Fractured Fortunes - Clippers, Knicks, Warriors, Celtics Need Their Stars Back - The Baseline NBA Podcast

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Free audio post production by Alphonic dot Com.

Speaker 2 (00:07):
This is the Baseline discussing the hot button topics.

Speaker 3 (00:11):
Of the nb A.

Speaker 2 (00:13):
Welcome everybody, your tune to the baseline. Cali Warrenshaw discussing
the hot button topics of the NBA. It is hot
and heavy NBA action in full tilt. Man. NBA Playoffs
is on the horizon. March madness is just around the
corner even as we were, as we're speaking, they're rounding
up the final, uh you know, Attorney Championship games and

(00:34):
are going to their selection Sunday. Shout out, so Shaw,
you know, my man, my brother from another mother, you
know who originally is from New York, like I'm originally
from New York. Shout out to Saint John's man. You know, hey,
they did the impossible day day of Saint John's is

(00:57):
the storm is back right Like I was. I was
not a Saint John's fan, but I was always a
fan of New York, New York City schools, always being
a part of the landscape. When we talk about n
CUAA tournament basketball, and it's been such a long time

(01:17):
since Saint John's has had been you know, has had
the touch relevancy so to speak. We've been flailing around
with other schools, Villanova, Seaton, Hall, La Da Da Da
Da Cinderella stories. This never used to be that way
in our day growing up, but the Saint John's has
has climbed back to the promised land thanks to Rick
Patino for Christ's sake.

Speaker 3 (01:38):
Hey go figure. Shout out to our guy Gerald Brown
as well too. I believe he was at yeah that
that that last game there too. I saw him posting
some stuff on on on on his Instagram regarding that game.
So yeah, man, it's it's it's fun. Like there's certain teams,
especially if you're from the New York area that you
want to see good. If you remember like the old
old biggiest rivalries and all that stuff like it was
it was a time. It was a time like you

(01:59):
had to be there. So shout out to Saint John's man,
and you know, and all the teams that'll be in
you know, the big dance if you will here on
selection Sunday and moving.

Speaker 2 (02:06):
Forward, you're gonna get your brackets ready, you.

Speaker 3 (02:09):
Know, you know we should probably do them for nineteen.
We could throw it together right quick, you mean, do
a little something something, So yeah, Man, you know, March
madness is always a good time to kind of connect
with some folks, talk some stuff and you just see
how it goes out, bro And can you get to
as close as perfect as possible and maybe with a
couple of dollars in the processes.

Speaker 2 (02:25):
Oh yeah, absolutely, Hey, I'm with it, you know what
I'm saying. Rather struggling in this economy many anyway, anyway
we can make it happen, you know, can't keep playing
the lottery, the power ball and the Mega millions everything. Yeah,
I'd rather put it into something where I at least
if I lose, I win.

Speaker 3 (02:43):
I love it.

Speaker 2 (02:44):
Anyway. We got a great show on tap for our listeners. Man,
we're gonna get into some important news and know what
would happened and listen with all of the fan fare
that's going on the final stretch running games being played
in the NBA regular season, there have been some achievements
made good things off the as well too, And then
we're gonna highlight, you know, probably as we get a
little bit closer, you know what guys should we be

(03:08):
talking about, like which teams really really really need their
star plays? Like there have been just a rash of
injuries over the last couple of months. Right, we're gonna
go as far back, maybe just before NBA All Star weekend.
There have just been a rash of injuries key players
and those guys man are pivotal for the kind of
runs that some of these teams would like to see

(03:30):
themselves make come postseason time. We're gonna kind of dig
into which guys really are the quintessential player pieces that
these playoff potential teams can make that legit run? Can
they do it with or without them? So we're weigh
in on that man. So as always, we appreciate you
and yours for topping on in tapping in with us.
Be sure to get my man as Sports NBA getting

(03:51):
me a gay face lead. It shows Twitter on NBA Baseline,
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Media Group family nineteen Media Group rocking these content streets

(04:13):
so you can always not only just checking us out,
but also check out the great content of creators www
dot nineteenmediagroup dot com, So be sure to head out
over there so you can get your listening pill on
any and everything that you're listening pleasure desires. So before
we get into all of the good stuff, the juicy
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your game coming up, Sean, and I will get here
get right into the heavy stuff happening in the association.
You don't want to miss it. Here on the baseline,

(06:29):
we are back Calie Warrenshaw Baseline NBA Podcast. Time to
get into some news and notes happening in the association. So, Sew,
I'm not sure if you had the opportunity the other
night to see the Golden State Warriors take on the
New York Knicks, but I did find it kind of
interesting that a lot of what's been going around, you know,
the media thread, so to speak, is the Draymond Green

(06:54):
Karl Anthony Towns back and forth in the matchup, and
and the fact that Draymond Green is you know, out
you can hear him calling cat soft. Let me ask you,
do you think Draymond Green is out of bounds for
doing this right or is he really just highlighting a

(07:17):
lot of what has been speculated about Karl Anthony Towns
and his game. That does make us wonder that Draymond
Green is actually okay with coming out and saying that,
especially when they're matched up against each other in these
type of games.

Speaker 3 (07:34):
I think the terminology with Kat in terms of his
his hardness, if you will, has been that's been a question.
I mean, you know, as a as a big man.
You know, it's a guy's seven foot you know, you know,
to sixty two seventy whatever he is and has like
the physical tools. Yeah, I think there's times where, yeah,
you don't want that guy just shooting a bunch of
threes or whatever, especially when the Knicks are struggling now

(07:56):
for offense with runs and being out. So the conversation
is not new. I think the person saying it though,
is somebody I personally am I don't know, not necessarily
tired of. But Draymond is Draymond, and he's gonna, you know,
he's he has a way, he knows what he needs
to do to try to get other people's skin, and
at this point that's really what it is. But coming
off the heels where he was dead ass wrong about Kat,

(08:19):
you know, not too long ago, saying why Cat missed
a certain game and it was actually because Kat was
at her funeral, Like Draymond should just like be quiet
when it comes to the Cat competition. I think at
this at this stage, and That's where I'm at with that.
I understand in the throes of competition, and he's calling
him soft and whatever whatever to try to get in
his head. But Draymond on cat I'm I'm good. I'm
good on that for a little while here, now.

Speaker 2 (08:40):
Yeah, so I'm on that. I'm kind of like on
the fence where you're coming from. Shaw. I think I
don't have a problem with if there is that competitive
fervor going on between each other and Cat is quote
unquote cat calling, like Draymond is cat calling, you know
what I'm saying, in the throes of the competition, and
is basically challenging him, forcing him to play a certain

(09:02):
kind of way. I'm okay with that if that is
being reciprocated by Kat, right, Kat's going it back and
Draymond's throwing it back. I don't know if I've actually
seen that between those guys, and I know that the
narrative is that everyone's tired of Draymond Green. Where I
kind of have a problem with this is you're doing
it on primetime television. You know what I'm saying, and

(09:25):
as you're doing it on primetime television, it's not a
good look, not just for you, but it's just not
a good look as per se to what the matchup
calls for and what it entails. Carl Anthony Towns like,
in other words, Karl Anthony Towns, to me, as a player,
plays a certain kind of way, right, he doesn't play
Draymond's way. So at some point it's easy if you're

(09:48):
trying to do that, if you think that Karl Anthony
Towns is incapable of playing that style of basketball that
you know you want him to play because as a
natural big. Yet you have your own platform, your own
podcast like that, you have everything centered where you can
say these things, and you're actually calling out a player
and depicting him in a certain kind of way. This
I find is not helpful for that kind of player,

(10:11):
how he's made his success and what kind of basketball
he choose to play, just because he doesn't want to
come down on the blox with you, you know what
I'm saying, Like I think you If you're doing it,
and you're doing it back and forth in each other,
I have no problem. Then there's nothing out of bounds,
you know, until you start getting into stuff about a
person's personal life, family or in this case, you start
calling the brother out and he's actually not there because

(10:32):
he's got to be there for a family emergency or something.
But as far as the way that you go about
doing it and how you go about doing it, I
think speaks more about how you are as a person,
which to your point, it gets tiring when it's the
same old antics over and over and over again, because
it's no longer really about the basketball. Then it seems

(10:52):
like it really is about the person. And I don't
know if whether or not you should go there with that,
especially if the person has not warranted or even commanded
that kind of perception. Now we'll give it to your point, Shaw,
where if Karl Anthony Town is the type of person
to just jack up and shoot threes and it's not
going to be successful, for what he says is I
want to go and win a championship. Yet you should

(11:14):
be down low taking guys at you know, down low,
abusing them because that's your matchup, and you're choosing not
to do that because you just don't want to be physical.
I can't be mad at the fact that people are
gonna call you saw for that, but until I begin
to see where that part of his game does not
translate to the level of success, of winning that chip,
that championship in that kind of manner, then.

Speaker 3 (11:36):
You know, yeah, well with Kat the I'll give Draymonnium
some credit. Right, So in that fourth quarter, Uh, Kat
did start to drive, right, he did get some offensive
rebounds and a couple of putbacks there too. And at
the end of the game, Draymond was interviewed as he
famous he was, and he gave, you know, Carl Anthony
Town's credit and he was like, oh, you know, you know,
he really was kind of you know, giving us the

(11:56):
business area scored a think eleven in the fourth and yeah,
he as brought them back. So he did give him
credit after the fact and in the throes of competition, Yeah,
what's calling him so off? I think Kat's toughness is
something that's gonna consistently be in question because of how
we know who the modern big is. I don't think
we've been fully embracing of who the modern big is.
And Kat is the epitome, if you will, of kind

(12:17):
of the modern big. But he has the physical tools
in essence to go down there, as we saw even
in that fourth quarter. Ironically, when he started to shooting
jumpers again, that's when those jumpers were errant, but he
was better off even driving some and then doing some
not necessary straight post ups at least getting to the
basket a little bit and then getting some offensive put back.
So you know, either way, but for me, it's the message.

(12:37):
It's the messenger here in this case that's supposed to
the message itself.

Speaker 2 (12:40):
Yeah, who knew that we actually are on the mindset
like maybe we should shoot the messenger now. And one
other thing I just want to add to this show,
Nikola Jokic, Man, you know, listen, that guy has all
kinds of scars on his body and things of that nature.
But remember he's had somewhat of a history as well too,
is kind of you know, not one into dilly dally

(13:02):
down there in the blocks all the time either. And
the offensive the Denver plays has him up around the circle.
But he he himself knows that he has to go
down there, and he knows and he's an intelligent basketball player.
So that level of headiness, and I think, to me,
that's where part of where I want to see the
maturation of Carl Anthony Towns evolve, because then it would

(13:22):
make comments like what Draymond Green sounds so irrelevant you
know what I'm saying, because look, Draymond Green gets away
with this because he is, you know, of a savary
veteran with four rings under his belt, and he's been
a Defensive Player of the Year, so he has those accolades,
and I can get why he can speak to it.
But I do think though, he has to be mindful
of the fact that, look, he came into this league

(13:43):
with a certain skill set that's made him as successful
as he is. And the question becomes, are you good
enough to stop it? No matter where he is on
the basketball court. So even just saying you're gonna play
mind games, the suck a guy down there if he's
dropping thirty five on you, Hey man, he has just
as equal say in saying you don't know how to
guard me straight up if the balls and me are
staring at your face to face.

Speaker 3 (14:04):
You know so, yeah, good point, good point for sure.

Speaker 2 (14:07):
All right, sah, So let's go ahead and keep it moving.
News is out. Darren Fox is now done for the season. Mercifully.
I think now the San Antonio Spurs have a legit out.
It's like to not worry about the remainder of the season.
What do you think in regards to how the San
Antonio Spurs should continue to play this and has this

(14:30):
been considered even a successful season despite what has happened
with their key players being injured. I again, I was
of the mindset that I wanted to see this team
probably another year away from saying that they're getting into
the playoffs. I know you had a much more accelerated timeline,
and excuse me in doing so, you still buy into
when the final product is here and fully healthy, that

(14:52):
they're gonna be playoff position ready.

Speaker 3 (14:56):
I think that for sure. You know, I don't want
to be dodgy about the question. I think there's been successes,
or more appropriately, there have been some wins, but this
isn't a successful season, you know, by virtue of where
the Spurs I think wanted to be when people was
going to have them at least really contending for a
play in spot, and there were times where it looked
like the Spurs were not necessarly going to be secured

(15:17):
of that, but in the running. For the conversation, now,
with all the injuries, clearly that that's gone. So it
allows them castle to get better looks, allow so hand
to get some more looks as well. To facill as
well fastal rather, you know, to continue to get some
some development. But in terms of where some of that
is lost is all right, Well, now it ends up
being a lost season because you did bring in Chris
Paul and Harrison Bart and those veteran guys to kind

(15:37):
of maybe bolster some of that. And while their presence
in the locker room is still going to be very
much important even for the latter part of the season
and potentially going into next that's whereas like all the
injuries now have kind of made it all right. It's
not exactly what we wanted, but we can still extrapolate
some some wins out of what it was now a
negative situation, and Fox doesn't need to press himself to
try to do whatever at this point, can kind of

(15:59):
come back full healthy. Let that thumb heel get back
with Wenby, you know, assume he's back, as you know
healthy from the blood clod in his shoulder next year
and the Spurs can truly reset instead of path forward
towards success going into next year.

Speaker 2 (16:11):
Yeah, listen, I'm fully on board with you about that
and stuff. There are some good wins or some losses,
and look, the fact that Popovich isn't there. I think,
you know, depending on where the Spurs organization will be
with Greg Popovich, and I know that there will probably
be some level of a conversation to it, like we'll
probably know more as we start, you know, gearing towards
our conversations of you know, doing our autopsy report. You know,

(16:34):
I think to me, I think that's gonna be pretty
key as well too. Where the San Antonio Spurs begin
to transition, do they? You know, obviously you stick with
pop He's going to come back next year. Where will
the focus and the energy be or is it that
you know, if there's a realization that the circumstances with
Greg Popovich does not lend him coming back, you know

(16:56):
who he has on that staff, And obviously there's obviously
content evidence in Johnson like will he be able to
kind of etch his own kind of similar to what
Joe Mizzula did with yumey Udoka for the San Antonio Spurs,
which could mean a different look, a different feel, especially
now that you have these new pieces that you may
made moves for this particular season. How that all kind

(17:17):
of comes together. So it's a lot of interesting parts,
But to your point y'all. Not so much of disappointing
seasons is disappointing that they couldn't have finished it out
and have their their horses to be able.

Speaker 3 (17:27):
To do that. Yeah, that's all again.

Speaker 2 (17:31):
Absolutely all right now, speaking of finishing out, man, I'm
not sure if you heard, man, but you know, there's
been a little there's a little chatter going on, you know,
as if things did not get worse for the Dallas Mavericks.
Bro Oh my goodness, there's been some you know, threads
being handed out there in the media, in the media
space that the Dallas Mavericks might actually be in a

(17:55):
situation for the remainder of this year where they may
actually wind up having to forfeit games. Now, I know
that there's a lot of nuance to that, and there's
a lot of specific, intricate things that are going on,
But I think the only reason why this I'm bringing
this upshaw is because, damn it, you could not have
picked out a worse month and a half right now

(18:18):
for Nico Harrison and what is going on with the
Dallas Mavericks and the Dallas Mavericks organization for a moment,
just forget about, you know, the running joke and the
memes that probably will go out there if such a
thing were to ever occur. I just think that if
you are a general manager, and I don't care what
the circumstances are, big deals and moves that you make,

(18:41):
you have to know from you know, a money standpoint,
a logistic standpoint, an organizational standpoint, you have got to
know that you're gonna be able to put out there
a full roster of guys to play basketball. And for
this to even be getting out, for this to even
be leaking out, just is not a good look on
Harrison and the and the and the upper management of

(19:03):
the of the the Dallas Mavericks. You can tell me, oh,
you know, we were pushing all chips in. I don't care.
There is no excuse for this kind of stuff getting out,
being leaked out, or even discussed about by any of
the other outlets that's covering basketball at the NBA that
there legitimately is a team, right and a professional team
that may not be able to have full players on

(19:23):
the court to play and would actually have to forfeit games.
That's some stuff that you do in recreational sports.

Speaker 3 (19:28):
Bro. Yeah, it takes me to my university, you know,
I mean in intramural we have to forfeit.

Speaker 2 (19:34):
You're not even talking right.

Speaker 3 (19:36):
And sometimes like you just what, Hey, you see somebody
on the roll on the side there, Hey, can you
play first real quick and sign the waiver? Uh that's
where the where the Dallas Mavericks are.

Speaker 2 (19:44):
And for your university is legit because hey, I got
a midterm. I got, you know, I got, I got
a dissertation to finish. You can't.

Speaker 3 (19:50):
You can't scuff at that, you know what I'm saying.
But come on now, it's it's tough. It's tough, you know,
in a in a pseudo fun way, right I think
about it. There's there's an episode of a Game of Thrones.
You know, I forget which episode, what season it is,
but basically it's if you if you watch the show,
Stantas Barathian was very steadfast and trying to you know,
win the war and win the win the throne or whatever.

(20:12):
And there's just a day where like it all just
goes to it just goes to crap, you know, without
getting too morbid. You know, a family member is basically
burnt to the cross. His his advisor runs out and
leaves his soldiers, peace out or where the case would be,
and then at the end of it, you know, somebody
who he did wrong comes back to get him and
he ends up dying at the end of the day.

(20:34):
And I always joking My wife was like, man, you
talk about having a bad day, right, I think that's
Nico Harrison like basically extrapolated if you will. Over the
last couple of months, it's like every possible thing has
gone wrong. And while we touched on this even last week,
it's it just it just continues, like the hits just
continue to keep on coming. And whether or not there's

(20:54):
true validity to this, because I believe at some point
that there's gonna be hardship exemptions that the maps will
be able to file and they get a bunch of
ten day guys and they would be able to get
that guy off the streets say hey, bro, can you
come play for us right quick? I mean, and do
it legally?

Speaker 2 (21:06):
I do it.

Speaker 3 (21:07):
It's just interesting that outlets are reporting on in this
way that forfeit could actually happen with a professional are dudes.

Speaker 2 (21:12):
There are former NBA players right now on on the
threads that are like meming in say hey, I'm available,
you will come get me.

Speaker 3 (21:20):
I mean, Isaiah Thomas, I'm sure you know what I mean.
He's somebody who's always like pining and Dwight Howard even
to a degree like you can always bring those guys in.
So yeah, I mean, I feel bad for MAVs fans
more than anything else. And you know, I just wish
them God speeds for the rest of the remaining part
of the season. If they somehow squeak into the play
in for whatever that's worth, then hey, maybe that's maybe

(21:41):
that's something tough times in Dallas.

Speaker 2 (21:43):
Troller, Sir Michael Thompson, this is now basketball purgatory. You
were asking what basketball purgatory is, my friend, This is okay,
So yeah, welcome, welcome. I'm just saying, now we have
a proper definition to what that should mean. You're tune
to the base. Like Calie Warrens Shaw discussing the high
button topics of the NBA. All right, let's keep things moving, Shaw,

(22:07):
Steve Kerr. He now becomes the Golden State Warriors all
time winningest head coach Listen Apropos, And it's just kind
of ironic, man. You know, I always thought to myself,
maybe Steve Kerr will probably see himself go back into
the executive role, right because when he first started out
he was a general manager right prior to his broadcasting

(22:28):
days on T and T, which was a very short stint.
But I guess his calling as him being, you know,
a head coach, and you know, now he has established
himself among the winningest head coaches of you know, in
Golden State Warriors history. What do we make of it?
And do you consider it good fortune or luck or
is it really you know, part of just you know,

(22:49):
Steve Kerr kind of really kind of hunkering down and realizing, like,
you know, this is this is where I've had the
most fun. This is my true calling. And yeah, I
went in a couple championships you know, on top of
that wasn't too bad either.

Speaker 3 (23:02):
Yeah, Steve, Steve Kurt is gonna is a Hall of Famer, right,
Like that's what's gonna end up happening here now too,
with all the rings that he's a mass as a player.
And then Alvis coach has some had a brief stind
if you will, in the in the front office world
as well too, And I think when all this said
and done, he may go back into the front office
and or consult but I don't think he's long for
the coaching aspect. He's going to hitch his wag into Steph.

(23:22):
And I think when Steph is done, he'll probably be
done as well too. I don't think we'll see a
Popovich situation where he's hanging around because the next great
talent kind of came around. Although Papovich, as we just
alluded to, is struggling with his own health concerns, so
shout out to Steve kerr Man. He gets a lot
of disdain from from even his own fan base in
terms of his schemes and how he operates, and then

(23:43):
even what he did, you know, we forget even with
the Olympic runs that he's had as well too, Like
you know, he's been around and this is again, this
is a Basketball Hall of Famer. So to be ther,
to be your team or your franchise is all time,
winning us anything is quite the accomplishment. And now he's
made the Golden State Wars a store read friend by
virtue of the impact that he's had on that organization.

Speaker 2 (24:03):
And more importantly, the relationship that he has managed to
maintain with Steph. With Clay and with Draymond Green, I
think again will go down as probably one of the
more poignant relationships that a coach can ever have with
a core combination of guys who have gone out there
not you know, since you're going to go back to

(24:23):
Popovich with Duncan Parker and Ginobili right like, you know
that to me is and and that's just rare. There's
rarefied air. It's it's it's very rare to have that,
you know, Rick Carlisle with Nowitzki and you know it
just to me, you can and Jason Kidd and and

(24:44):
Tyson Chandler. It's just you know that to me speaks
and resonates with the idea that you know, my level
of greatness will only be as good as what I
get what I can get out of you guys. And
certainly for them to go out and have four championships
to boot and doing it and during different iterations, being
able to do it during Durant and everything like that,

(25:05):
it just really does speak volume. So I definitely want
to make sure that you know, Steve Kirr gets his
flowers and and to your point, you know, sometimes guys
get a little too drunken, the power drunken, happy with
the position, a role and what they've done and what
they've accomplished, that they wind up staying in that role,
that position too long. It'll be interesting to see what
the Golden State Warriors will begin to look like as

(25:28):
they start, you know, coming off of the Curry error
and everything, and whether or not that's something that Steve
Kerr wants to still be on you know, on board with,
you know, I like to see the next person in
the wings probably step in and have that kind of
impact and that same type of chance and opportunity a
person to keep an eye out with Jerry Stackhouse and

(25:49):
the fact that he's a part of that assistant coaching
staff and stuff like that. Look, we've seen Kenny Atkinson
now he's finding his own with the Cleveland Cavaliers. I
think that Steve Kurr has also done an admirable job,
you know, getting these assistant coaches to a level where
they actually have an opportunity to you know, apply for
a head coaching position.

Speaker 3 (26:07):
I mean team He's like winners, right, so if you're
part of winning organizations and winning cultures as he was
at some time even with you know, Papa Visch to
some degree, like the Papovich tree is a situation, and
now the Kurd Tree is becoming a little bit of
a situation, even if he is bringing in guys who
have been established even before him, if you will too,
because I think Terry Stotts is on that, is on
that on those side lines as well. But I think

(26:28):
you know, if the Warriors make some miraculous run here
or again just even not necessarily run all the way
to the NBA finals, but they do well, you know,
win a first round match up, hey, all those guys
will start to get looks. But a guy like Stackhouse,
you know, might be next up, if you will. But again,
I don't think Kurr's going anywhere until Curry's leaving. Like
Draymond could peace out and he's like, all right, that's fine.
But when Curry goes, he's like, you know what, that's
my time. You know, I very much seen his wagon

(26:50):
being firmly hitched to what Steph Curry's got about to do.

Speaker 2 (26:53):
Absolutely all right, shaw, let's give our shout outs man
to the Grindfather, Tony Allen. I know, you know, I
know of him right, Like he used to be a
former Celtic, but his his time, his quote unquote coming
out party, so to speak, was during his time during
the grit and grind era with the Memphis Grizzlies, And

(27:13):
so the Grizzlies finally have retired his number. Kudos to him, man,
you know, definitely, you know, well deserved and I used
to love watching those guys play. Man Tony Allen was
such a bulldog man. I don't think he nearly gets
the same level of respect. I think he truly deserved
as being one of those true two way players in

(27:34):
that sense, Like in that era coming up, it was
always like he's kind of like on the outside of
that conversation, but he really was an excellent defender man,
And I'm so happy that the Memphis Grizzlies acknowledged him
and has retired his jersey.

Speaker 3 (27:47):
Yeah. I mean again, I'd only push back because, like,
I don't know if you can really consider him a
two way guy, because I mean, the offense wasn't really there.
He was left open on a multiple occasions, but what
he was able to do defensively. Again, just remember famousies they.

Speaker 2 (28:00):
Had, you had, had you been forced to learn to
shoot the three a little bit sooner. I think he probably.

Speaker 3 (28:05):
Would different times, right, Yeah, maybe he was, you know
he was, he was ahead of his time in terms of, uh,
you know, the defensive side, but you know the times
in terms of forcing him to kind of become a
perimeter threat that just wasn't what was needed.

Speaker 2 (28:18):
I think in that Sinai I would tell you he
made Mike Conley a better defender.

Speaker 3 (28:22):
You know, he made an entire team like he raised that,
you know, I mean guys like that, they raised the
floor defensively or raised the floor on whatever their skill
set is, because it's all right, Defense in a large
part is about effort, and his effort was always a
one and top notch. So I'm really excited for him,
you know, to get that respect, you know in Memphis,
you know, as as as a Celtics fan, I wish
it could have he could have had more time and

(28:44):
more success you know in Boston, but ultimately he went
on to where he was going to be the ultimately
ultimately most successful in a team where he complemented you
know those guys that Randolph Marcos sol Mike Conley the
greatest way possible. And again I just always always remember
T shirts and everything that that first team All Defense,
first Team All Defense, the way he wore that, you know, proudly,
especially when he made a big stop one way or

(29:05):
the other.

Speaker 2 (29:06):
Man.

Speaker 3 (29:06):
So shouts to Tony Allen Man. Great, great, great.

Speaker 2 (29:08):
Dude, absolutely man. And you know we're hoping that, you know,
Memphis Grizzlies, they're having an impressive run. We'll see how far,
you know what I'm saying, putting up a former grit
and grind member, how far it might take them. You know,
sometimes you need that little sprinkle of luck, you know
what I'm saying, in order to make those memorable runs.
Your tune to the baseline Cali warren Shaw discussing the

(29:30):
hot button topics of the NBA. Coming up, we're gonna
weigh in a little bit on some of the guys
that have been out, have been injured. Who is critical
to make a playoff run for their team. Who's critical
for those teams to have back their their star player
for them to make that legitimate run. You don't want
to miss it here on the baseline. We are back

(29:57):
Cali Warrenshaw Baseline NBA Podcasts. So the topic right now,
Shaw is, you know, we have been ravaged with so
many injuries through the course of this NBA season. Obviously,
some of them so you know, I want to say
gro tesque, but some of them have just been awful
because like they're season ending injuries. So we don't even

(30:17):
get into the season ending injury dudes, right, Like, we
understand what kind of impact that they're going to have
and that's going to be had on their teams. But
there are players right who have had guys injured for
a significant amount of time. Now, some of them are
on their way back, some of them are already back,
some of them there still needs to be reevaluations done

(30:38):
in order for them to determine whether or not they're back.
And I think the bigger question becomes who's return will
be the most crucial among those playoff potential teams. So
I'm going to weigh in on this one Shaw first
because I kind of want to set the tenor because again,
we can talk about guys being injured and we can say, okay,
when these guys come back, but the length of time

(31:00):
that they've been out, the number of games that they
are probably remaining for the regular season, and what their
expectations are going to be going into the playoffs. I
think all of those things have to be weighed in
on whether or not them coming back, even if it's
like not even one hundred percent, is it guaranteed that
these teams are going to be able to go far?

(31:22):
If we know that these guys are still not one
hundred percent, have not recovered from their injuries, or are
in threat of rushing them back too soon, and then
because of the injury, it might wind up setting back
this player's potential career literally. So to me, that's part
of where I wanted to go with this. And one
of the people that really sticks out him when I
think about it is Kristaps Porzingis for the Boston Celtics.

(31:46):
So Kristaps Porzingis has kind of had a very often
on year, right, Like he've missed the first quarter of
this season, you know, because of the fracture that he
suffered just before the playoffs. He came in, he obviously
contributed how he could. The Celtics were still able to
win the championship, and going into the season, everyone knew

(32:06):
he wasn't going to be a part of the starting
lineup and that hopefully he would be ready, say by
the New Years. He actually comes back a month earlier,
and then you fast forward and it's been like he's
been in and out of the lineup. Now, part of
it could be load management, but you can clearly see
that there's still lingering injuries that Chriss Porzingis has suffered.
And what I find interesting is when I've seen the

(32:27):
Boston Celtics for a stretch number of games, they've looked
like a very solid basketball team, probably championship worthy, But
I can't necessarily say it with confidence because there there's
always someone in and out of the lineup. But the
one person that I feel is so key when we

(32:47):
talk about injuries and not being one hundred percent and
needing him for the consideration of their run to defend
the chip is Christaps Porzingis. Because you now can make
the argument that the Cleveland Cavaliers literally have a matchup
for every part of the lineup that the Celtics have.
If you don't have Christaps Porzingis, I don't definitely see
any way of them going back to the NBA Finals

(33:09):
with an opportunity to win the championship.

Speaker 3 (33:12):
And I'll pick it up, Barb, where you left it.
You know, last year's run was different from what this
year's run is going is going to be ultimately that
Cleveland team, specifically with their size, with Alan and Mobley,
they're just better equipped. Even in the matchup with the
Knicks and the aforementioned Karl Anthony Towns, just just a
different situation than you know what they could have faced.
You know, last year, Boston was on this kind of

(33:34):
like this mission last year, and while I'm not saying
they're not on the same mission now, they were more
locked in and then this year, like all right, they're
kind of waiting to turn it on. They will need
all of their bodies. They're not nearly as deep as
they think they are, especially with Houser kind of like regressing,
you know, in that space, and not a lot of
great wing depth outside of you know who the starters are.

(33:55):
So to me, Porzingis becomes that much more important as
a guy who gives them a vertical threat, but more
importantly gives them a return on the defensive side of
the basketball as well. Uh, Porzingis needs to be healthy
for Boston to make a serious and long run in
this year's playoffs against what will be much different competition
in the Eastern Conference.

Speaker 2 (34:13):
Yeah, hundred percent agree with you who do you have
you know, and keeping your eye on when it comes
to those potential injured and when their return, if they're
able to return, will have a significant impact on their
team's playoff chances.

Speaker 3 (34:30):
I'm going to jump to a team that I've been
pretty much crapping on all year, but it's it's La
Clippers and Norman Powell and so the Clippers again, I
think they they can be very, very plucky and very competitive.
Uh tyleru Is is coaching circles around I think most
of the league. You know what he's been able to
do managing the different parts of this heart and had

(34:52):
a great year. We've already talked about Dubac like that
is just one of my guys. I wish you could
get more consideration for most Improved Play or some semblance
of an award for how much she's contributing this year.
Kawhi is back, but again still missing time. They signed
Ben Simmons and Ben Simmons missed the last seven games,
but they've really fallen off a cliff, I think in
terms of their threat level because Norman Powell has been
out and what he's been able to do for them offensively,

(35:14):
specifically He's just a guy who gets buckets, and he
gets them in a variety of ways, and they need
that other person, especially if Kawhi is going to be
in and out of the lineup, especially from the perimeter.
You know, somebody who can knock down jumpers and not
have to just drive or shoot the mid range. So
Norman Powell and his ability to come back, and I
think he's very close to return, if not already back

(35:34):
by the time this comes out, he will help the
Clippers determine how serious they are in terms of potentially
upsetting somebody in the first round, because I'm pretty sure
they're pretty surely that they're getting into the playoffs, but
what can they really do once they get in there.
Norm Powell can have a lot to say about that.
For the Los Angeles clip, Yeah.

Speaker 2 (35:52):
Hundred percent agree with you on that sentiment. Show like
Norman Powell's presence, his consistency, especially when they were going
through those struggles, I think is so important. And even
if you are telling me that Kawhi Leonard is going
to be you know, let's say he's eighty five percent,
which that is not. That'll probably never be the case.
I think it the best if you can get eighty
percent of Kawhi Leonard, you legitimately have a much deeper

(36:14):
team than what you're asking for. And because he is
a savary veteran and an NBA champion, that you know
that alone during the playoffs will will help be helpful.
I think as well too. Kawhi Leonard has had clutch
performances in the playoffs. So if you could take the
burden off of that scoring prioritization that I think that

(36:36):
Norman Powell can easily step in and do because he
wants it. He wants to be a guy that's basically
north of twenty something points. You could take that burden
off of Kawhi Leonard and not force him to have
to give you thirty something point performances. But his his
what his contributions will matter is for the Clippers in
those fourth quarters, because we don't know what a Norman
Powell looks like in the fourth quarter of a playoff game,

(36:57):
but you do with a Kawhi Leonard. So having him,
I think is just as equally, if not just the
most impactful of the teams that we're talking about, because
the Clippers, legitimately, based on matchups, can actually run with
a good number of the teams that are representative of
in the in the Western Conference, maybe with the exception
to Oklahoma City Thunder, and I think that they have

(37:19):
as equal a chance as anyone to etch out their
Cinderella's story, but they need Norman Powell to be one
hundred percent to be able to do it.

Speaker 3 (37:26):
Let me, let me just say this one last thing
before for you, you know, you go to your next person.
The part or the thought process that I had even
when I was, you know, saying what I was saying
almost tongue in chice about the Clippers previously, is the
fact that I don't believe Kawhi Leonard could be the
best player in the series anymore. I just don't believe that,
you know, because of the health, not because of want
or desire. I just don't think he's ever be healthy
enough to be the best player in a series, in

(37:47):
a seven game series, right, And then I don't think
Harden has that to be the best player in a
series as well. But if you take the combined efforts
of that, add in Norman Powell to take some of
the offensive load off of that, and then be a
guy that either one of those two guys can kick
out to But then now maybe you're cooking with a
little bit of gas and you have an opportunity to
be very competitive and maybe upset a team or two

(38:09):
in the Western Conference. But that's where my my frustration
with the Clippers have come from, because I think they
had been operating in a way where like, Okay, well,
if Kauwhi comes back, if Kauwhi comes back, he can
come back, but he can't be the best player in
a series anymore. That's where really the reality of the
situation was for me that they needed to accept that,
and now maybe they have and figured out a way

(38:31):
to bolster that team in a way that has enough
depth to be able to be competitive and you know,
maybe upset some teams in the West. So I just
wanted to say that one one, that last thing.

Speaker 2 (38:44):
You get a soul clap, my brother, and you get
the soul clap for that one. Absolutely all right. So
let me let me go ahead and throw out another
name that I think is important. And I think this
kind of goes without saying, Okay, I'm just gonna do
it because it's so easy to do. I'm gonna say
Jalen Brunson. Right, Like, so, if everybody has been paying

(39:05):
attention to the New York Knicks, the New York Knicks
are a good basketball team. Jalen Brunson. Obviously, you know
people say Karl Anthony Town's the best basketball player on
that team. That's yeah, sure, that's from a numbers perspective.
But I think if you're talking about this team actually
making any legitimate run, it's it's because of Jalen Brunson

(39:26):
and the fact that now the Knicks have to reevaluate
and check him again for another week, that to me
is concerning. It's not because, Okay, he eventually comes back,
because Jalen Brunson will come back. But you know how
players are, they're gonna come back, and they're gonna come
back earlier than necessary. Right for what Jalen Brunson actually
brings to the New York Knicks. For what he actually

(39:46):
you know, his responsibilities are. You cannot have a sixty
five seventy percent, Jalen Brunson. You really need somewhere north
of ninety percent. And it's sad that I'm saying that
because to your point where we were just talking about
the Luck Angeles Clippers, we have to say the same
thing about the New York Knicks in the level of
dependencies of their starters and the fact that Tibbs relies

(40:10):
on his starter so much, so much to the point
that if you're going to see a struggling McHale Bridges,
you're going to see a struggling og An andobi you're
going to see a struggling Josh Hart, you have nobody
that you're going to basically have. There is a true
floor general and that cobblely could have been taken care
of had Thibodeau put more emphasis on getting Deuce McBride

(40:31):
up to speed, getting him those minutes, getting him in
that position, getting him to work a lot more with
those guys instead of this. You know, if he's struggling,
you pull him, and you have to rely so heavily
on Jalen Brunson, putting the workload on the starters, maxing
out the minutes of these guys. Now you don't know
how to mix and match dudes. So now the whole
idea of Jalen Brunson not being there is it's completely exacerbated.

(40:55):
Now it's to another level without him. That's it. Next
season done, and know people can say it's it'll probably
be an unfortunate season that they get knocked out of
the first round, but part of it might be because
if Jalen Brunson rushes himself back, you know, he's not
going to be fully healthy to be able to help
this team get to where they need to be.

Speaker 3 (41:13):
So I'm gonna chime in on a multitude of things
because everything you said leads into even what I want
to say here.

Speaker 2 (41:20):
Now.

Speaker 3 (41:21):
We saw even in that Sunday Saturday Night showcase with
Golden State, you know, Josh Hard and Tibbs, they have
a blowout, if you will. Bridges and Tibbs had a
conversation about the minutes and the team and so forth
and so forth out in Portland or whatever. The wheels
are starting to fall off here, both figuratively and literally,
and Thibbs is at a point now where he's he
should be examining how do I not only not win

(41:45):
the team back per se, but give us the longest
runway for success. And clearly it's not grinding my players
into dust. Playing them forty five minutes a night like
that is not the way. But we might be too
far down the process this year and you look at
this roster. You know, Eyler Kohlik and Hawk Purdy and
guys like that, like they don't strike fear into I
think you know most guys. Most people don't even know

(42:06):
who those names are, but they are on the roster
as options in essence to try to fill out some
rotational minutes. Can in these last whatever it is, fifteen
to seventeen games or whatever, can you start to at
least experiment with those lineups? And here's why I say
that this is possible. They are not locked in, but
pretty assuredly going to be the number three seed, so

(42:26):
they don't necessarily need to worry about falling to four
or something like that. They're not going to catch Boston.
You know, it seems like so now you might want
to try to not necessarily experiment and cause I think
that that song's almost like almost malpractices at this point too.
But you need to start to understand what your lineups
can be and the fact that remains this should have
been started earlier, but with whatever time you have left,

(42:49):
can you start to see if any of those guys
could be ready for prime time because you might really
need to rely on them. You don't want to be
in a situation like you were last year where their
bodies truly did hit the floor, And now you're just
throwing guys into situations and high pressure situations in the playoffs.
Can you utilize this time now to try to get
similate some of that for them to kind of understand

(43:09):
it's like, all right, this guy will react well here.
This guy might not do so well in this situation.
I'm worried about the Knicks right now, especially with the
Brunson injury, because what you said to lead it off
I think was truly important too. Brunston probably will rush
back and may not be all the way healthy, and
then you know, is it going to be at risk
for another injury and you saw how he wore down
last year. I don't know, man, I'm concerned about this

(43:30):
New York Knicks team, but I don't know that kids
is going to change in any real way in this amount,
in this window to give them a longer runway to
be successful. This year.

Speaker 2 (43:39):
We'll probably have an examination about this. I mean, look,
if they figure out a way to etch their Cinderella
story and somehow make it to the finals, I know
that we are probably gonna wind up talking about them
in an autopsy, And I'm going to be sitting here
saying to myself, where has there not been opportunities that
the New York Knicks have needed to put emphasis on
making sure that they have like legitimate guard or versatility

(44:04):
in their guards play. Look og A and Obi McHale
Bridges are pretty much the same. Okay, They're very similar players,
and you have them in your starting lineup, they could
interchangeably play the three. You got one of them basically
playing the two, right, And I think part of that
is what's made teams really good, like the Boston Celtics,

(44:27):
like the Dallas Mavericks when they had Kyrie Irving and
Luka Dankic, is that your backcourt had interchangeability. You had
one guy who could actually play the guard, the other
could play the two and vice versa. Right. So from
that perspective, I'm just beginning to wonder if you weren't
building up Duce McBride to be that kind of guy,
to be that guy that your Jalen Brunson is absorbing

(44:48):
so many minutes in doing when you actually need someone,
when your guy Brunson goes down, who you're gonna put
in there, you know what I'm saying, Like that, to me,
it should have been something that you would have been
building from with in through either McHale bridges or through
Objn and Obi, and you have not seen that at
all through the course of this year.

Speaker 3 (45:06):
So that means that it.

Speaker 2 (45:07):
Ultimately may be Josh Hart, right, But Josh Hart doesn't
score the basketball like that. That's not his game. That's
not how his game is built. It's built off of
playing next to a Jalen Brunson, you know. So yeah,
like they're gonna need him. There's no question they're gonna
need Jalen Brunson. And it's sad because they have a
really good team. They do have a good team, but
you can clearly see that once they get trapped into

(45:29):
their like their one dimensionality and the lack of innovation
and their ability to show that level of versatility, you'll
never be able to see it because Tom Thibodeau keeps
them confined in their roles, so confined that now when
a team boxes them in in corners them, one guy
goes down, it just completely the whole house collapses.

Speaker 3 (45:47):
Yeah, there's just not enough depth there, you know, to
sustain this.

Speaker 2 (45:51):
I'll give you.

Speaker 3 (45:51):
I'm gonna do a two four real quick two and
two young guys, both in the Western Conference and for
different situations. Johnny Kaminga you know on Golden State and
a Men Thompson for the Houston Rockets. Uh Kaminga coming
back from injury, Uh into a situation where he was
playing the best basketball of his career before going down.
But in that time they acquired Jimmy Butler. Now the
Wars are best player are playing the best basketball of

(46:12):
their season with Kamena being out of the lineup. Now
Kamena has to recalibrate and figure out, Okay, well how
do I fit into this? For me as not like
the biggest cominga stands in the world. I'm like, hey,
this is perfect. You go ahead and be a role player,
you know, third option dude. Let Kurry and Butler do
they have a lifting and you figure it out? Young fellow.
But is that what's in his mindset?

Speaker 1 (46:33):
Now?

Speaker 2 (46:34):
They asked yourself a bit, I just this is just
playfully asking. Then you know you have no problem with
letting him other dudes, cook Man, why you always gotta
have Kaminga like is the zous chef? What if he
really wants what if he wants to really like, why
if he wants to wear the apron? Bro, why did
you let Homie.

Speaker 3 (46:50):
Cook listen when maybe maybe when the chef is out
with an injury or whatever, needs to take paternity leave
or something like that, then then you can go in
here and step in, Bro. But you're not ready, You're
not like, he's not that. I think he's perfectly suited for,
you know, third option on a very good basketball team,
which the Warriors clearly are now, especially with Jimmy Butler.

(47:11):
So he's the injury return and he is back now
that I'm most interested in seeing how he slots himself
into success for the Golden State Warriors. And then on
the Houston Rockets side with the men Thompson, it's the Rockets, Hey,
this is going to be their first go at this
with this iteration of this team. So a man is
clearly important to what they're what they're trying to do

(47:32):
short term, man long term, when he comes back, what
is the role? Can he just go back and snap
back into what he was doing because he was he
was cooking dudes, wrecking shop, getting buckets, even though he's
not the most skilled offensive player, especially when it comes
to the jump shot. But he found a way to
slash and to drive into offensive rebound and do all
that in addition to the defensive havoc that he was creating.

(47:55):
This Rockets team needs him if they have any chance,
because they're gonna get They're not gonna be favored in
any matchup have in the first round just because of
the experience factor. But a men specifically needs to get
the experience. So they need him to come back, not
rush back, but he needs to be back in a
way so that he can start to get All right,
what does it mean to be in the playoff environment
when people don't expect us to win? How can we

(48:16):
How can I make an impact on the team that
is so so young but extremely well coach. That's why
I think the two situations these two young guy Kaminga
and Amen are different but very very similar because of
their because of their usefulness.

Speaker 2 (48:27):
Yeah, listen, all great points, Shaw and and and I
just want to add to to this thing. I am
sorry Houston Rockets fans. Clearly I must have jinxed them.
I had these guys picked to finish out the the
you know, the rest of the season. Come you know,
coming in as the two seed, and they've done nothing
but struggle coming out of the All Star you know
weekend and doing so and then obviously I think a

(48:49):
big part of it is the injury due to Tom
and Thompson, which to your point.

Speaker 3 (48:53):
They've they've bounced back though they're winners of six straight
now after they had lost I think five in a
row at some point or whatever the case it be
in had fallen back down. So that oscillation, as we
recorded today, they're back at the two seed, you know,
because then r ended up losing an inexplicable game to
the Washington Wizards, so you know, they still have a
shot to stay at two, but then you end up

(49:14):
with seven and that could be Minnesota or Golden State
or the mentioned Clippers.

Speaker 2 (49:19):
But to your but to your point, Shaw, I'm predicating
this that all of their players are all systems go
for the remaining stretched games, so whatever, like you know,
the version of Am and Thompson, I think it's That's
what I was factoring is to saying with more confidence
that they have able body player players that are gonna

(49:42):
be able to close this out and position them to
you know, to basically take that two seed. It concerns
me that one of those key players that they're gonna
need to lean on is not gonna be one hundred percent,
won't be available for a bolt load of those games.
And just as quickly as we talked about how they
just ran off six in a row, they could very
easily lose five in a row right after we have

(50:02):
this conversation, right, And that that, to me, is the
unfortunate circumstance I was not expecting to see happen again
when it came to the Houston Rockets because this basically
happened to him last year. So the fact that you
have even more bodies, a deeper roster to work with,
a year under Odoka's belt, and you're still kind of
running into this situation, into this rut where you're having

(50:24):
such a you know, a volatile, you know, end to
your season, to me, it has me a little skittish about.
You know, how confident I was before when I made
that prediction about them getting that two seed. You can't
do it, especially at the expense of some of your
good players not being one hundred percent or not being
available for you to close it out.

Speaker 3 (50:43):
Yeah, I agreed. I mean, a man is you know,
he was out, came back left again and again. Now
he's got another ankle thing or whatever. So it is
tough and like continuity, you want to be able to build,
you know, within that, and he's just so impowerful for
that for that roster. But the one thing that Houston
has is that they have a lot of you and
they have some guys who who weren't getting minutes because
the men have been so great. But you take you think,

(51:05):
you take Reach Schippert in, you take you know, Cam
whitmore into account like guys like that. It's just like like,
you know, they got young guys for days, you know,
who are looking and write with opportunities. So maybe they
can maybe they can withstand it a little bit. But
I think for them, obviously they want the men to
be there. And what they end up in the first
round with I'm really intrigued because yeah, they could they

(51:25):
could be as high as Tue and maybe as low
as I think at this point five because the Lakers
are kind of fading without Lebron. You know, we should
maybe touch on Hill real briefly. Uh, but I just
want to see who they end up matched up within
the first round and then what they're able to do
I think within that first round matchup with hopefully healthy
a mentops.

Speaker 2 (51:41):
Absolutely all right, so let's let's quickly touch on the
Lebron thing. The reason why I don't think that we
needed to bring up Lebron because I just think that that.

Speaker 3 (51:47):
Is just yeah, it's it's it's a no brainer.

Speaker 2 (51:50):
That's elementary.

Speaker 3 (51:51):
Man.

Speaker 2 (51:51):
It's like, you know what I'm saying. It's like, that's
a gimme a layup for you know, for anyone who's
not even paying attention. But I do think it speaks
to a larger point, though, shaw about the concerns that
I think a lot of people still have about Luka
donks Right, Listen, Luka Donkas is a great player. He's
one of He's my dude. I love I've loved Donkach
ever since he's come out in the draft. But like

(52:12):
great players, I always look at what they do year
in year out, like, you know, like, what is what
is it that they've done the year the year past,
you know previously and in the year past. That is
saying I'm looking at you in a different light. I
see you as a different type of player, whether it's
for individual accolades or for team accolades and listen in

(52:33):
individual accolades. Luka donkas continues to amaze, He does great things.
He is eventually going to be an NBA MVP winner,
there's no question. But the one thing that I do
think that still needs to happen for him is he
has got to do a better job of elevating his
team right. And last year was completely more about Kyrie

(52:55):
Irving elevating his team and playing at a level that
inspired those lesser talented guys to play outside of their
minds and give space to Luka Donkich for him to
do his thing, and at times, Lukadnkch when he does
his thing, just kind of sucks the oxygen out of

(53:16):
anyone being able to elevate themselves. And you're kind of
starting to see that take shape and form now. Jason Kidd,
being the savvy veteran head coach, was able to curtail that,
corral that and lean on Kyrie Irving to help kind
of smooth out the rough edges that tends to happen
when you've got Luka Donkic on your team. You don't
see that with JJ because JJ knows that this basically

(53:40):
is about Luka Donkic and Lebron James, right, so he
doesn't know how to handle this kind of level of
you know, greatness sort of speak that's in the making,
you know what I'm saying. And so now the Lakers
are going through their struggles. So there's no question that
the Lakers are going to need Lebron James, no question,
because Lebron James is the Kyrie irving to small without

(54:00):
Luka Donkis, because Luka Donkis still has not figured out
how to come outside of himself when it comes to
situations and play calls and dah dah da da da.
He still has not learned that part of himself. It
is not translated when he came over from Dallas to
the LA Lakers. And again it's going to be part
of the maturation process, whether it's he'll learn it in

(54:21):
the playoffs this year, learn it through Lebron James and
if he gives the scal or you know, he mentions
him in some sort of random X tweet or whatever
the case may be, or JJ saying something somewhere somehow,
that's gonna kind of work itself out. But for now,
the Lebron James factor is always going to be important
because that aspect of what you think you need from

(54:42):
Luka donkis you're not going to get that just yet.

Speaker 3 (54:45):
Yeah, and the Lakers, they have the most remaining games,
as were recording here too, they have seventeen games remaining,
more than any other NBA team. I think with the
sixth hardest schedule. The only thing, not the only thing,
but one of the saving grace is in that is that, well,
the Clippers have the fifth hardest remaining schedule, and they're
chasing and trying to get to what the Lakers are at,
as are the Warriors. But two of the games against

(55:07):
the Two of the games the Lakers have are in
late April or the latter part of the season. In
April against Oklahoma City Thunder, who will presumably be arresting
their guys at that point. So maybe they can make
some round there. But to me, it's just like, hey,
they've lost four in a row. Luca himself is not healthy.
Lebron obviously needs to be able to kind of come
back into that. This cannot be the Luca and Austin

(55:27):
Reeves show. If the Lakers are going to be make
any type of deep level run. But when Lebron comes back,
he obviously has a veteran savvy and presence and all
the accolades in the world to be able to overcome
being on the road. They just don't want to have
to be in the play in And I think that's
the more than one thing, because in a one game scenario, yes,
you take Lebron and Luca over almost any other NBA
do I think currently in a one game scenario, but

(55:50):
it's just not something Lakers want to face. So hopefully
they'll be able to write the ship here and get
some wins that will keep them out of what could
potentially be playing in territory with those of those other
teams like uh, like the the Warriors and the Clippers
kind of nipping at their heels.

Speaker 2 (56:04):
Yeah, man, But it makes for some good TV to
watch though, makes those games really interesting. The right give, give, give,
give a little, give us a little bit more to
work with on those primetime showcase nights. You know what
I'm saying, awesome show this week's Shaw good stuff, man,
And again, like you know, we're gonna see how all
of this kind of plays itself out. There's obviously other

(56:27):
guys that are out, you know, still on the mend,
not one hundred percent or getting back to one hundred
percent that might tilt the scales. We'll definitely keep our
eye on them, and you know what I'm saying, we'll
raise the alarm when the when when necessary.

Speaker 3 (56:39):
Yeah, when the time is right. So but shout out
to you know, the NBA for continuing to give us
the amazing great content and hopefully all these guys who
are on the on the mend, we'll be back soon
here to be able to make a positive impact for
the for the teams and the rosters and hopefully nor
more injuries, you know, and Dallas fans, our hearts are
with you, man. Just just April fifteenth is all the way,
so maybe previous coming, but we have a couple of

(57:01):
teams we're putting up on the slab here in the
next couple of weeks as well too as.

Speaker 2 (57:04):
Man autopsy report season.

Speaker 3 (57:06):
It's back, yes, sir, yes, sir. So well we'll see
what's good here in the next few weeks here, but
stay tuned here with the on the baseline and great
content has always been.

Speaker 2 (57:15):
Score absolutely Once again, man, we appreciate you and yours
for hopping on board with us this week for the
baseline Cali warren Shaw. We appreciate you, guys, you know
we do, and we'll catch up with you.

Speaker 1 (57:24):
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Fractured Fortunes - Clippers, Knicks, Warriors, Celtics Need Their Stars Back

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.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}Fractured Fortunes - Clippers, Knicks, Warriors, Celtics Need Their Stars Back