The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Hoops Tonight - Lakers-Mavericks Trade Reaction: Luka Doncic joins LeBron, Anthony Davis to Dallas

Episode Date: February 2, 2025

Jason Timpf reacts to the shocking trade sending Luka Doncic to join LeBron James' Los Angeles Lakers and Anthony Davis to team up with Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson, and the Dallas Mavericks. Jason bre...aks down why Dallas decided to move off Luka and what lies ahead for both teams for the rest of this NBA season. Timeline: 4:15 - Introduction 7:00 - Why Mavericks dealt Luka 11:00 - What this means for Lakers 26:00 - What this means for Mavericks #Volume #Herd Follow Jason Timpf on social: https://twitter.com/_JasonLT https://www.instagram.com/jtimpf15/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcript
Discussion (0)
Starting point is 00:00:00 This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human. Hey guys, it's us. The Jonas Brothers. I'm Joe. I'm Kevin. And I'm Nick. And guess what? We created our own podcast called, Hey Jonas.
Starting point is 00:00:12 We invented a podcast? Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to it. We're the first people to do podcasts. We get to ask other people questions because we're sick and tired of being asked questions. Well, sick and tired is a strong way to put it. But, you know, tired and sick. Listen to Hey Jonas on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you.
Starting point is 00:00:30 you get your podcast. Just listen. We don't care where you hear it. Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the ice. Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Starting point is 00:01:04 I'm Joey Dardano, and on my new podcast, Hope from a Hypocrite, I'll be changing lives, helping people in need with thoughtful solutions. Sike, I'm a comedian. I'm not qualified to give good advice. Join me and my comedian friends as we riff rant and recommend some of the most legally dubious advice known to me. This is Help from a Hypocrite, the worst advice from the dumbest people you know. Listen to Help from a Hypocrite Wednesdays on the IHard.
Starting point is 00:01:30 Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The story I've told myself can then shape my behavior, and that can lead me to sabotage the possibility of connection. This Mental Health Awareness Month, tune into the podcast Deeply Well with Debbie Brown. If you've been searching for a soft place to land while doing the work to become whole, this podcast is for you to hear more. Listen to Deeply Well with Debbie Brown from the Black Effect Podcast Network
Starting point is 00:01:59 on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. The volume. This ain't the little, itty-bitty teeny tiny bowl. This is Super Bowl 59. Get in on the action at Draft King Sportsbook, an official sports betting partner of Super Bowl 59. Scoring touchdowns is key to hoisting the Vince Lombardi trophy.
Starting point is 00:02:21 And you have a shot to score big by betting on them at Draft King Sportsbook. The number one place to bet touchdowns. Ready to place your bet. Try betting on something simple like a player to score six. go to Draft King Sportsbook app and make your pick. Right now the Chiefs open as a very slight favorite at minus one and a half. I'm personally rooting for the Chiefs, mainly because I appreciate them as one of the greatest teams of all time.
Starting point is 00:02:42 And as a Cowboys fan, I just literally cannot stand any success for the Philadelphia Eagles. New Draft King's customers can bet $5 to get $200 in bonus bets instantly. Download the Draft King Sportsbook app and use code hoops. That's H-O-O-P-S. That's code hoops for new customers to get $200 in bonus bets, instantly when you bet just five bucks. Only on Draft King's sports book, The Crown is yours. Gambling problem? Call 1-800 gambler. In New York, call 8778-8-8-8-8-8-1-6-9 to 4667-3-69. In Connecticut, help is available for problem gambling. Call 888-7-7-7 or visit ccpg.org.
Starting point is 00:03:20 Please play responsibly on behalf of Boot Hill Casino and Resort in Kansas. 21-plus, age and eligibility varies by jurisdiction. Boyd in Ontario. New customers only. Bonus bets expire 168 hours. after issuance. For additional terms and responsible gaming resources, see dk-ng.c-o-co-slash-audio. All right, welcome to Hoops Tonight here at the Volume. Happy Sunday, everybody. Hope all of you guys are having a great weekend. Well, I am in Breckenridge on vacation, and Lucidot's just got traded to the Los Angeles Lakers and all hell is breaking loose. And I wanted to make sure that I got you guys a reaction to this deal from the perspective of both teams. You guys know the drill before
Starting point is 00:04:09 we started. Subscribe to the Hoops Tonight YouTube channel so you don't miss any more. videos. Follow me on Twitter at underscore Jason LT so you guys don't miss show announcements. Don't forget about our podcast fee. Wherever you get your podcast under hoops tonight. It's also super helpful if you leave a rating and a review on that front. We also have brand new social media feeds on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook where you can get content throughout the year. Make sure you guys follow us there. And then last but at least, keep dropping mailback questions in the YouTube comments so we can get to them on Fridays throughout the rest of the year. So I had a kind of a late flight into Breckenridge. Wasn't supposed to be Southwest delayed our flight four hours a couple
Starting point is 00:04:40 months ago for like no reason. And so we ended up getting in pretty late. And we finally settle down for some dinner. You know how it is when you're traveling on a ski trip. You're bringing bags. You're bringing skis. You're running cars. You're shuttling everywhere. It's just a logistically very complicated process. And so we finally sit down for some dinner at Ollie's here in Breck. It's a pub. And the trade comes down, right? When we're finally about to relax. And I'm just like, you've got to be kidding me. And Paul sent me the text message, Paul is our lead producer here. and I just assumed it was a hack, right? And then Shams's second tweet is like, yes, this is real,
Starting point is 00:05:14 which is like exactly what you would say if you hacked Shams account, right? So I'm like, okay, this is definitely fake. And then all of a sudden I start getting a couple more text messages. I see a couple other reports and it's like, oh my God, this is actually happening. And I couldn't think straight the rest of the night. It was funny. I was watching, I mean, this kind of chaotic bar and I'm seeing Brian Winhorse's face. I can't hear his voice, but I see him up there working.
Starting point is 00:05:36 And I'm like, what do you even? say right now. Like, I needed time to process this. It's so funny, even if I wasn't completely exhausted and out of position to work last night, I still probably would have waited for this morning because I just needed time to process this, get more information before I could really give any sort of strong opinion about what happened. And it still is quite possibly the craziest thing that I've ever seen in my time as a sports fan. For the Dallas Mavericks, less than eight months away from them being in the NBA finals, three wins away from hoisting the trophy, trading a consensus top three NBA player to the Los Angeles Lakers. I just, I can't
Starting point is 00:06:20 believe it. I still am barely wrapping my brain around this, but I have some thoughts about both teams. I want to kind of get into it from a bunch of different angles. I want to start with the idea of MAV's bailing on Luca. According to all the reporting I've seen, The company line here is that the Mavs were concerned about Luca's inability to stay in shape, and they did not want to commit Subramax money to him. Now, up front, I have shared many of the same concerns on this show. I thought his defensive performance in the NBA finals last year was the most embarrassing defensive performance I've ever seen from a star in a playoff series.
Starting point is 00:06:58 I talked all summer about how Luca is trending in the wrong direction in terms of taking care of his body. He needs to get that right. And I do stand by all of those things. But it still makes absolutely no sense for the MAVs regardless of those factors. And here's why. So your alternative to building around this guy that you don't think has the ability to stay in shape and keep his body in position to give you his best every night. So you build your future around Kyra Irving and Anthony Davis, two guys that aren't exactly the hallmark of availability. Now, Anthony Davis is a lot more available than his reputation would lead you to believe, but he does miss time.
Starting point is 00:07:36 And he's kind of an inconsistent motor player, which is something we'll get into in a little bit. And then Kyrie Irving hasn't played in more than 60 games in a season since 2019. So like I don't see, if that was the thing, I need a more reliable, more dependable franchise cornerstone. This direction doesn't make any sense. And as for Luca, regardless of his issues with conditioning, regardless of his physical health, he is 25 years old.
Starting point is 00:08:03 He's 25 years old and he just let his team to within three wins of an NBA championship eight months ago. So like, regardless of your concerns, it's just way too soon to give up on him. I don't know about you guys, but I wasn't exactly a super mature and disciplined person when I was 25 years old. None of us are.
Starting point is 00:08:24 It's totally normal for people to take a little bit of time before they learn how to better take care of themselves, how to better reach their potential. Is this somewhat of an extreme case? Sure. But it's not as bad as some other cases. There are worst cases like Zion Williamson, like Joel Embed, and those teams are still hanging on to hope. And aside from that, even a fat, out-of-shape Luca is a bona fide top five player in the NBA. And you just gave him to the Lakers. I do not get it. All this really accomplishes for Dallas is it creates a really interesting, imposing defense that is a threat to upset some teams in the West, but does not have the offensive ceiling to win the title, to win four
Starting point is 00:09:10 playoff rounds. And you just shortened your window because instead of being built around a 25-year-old top-tier superstar, you are built around older, more fragile, maybe not more fragile than Luca, but more fragile compared to other franchise cornerstones, guys that have a much shorter window here for you to capitalize him. Anthony Davis turns 32 in March, and he's an old 32. He doesn't move nearly as well as he did when he joined the Lakers. Just go watch highlights of Anthony Davis in the bubble when they won the title. I'm a huge believer in Anthony Davis's talent, and we'll get further into that here in a
Starting point is 00:09:45 minute, but I don't view him as a long-term solution as a foundational superstar. As a matter of fact, I've talked on my show about how if the, like, I thought the Lakers, after LeBron retired, should trade Anthony Davis. Because he's not the kind of guy you should build around at that point in his career in his mid-30s. So you get rid of your championship upside and you shorten your window to content. I just don't understand it. And frankly, I think there's no case for it.
Starting point is 00:10:16 And I think Mavs fans have every right to be very upset about this. I legit feel terrible for Mavs fans. I am sorry, guys. This is absolutely crazy. I can't even imagine what you guys would think. on that note, I want to take some time to go through what this means for both teams. Let's start with the Lakers. So they did pay a pretty penny in this deal.
Starting point is 00:10:36 Not enough really for Luca Donchitz, but they did give up a lot. They lost one of their two first round picks that they have tradable this year. And they lost Max Christie, who just played a great game last night against the Knicks. And Mavs fans, like, he is a, I think he projects to be a high level two-way starter in the long run. I think he's a few years away from being super rock-solid as a playoff player. But I think he's a high level two-way role player. You guys are going to like Max Christie. Lakers give up Max Christie.
Starting point is 00:11:02 He just had a great game against the Knicks last night. That's the funniest thing about all of this. I was watching the Knicks game as we were driving from Denver into the Breckenridge area last night. And I was literally thinking to myself, like, this team is becoming fun for me to watch again. It had become a miserable team for me to watch earlier in the year. And here right when they're starting to play some of their best basketball, right when I'm really starting to enjoy watching them, they blow it all up.
Starting point is 00:11:29 It's just super bizarre. But like, let's be clear, they did give up a lot, giving up Anthony Davis, giving up Max Christie, giving up a first round pick, even if we all agree that that shouldn't be enough for Luca Donchich. My first thought last night was, if you follow a path of rational thought through to conclusion,
Starting point is 00:11:47 you should trade LeBron now, right? He's 40 years old. You need to keep Luca happy in L.A. by surrounding him with talent. And LeBron might be the best short-term solution, but he's not the best long-term solution because of his age. And when he retires or when he ages to the point of decline, he has no trade value at that point.
Starting point is 00:12:07 But there were two things that made me think a LeBron trade would never happen. One, Rob and Jeannie are just much more Hollywood than they are competent. And I'm sure they're just giddy about the idea of partnering LeBron James with Luca Donchich. I'm sure they'd love to just tell everybody about that. So like, I have a feeling they'll keep him. And then two, LeBron is 40. He probably doesn't want to move across the country.
Starting point is 00:12:31 He does have retirement leverage. If LeBron decided he wanted to stay with the Lakers, him and Rich could just call the other 29 teams and be like, hey, if you trade for LeBron, he's going to retire. I think LeBron has enough leverage to stop that from happening. So I just had a hard time believing that was the direction that they'd go next. And then we ended up getting a report from Chris Haynes today that LeBron wants to stay with the Lakers.
Starting point is 00:12:54 So as far as I'm concerned, LeBron staying with the Lakers, unless some sort of magical trade materializes that LeBron would actually want and would benefit the Lakers, but I view that is very, very unlikely. So we can move forward with LeBron staying. That leaves the roster as Luca Donchich, LeBron James, Austin Reeves, Ruey Hachamura, Dorian Finney Smith, Gabe Vincent, Jared Vaynerbilt, Maxi Kleba, who came back in the deal. Dalton Connect, Cam Reddish, Jackson Hayes, and some end of the bench guys.
Starting point is 00:13:22 a bunch of things fundamentally change about the team. One, you suddenly go from a very weak shot creation team relative to the top teams to possibly the best shot creation team in the league. You're not doing better in half-court initiation than Luca Donchich, LeBron James, and Austin Reeves, anywhere in this league. But there are other problems, right? I would say another upside is that you're super deep at Ford, right?
Starting point is 00:13:51 You have LeBron, Luca, technically is a forward on defense. Rui's a forward. Doreen Phiney Smith is a forward. Bando is a forward. Maxi Kleb is a forward. That's a log jam there. You have six forwards, right? But this opens up holes elsewhere. You're now super thin in terms of guards who can defend on the perimeter.
Starting point is 00:14:09 Austin and Gabe are basically the only two you have. Both of them compete. Both of them do their jobs. They're good game play and discipline guys. But both of them have physical limitations. Austin's a little skinny and not overly athletic. and Gabe is short, right? Now, to be clear, Jared Vanderbilt can be deployed as a perimeter defensive guard.
Starting point is 00:14:29 Cam Reddish can, but he shouldn't really be in an NBA rotation. I view him as like a break glass in case of emergency guy, like an end-of-the-bench guy. So they could definitely use a piece in terms of a guard who can defend on the perimeter. And now you're god-awful at center. Jackson-Haze, in my opinion, isn't even good enough to be a backup center on a serious team. Christian Wood is more of a power forward to me, and he's always hurt. I think Maxi Kleba is fine as a backup center or a small ball center, but he can't be your starting center. So that has to be addressed. And I'm just a tiny bit worried about off ball play finishing.
Starting point is 00:15:03 Because assuming they use Rui in a trade for a center, they don't have much in the way of spot-up shooting beyond the stars. You have Dorian Finney Smith. You have Gabe Vincent, who's streaky, and you have Dalton who probably can't be in a playoff rotation because of his defensive shortcomings right now. you have a dire need at the center spot, you really need a guard that can defend on the perimeter and just guys that can, in those two spots, finish plays on the offensive end as LeBron, as Luca, as Austin create advantages. So I would be looking around at guys like Robert Williams. I would be seriously considering trying to facilitate that Miles Turner deal from the Pacers that's been kind of floating around in the ether. And like, it's one of those things where it's difficult to find something that addresses all of the flaws. So more likely than not, it's going to be one of those
Starting point is 00:15:54 things where Rob does the best he can, but we still are looking at some flaws on this Lakers roster when it's all done. I tried to find a deal that makes some sense. And here's just one example that I came up with. What if you call the Pacers and the Bulls? And the Pacers we know are looking for a center that doesn't want a long-term deal like Miles Turner, right? They want just like a different center option that's cheaper. I like the idea of you calling up the Pacers and Bowls and you offer Austin Reeves and Dalton Connect to the Pacers. In return, you get Miles Turner and Aaron Neesmith from the Pacers.
Starting point is 00:16:35 So you get a starting center who is an excellent play finisher, a guy who can run pick and pop, a guy who can finish on the roll, a guy that will help them on the offensive end finishing those advantages. And Aaron Neesmith, by the way, is a guy who can really defend on the perimeter, or it can knock down catch and shoot shots. That kind of solves those two roles, and both guys can be play finishers. You give up Austin Reeves,
Starting point is 00:16:55 so now all of a sudden you need a ball handler, but that's where you could look at the buyout market. Like, let's say San Antonio does pull off a deer in Fox trade. That's where a Chris Paul trade, or excuse me, Chris Paul could get bought out. And then you could be looking at Chris Paul as your backed up point guard that you sign at the veteran minimum pro-rated
Starting point is 00:17:13 for the end of the season as your backup point guard, right? Now, in order to make all this deal work, you'd have to send a center to Indiana. So you'd call up the Bulls, and you'd have the Bulls send Nicola Vucevic to the Pacers. Nicola Vucevic has two years left on his deal right around $20 million. He is older, so he's much more likely to take a discount after this deal. And he's a legitimate pick-and-pop big that will maintain the integrity of Indiana's offense as they move forward with their goals. the Bulls in order for this to work would get Rui Hachamura from the Lakers and they'd get Ben Matherin from the Pacers.
Starting point is 00:17:52 So every team kind of gets to shuffle the deck a little bit. The Bulls would get Rui Hachemura and a guy in Ben Matherin who's 22 years old and who keeps getting better. He's at 58% true shooting this year. Ben's on the way up. You get a talented young player if you're Chicago. If you're Indiana, you get Austin Reeves. That's a really good play.
Starting point is 00:18:14 to bring in at a discounted contract. Now, in order to make the deal work, you'd either have to include a minimum contract with a draft pick, probably that first round pick, or you'd have to include Dalton Connect in the deal. And you'd just leave that up to Indiana. Would you rather have the first round pick? Would you rather have Dalton connect?
Starting point is 00:18:31 You can figure that out. If you didn't send Dalton, you'd send someone like a Christian would to facilitate that deal, right? So the Bulls would get Rue Hachamura and Ben Mathrin. The Pacers would get Austin Reeves, either Christian Wood or Dalton Connect, and they get Nikola Vucevic from the Bulls, and then the Lakers would get a guy like Miles Turner and Aaron Neesmith.
Starting point is 00:18:51 That's just an example of a trade. To be clear, it's extremely unlikely. It's a long shot. I think it's more likely that the Lakers end up having to patch one of those holes. If you have to patch one, you patch the center hole. If you have any opportunity to get a guy like Robert Williams, if you can't make some sort of larger deal, you've got to take that Robert Williams opportunity.
Starting point is 00:19:14 Because then it's like you can at least patch things up with what you've got in-house. Okay, we might have to use Jared Vaynerbilt as a perimeter defender more often, right? We're going to have to stagger things so that we keep shooting on the floor as much as possible, right? There's a bunch of different things that get complicated in that process. But if you're going to patch a hole, you've got to patch that center hole as best as you can. and then if you can get a guard that can shoot and defend on the perimeter, that is the best way to go about trying to maximize this roster in the short term. Regardless of what happens, the Lakers had to do this.
Starting point is 00:19:51 Again, it's hilarious because they were starting to play well. But if the Dallas Mavericks call you up and they offer to give you Luca Danshitch, you have to take that offer and just figure out the rest later. Even if you end up losing this season in the process. And the last thing I'll say about it on the Lakers front, as a fan, I'm really curious to see what it's like rooting for Luca. I have had the same concerns with Luca that Nico Harrison has had. I've been very critical of Luca. I'm interested to see what it's like rooting for him and getting to know his game on an even more intimate level in that way.
Starting point is 00:20:26 I'm hoping that he takes this embarrassment from the franchise that drafted him dumping him. I'm hoping he takes that as a wake-up call and goes out for revenge this year. That would be the most fun outcome. That's what I'm hoping to see from him. Hey, it's us to Jonas Brothers. And guess what? We have some big news.
Starting point is 00:20:46 What's the news, huge news? We created our own podcast called, Hey Jonas. We invented a podcast? Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to it. We're the first people to do podcasts.
Starting point is 00:20:57 Pretty, yeah, pretty wide range of podcasts. We're starting a trend. But this one's extra special. So how do we actually come up with a name, Hey Jonas, guys? I honestly don't. remember. I think it was on a call about what we should call it and
Starting point is 00:21:09 we were thinking I'm originally calling it one of the early names of our band before Jonas Brothers was this is how you guys remember it going down yes I have a very different memory of this we were talking about a thing a bit for the podcast where people could call in and say
Starting point is 00:21:26 hey Jonas and then I wrote down on my little notepad hey Jonas and offered it up as a potential title for the podcast but thanks for remembering that guys listen to hey Jonas on the iHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Just listen. We don't care where you hear it.
Starting point is 00:21:43 Another podcast from some SNL, late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer, Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes.
Starting point is 00:22:04 Those people are starving for bands. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, I'm Jared Adano. You might know me as that loud guy who yells out, help on the internet. Help! Somebody! Please! But there's so much more to me than that. I'm an actor. I'm a comedian. And recently, I've become quite the helper myself. And on my new podcast, Hope from a Hippocrite, I'll be changing lives, helping people in need with my sage advice and thoughtful. solutions. Sike! I'm a comedian!
Starting point is 00:22:39 I'm not qualified to give good advice. Join me and my comedian friends as we riff, rant, recommend some of the most legally dubious advice known to man. If I'm calling you, even if you're on your phone,
Starting point is 00:22:51 let it ring twice. One ring is too scary. Oh, cream of chicken suit. Hey, cream a chicken suit. This is Help from a Hypocrite, the worst advice from the dumbest people you know.
Starting point is 00:23:04 Listen to Help from Hypocrite as part of the Mike Coutura Podcast Network available on the I-Hart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The story I've told myself about love or relationships can then shape my behavior, and that can lead me to sabotage the possibility of connection. This Mental Health Awareness Month,
Starting point is 00:23:26 tune into the podcast deeply well with Debbie Brown and explore the journey of healing, self-discovery, and returning to yourself. explore higher consciousness, emotional well-being, and the practices that help you find clarity, peace, and self-mastery in a world that can feel overwhelming. The world is becoming lonelier. We're not becoming more social and connected. We're becoming more individualized, but we actually meet people in connection. If you've been searching for a soft place to land while doing the work to become whole, this podcast is for you to hear more. Listen to deeply well with Debbie Brown from
Starting point is 00:24:05 the Black Effect Podcast Network on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. On to Dallas. I want to start by just giving you guys my personal impression from rooting for Anthony Davis over the last half decade. 80s ceiling is still every bit as high as the best players in the world. He is still, even though he's not as fast, a devastating defensive player. I think he's the best defender in the world when he wants to be. He's got excellent ability to switch and he's got excellent ability to come up to the level of the screen. He can run a deep drop coverage. He can protect the rim. He's an awesome defensive rebounder. 80's just a monster. Don't let anybody tell you differently. He's the best defender in the world when he wants to be,
Starting point is 00:24:56 in my opinion. And he's a very useful offensive player. There are certain types of guys that he can absolutely fry in one-on-one situations. Look at that 40-point game he had the other night. And then if in ball screens, if teams leave him open in the pocket, he can destroy teams just as like a vertical spacer. He's got a great floater in the lane. He's just a really useful offensive player. There's great at drawing fouls there. He's got a lot of upside there on the offense event. But there are two things that lead to his inconsistency. The reputation Anthony Davis has of being inconsistent comes from these two things. On offense, he's a bit matchup dependent. There are certain types of front court players who are both big enough to not be overpowered by
Starting point is 00:25:36 AD, but quick enough to prevent him from getting around him. In those situations, AD has to shoot shots over the top, like hooks, step back jump shots, things along those lines. And he's inconsistent as an over-the-top score. Some nights, you'll catch him and he looks like Kevin Durant. Other nights, he can't make anything. The other thing on offense is he does struggle to handle double teams in the post. That's something that just never really came together for him as an offensive player. And then on defense, he's always just been a very weird motor player. Like when he's going, he's just absolutely devastating.
Starting point is 00:26:14 Like, even on the nights when he doesn't have it on offense and he only has 17, like I've seen games with Anthony Davis where he has 17 points, 15 rebounds, and he completely dominates the game. The offense is just like when it's there, he looks like the best player in the world. When it's not, it's matchup dependent, it is what it is. But when he's going on defense, he's devastating. But he will have many nights where it just kind of looks like he's going through the motions. all Laker fans will tell you this,
Starting point is 00:26:41 which is why it's hilarious. Of all the guys that Nico Harrison wanted to bail on Luca for that this is the guy that they chose. But to be perfectly clear, I think Anthony Davis at his best is a clear top 10 guy in the league. And he makes for a very interesting Mavs roster. Even though I don't think they have the same,
Starting point is 00:26:59 even though I don't think they have the same offensive ceiling they had. But Luca, it's a very interesting team with a really interesting defensive set of personnel. They have the potential to be pretty frightening on defense. I've talked a lot about the too big dynamic with the Lakers. One of the things that's happened in recent NBA history is teams have gotten really good at bringing their ball screen defender up to the level of the screen to do a better job of containing ball handlers
Starting point is 00:27:22 and putting the onus on the playmaker to be able to make that skip pass to the corner or to thread the needle to the roll man in the middle of the lane. But teams are bringing the low man over and they're tagging that guy. It's just a really difficult job. to come over into the lane and tag a roller, but also have the athleticism and ground coverage to get back out to the corner. The too big look, what makes it appealing,
Starting point is 00:27:44 is you put Anthony Davis, instead of as the ball screen defender, you put him at the four on the back line. So now you can imagine a scenario with Derek lively coming up to the level of the screen, but Anthony Davis is the guy that's running that bracket, splitting the difference between the roll man going downhill and that skip pass to the corner. I couldn't even imagine a better option
Starting point is 00:28:06 for AD to work with in that sort of context as a role player, than a guy like Derek lively. Both guys can switch when they need to. They should have a devastating defensive connection between those two guys. And they won't be a slouch offensively because of the work that Nico did this summer to bring in extra ball handling, something I've talked about a ton. Bringing in Spencer Dinwiddie, bringing in Najee Marshall. Even their offball guys, guys like Quentin Grimes, guys like Clay Thompson that could run action
Starting point is 00:28:34 coming off of screens, they are a lot deeper. in their ball handling than they were in years past. And as we know, Kyrie Irving is a damn good basketball player who specifically thrives in tight spaces. That's the kind of upside that I see in terms of the AD Kyrie fit. In order to thrive in these tight space situations, you have to be an excellent pull-up jump shooter and Kyrie is. The front court spacing won't be pretty.
Starting point is 00:29:00 It will be hard to get to the rim with this group, which is why a guy like Kyrie becomes more valuable and is over-the-top. shooting. And they will have a ton of stops with their defense that buys them margin for error on offense. I think they need to be hunting ball handling before this Thursday. The trade that I found that I really liked this morning was from the Utah Jets. I'd call them up and I'd offer Daniel Gafford and Naji Marshall for Colin Sexton. I believe they have two tradable first after this deal if I'm reading the tea leaves properly and they could probably get this done for a lightly protected first. Colin's playing really well. He's averaging 22 points and six assists per game on 48% from the field,
Starting point is 00:29:39 41% from 3 and 89% from the foul line in this recent chunk of games. It's like 15 games or so that he's been playing at this level. So I think he would be a little bit expensive, but I think he's getable and he addresses a very specific need in terms of shot creation on this team that can really guard. I think that type of team has real upset potential in the Western Conference. Their defense will overwhelm certain teams. They would give major problems to a team like Minnesota, for instance, when they can pack the paint. They'd be dangerous versus like in Oklahoma City, a team that has struggled against teams that have packed the paint before when their shooters go cold.
Starting point is 00:30:14 But I don't think that Dallas offense is capable of reaching the level necessary to win four playoff rounds. And that ultimately is what makes this trade so absurd. It doesn't feel like there's a championship ceiling anymore with that team. I've talked a lot about this Mavs roster this year. I was really excited about what this team would look like post deadline. Luca comes back. They make a run at it because they have so many useful, talented role players anchoring two of the best advantage creators in the league in Luca and Kyrie. I wanted to see it. And that's why, I mean, it's going to be fun. I'm excited to watch the new look Mavs. I would encourage you guys to give Anthony Davis a fair shake on the nights when he's got it. You will love
Starting point is 00:30:59 that guy. But I just don't understand why they did it. I totally get why Mavs fans are super upset. I would be too. I feel bad for you guys. I'm genuinely sorry that this is happening. We're going to cover it every step of the way. I'm going to try to take a break now and decompress a little bit before I get back in town on Wednesday. If something else goes down, I got my stuff. I'll make sure that I'm here and we will cover these things in detail on Wednesday and Thursday surrounding the trade deadline. Again, I sincerely appreciate you guys for rocking me, rocking with me and supporting the show. Um,
Starting point is 00:31:34 if anything else happens, I'll let you guys know. Just keep an eye on my Twitter feed. And then if not, I will see you guys for an episode either on Wednesday or Thursday. I'll see you guys then. What's up, guys? As always, I appreciate you for listening to and supporting hoops tonight. It would actually be really helpful for us if you guys would take a second and leave a rating and a review.
Starting point is 00:31:54 As always, I appreciate you guys supporting us, but if you could take a minute to do that, I'd really appreciate it. Hey guys, it's us. The Jonas Brothers. I'm Joe. I'm Kevin. And I'm Nick. And guess what? We created our own podcast called Hey Jonas. We invented a podcast? Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to it.
Starting point is 00:32:11 We're the first people to do podcasts. We get to ask other people questions because we're sick and tired of being asked questions. Well, sick and tired is a strong way to put it. But, you know, tired and sick. Listen to Hey Jonas on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Just listen. We don't care where you hear it. Another podcast from some SNL late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and Friends.
Starting point is 00:32:34 Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and Friends on the I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.
Starting point is 00:32:57 The story I told myself can then shape my behavior, and that can lead me to sabotage the possibility of connection. This Mental Health Awareness Month, tune into the podcast Deeply Well with Debbie Brown. If you've been searching for a soft place to land while doing the work to become whole, this podcast is for you to hear more. Listen to Deeply Well with Debbie Brown from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you can. Get Your Podcast.
Starting point is 00:33:30 This is Saigon, the story of my family and of the country that shaped us. From IHeart Podcasts, Saigon. You don't think I'm serious about a free Vietnam? One city, a divided country, and the war that tore America apart. This is for Vietnam. They're pouring patril all over here. Freedom for Vietnam! There's a fire coming to this country, and it's going to burn out everything.
Starting point is 00:33:53 Listen to Saigon on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or where you get your podcasts. This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed human.

There aren't comments yet for this episode. Click on any sentence in the transcript to leave a comment.