Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers - Is JJ Redick Getting Outcoached in the Playoffs? What's Next for the Lakers and Game 5?

Starting point is 00:00:00 Hey, everyone, welcome to Lockdown Lakers for Tuesday. Brian Komenetsky, Andy Kaminetsky, Sunday's controversy in the Lakers game four raises a larger question. Is J.J. Reddick getting out-coached in this series? That's next. You are Locked-on Lakers. Your daily Los Angeles Lakers podcast. Part of the Locked-on Podcast Network. Your team, every day. Thanks to everybody for making Locked on Lakers. First listen to every day Monday through Friday, no matter how or where you get your podcast. This one's always free and never behind a paywall. And Locked on Lakers on YouTube is where you can go hang out with 35,000 subscribers, Andy,

Starting point is 00:00:43 actively responding to what happened in Game 4. Still, to say the least, the comments section was Enfuego on Monday for a Monday show. And a lot of it is centered around the basic question, not just of strategic choices that JJ Redick made on Sunday, which we will continue to revisit. But whether or not Reddick is really just being outcoached generally or if this is about the Lakers roster. So we're going to break that down as well as look forward to game five. But first, we do want to let you know that today's episode is brought to you by the Amazon Firestick TV 4K.

Starting point is 00:01:23 Turn any TV into your Xbox. No console needed. Head to Amazon.com slash fire TV locked on to learn more. So, I mean, to say the least, Andy, people are still talking about the choices that were made Sunday. I know I spent a lot of time over the course of Monday, you know, reading other people's thoughts and kind of revisiting my own, the newsletter for people who sign up for the Lockdown-Lakers newsletter.

Starting point is 00:01:51 It was all about this. I find it fascinating, just the strategic choices that were made here. First thing, before we get to this larger question of Reddit, coaching performance in this series. Do you have you, has time changed your evaluation of what he did on Sunday? Yes, in the sense that I hate it more. I, the more time I've,

Starting point is 00:02:18 the more time I've given thought to this decision, which I said, and you know, for those who want the receipts, it's on our Twitter timeline at Cam Brothers. I didn't like it in real time. I didn't like it when you and I discussed it. in the post game show and I've given more time

Starting point is 00:02:35 to thinking about it. I gave it more time to thinking about it while re-watching the fourth quarter. I've given more time to thinking about it while hearing other commentary for what it is worth that 100% agrees with me. Most people,

Starting point is 00:02:51 to be fair, most of the universe is coming down on that was a boneheaded choice from JJ Redd. also the fact that no coach has attempted this going back to like 96, 97, every single playoff game that has taken place. And surely, at least one of those teams had a bench that the coach didn't trust. I just especially too, when you take into the context that the

Starting point is 00:03:23 Lakers were up 10 going into the fourth quarter, if it had been tied or they had been down, I could understand that more. I still don't think I would have agreed with it, but I could understand it more. But like I said, up 10 and with, say, Jordan Goodwin, who for what it's worth is the guy, I think I would have chosen for a couple of just. I said before, probably for Luca,

Starting point is 00:03:51 because Luca looked like he needed the most rest or for whom ever. But whether it's Jordan, whether it's Gabe, whether it's Jared Vanderbilt. I don't think any of them were playing badly enough in this game that you can't finger quotes risk putting them out there on the floor for a couple minutes to relieve some guys who clearly were in need of relief, one of whom is 40, the other one was 36 hours removed from puking his guts out. I just think JJ made an extreme decision or JJ in the staff, whoever was,

Starting point is 00:04:33 whoever was part of the committee, whatever. I saw Nate McMillan casually walk away from the bench, just to make sure he wasn't there. I'm just saying, I think it was a very extreme decision that was more than what was necessary. You can obviously never prove a negative how this plays out on Earth too, but from a process standpoint. I think it was bad process. I, yeah, and I feel about the same. You know, I mean, it obviously didn't work. They were, you know, a couple smoked layups, you know, LeBron missed one, Luca missed one. If they get that trip call near the end, that or the very, you know, even if the Lakers weren't shooting free throws, if it's just. Or if you're not

Starting point is 00:05:17 treating that one foul like the Zapruder film. No, it was a foul. I mean, like, if you see it. Right, but it's just, it's crazy. Like, if you, even if it was just called a foul and the Lakers weren't going to go to the line, losing that time out really hurt. Yes. Having an inbound from there really hurt.

Starting point is 00:05:34 And so, you know, all of those things, they were really close to being able to, whether you believe having the strategy pay off or if you are not fond of the strategy, getting away with it, one of the, depending on your point of view. I think the interesting part of this to me, and I know you've talked about, I saw a ton of people in the comments section, perhaps responding to stuff that you said, talking about it in the context of trust. And that's the one thing that I've been thinking about a lot. And I also think I'm least moved by because I think the arguments over, okay, you're going to figure out who's going to, you probably, I agree with you. You probably put the Goodwin in for Luca for 90 seconds

Starting point is 00:06:23 of game time, you know, which hopefully you can time it out to be three minutes or three and a half minutes of human time. And maybe that makes a difference. Maybe it doesn't. I have no idea. That, that's probably what I would have done. You're opening yourself up to certain vulnerabilities and that's, I get it. But the trust part of this, like especially looking ahead to game five, is just the part that I find least movies. I don't, I don't look at it necessarily as like, JJ doesn't trust Goodwin. J.J. doesn't trust Vincent.

Starting point is 00:07:02 I do think J.J. doesn't trust Vando to do certain things. It's worth noting. Vanderbilt played exactly like one minute more in game three, I think it was, or game two than he did, despite not playing the entire second half. I've consistently said, I think he should play Vando more. So this falls into one. No, I understand that. And then we can get into that in the next, you know,

Starting point is 00:07:23 when we talk about JJ and his overall coaching in this series. But like, I look at it and we're like, the guys you're not taking off the floor are LeBron James and Luca Dantzich. You're not going to take, you don't need to take Reeves off the floor. A, he was playing great in the third quarter and you probably want to let him out there. And he's the only guy who got paid. plenty of rest in the first half. So he's going to stay on the floor, I think.

Starting point is 00:07:49 Otherwise, it's no point to give him rest. That's not the issue. I just, I look at it and I'm like, he chose to keep two of the best players on the planet in the game. Obviously, potentially tired, potentially diminished. But just basically believing that Luca Donchich in game four of a critical playoff game is a better player even tired than Vincent or Goodwin. I mean, by that logic, why does any coach ever take any of his stars out? But I'm just saying by that logic,

Starting point is 00:08:23 why does any coach ever take any of his stars out? Why not just play all your heart? They kind of don't. I mean, Edwards played the entire second half. Randall basically played but other guys, but other guys have subbed in. Sure. And Anthony Edwards is 23 and didn't look tired. Like context matters. No, I get it. And I, and I'm not saying that this is like an infallible strategy. It obviously fallible. No, it's a terrible strategy is what it is. I think I didn't turn out right, but I don't agree. And obviously we'll never will never know the other side. Like, what would have happened if Jordan Goodwin played 90 seconds in the game? No idea. because I don't think there's a scenario where, you know,

Starting point is 00:09:09 maybe you keep somebody like Goodwin out there for, you know, 90 seconds for LeBron of game time, 90 seconds of Luca for game time. So you're talking about three minutes for Goodwin, but there's zero scenario where they're, you know, coming off, you know, where it's going to be longer than that. And I don't. I agree. Yeah.

Starting point is 00:09:30 And I just think, you know, if you're, the only person. I think you can look at it and have this trust question pop up for game five like these guys, you know, quite frankly, go be a professional and play game five and do the best you can when you're called on. But I think you know, Vanderbilt. You're looking at this from the wrong way, in my opinion. Okay.

Starting point is 00:09:50 We'll talk about it. You're missing something pretty big. If Vanderbilt didn't, you know, think the team trusted him, he would have thought that going into that game because he's, his playing time has been severely curtailed. one thing to have your playing time severely drop. It's another thing to see yourself not play when your team has a 10 point lead. We'll get to the Redick part here in a second. I actually think the 10 point lead thing is just as good of a reason to keep guys on the floor than to take them off. Because if you take Luca off the floor or you take LaBren,

Starting point is 00:10:27 the Lakers have not performed well when Luca hasn't played in this series. I know. The numbers are not good. You take them off the floor for two minutes and that lead gets cut by five points, six points. That is a problem. Maybe, but maybe that doesn't happen either. Maybe it doesn't. Maybe the lead goes up. But I'm just saying just because they were winning to me is not a good enough reason.

Starting point is 00:10:50 I just think it's such a fatalist approach to coaching a game that inspires no confidence among your players. Like forget the guys that didn't play. how much confidence are the five guys who did supposed to have moving forward with these guys when they know that the coach clearly does not trust them at all? I will answer that question next. Locked on Lakers is brought to you by Monarch Money. You ever check your bank account and wonder where did all the money go? Between dining out online shopping, entertainment, it's easy to lose track,

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Starting point is 00:12:29 But it's not the way I was referencing. I was just responding to your comment. Yeah. I'd say if... If LeBron didn't have faith in Jared Vanderbilt, yesterday didn't changing that. If Rui didn't believe in Jordan Goodwin, yesterday is not changing that. Well, it might have if they did. What do you mean?

Starting point is 00:12:49 If they did actually believe in them before. I disagree. Because it wasn't, I don't think it's, I think you're personalizing it. And I think a lot of people are personalizing it way beyond. Or you're personalizing it in ways that no other human being seems to understand. If you think that, if you think that. If you think as a coach that you're going to get a better performance out of Luca in that time period, then you would Vincent, Vanderbiltz, Goodwin, whomever, and you take Luca off the floor because you're functionally worried about either hurting the confidence of those players or the confidence of your team in those players.

Starting point is 00:13:33 I think you've lost the threat. The chief reason I wouldn't have done this isn't because I would have been thinking meta about the confidence issues. I wouldn't have done it because I think it's a stupid overreactionary way to approach it. I'm just saying in terms of the trust issue, which I think is clearly on display and whatever confidence these guys are going to have moving forward. We've talked about this for years. Role players tend to struggle the more they think they're on a short leash. If they didn't think they were on a short-ass lease before, they're really. going to think they're on one now. So good one getting. But again, it's, you got to win the game.

Starting point is 00:14:08 And so I look. Right. But I think I'll empower these guys. You have to try to empower them to at least be the best version of the self. And they weren't doing anything wrong in game four. You don't empower people in that situation. That's not the right time to empower people. If you don't think that gives you, if you think there's a four percent better chance. I think he was wrong. I think he was wrong. Right. But that's different. That's, I think JJ overthought and panicked that. That's a different. That's a different question than the trust question. But I think it's an extension of the trust. I think this is, you can't separate it.

Starting point is 00:14:41 I can. I think you're wrong. I think the trust. The trust question is by far the least compelling arguments to me about any of the stuff that JJ did in the second half. But what I do think is important is like all of this leads to the larger question of whether, of sort of evaluating Reddick's performance. Because whether you think the Lakers blew the game.

Starting point is 00:15:02 game because they were tired, because they were out-coached, because they were tired, out-coached because they were tired, whatever it is, they also were stumped in the last three or four, five minutes of game three. And so, thankfully, it'll feel like a fever dream for the five guys who kept playing 24 hours from now. They probably don't really happen. Luca, I'm not sure remembers any of that game. Right. Well, look, you could argue in that game that Luca should have sat down the stretch. I, kind of don't think so. I think, you know, you are dealt the hand that you have a diminished Luca, you sort of, you know, hope you can get the best out of him. And I'm not going down the

Starting point is 00:15:43 stretch of that game. I'd rather have a sick Luca than a healthy Gabe Vincent or a healthy Vanderbilt or, you know, whatever it is. I just don't think there's an alternative there. But how has Reddick performed in this series? Because I think my biggest criticism is for whatever reason, and you can attribute a lot of this to Minnesota's defense, the Lakers' execution at the end of quarters and at the end of games has been miles below Minnesota, and that's what's hurt them? And to what extent is that roster, to what extent is that matchup, to what extent is that coaching? Because coaching goes in there somewhere. Yeah, I mean, look, it's interesting because for all of the, I think, pretty strong

Starting point is 00:16:32 criticism I've had of JJ for this decision as we've been talking about it. The question of whether or not he's been outcoached in this series, to be totally honest, isn't one that's come up a lot for me, just because I think Chris Finch has probably done a better job in the aggregate, but I think he's also had more to work with. And that was something that we thought could theoretically be an issue in this series, even as two guys that predicted the Lakers to win the series. I think Finch's had more to work with, like remove this one piece, you know, I think it's pretty clear by now how we both feel about it, whatever. Like, you are correct that particularly down the stretch of quarters and in fourth quarters, the Lakers have not executed particularly well. The fourth quarter, I rewatched

Starting point is 00:17:20 the fourth quarter of this game and my God did it devolve into, and it was largely Austin and Luke, actually almost solely Austin and Luke in the fourth quarter. Luca had a usage percentage of 36.4, Austin 31.8, LeBron 13.6, which is just bonkers. Rui, 4.5. I'm pretty sure Rui's two shots and one pass that he kicked out to Austin for a three that Austin missed were the only three times Rui touched the ball. I'm not even exaggerated. He mostly was out there standing waiting for the ball to come to him or screening, re-screening, screening, re-screening, trying to, unsuccessfully free up Luca as Luca was trying to run ISO ball. Well, how much of the four?

Starting point is 00:18:08 Yeah, because I think one of the questions is like, the ISO ball thing is different than like when they try to run actions to get either switches, I think you can complain about are they switch hunting too much? Are they like what kinds of actions are they running? But sometimes all it is is, you know, one pin down screen, a guy comes up and that's enough action to get you going. It's a screen at the top of the floor to get a guy going. And I don't even necessarily think it's.

Starting point is 00:18:31 so that a guy can play isobal turns into that sometimes. But sometimes it's, you know, the action that you want is to get. I don't even mean it. When I said so he can run isobal. I didn't mean it like, and maybe I wasn't clear, like that that was the express goal. I just meant that's what it ultimately turned into because nobody ever moved the ball. And I, you know, and obviously people are going to connect that to the strategy. And I think that has been, I think it is both, it was.

Starting point is 00:19:01 certainly a factor yesterday or Sunday, I should say. But it was a factor in game three. It's been a factor in game one. It's been a factor anytime the Lakers can't encourage teams to throw more than one body at their best players. And I think this of all the things that we missed, even while acknowledging that Minnesota is a really good defensive team, a really good offensive team. get people back to the show where the Lakers, the opponent was determined, and the entire chat board was people mad at me because they thought I was, you know, pumping up Minnesota too much.

Starting point is 00:19:47 They are, but I don't think I underestimated how well equipped they would be to handle what the Lakers sort of are trying to do with their three best players offensively and then certainly underestimated the level of play they'd get from Austin Reeves over the course of the series. Yeah, I mean, again, like I said, I'm sort of waiting for the whole who outcoached who conversation till the series is officially over. I don't think, I don't think JJ has been stellar in this series. I don't know if I'd go so far as to say he is the reason or top two, top three reasons that the Lakers are down three one. But, you know, we can get into this more coming up. And this, I think, is in some ways an extension of my general issue with his

Starting point is 00:20:39 approach for the second half of game four. There have been a couple things that I don't quite understand why he has or has not been doing. So we can get into that coming up next. Locked on Lakers is brought to you by Wayfair Spring is here. And that means it's home project season, And whether you're refreshing a room, tackling a full renovation, Wayfair is the best kept secret for all things home improvement. From small vanities like stylish cabinet hardware to major upgrades like new vanities, sinks, or outdoor lighting. Wayfair has quality projects for every budget.

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Starting point is 00:22:13 Thinking about some of the things that, you know, we're talking about what we'd like to see in game five different approaches. Obviously, the Lakers are operating from a position with zero margin for error, and they are going to have to not just start winning at least three out of four quarters moving forward of every game, they really got to start winning the fourth quarters, especially. I don't understand, I've said before, I would like to see Jared Vanderbilt play more, but I also don't understand how he's been used when he does play. Like he has spent very little time on Anthony Edwards, who that matchup was so anticipated.

Starting point is 00:22:54 some may remember when we had Ben Beacon on to do the crossover preview episode with Locked on Wolves, he broached the idea of starting Vanderbilt just specifically for the Ant matchup, which we both told him that's not going to happen. But many people I heard previewing this series brought up the concept of Vando as one of the prime guys to deploy on Ant. And if you go through matchup data, like that has barely happened. like even acknowledging Vando hasn't played much. If you go through individual matches, he has spent very little time on Ant.

Starting point is 00:23:30 He's also spent very little time on Jaden McDaniels, who has been a surprise agent of harm against the Lakers. And I'm just wondering, like, you're taking a guy, not using him to at least his theoretical best strengths and then complaining that you're not getting anything out of him through the form of not playing him. And it becomes in some way cyclical. You don't like what you're getting out of the guy,

Starting point is 00:23:57 but you're not playing the guy towards his strength. So what are you expecting? You know, in the same way that like Gabe Vincent or Jordan Goodwin, if you give them very little time on the court and then complain about their lack of production, it's like, well, unless the standard is shoot 85% from the field, like you have to give them a requisite amount of time on the court, a requisite time amount of involvement, or you're not going to get Jack from them. But one, it's hard to demand both, little playing time and high production, use outside

Starting point is 00:24:34 of your strengths and good showings. So that's something that I, JJ, and this also I think gets back to the trust part of this with the bench that I think is really coming through. I don't think he has always empowered these guys to get the most out of them. And then as that has gone along, he is clearly, at least in my opinion, the lack of trust is in neon bright lights. Well, no, I don't think there's any question. He doesn't want to play his bench that much. I also think there's a good reason he doesn't want to play his bench very much because, you know,

Starting point is 00:25:13 especially given who you put on the bench when those guys play, you know, there's just not a lot of space for, You know, I'll be honest with you. I would have, I would like to see a little bit more Gabe and or Goodwin. I am more sympathetic to the Vanderbilt thing. I think Jordan has played well the last couple games. I don't understand the reluctance to put him on the floor. I really don't. I mean, I just think he's, again, it's like, who are you taking off the floor?

Starting point is 00:25:42 I've already answered that question. I understand. I know that. But I mean, you can, you're not, I would be, it seems to me to be strange to play Jordan Goodwin. win, you know, 23 minutes a game. And there's obviously... There's space between 23 minutes and seven. Seven and a half.

Starting point is 00:25:57 And so is it like 12? Is it eight? Is it nine? Is it 10? Um, and, you know, I, I definitely think that there is a concern that the, the staff has and you know, led by JJ, obviously of diminishing returns. Like, you know, here are the, the, the staff has. lineups that you know are the most effective. I think the biggest criticism that you can get isn't

Starting point is 00:26:25 necessarily, are you using, you know, Goodwin enough? Are you using Vincent enough? Because Gabe's had some minutes where he played a lot more. I mean, I think the last couple games have been dictated in part by just the urgency of needing to win the game. If the Lakers were up two to one instead of down two to one, all of those guys would have played more. I I suspect so, yeah. I mean, all of them would have. I mean, you still would have gotten big minutes from... Sure.

Starting point is 00:26:57 You should get big minutes from... In Minnesota, probably would have subbed less if they were up to one, or if they were down to one. So, like, I think some of this is just the rhythm and the whatever. Vanderbilt is just such a fascinating player because we did this last year, too. Like, this is none of this with Van Gogh. Two years ago, he didn't play last year. Right. None of this is new.

Starting point is 00:27:21 with Vando in terms of, you know, and I think in the in the post season now, some of this is belied a little bit by is like the net rating. He's got one of the better, you know, of all the guys who are playing, his is as good as anyone's except for Jordan Goodwin. I, it's that kind of are you using, are you, are you running stuff and doing stuff and scheming things to get the most out of Reeves? Are you putting them in the best position to succeed? Are you putting, are you getting enough touches for Rui?

Starting point is 00:27:50 Like you did in game, was a game four. No, but like, you know, initially, right, you know, when, you know, the games where Rui has played well. And then, you know, so how much of performance is what the coaches are setting you up to do, and how much of it is just don't be so bad. You know, Reeves has just not played well. And the Lakers, if you had told me going into the series that Reeves was going to be overall, pretty bad in this series, I'd pick Minnesota to win. So would I. My assumption process was that Luca would be Luca, LeBron would be LeBron, and for the most part, from a scoring standpoint, certainly Luca has been.

Starting point is 00:28:37 And defensively, LeBron has been largely a monster. And I actually think, for all the criticism, I think Luca, game free side, he's been fine. I talked about this on the upcoming NBA squad show West. that I think Luca has, for the most part, neither been the problem nor the solution depends. He's fine. He's been fine. And, you know, if you told me that, like,

Starting point is 00:29:01 but if you told me Reeves was going to play this poorly, I'd have picked Minnesota because the whole thing is- Actually, if you were going to tell me Jaden McDaniels going to play this well. And Julius for that, Julius Randall has been so good. But I expected Randall to play well. I expected Reeves to be better. And like I said, because I know a couple people, there were some interesting conversations going on in the YouTube chat about whether it matters. Like first of all, in Twitter, it's been a big topic of, has Ants outplayed Luca?

Starting point is 00:29:33 And I think there are arguments you can be made for both where the where the answer is distinctively yes is in crunch time. Game three mitigating circumstances, sure. Game four mitigating circumstances again, whatever. Ant has been better than Luca down the stretch of games. Absolutely. Ant's been better by any measure than- I think so. But it's, you know, but like whether Luca,

Starting point is 00:29:57 Luca didn't have to be the best player in the series for the Lakers to win. But what couldn't happen and has is that Ant can't be the best player in the series. And then McDaniels and Randall are both better than Reeves. Yeah. Because now you're starting to get into Nas Reed, who is playing like Nas Reid and, you know, Go Bear is still an effective player. And now the depth of Minnesota is starting to creep up in the top heaviness. And if you had told me that Jackson Hayes would be,

Starting point is 00:30:27 I did not expect to play big minutes in this series. I did not expect him to be completely unplayable. You said heading into this series that you did not sense this was a Jackson Hayes series compared to what it's become, you were calling for them to feature Hayes. You were predicting that Jackson would average like 50, 40, and 20 compared to what it's become. I thought they would spend more time not using Jackson because it was to their advantage to not use him because, you know, it's the playoffs and he is still Jackson Hayes, whatever. I did not think it would be because they really decided that they can't.

Starting point is 00:31:07 And, okay, we had talked about potentially for this show and we'll table it because there will be time. The question of Mark Williams, we've had some people leave comments. comments to us in the YouTube section of Locked on Lakers page, always leave comments. We always look to try to implement them as much we can. A lot of Mark Williams, I guess, seller's remorse. And that's a topic we can have maybe later this week, whenever. But one thing, though, that I think is more immediate.

Starting point is 00:31:37 They made a mistake not converting Trey Jemison or Christian Coloco. because even if you don't think JJ would play either one of those guys, it was more clear down the stretch of the last 15 to 20 games of the regular season, which mattered a lot. The Lakers were jockeying for playoff position, trying to avoid the play. And those games mattered. JJ trusted Jemison or Coloco,

Starting point is 00:32:07 more than Alex Lenn, the veteran that they signed with the idea of, He could end up in the rotation. He could end up somebody that plays 10 minutes a night. And very quickly, they decided, nope. And if that's the case, and like, I don't even care that they brought in Lenn, like, whatever. I don't, I think there was no street free agent out there that I think was obvious that they could have brought in and didn't. Like, I don't think the opportunity cost was.

Starting point is 00:32:33 We signed Lenn. We told people it wasn't going to matter. But like, okay, no harm, no Fow. I don't have an issue with the decision to sign Lenn. I think there was no opportunity cost, whatever. But once it became clear, JJ Redick is never going to play Alex Lenn. Then sign either Coloco, who would have been my choice, or Jemison, the guys that even if JJ doesn't want to play, he clearly trusts them more than Alex Lenn.

Starting point is 00:33:01 And I think that was a mistake. And for what it's worth, you and I both said at the time, that's a mistake. Do I think either, I am not convinced either guy would actually have played me neither. Five minutes in this series. But it's a process. It's actually, and it's a, it's a, for Jemison in particular is, I think, not well suited for this series. But, you know, you might be able to squeeze a minute or two here and they're out of Coloco or try to just say like, okay, Christian, you go do what we were hoping Jackson would do. Right.

Starting point is 00:33:31 Maybe. It's one of those, like, because I suspect it was probably. a financial choice as much as anything. That makes it even worse. I want to be careful because the Lakers are cheap thing fires people up and I just don't know the financials of how much

Starting point is 00:33:51 putting them on the playoff roster converting that contract at the very last minute of the season, how much that would have cost them in luxury taxes. But I think there was a cost and I suspect that had something to do with it. If it did, that's a serious error. Like, that's a process error. You make that up in Luca Dantra's jersey.

Starting point is 00:34:11 Again, you and I both agree, JJ would have been reluctant to play either one of them, but he clearly... Let's say if both were on the roster and he had to play, because Jackson got injured, you need a center for whatever reason. He clearly would choose Coloco or Jemison over Len, because he had plenty of opportunities to play Len and chose not to. Correct. All right. So we'll look forward to Game 5. The series is not over yet. The Lakers don't need to win three in a row. They just need to win three games.

Starting point is 00:34:41 One time each. Two of those games are at home. Just win two home, you know, win a game and go win another game. And then you've got game seven on your home floor. It's basically the Lakers series to lose at this moment. As far as I can tell. Yeah. The Lakers are in the catbird seat.

Starting point is 00:35:02 No, the wolves got to be pretty frightened at this moment. Well, they have a history, Andy. they almost blew a series last year, didn't they to Denver? Yeah, I don't think they're fighting. But they almost did. I'm not saying the Lakers can't pull this up. I am saying the wolves are not frightened. Maybe.

Starting point is 00:35:21 But we'll get everybody ready for game five where the Lakers are going to press their advantage through the rest of the series. We'll get everybody ready for that. Tomorrow, Locked on Lakers on YouTube, we'll go hang out with over 35,000 subscribers to the channel. Leave us questions, leave us comments. We'll see everyone to my mind. or.

Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers - Is JJ Redick Getting Outcoached in the Playoffs? What's Next for the Lakers and Game 5?

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