that's living and breathing
and has a post, somebody got to look into this
shit because it don't make sense.

Speaker 1 (09:06):
Call check it out.

Speaker 2 (09:08):
Just just inquire how did so many great transactions happen
over the last twenty four months. This is like a
two year turnaround, complete turnaround for a team.

Speaker 3 (09:19):
In a market like fucking New York.

Speaker 4 (09:21):
Because in no way in hell it's something like that
happened to the Lakers.

Speaker 3 (09:27):
Maybe the Clippers, not the Lakers.

Speaker 2 (09:29):
And that's my whole point, right, And I'm not hating
on the Knicks. Shout out to them, Shout out to
their front office, Shout out to the team. Right, Hey,
we we tips people over here, you know, we we
love us some tips, right, shout out Jalen Brunson. Yeah,
I got the bourbon Chicago kids like we like the
players over there, right, I'm I'm I'm hating that you
guys got it, that you did so well, That's what
I'm hating off. I just want to be clear that

(09:50):
my Lakers pull off any of those trades. When they
get o g we we dancing in the streets, we
get bridges. We dancing in the streets, we get called
Anthony fucking towns without giving up Anthony Davis and Lebron
James were burning ship down?

Speaker 3 (10:07):
What is for Carl Anthony Towns? Look like? What were we? Everything?

Speaker 6 (10:13):
Every pick for the for the for the next decade
and a half, our whole starting lineup outside Lebron and
A d probably got to throw in, you know, some
cash considerations on top of it.

Speaker 2 (10:24):
Like honest, I'm probably traded in that dude. Like they
just start picking fans, right, picking folks like, yeah, you
gotta switch teams too. It's like, damn, well, I understand
you gotta do it for the grade of good, but man, yeah,
so I think we.

Speaker 1 (10:38):
All in agreement.

Speaker 2 (10:38):
The Carl Anthony Towns to the Knicks trade amazing, So
definitely don't want to bury the lead. But we'll see
how you guys end up making your predictions for who
comes out the East this year. Funny, no love for
Klay Thompson. I guess this is his Tracy McGrady, San
Antonio Spurs New Jersey.

Speaker 5 (10:56):
Yeah, this is Shack Celtics Jersey season.

Speaker 4 (10:59):
You know, a Parlay protector, No way.

Speaker 6 (11:03):
Jody got some real disdain players that are not Parlay protectors.

Speaker 3 (11:07):
We need to make that segment on our show.

Speaker 4 (11:10):
Yeah, Harley protector mm hmmm, yeah, y protectors for the week.

Speaker 3 (11:15):
That ship that needs to be a.

Speaker 2 (11:17):
Jody recaps his best and worst bets of the week
and who who's on his hit list going forward?

Speaker 1 (11:22):
Yeah, no, we'll added to the segments.

Speaker 2 (11:25):
That's funny, all right, moving forward, fellas big off the court,
news that everybody already knows, Ship Saradia now the top
dog over at ESPN. First of all, gaping up and shine, bro,
that's big?

Speaker 3 (11:40):
How bigger it?

Speaker 4 (11:40):
Big?

Speaker 3 (11:41):
Sean's is not thirty. He is not a thirty year
old man.

Speaker 5 (11:44):
Yeah, he's not crazy.

Speaker 1 (11:47):
He big.

Speaker 4 (11:49):
That's a testament to what hard work and gets you.
I want to shout out that brother, because that that's amazing.
That that's amazing.

Speaker 1 (11:56):
It's all good. Shot him at text. He didn't text
me back.

Speaker 2 (11:58):
I understand, busy me the text eat and yeah it's
all good. You know, it's funny. I'm oh for life
on textbacks from Shams. But one day you're gonna hit
me back with something. Maybe Texan go green though, so
I think that's important. Texas did not go green. You
know sometimes they go green right right, and we know

(12:19):
what that means. So, you know, shout out to Shams
as well. Hey, big Woad, big wol, do you vot
best of luck on the next.

Speaker 1 (12:28):
Chapter of your career? Yady yady, yoh happy though?

Speaker 2 (12:33):
Sure great he finished it still with me blocked. All good,
don't fucking matter anymore. So I get all my notifications
for JAMPS. This works out fantastic. Now you can go
and take over the head of Saint Bonaventure, live a
peaceful life, and in about sixteen years, do not write

(12:53):
no fucking type of interest letter to knowwhere in the
Chicago land are addressed.

Speaker 1 (13:01):
To the Barnes family right, because we ain't picking up.

Speaker 2 (13:04):
The matter of fact, we're gonna we're gonna do a
little content of flashing back to this moment, and I'm
still show the block. So if you're calling it and
you got interested in a Grayson or if you got
interested in a Gianna and you see my last name on.

Speaker 1 (13:18):
It, keep it moving, Just keep it moving, because we
ain't picking up. All right, We're not picking up. It's
till death. Now, my brother, you retired with me block,
I'm gonna retire with you blocked. How about that?

Speaker 3 (13:32):
It's gonna kind of smoke forever. That's it.

Speaker 2 (13:34):
Like I'm kind of bullshitting, but like low key, Like no,
let's let's let's kind of smoke forever in Shelburn too,
Like I don't give the fuck that she got me
blocked with.

Speaker 6 (13:41):
Like and with this, with this Sham's move, does ESPN
completely control the NBA narrative? I mean they have essentially
they're the only news breaker right now. Who else is
breaking news at the level that Shawn's is gonna be
breaking news?

Speaker 1 (13:57):
Like Chris Hands is probably a distant second.

Speaker 5 (14:00):
That's a distance second.

Speaker 1 (14:02):
Yeah, he's about to be a free agent too.

Speaker 2 (14:05):
So if they just decide to think on all the
NBA folks, it might be up.

Speaker 4 (14:10):
Control more days in the league than he than he
will see.

Speaker 3 (14:14):
So yeah, what's his name? Haines. Definitely gonna have to
figure it out out.

Speaker 6 (14:18):
Yep, yeah, because theyve got too much time, Hayes. But
it makes some more connections he.

Speaker 2 (14:26):
Might be yup, that's funny as hell. The Haines and
Dame is uh Is wind Horses Lebron.

Speaker 5 (14:32):
Huh what we thought was right?

Speaker 1 (14:36):
Right? All right? Just like no, I need to hitch
my Yeah, thank you, exactly exactly. No, but that's nope,
that's dope.

Speaker 2 (14:44):
Chum's really got it. Yeah, but you're right. ESPN kind
of does have a vice gript on breaking news. I'm
trying to think anyone over at Yahoo that'll be doing it.
There's one dude over at Bleacher Report. They'll be trying
with the glasses. I probably remember his name because i'd
love to have him on the show, but I won't

(15:04):
call it out even if I remember it now, so
I can't say that I forgot him if I don't
admit who it was moving forward in in like a
little bit of you know, sad news man.

Speaker 1 (15:16):
I'm gonna be honest, this kind of this kind of
fucked me up just a little bit.

Speaker 2 (15:19):
The passing of the Kembe Mutombo, the great NBA big man,
legend of the game.

Speaker 1 (15:26):
If you were born any.

Speaker 2 (15:27):
Time in the eighties or early nineties, you know about
the Kembe. You know about his signature, his signature finger wag. Right,
he brought that all the way to his post career
and I think those are what for those Geico commercials?

Speaker 5 (15:42):
What commercials?

Speaker 1 (15:43):
Was he doing that?

Speaker 3 (15:43):
No?

Speaker 5 (15:44):
No, no, uh.

Speaker 1 (15:47):
Progressive?

Speaker 2 (15:48):
Okay, yeah, just smacking the ship out of a little
girl bag of chips. Right, So, man, and you know
you see the stories about folks and how great they are,
not just for.

Speaker 1 (15:59):
The playing career, but off the court. The Kimbe was
really one of the.

Speaker 2 (16:02):
Ones, man like he would drive to help the world,
and the world lost the real one, especially in the
way that he went brain cancer sounds awful, awful, you know,
so prayers to his family, shout out to you know,
his legacy, and we'll be thinking about your big man.

Speaker 1 (16:24):
He joins Jerry West and Bill Walton.

Speaker 2 (16:27):
In the forever peacefulness of basketball eternity.

Speaker 6 (16:31):
Yes, yeah, the Tumbo was one of those guys you
know growing up he was you know, he was your
the center. Everybody knew about you know when he was
a kid, he was the Senate again, the signature fingerwag.
Shame to see him go man, especially in that type
of fashion. But uh, the impact he left on the game.

Speaker 5 (16:50):
Forgotten.

Speaker 3 (16:51):
Did you hear the story that Lebron told about the Kimba. Uhh, yeah,
it was.

Speaker 4 (16:58):
It was he just did it because I obviously he
just passed away and he was just telling the story.
They had asked him if he has the Kenba Tumbo story.

Speaker 3 (17:05):
He was like, yeah, it's like my.

Speaker 4 (17:06):
Rookie year was playing, was playing against them and I
drove to the basket and he hit me. He caught
me with an elbow and broke my nose. He said,
I had to wear a mask for like a.

Speaker 3 (17:17):
Couple of weeks.

Speaker 4 (17:19):
He was like, he was like, that's my the Kemba,
my Tumbo story. And it just made me think like
the Kimba was in the air where it was it
was it was real physicality, not the like downplayer up
you know, any other era, but he was in the
air where you know, if you're going to the rims,
you about to catch an elbow yea.

Speaker 1 (17:38):
And they swear Lebron didn't play.

Speaker 3 (17:42):
But it was it was special. He also played in
the era where they had great jerseys, like the Ken
Bay was really one of those guys.

Speaker 2 (17:49):
His his jersey's are triple platinum. Come on, the Nuggets
jersey with the Mountain Peaks, the og Hawks jersey with
the ass aalk alright, and then he.

Speaker 1 (18:01):
Got the fucking blue seventy six ers jerseys with iverson right.

Speaker 2 (18:05):
You know the whites, you know, the blacks one, but
the blue joints them shimmery bitches.

Speaker 1 (18:10):
I was like, well, all right.

Speaker 2 (18:11):
Maybe they do fat and blue joint Yeah. Shit looked
like wave caps and ship so.

Speaker 1 (18:19):
Easily.

Speaker 2 (18:19):
All right, bet we're gonna start a jersey hall of Fame. Rankins,
who's got the which journey?

Speaker 1 (18:24):
Journey? He's not really a jerneyman.

Speaker 2 (18:25):
We played for more than three teams, but the ken
Bays up there, he got some of the coldest jerseys.

Speaker 5 (18:30):
Shout out the Africans too.

Speaker 2 (18:33):
All right, we're gonna take a quick break when we
come back. We are gonna dive right into the Lakers
season expectations that we have for the coaching staff and
the players, and give y'all some predictions on how we think.

Speaker 1 (18:43):
This NBA season is about to shake out. Lay Not
Lake Show, Don't go nowhere? Hey, what's going on y'all?

Speaker 2 (18:49):
Ricky with Late Night Lake Show Real quick, just wanted
to send some flowers, send some love to one of
our a one day ones friends of the show prize picks.
They've been rocking with us. This account and this whole
operation was in its infancy way before we have grown
to the production that we are here today. And we
can't thank them enough for believing in the engine that

(19:10):
is l n LS. And to show our love, we
got a new promo code for y'all. Type in the
promo code c l NS c L and as for
up to one hundred dollars deposit match on your first deposit.

Speaker 1 (19:27):
That's right, you already know how Prospects is coming.

Speaker 2 (19:29):
Man. It is the number one daily fantasy experience. You
make your picks higher or lower. You make two to
three selections, and if you're hit, you might be able
to cash out on a nice little five, ten, eighteen,
twenty five, all the way up to one hundred times
your deposit. Make your bets win you some money, Give

(19:49):
them the shout out and give Late Now Lake Show
a shout out too. Promo code CLNS.

Speaker 5 (19:55):
Peace When did the Lakers get nice stuff? That's all
I want to know. When could we get some nice
stuff too? We ain't got none nice as when Anthony
the last stuff.

Speaker 6 (20:13):
If we got the NBA gods said, y'all, y'all good
for the next decade plus.

Speaker 3 (20:19):
I feel about it.

Speaker 4 (20:21):
And I mean, we did win a championship in relatively
recent memory.

Speaker 5 (20:25):
We did, we did.

Speaker 4 (20:26):
We didn't go to the Western cons and relatively recent memory.

Speaker 1 (20:30):
Literally you know.

Speaker 3 (20:34):
Your team can actually still be successful and it not
be good enough.

Speaker 6 (20:38):
Yeah, that's that's that's the tag we wear. It's crazy.
Any almost any other team in the league, this would
be a huge success story if they were able to
accomplish with the Lakers accomplished in the last seven years
Lebron has been there. Any other team, it'd be rounds
of applause, cheer, praise. But because of the Lakers championship
or it was like.

Speaker 3 (20:58):
It was like, Brian, do you have any thing to prove?

Speaker 4 (21:00):
He like, nah, They're like, oh my god, come on,
what you just here to make movies again?

Speaker 3 (21:06):
Come this thing had just won a championship and they
went to the Western Conference finals two years ago.

Speaker 5 (21:11):
With Darvin ham As that coach Darvin ham is that
coach went to be thinking.

Speaker 4 (21:17):
I really be thinking, like, bro, what the hell do
y'all want from these people?

Speaker 6 (21:23):
I don't know, I'll be thinking of the same thing.
I forgot what the spread was even for that Western
Conference finals. I think it's way like like thirteen points
or something was like the total like different point differential
in the spate. So again it was again into sweep.
I get it, but it was a close ass sweep.
That's what I'm saying. We were literally right there two

(21:43):
seasons ago, and again we just ran into the buzz
off of Denver last year, have we not? Who knows
what could happen? Like I said, I mean, but Dever's
not looking so strong this year. They lost a k
C three and they got Russell Westbrook to kiss of death.

Speaker 5 (21:56):
I know it's your boy, Jody.

Speaker 3 (21:57):
But that's how good it's all good. Just let me
know for a fact they're not winning this year, so
I don't actually got.

Speaker 6 (22:02):
To Yeah, that's I feel so hey. I think that
Denver will still be good, but they don't scare me
no more. I'm not moved. They lost Bruce Brown and KCP.
They're their team is slowly dwindling.

Speaker 2 (22:16):
So yeah, that was kind of nasty. I think that's
salary cap induced. But they losing KK k c P
as somebody who's lost k CP in the past, how
that feels it?

Speaker 1 (22:28):
Don't feel great?

Speaker 5 (22:29):
He is not replaceable like that.

Speaker 2 (22:34):
Case said, Yeah, this is the first time I've been
on the team where everybody wants to play defense about Imagine.

Speaker 3 (22:40):
I can't wait to say that to a Nuggets fan
this year.

Speaker 4 (22:42):
Oh, I cannot wait to say speaking of someone who's
lost KCP before I'll tell you that does not go well.

Speaker 2 (22:47):
Yeah, well it's not fun. Fortunately not fun KCP. And
then Caruso.

Speaker 4 (22:57):
Yeah, see, they voted Caruso the second best perimeter to
dur in the NBA.

Speaker 3 (23:04):
I got a lot of thoughts, but and the fucking
Thunder picked him up.

Speaker 5 (23:07):
I'm so what They didn't even have to give a
first round pick, did they? Or wasn't just the first
round pick?

Speaker 3 (23:13):
We didn't even talk about it. The Thunder got Hardenstein
and k and.

Speaker 1 (23:19):
Oh yeah, I mean were.

Speaker 5 (23:21):
Huge without giving up a first round pick for either
one of those.

Speaker 6 (23:23):
The guys who have a war chest of picks, nobody
took him and gave him two great players.

Speaker 3 (23:28):
Hardenstein parlay Protector.

Speaker 5 (23:30):
Yeah, he's as.

Speaker 1 (23:33):
We need to. We need to put that up as
a graphic.

Speaker 4 (23:39):
Or like happening every time we say somebody's name and
put them in the parlay Protector tally side and then
the parlor destroyer, we don't think of another another name
instead of Placau parlay Protector kind of said.

Speaker 1 (23:51):
Right, it goes right, it would be right in the
middle of it.

Speaker 4 (23:54):
And then everything, like every time we say a player's name,
it should just come with an A.

Speaker 5 (23:59):
Right, Yeah, don't bet on that guy.

Speaker 2 (24:02):
He not pushing p He not pushing Parlakes.

Speaker 4 (24:08):
That's the type of shit that's gonna push us to
the next level, because that's what that's and you know what.

Speaker 5 (24:13):
I mean, Yeah like that, I actually really like that.
We're gonna have to do that for real.

Speaker 1 (24:20):
All right, fellas so show.

Speaker 4 (24:22):
Oh yeah, we got to jump back in here because
I got I got kids, I got hair appointments and
haircuts here shortly.

Speaker 6 (24:29):
I got.

Speaker 1 (24:31):
Gotcha.

Speaker 2 (24:31):
Let's get into it, all right, yep, all right, welcome
back Leno Lake Show season preview episode.

Speaker 1 (24:39):
Actually, I forgot to do my whole time stamps type thing.
We come to you guys.

Speaker 2 (24:43):
On Friday, October eleventh year of our lower twenty twenty four,
the Lakers have what was that?

Speaker 1 (24:50):
They just beat the Bucks last night?

Speaker 2 (24:55):
Lebron played eighty played, Max Christy got the start. I
was that was good?

Speaker 5 (25:02):
Right?

Speaker 1 (25:03):
Yeah?

Speaker 5 (25:03):
We like that.

Speaker 1 (25:05):
Reeves did not play? What was that?

Speaker 2 (25:06):
An ankle injury? He's a little soreness of the ankle.
None too crazy. Christian dior Wood did not play. He's
dealing with what what ribs? Back, head, shoulders, knees and toes.
Christian Wood's not ready dealing with life like Jared Vanderbilt
is not ready with my different both feet are bad

(25:29):
and as as somebody who has issues with their feet
now all of a sudden, I get it. But like damn, bro,
we got maybe what thirty healthy games out of him
before the wheels started getting a little shake since that
alternative started making noise at that transmission started to stall out.
Chase get healthy, bro, I mean, you had the whole summer,
but you know it is what it is, is what

(25:50):
it is.

Speaker 1 (25:51):
You run your own race.

Speaker 2 (25:53):
But nonetheless, the Los Angeles Lakers are well into their
preseason in the NBA season and is right around the corner.
We have a brand new head coach to talk about,
to praise, to probably break down and start criticizing at
some point.

Speaker 1 (26:10):
But he's fresh, he's new. We just drove him off
the lot, JJ Reddick. Everybody he is uh.

Speaker 2 (26:16):
We said at the beginning of the show, he does
not have a whole bunch of coaching experience, but.

Speaker 1 (26:21):
What he does have is a tenacity for the game.
And you can see it.

Speaker 2 (26:26):
You can definitely see it. You can see it, and
when he was doing his podcast with Lebron you could
see it in just these interviews and how he talks
about the game. And I'm not gonna lie. I am
scarred from previous Lakers head coaches, coach swine and a
little bit of Frankie smokes, right, but Frankie smokes got
us a championship, So I can't even put him in
the coach swine And even like Luke Walton, right while

(26:50):
I was excited about what we're getting brand new ooh
hasn't been a head coach before, here we go what
we got.

Speaker 1 (26:55):
And it's like, damn, you don't know what the fuck's
going on.

Speaker 3 (27:00):
I don't kind of feel.

Speaker 1 (27:01):
That way right now with JJ.

Speaker 2 (27:03):
I think it's cautious optimism, but fellas, what do our thoughts?
What our initial thoughts was the three preseason games in
the books with JJ Reddick, how are we feeling on
our confidence scale with him?

Speaker 1 (27:16):
Jody will kick it with you?

Speaker 3 (27:21):
Well with JJ is kind of funny. It reminds me
of some of my Grandma used to say to me
when I was a kid, and I used to say
I felt about something or somebody, and my Grandma would always.

Speaker 4 (27:31):
Say keep living. And I would never understand what she
meant by that.

Speaker 3 (27:36):
She would just say keep.

Speaker 4 (27:37):
Laving Jody, or she would call me baby Jody. And
it's so funny JJ Reddick being the head coach of
my favorite basketball team, because I remember.

Speaker 3 (27:49):
A time when I hated these niggas. Fact, there was
a time when I saw, to God, if I see
JJ Reddick, I might have swung on that nigga. That's
how much I hated though. And that's what I hated
it because.

Speaker 4 (28:01):
I hated Duke just the early remember to those early
show college basketball, and JJ Reddick was one of those
guys that was so good.

Speaker 3 (28:12):
You hated him.

Speaker 4 (28:14):
And it's just so funny now that he's on a
coach on a team that I that I like, and I'm.

Speaker 3 (28:19):
I I like JJ.

Speaker 4 (28:21):
Now all of these years later, it's funny I had
to keep living to realize I actually didn't hate this guy,
but actually I think I think JJ can be good.

Speaker 3 (28:31):
Look, darvinham got forty seven wins out of the.

Speaker 4 (28:34):
Year last year, which is virtually the same roster, says
uh Dalton connect who I'm.

Speaker 3 (28:40):
Assuming is going to be in the rotation this year.

Speaker 4 (28:46):
So if Darbenhamton get forty seven wins, I just a
part of me doesn't want to have any expectations because
I don't want to.

Speaker 3 (28:52):
Be let down.

Speaker 4 (28:54):
But the way that JJ carries himself as far as
how he speaks about the game, how he explains the game,
and how he tries to break it down, and the
reason that we have an idea of what this would
be like because one of our very own happen to
have a podcast with this guy, so we do have
an idea of how he at least.

Speaker 3 (29:14):
Thinks about situational basketball.

Speaker 4 (29:17):
And that was my biggest break with Darvin Ham is
that I felt like he it was oblivious when it
came to situational basketball, knowing when to call timeout, knowing
when to draw in out of time out plays, knowing
when to get your guys involved so that they don't
drift out.

Speaker 3 (29:35):
Of the game.

Speaker 4 (29:36):
With Darvin, we'll have a twenty two point first half
with a D and he'll fucking run it in the
game with five points.

Speaker 3 (29:43):
Right, And so I'm just hoping that.

Speaker 4 (29:48):
JJ can affect the game in those areas and I'm
hoping that that manifests itself and that's winning more games
on the.

Speaker 3 (29:57):
Margins, yep.

Speaker 4 (29:58):
And if that's the we should be able to get
to be outside of the fucking play to where we're
not getting to game seventy nine, Game eighty, game eighty
one one and we're talking about man if if the
thunder rest of their players against the fucking Warriors.

Speaker 3 (30:18):
Who need to win this. Yeah.

Speaker 1 (30:20):
Right, that that's what I'm hoping.

Speaker 4 (30:24):
That's that's that's that's that's what I'm hoping. So that
that's where I'm at.

Speaker 3 (30:29):
It could go either way. It's how I look.

Speaker 1 (30:30):
At Okay, I think you work.

Speaker 2 (30:35):
You work through all your emotions, which I'm proud of
that that's big, especially in our community, fellas. You gotta
be able to and say how you felt and how
you've grown from it. So it does seem like that
you are optimistic about JJ, but obviously a little scorn
by not just the past personally with him, but just
that these new head coaches might not bey on ship

(30:57):
when they get into the saddle, right.

Speaker 5 (31:02):
I'm being honest. I'm in love with Jody on this man.

Speaker 6 (31:05):
I think we the team performed pretty well under under
the not so steady hand of Darvin ham. We lost
so many games on the margins, Like Jody said, so
many games we lost by little mistakes here and.

Speaker 5 (31:20):
There and again.

Speaker 6 (31:22):
If JJ can simply clean that up and again, you
compound that with health issues, roster, all types of things
that we dealt, and we still made out like bandits
a couple of times, Like just just two seasons ago,
the Lakers were in the Western Conference finals at Darvin
Haam's rookie season, despite all his shortcomings, they made it
that far. The team's got the talent, so I think

(31:43):
I think we got I think we got what we need,
So I'll be honest. JJ gives me a lot of optimism.
I think our assistant coaching staff is stellar as well.
I think there's a nice group of a nice bit
of checks and bounces here, so I don't think. JJ
also gives me a bit of a that sense.

Speaker 5 (31:57):
That he's very aware. He's no aware coach. He's aware
of what's happening.

Speaker 6 (32:01):
He's aware the narratives online, He's aware of what the
media tried spin.

Speaker 5 (32:04):
He's very aware.

Speaker 6 (32:05):
I feel like Darvin, whether he was aware or not,
chose to act like he wasn't aware and chose to
stain his ways. And I like that JJ's willing to
seems like he's willing to move that around, and like
I said, I think that that could really benefit this team. Again,
as much as Darvin am was, you know, trying his best,
a saying go hard on them dudes, doesn't work too
well in the huddle with a bunch of grown men

(32:25):
trying to win the basketball game. I'll be honest with you.
It's not moving the needle and.

Speaker 4 (32:31):
One thing Like Darnham, this was the epitome of Darvinham.
I think it was Game three against the Nuggets last year.
We're in control of the game, we're up like eight,
we were up thirteen. I think it goes to eight

(32:51):
and we should have called a timeout. He doesn't call
a time out. I think we end up being up
by like maybe four, or we end up being he
calls the time out when we're like when he should
have called one, when we were like.

Speaker 3 (33:02):
Up thirteen they cut it to eight.

Speaker 4 (33:04):
Then he should have caught a time out right there,
and they didn't call it until we're in the middle
of the fucking bus off.

Speaker 3 (33:10):
They were already down. And at that point, that was
all she wrote.

Speaker 4 (33:15):
And that's what I need, yeah, from JJ, to be
able to know Darvin had a terrible feel for the game,
a terrible feel for the game as a coach. And
you would think the type of player that Darvin was,
being a role player.

Speaker 3 (33:35):
Six seventh eighth man type, he would have.

Speaker 4 (33:38):
A field for the game because for the vast majority
of his career he was probably watching a good majority
of what was going on on the game, you know
what I'm saying. So it's just it was just stick.
But with JJ, maybe him being on Doc Rivers teams
and blowing those leads so much is gonna work out

(34:00):
in our favor because he knows what it looks like
when the ship is going.

Speaker 3 (34:04):
Off the fucking rails. Maybe this is wishful thinking.

Speaker 4 (34:13):
Maybe I'm I've been so scarred that I can only
only hope for the absolute best and just be delusional.
But I just don't know. I I pray that JJ
is not the type of coach that will come this
close to squandering seventy plus games of Anthony Davis.

Speaker 3 (34:32):
And Lebron James.

Speaker 1 (34:35):
We got us definitely on the fuck around town time
for a lot of.

Speaker 3 (34:40):
Last year.

Speaker 1 (34:41):
Yeap, Yeah, can you thinking of if we only get.

Speaker 2 (34:47):
N Yeah, I would hate Darvin even more. But we
are on and I don't think any of us have
talked about it. We're on borrow time. We did on
borrow time with this man. Like it's forty this season,
nobody doing this. Nobody is doing this all right, eventually, right,
this won't look like this.

Speaker 1 (35:07):
We are grateful for every.

Speaker 2 (35:09):
Game, every quarter, every minute, every highlight that it looks
like this because we know this is not gonna last forever. Okay,
you know, I guess that makes sense to talk about
Lebron what we expect from him. This year looked like
the best player on the on the floor for the
Olympic team. He won the Olympic V So you know,

(35:33):
I think he still looks like on a one game basis,
the best player in the world.

Speaker 4 (35:41):
Man.

Speaker 3 (35:41):
It was it was it was.

Speaker 4 (35:42):
It was a game that mattered more than anything, and
it was Lebron that was guarding.

Speaker 5 (35:48):
Yok, yeah, yeah that's it.

Speaker 3 (35:52):
What's it, man? Say whatever you want. That's what the
truth was.

Speaker 6 (35:55):
Yeah, I'm I'm at a point where Lebron, right, like,
what what's his career?

Speaker 1 (36:05):
Right? Like a twenty six he'll probably be down.

Speaker 6 (36:09):
To twenty seven five or twenty six was twenty seven eighty,
it's like his average.

Speaker 2 (36:16):
Eighty six, Like Lebron will sleep and get you twenty
five and five. Lebron will Lebron will retire a twenty
five and five player at the very least. I don't
he'll I don't. He'll never not have that as a

(36:38):
as his floor. So what are my expectations out of
Lebron James in year twenty one.

Speaker 5 (36:45):
Twenty two, twenty two, twenty two. I think I tied
for most seasons on time.

Speaker 1 (36:53):
You know, so what if I but am I crazy?

Speaker 2 (36:56):
Say hey give me twenty five seven and four, twenty
five seven and five at all?

Speaker 1 (37:03):
Man?

Speaker 4 (37:03):
I just you know, I met with Lebron's numbers. I'm
to the point where they are what they are. I
just won't. I just need I just need the health.
I just need the health, man, and and.

Speaker 1 (37:14):
And that's it.

Speaker 3 (37:15):
Because we've seen the fifty point Lebron Laker games.

Speaker 4 (37:20):
We've seen the forty point Lebron Laker games. We got
the thirty ones.

Speaker 3 (37:24):
We've seen the games when he even made eight three,
like they're damn there nothing that he hasn't done in
the Laker uniform. I just want the health, and I
just want one. I just want one more playoff run.
Can I just get one more playoff run with competent coaching?

Speaker 5 (37:42):
Yeah?

Speaker 3 (37:44):
And I don't know. That still might be a lot
to ask.

Speaker 4 (37:46):
We might get to the season and it might just
be like we've seen it.

Speaker 3 (37:51):
This is the year that it happened.

Speaker 4 (37:53):
It's very possible that that could happen, you know what
I mean?

Speaker 5 (37:57):
And I don't know.

Speaker 6 (38:01):
Man, When I think about Lebron, man, it's like, this
guy is insane, bro. Like what I saw in the
Olympics was insane, Like the highest level of competition on
a floor full of superstars, he was still shining so bright,
so bright, man, Like, it's crazy. And he said it himself,

(38:22):
like to be able to play meaningful basketball, he still
got it in him. He knows he can deliver on
a meaningful stage when these games.

Speaker 5 (38:29):
When it's time. So all that did was get me excited.

Speaker 3 (38:32):
Man.

Speaker 6 (38:32):
Again, he's playing with his son now too. The motivation
gotta be through the roof, bro, Like I.

Speaker 5 (38:37):
Think, get it.

Speaker 6 (38:38):
The situations are right, man, this this team man, and again,
it's gonna go speeding Lebron's speed of ad. So health,
at the end of the day is what's most sumportant
because when those boys are on the floor, they're gonna
show up and show out. So all we need is health,
some competent coaching in the margins, and to be honest,
I think I think this guy's the limit for this team.

Speaker 2 (38:56):
And to step up.

Speaker 1 (39:00):
Yes, yes, you know.

Speaker 6 (39:02):
When I really think of our two stars, man, there's
not a lot that I can say next to Anthony Davis.
You know again, even in the Olympics was looking like
the best player on offensive defensive times. Like, the impact
he has defensively is insane, especially when you allow him
to roam a little bit. We saw that when he
played shared the court with Bam.

Speaker 5 (39:18):
It was crazy.

Speaker 6 (39:20):
Come on, man, Like I said, we can get any
resemblance of that on the Lakers. It's it's up, like
that's that's what gets me really excited about this team.
The Lakers are probably one of the teams that we
have such a high ceiling but such a low floor
at the same time. So it's like, you know, it
could go either way, and it's really just kind of
goes on the crux of health and the role players
decide and they want to come in and play today. So,

(39:42):
like I said, I think our two stars are gonna
be really really good this season.

Speaker 5 (39:45):
I'm excited for it.

Speaker 6 (39:46):
Like I said, I feel like Lebron's got a new
breath in him coming off the heels of the Olympics
and now playing with Broni next to him, motivation ain't
gonna be a problem.

Speaker 3 (39:54):
That is a very good point that you said.

Speaker 4 (39:59):
The point for Brian and Ad to get that taste
of meaningful basketball, Yeah, and then for Brianni being on
the Lakers, Like it was a lot made of the
Lakers drafting Briani with a fifty fifth pick, and I'm
not I'm not saying this to even discuss Brianni. I'm
saying if drafting him is gonna make your best or

(40:21):
second best player on the team that much more motivated.

Speaker 3 (40:26):
What does it really cost you at the end of
the day.

Speaker 1 (40:28):
Exactly, Well, I'm over. I'm over the whole.

Speaker 2 (40:33):
Like they folks act like Brini was drafted twelfth exactly,
the fifty fifth pick. I'll give anybody any amount of
money if they can name me five fifty fifth picks
in NBA.

Speaker 3 (40:44):
Just give me five.

Speaker 6 (40:46):
I'm like your two up ones, give me two other ones.
Like people aren't going to on the top of the head.

Speaker 4 (40:52):
If that's all it's gonna take to get this nigga
who's Lebron's basketball career is old enough to drink liquor.

Speaker 1 (40:58):
Like, if we like, that's crazy, that's fuck, that is crazy.

Speaker 3 (41:03):
If that's all take to get this old ass nigga
to be locked in, if we can get another.

Speaker 4 (41:08):
Seventy games out of him, give Bronnie a fucking forty
year contract, give him ten million dollars.

Speaker 2 (41:13):
That's what well sit absolutely, especially because it's playing at
this level. It's not like we got the wheels fell
off Lebron and he's trying to get his son to
play with him. No, all right, and just so everyone
knows this, how is gonna go Game one of the
NBA season at some point, probably in the first half,

(41:33):
maybe in.

Speaker 1 (41:33):
The second half. I's going to get onto the court.

Speaker 2 (41:36):
He's gonna play a shift of basketball, Bronni's going to
be off of the court, and then Briani's probably gonna
go down to the G League at okay, And that's okay,
that's okay, guys. Hey, And you know what if those
end up being a negative thirty nine shift, Okay, you
know what if the season was lost right there, we

(41:58):
was fucked from the starting.

Speaker 3 (42:01):
I'm gonna just say this.

Speaker 4 (42:02):
I've seen the Lakers be asked without Brownie James, So.

Speaker 1 (42:05):
What the fuck does it matter?

Speaker 3 (42:08):
Is like, I'm so fucking like that ship. You know,
it's funny.

Speaker 4 (42:13):
It's funny because the Steelers are going through a very
somewhat similar situation with some players in one of our
position groups, and they talking.

Speaker 3 (42:22):
About we shouldn't do this, we shouldn't do that. I'm like,
the team is asked with this nigga, So what the
does it matter if he's there or not there?

Speaker 4 (42:30):
Like, I don't, bro We've seen the niggas get destroyed
with Lebron and.

Speaker 3 (42:34):
A D on the floor.

Speaker 1 (42:37):
I've seen.

Speaker 3 (42:39):
Like we've seen.

Speaker 4 (42:40):
Robert Soakra on the fucking Lakers. My nigga, what the
fuck does it matter? And I'm not trying to throw
a shot at that man, he's an NBA player.

Speaker 3 (42:46):
I want to be clear, but I'm saying, what are
we talking?

Speaker 6 (42:50):
Yeah, Brownie James, the conversation, the discourse is just nasty,
to be honest.

Speaker 4 (42:55):
But outside of that, though, I do I do just
want to say, I do believe the Lakers are gonna still.

Speaker 3 (43:02):
Be a playoff team this year no matter what.

Speaker 4 (43:04):
I just I'm just hoping we get out of the
play That's just that's.

Speaker 5 (43:08):
Yeah, still a playing team.

Speaker 3 (43:09):
I agree.

Speaker 1 (43:10):
Well, let's get into predictions, fellas. Let's do it.

Speaker 2 (43:14):
So the Los Angeles Lakers are coming off the season
where they were the seventh seed.

Speaker 1 (43:19):
I think this was where two playing tournaments in a.

Speaker 2 (43:22):
Row that they successfully made it to the playoffs, two
seasons in a row where they faced the dev Nuggets
in the first round, two seasons in a row where
they no not two seasons row where they were bounced
by the Nuggets first round.

Speaker 6 (43:34):
Is it no, no Nuggets twice? But it was Western
Conference Conference.

Speaker 1 (43:40):
Run that uh two years ago a Memphis.

Speaker 6 (43:45):
Memphis that ended the Warriors dynastas and ended the Warriors.

Speaker 1 (43:50):
Yep. So we're we're looking.

Speaker 2 (43:53):
For some non non playing tournament basketball this season, fellas.
So that's kind of where I want to start here
with Lakers predictions. Really, whatever gets us out of the
playing I'm going to feel a lot better about the
outcome of this season. All things considered. You got JJ
coming in as a rookie head coach. If the floor

(44:13):
was the seventh seed with coach pockets, you got it.
At least get up out of there and be a
sixth seed to fifth seed, to four seed. To be honest,
I'd like to see a top four seed.

Speaker 1 (44:24):
Again.

Speaker 2 (44:24):
I don't think we've seen that since what twenty one,
right when we lost to Phoenix.

Speaker 5 (44:31):
Yeah, yeah, we dropped it.

Speaker 6 (44:32):
We dropped when we got hurt, when Bron got hurt,
and dropped all the way into the playing.

Speaker 4 (44:36):
Again, right, so oh yeah, because that was the year
Brian hit them threes on the Warriors.

Speaker 5 (44:43):
Yeah we said he saw three rims.

Speaker 1 (44:44):
Yeah yeah, yeah, first that's true.

Speaker 2 (44:47):
Right, So that was the first plan, You're right, So,
I mean even before that. So we're at a point
now where I guess if you're looking at it by
the original NBA standings and how playoff seedings are done.
Bakers have made the playoffs clean, right since? What completely
missing yet?

Speaker 4 (45:05):
Nah?

Speaker 1 (45:06):
But they haven't missed it since twenty twenty have they?

Speaker 3 (45:09):
Yeah?

Speaker 5 (45:09):
Missed it one time? Brush's first year.

Speaker 4 (45:12):
We missed it in twenty twenty three. Okay, we missed
it in eighteen and twenty two. Yeah, twenty and twenty
twenty three was Western Conference finals year, twenty three, twenty
four was first round year, first.

Speaker 5 (45:27):
Round last year. Yep, yep, yeah, we only missed it
one time.

Speaker 1 (45:31):
All right, let me recook.

Speaker 4 (45:34):
Hey, I wanted to say one thing that I thought
about it. There is a scenario where the Lakers are
in the playing again this year, but they're a significantly
better team. And the reason I say that is because
you got Okay, see, you got Denver, you got uh
who else?

Speaker 2 (45:53):
Minnesota? Minnesota, Denver? Okay, see saying I'm not saying that Clippers. No, Yeah,
obviously the MAVs.

Speaker 6 (46:04):
Yeah, Grizzlies might be back, but I don't know about them. Yeah,
that's the one team that comes back.

Speaker 3 (46:11):
It's very possible.

Speaker 4 (46:13):
I don't remember what what was that like twenty fourteen
or twenty fifteen when it was like all eight teams
in the Western Conference had fifty plus wins.

Speaker 3 (46:21):
Was it earlier than that.

Speaker 2 (46:23):
It was earlier than that. Yeah, where everybody was cold.
It was one of the Kobe years.

Speaker 4 (46:28):
So I do think it is there is a scenario
where we fucking around and end up in the playout,
in the play in, but not because we're like just
a bad team, but because it's so like the Grizzlies
are gonna be back, They're gonna take a spot in
the year, and they didn't take a spot last.

Speaker 3 (46:44):
Year, you know what I mean.

Speaker 4 (46:48):
So you got those five right there. If you add
in the Lakers and then you got Houston, might be better,
might be.

Speaker 7 (46:54):
Playing playing around that play in area. The Warriors are
probably gonna be around that area. It could get really
really I think so.

Speaker 2 (47:06):
Because we had I with you on Houston, I'm with
you on Houston. We haven't even mentioned the Suns. So yeah,
that's true.

Speaker 4 (47:15):
It's it's gonna like I'm telling you, I guarantee you.
I can see a scenario where we're there, and the
way that the media play up same old Lakers when
in reality, it just is a fucking stacked.

Speaker 2 (47:26):
Weast, like four seeds are separated by two games type bye.

Speaker 1 (47:31):
Yeah, that's true. I'd like to be at the top
of that.

Speaker 2 (47:33):
I'd like to actually prove out to be the team
that actually gets that.

Speaker 1 (47:38):
But I'm with you, definitely possible. What's that you go on?

Speaker 6 (47:41):
Uh? Yeah, I think the Lakers get I think they
definitely could finish as the top six seed. I mean
to be honest, this is this is my top six,
no necessarily particular order. I got OKC, the Timberwolves, the MAVs.
I think the Grizzlies can come back, provided John's health.
I think they could come back. Denver and the Lakers.
That's my that's my top six, no particular order. My
player teams. I got the Sons, the Pelicans, the Kings,

(48:04):
and I don't know between the Rockets and the Clippers.

Speaker 5 (48:06):
I might go Clippers. But that's that. That was a
tough one. That's a tough one.

Speaker 3 (48:10):
I didn't even mention the Kings.

Speaker 6 (48:12):
Yeah, the King the Kings to be I think it's
they're they're decent team, but I don't know if they're
they're one of their conference busters.

Speaker 5 (48:18):
I got them in the playe.

Speaker 4 (48:19):
The Kings got better. We didn't when we were talking
about But damar, I I.

Speaker 5 (48:28):
Have a hard time believing in that team. I don't
know why.

Speaker 1 (48:30):
I just I really never wants boys.

Speaker 2 (48:32):
I need a running list of Kwame's boys, Kwaime's favorite
players around.

Speaker 5 (48:36):
I don't believe it.

Speaker 2 (48:37):
Yes, yeah, no, but I'm gonna I'm gonna keep flipping
it every time the Kwame believers figure out a fan
group just niggas. Kwame just would rather never see play
basketball again.

Speaker 6 (48:49):
So the bottom five I kind of close out. I
got again either Rockets or Clippers. I got the Warriors, Jazz, Spurs,
and Blazers to round it out. So that kind of
what I'm looking at in terms of my conference. Again,
no necessarily particular order, but those are the teams I
feel are the best. I feel the Warriors have a
huge drop off. I feel like their team is going
to stink. Yeah, I don't know. I think the Pelicans

(49:12):
are kind of middling that.

Speaker 5 (49:13):
I know.

Speaker 6 (49:13):
They added to Jontay Murray, but that still doesn't scare me.
Until Zion decides he really really wants to play basketball,
They're not gonna strike fear in my heart.

Speaker 5 (49:23):
The West of stack Man, the West is tough the
West is tough.

Speaker 6 (49:26):
It's gonna be an interesting year for sure, like you said,
But yeah, I think I think the standout teams for
sure that top six. I don't know a lot of
a lot of movements happened there. Like I said, I
think somebody can fill in that Grizzly slot. But I think, OK, see, Timberwolves,
Navs in Denver are are guaranteed top four seeds and
then the last two. It's kind of a toss up,
i'd say, between Lakers Suns and I gotta go Grizzlies.

Speaker 1 (49:50):
I guess I'm mad at them. I'm not mad at them.
I am with Jody on the rocket.

Speaker 2 (49:55):
So I do think they should take another step forward
Jalen Green to figure us figure this out? Buddy, Are
you one of the ones? Or you just really athletic
and like jumping.

Speaker 5 (50:05):
And I forgot. They got a shepherd to he he
might be one of them.

Speaker 2 (50:09):
They got some poppers over there, man, They got a
couple of young you know Segoon, he's another one that
proved to.

Speaker 1 (50:14):
Be one of them, right.

Speaker 5 (50:17):
They got a nice little young whip development there.

Speaker 2 (50:22):
Yep, Hey, I just need this now, mind y'all. This
is the first full off season that they had coaches
been down in Houston. Okay, I just need him to
chill out. I don't know what he's I don't know
if he's perused the gentleman's clubs down there. Control control
the horny lesson level. My brother, it seems like you

(50:42):
have an up and coming young team. Please, for the
love of God, you're already ruined one.

Speaker 4 (50:47):
He would never get another chance like the one he
got right now after.

Speaker 1 (50:53):
Bros. Just fucking against.

Speaker 6 (50:56):
There's no there's no easy games in the West. Beyond
with you, the West, no easy games.

Speaker 5 (51:01):
Maybe the Blazers is probably the only easy night.

Speaker 6 (51:03):
But even like the Jazz and Spurs like they're they're not,
they're not slouches like they'll they'll give it to you too.

Speaker 5 (51:09):
So yeah, we'st got no easy nights.

Speaker 4 (51:11):
The Blazers have a big team, they have an athletic team,
they have young guys that are like trying to prove
themselves like they're not.

Speaker 3 (51:18):
There are no pushovers, no pushovers in the West. It's
gonna be fun, It's it's gonna be interesting.

Speaker 4 (51:24):
I'm definitely definitely looking forward to seeing how it all
shakes out.

Speaker 3 (51:30):
But we cannot have a little like we did in
the middle of the year with Darbingham last year after.

Speaker 5 (51:37):
The the n season tournament.

Speaker 3 (51:40):
If we do that, it's it's.

Speaker 4 (51:41):
It's Kurtis, Rap City, man, It's Curtis. Because these young kids,
they they ready to take over.

Speaker 5 (51:46):
Yeah, the next gen ready to take over the league.
So the old guys want to get it.

Speaker 6 (51:51):
They can't. They can't let up. So it'll be a
fun year for sure. But yeah, we got to make
sure the Lakers they got to hit it out the
gate and they got to keep momentum. You drop too
many games in a row, you're really going to be
on the outside looking at this Western Conference.

Speaker 4 (52:03):
Yes, but I'm not gonna I gotta get out of here, man.
Y'all boys, be good until the next time. All right,
all right, all right, we'll catch out next time.

Speaker 7 (52:11):
Mane.

Speaker 1 (52:14):
That was Jody.

Speaker 2 (52:15):
I know, Joe, you got to pick up his football
team of children over there in the in the stretch, hummer.

Speaker 1 (52:20):
I mean, at this point, bro, he just need to
go ahead and purchase the Limo.

Speaker 2 (52:24):
Yeah, got like just make that the weekend side hustle, right,
So that work out, bro?

Speaker 1 (52:32):
Did you see the elonomobiles?

Speaker 2 (52:33):
Yeah, he's that van I thought was a lot smaller
than I saw ninety people off that bitch and I'm like, uh, like, okay, clearly,
I'm just looking at the wrong angle on this thing.
It was like a double decker bus looking contraption following out.
I don't know, Man, he's definitely off.

Speaker 1 (52:56):
He's definitely off.

Speaker 2 (52:57):
But I do appreciate him trying it with vehicles and transportation.
So before we get out of here, Man, who you
got coming out the west? Who you got coming out
the east?

Speaker 5 (53:07):
This is tough.

Speaker 6 (53:08):
I really I really struggle with this one. And I'm
gonna sound like a Homer, but I feel like you
get the Lakers in the playoffs, I don't know who
really beats them, Like when I really think like the
top teams, Okay, see, I still think they're a little

(53:28):
too young. I know they did get significantly better. Lebron
just does just destroys young, small teams. And okay, sees
one of those teams, the Timberwolves, losing cat. I think
that hurts him a little bit. I think it hurts
him a little bit. Julius is not a bad player
by any stretch of the imagination, but he's not the
same stretch, so I'd be curious to see how they're

(53:48):
how the floor plays out for them, And I think
obviously they're just fool. I mean they've they already did,
but they're just really handed the whole franchise over to
An Edwards. So we'll see if you can really come
a lot. I think the MAVs are gonna be just
as good as they actually. I don't see them really
taking a dip. I don't think Clay adds a ton,
but I also don't think he takes anything away.

Speaker 5 (54:07):
But that's all.

Speaker 6 (54:08):
That's probably a team that I see being tough. I
don't think the Grizzlies can beat us. Honestly, Denver doesn't
scare me as much anymore. We're gonna to see how
it plays out when the season starts. But to be honest,
by Western Conference finals, I had Lakers MAVs, To be
completely honest with you, I think that's how it gets.
I think we just need to avoid the buzz saw
of Denver, if by chance that's that's any possibility. I

(54:29):
don't see another team in the West that I think
could beat us. I felt that way last year, I
felt that way the year before that. In the playoffs.
I don't see a lot of teams taking these guys
out four games in the row.

Speaker 5 (54:39):
I think Denver.

Speaker 6 (54:40):
Denver had the mental edge for sure, but they've lost
a couple of key players that I don't know keeps
them propped up the way they were. And again, remember
every game we played last year with them was extremely close.
So I think a few things shift. We have a
better coach now. I think we have another year cohesion
with our roster. I feel good about it. Then we
go over to the East, I think the that's easy.

(55:00):
I think it's Celtics Knicks, provided you know that's the
way the bracket breaks out.

Speaker 5 (55:04):
I think those are easily the best two teams in
the East.

Speaker 6 (55:06):
As much as I hate to see the Jolly Green
Giants be good, they are and they kept their team
exactly the same. They didn't lose a soul, which is insane.
You know, you have a championship team and you basically
brought the entire team back for singles. Didn't even play
in the finals. Bro I think he played like what
like a game and a half, like he wasn't really
playing in the finals, and they easily won that joint.

Speaker 5 (55:26):
In my humble opinion. He's gonna come back again.

Speaker 6 (55:28):
We don't know about We have question marks about his health,
but until proven otherwise, I don't see why they don't.

Speaker 5 (55:33):
They're not the champions of the East. But I think
the Knicks really give him a run for their money.

Speaker 6 (55:38):
It'll depend on how much the Knicks can can you know,
kind of gel together. And I'll be honest, I am
not a Thibodeau believer in the playoffs, man. I feel
like he's a poor adjuster. We've seen his teams rock
out in the regular season and then flair out in
the playoffs because for some reason he doesn't make an adjustments.
He comes from the school of Doc Rivers, after all,
we remember, gotta remember that he comes from the school

(55:59):
of Doc Rivers and what is doc It was not
due make no damn adjustments. So it makes me a
little nervous with Thibodeau running that team, especially in the
playoff setting. But we saw last year he made something
up nothing with Brunton in themselves. I got I got it.
I don't know, I don't know. It's tough, but those
are my top four from both conferences.

Speaker 1 (56:15):
Yeah, I'm I'm I'm with you.

Speaker 2 (56:16):
On the east side, right, and now I have to
turn into a secondary Knicks fan in that situation in
the Celtics Nicks that that is non negotiaal Right, now
I'm gonna have to figure out my bodega nicknames and
whatever they need to do.

Speaker 1 (56:30):
I'll be Dominican Ricky.

Speaker 2 (56:31):
I don't know, I do not care, right, Puerto Rican
Ricky whatever.

Speaker 1 (56:35):
I got a couple of I tried down.

Speaker 2 (56:37):
Some fathletics, uh like work leisure.

Speaker 1 (56:40):
Pants, bro, and it was fine in the waist, bro.
It was just the thighs.

Speaker 2 (56:44):
I'm like, wait a second, now, this is this is
a little form fitting. I was a little uncomfortable. I
was a little uncomfortable. I'm not gonna lie to y'all,
but yeah, that's what I need to do to blend
in over there in the boroughs.

Speaker 1 (56:55):
I'll definitely do that.

Speaker 2 (56:56):
Paul, get you a Nike texting too, tech I do.
I do, And I have to wear it a few times,
that is for sure. Can't be Randow, It's got.

Speaker 5 (57:05):
To be right right.

Speaker 1 (57:10):
So yeah, so I'm with you, man, I'm gonna I'm.

Speaker 2 (57:13):
Gonna pick the next. I'm gonna pick the next. You're
gonna make a finals appearance. I'm gonna do it. Like
I said, I'm a big fan of a Tim, big
fan of Brunson.

Speaker 1 (57:21):
I like big cat Man.

Speaker 2 (57:23):
I guess if that's my doppel ganger, we might as
well make a NBA Finals appearance.

Speaker 1 (57:27):
So I'm with you on that side. Uh.

Speaker 2 (57:30):
Back to the West side, Lakers definitely, you know, fuck
you mean, gotta make a Western Conference they got if
a d is healthy, Lebron is healthy, and the coach
is competent. Fuck y'all talking about so we haven't had
all three of those levers pulled at the same time.
Let's make sure that happens this year. Who are they
going to face? Dam I'm I think this is a

(57:56):
little tougher for me, to be honest with you, is it.

Speaker 1 (58:03):
Does Phoenix have enough?

Speaker 3 (58:05):
No?

Speaker 6 (58:06):
I don't trust Blutenholzer and like they have the same
problem they do last year. They're a little small inside
and I guess they have a point guard now in
Tayas Jones. But to me, if Katie's playing the four
all season long, that that come on, right, Katie's just
starting four all season's that's a little tough. And again
he's got the hype, But do you really want thirty

(58:28):
five thirty six year old Kevin Durant anchoring you know
your deep.

Speaker 3 (58:31):
I don't know.

Speaker 5 (58:31):
I don't feel great about it personally, but that's.

Speaker 2 (58:34):
Just that'd be my ideal finals matchup. So you get
a Katie Lebron on the same side of the bracket. Okay,
all right, see that.

Speaker 6 (58:43):
You don't believe in the Balkan boys, Luca? Oh oh yo,
k you don't believe in the white guys. I'll be
honest with when I saw them, Dude, when I've seen
them doing the playoffs to these folks, is were borderline racist. Yeah,
I don't know if they can stop them. I really
don't know if they can stop those two you watched
out he dismantled, while Luca dismantled the Timberwolves after they

(59:06):
took out Denver. I thought it was crazy, Like, I
don't know, it's hard for me to go against the Mavericks.
I think Luca getting a sniff of the finals, I
think he's gonna be motivated. I hope he's motivated. He
needs some motivation because I swear he rolls in every
season just you know, doing whatever, and he's killing folks,
averaging thirty three a night, So I find it hard.
And you know, like I said, I feel like Kyrie

(59:27):
has a whole new spin all light. He's got no
shoe line. I don't know, man, I feel like the
bads are primed to go back and again.

Speaker 5 (59:34):
I don't know.

Speaker 6 (59:34):
I think the Timberwolves are one team that got a
little less good.

Speaker 1 (59:38):
I got you, I got you, I got you ahead.

Speaker 2 (59:43):
Lakers Thunder, thundertake one more step forward, but it's still
not enough. The Caruso addition is enough to easily carry
them into a one seed for the regular season.

Speaker 1 (59:57):
They will have the easier side they bracket.

Speaker 2 (01:00:00):
When they get through, they'll probably look at some like Clippers, Grizzlies, Pelicans,
fucking combination right to get there, while the Lakers, of
course have to go through a bloodbath. But it's all good. Well,
I don't kill you, make it stronger. I got okay.
See Lakers in the Western Conference Finals are Los Angeles
Lakers with rookie head coach JJ Reddick making a finals appearance.

(01:00:24):
And this is the one, This is the one where
everybody's heart is on the line, because this is very
well probably everyone's going to predict Lebron's Final Finals.

Speaker 5 (01:00:33):
The stage is set.

Speaker 2 (01:00:35):
And now that what NBC has now picked up the
NBA and I don't know who has the finals series,
but can we make them more important next year?

Speaker 1 (01:00:44):
But can we still make them more important? Right?

Speaker 5 (01:00:46):
Like, can we like do something with the emblem back
on the court? Bro?

Speaker 2 (01:00:48):
No, the stage is set, like, can we get a
little small going across an open field in the valley?

Speaker 1 (01:00:54):
Right? Players coming in from from black backgrounds?

Speaker 2 (01:00:58):
Right, let's build the that's the kids say the aura?
Can we get the aura going? Bring that back? Not
just fucking make the stallion playing while they do starting
lineup introductions. Anyways, Lakers Knicks in the NBA Finals, and
this is going to be why not forget new boys

(01:01:19):
name add Oh, this is going to be Adam Silver's
Mona Lisa. They're gonna say that this was all rigged.
He's going to laugh from his throne because he gets
his two biggest markets playing each other in the NBA Finals. Kaching, Kaching,
Thank you TNT for everything you've done for us. We
gave you some great series. We're moving on Amazon off

(01:01:41):
the backs of the highest rated NBA Finals in fourteen years.
That's a story I printed off the script.

Speaker 1 (01:01:49):
I'm just letting y'all know how it's gonna go.

Speaker 6 (01:01:51):
There you go, I mean, for all inis of purposes,
I have the exact same finals Lakers knicks, because I'm
not picking the Celtics to go to the finals nor
when the finals, Like that's crazy, so I'm not picking that.
And I had the Lakers winning in a six swift
ones and like you said, it'll be a momentous opportunity
Brownnie James rookie champion one with his dad. Can you
imagine the storyline? Hey, pretty one more time? Send it

(01:02:13):
back forge, Like we got to add a couple of
storylines upon storylines upon storylines here and it's going to
be beautiful.

Speaker 5 (01:02:21):
And you guys are going to be so happy with
the result.

Speaker 6 (01:02:23):
And I hope, hey, kiss all the people that mean
something to you, because we're going we're going to another
plane once this happens. We're going to enter the fourth
dimension when the Lakers hoist that trophy next year.

Speaker 1 (01:02:36):
Yeah, yeah, that that's going to be nasty.

Speaker 2 (01:02:38):
We need we haven't had the champagne flowing man we're
going on.

Speaker 6 (01:02:43):
We gotta gotta reoutfit the garage, you know, we gotta
get the my ski goggles have just been sitting there
with five year old Champagne on it now like at
this point, we gotta we gotta redo it. So I'm
the Lakers. I'm excited for him. Like I said, Hey,
very close than the Margins, I think. I think those
are two really good teams. I think the top four

(01:03:03):
are very good teams. So we'll see what the NBA
season plays out. Health being a huge thing, per usual,
matchups being a big thing, per usual.

Speaker 5 (01:03:10):
But I think we're primed for one of the better
seasons we've seen in a long time and.

Speaker 1 (01:03:15):
Were ready for it.

Speaker 2 (01:03:16):
Were ready, like we said, we re energized, we revitalize
a lot. Funny, you start getting the smell of swine
about the building, start smelling a little better.

Speaker 1 (01:03:27):
So here we go.

Speaker 2 (01:03:29):
Lakers Back, laten O Lakes Show Back. We excited to
be rocking with y'all this year. Check us out on Playback.
We'll be doing more in game commentary throughout the season,
the same type of you know, di headlog and topics
that we bring to y'all on the podcast, just with
the Wonderful and Beyonce. The Lakers game planing in the background.
So I'm excited to be rocking with y'all again. We're

(01:03:49):
gonna get up out of here and we'll see y'all soon.
For Kwame, it's Ricky Laya Lake Show. We out Furst

All Episodes

Episode Transcript

Popular Podcasts

My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark

24/7 News: The Latest

Dateline NBC

.css-15opob5{left:0;position:absolute;top:0.8rem;} All Episodes

.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}Lakers Season Opener & NBA Predictions

Episode Transcript

Popular Podcasts

.css-r6mb8g{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:1;overflow:hidden;}My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark

24/7 News: The Latest

Dateline NBC

All Episodes

Lakers Season Opener & NBA Predictions

My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark