The Mismatch - LeBron’s Loser Lakers, Zion News, and the Play-in Race With Jason Maples | The Void

Episode Date: March 3, 2022

Welcome to ‘The Void,’ where Kevin O’Connor brings you deep inside the NBA with the people who know it best. Today’s guest is Jason Maples. He is a cohost of the ‘Temple of Hoop’ podcast with Big Kings and an assistant coach for the Contra Costa College men's basketball team. (06:11) - Lakers losses are all the same (11:04) - True issues with the Lakers (21:55) - Warriors not making a move will come back to haunt them (27:51) - Clippers are title favorites if Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are healthy (33:01) - Luka’s eerily similarities (36:08) - Cade Cunningham’s upside (40:07) - Predicting where the Nets will finish (45:21) - Brandon Ingram’s improvement (51:29) - How bout dem Cowboys? Host: Kevin O'Connor Guest: Jason Maples Producer: Jessie Lopez Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The watch is the latest and the greatest in pop culture from best friends Chris Ryan and Andy Greenwald. Join them as they discuss TV, movies, music, and much more. Check out the watch on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. So last time I watched The Mavericks beat the Lakers 109, 104 in Los Angeles, Westbrook, Brick's seven jump shots, LeBron did it box out on a critical rebound. Vogel had more questionable lineups. It was all really more of the same problems for the Lakers, but I want to open today's pod with some quick thoughts about this LA collapse because the thought

I couldn't shake last night was to what lengths have the Lakers really gone to try and save their season? We know they didn't make a trade. We know the reaction to that. Unhappiness on the LeBron side. The Lakers want to be patient this summer, being able to trade two first round picks in the future. And right now the team is collapsing, though. So what I'm talking about is more the stuff behind the scenes. Does Frank Vogel want to be fired?

What the hell are with some of these lineups? Austin Reeves gets no minutes after that third-corner run, no Stanley Johnson, no Kent Baysmore after they helped bring the Lakers back in the game. Does Volga want to get fired because he knows this is a sinking ship and this is his only way out? Has the coaching staff for LeBron James himself made any effort at all to appeal to Russell Westbrook

to stop shooting jump shots? They got to use reason and emotion with him, or have they? Has LeBron done that? Maybe the coaching staff has too. but he just won't stop shooting anyway. Russ is shooting 33% outside of the paint this season. 33%. That's the second least efficient of the 60 players

to shoot at least 400 jumpers. Of 60 players, that's the second worst behind Julius Randall. I genuinely cannot understand how that player is taking seven jump shots in a must-win game against a playoff team. Russell Westbrook has been one of the worst jump shooters in league history. How's that happening?

Has the Lakers coaching staff quit? Is LeBron not willing to be that honest with Westbrook about his deficiencies and how he can help the team? For that matter, why is LeBron not playing with heart and hustle on defense like he was earlier in the season? When he was really impressive as a small ball center, I was blown away by what LeBron did. You remember David Fisdale when he was freaking out post game about us not appreciating LeBron, about how this dude just played the five for 48 minutes? That version of LeBron James is gone. What happened?

does he want a long summer? Has their relationship tarnished? Does he know something about 80s injury recovery that we don't? These are the questions on my mind. And I suspect that there's way more to this collapse than just Russ sucks. They're old. 80s hurt. This team is broken.

And teams don't break that easily. So I'm thinking about like there's a lot of great reporters covering clutch, LeBron and the Lakers. I bet we're going to find out some of the truths from some of the questions I have. But I hope we do because I really want to know why it seems like the Lakers have given up when think about the most optimistic outcome for this team. You're LeBron James, you wake up in the morning and you're thinking about how the Lakers can win the championship. You're in year 19, age 37, you know the clock is running out. You know it.

So how can you make the most of this team? You look in the mirror in the morning and you think we have LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook, An eight-man playoff rotation probably includes Malik Monk, Austin Reeves, Stanley Johnson, Carmelo Anthony, and then either Kent Baysmore or Dwight Howard depending on the matchup, and maybe both in some nights. So you get a bot in LeBron, healthy AD, a restricted Westbroker's not shooting jumpers anymore. That team isn't the favorite, obviously, but in a plan, those Lakers, they could win one or two games to get into the playoffs. and against the one-seed sons, what if Chris Paul's thumb issue

takes him into the playoffs like it was reported it could? Another injury to Chris Paul in a series against the Lakers is not out of the question. Against the two-seed warriors, what if Draymond Green doesn't have a smooth recovery

from his back injury? Against the Grizzlies, we know what can happen to young teams in the playoffs. If you get LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbro, playing to each other's strengths

with some shooters and energy guys around them, who knows? but we know that's not going to happen. The Lakers have folded. It's clear. It's obvious just watching this team. You saw it happen last night.

You've seen it 100 times this season. The Lakers are done. But there was a version of this team that wasn't a mess. A team that had stars that enhanced each other's games, a coaching staff that experimented and wasn't so stubborn, a front office that was willing to make big moves. There was a version there. There was a version that didn't include trading for Russell Westbrook,

but the version of the Lakers that we're watching have straight up quit. I just can't wait to find out why. Hey, thank you for listening to The Boy. My name is Kevin O'Connor, and we have a very special guest today, Jason Maple. So you might know from NBA Twitter. He's a coach at Contra Costa College.

He's a podcaster, co-hosts of Temple of Hoop. Jason is one of my absolute favorite Twitter presence. This guy always speaking about the Lakers and the Pelicans. So there's no better guest to have on this morning. after the morning of a Lakers collapse, a loss of the Mavericks, and Jason Maples. What's going on, Jason?

How are you doing today? What's going on, man? Appreciate you. Thank you for having me on. The Lakers right now are the nine seed, nine games back from Denver for the six seed. So they're stuck in the plan right now. They're four and a half games back from the Clippers,

for that matter, at the eight seed. So they're probably going to have to win two playing games to get into the postseason in order to actually make it, assuming they get into the plan. They're only up two games on the 10 seed Pelicans and the 11 seed Blazers. the Lakers could actually miss the playing entirely. They lost 10 of 13 games.

Jason, what was the most inexcusable moment from last night's Lakers lost? You tweeted about it with the Bron. Just for me, it's been the same general thing for me. They start out, they're okay. The other team makes their first run in the Lakers' Crumper. Having the Pelicans game, happened this game, it's having a couple other games in the second half. The team left to, you know, foot off the pedal a little bit.

they make some, you know, spirited comeback only to fall short. They just can't put together a full game. It's kind of disheartening when you consider the amount of age on that team. They should be way more mentally tough with the players on that team, but they're not. And it's just, this is probably one of them. When you compare expectations to what actually has a cord on the floor, this is probably one of the worst Lakers seasons in recent memory, you know, as far as the expectations versus, you know,

what really happens. Is there any hope for this team? Any hope? This season? No. No? Why not? Why not?

The most optimistic viewpoint is, you know, LeBron is continual what he's doing, 80 gets back healthy, or stop shooting jumpers? Is it any hope? I'll tell you the most optimistic viewpoint for me. They win the playing games and they draw Golden State. They play small.

The Lakers have to be. AD. The Warriors' weakness right now is kind of defending the paint and rebounding. You know, you get arrested AD who is recovered and you know, you make that a really tough series getting to a, you know, a game six, game seven and see what happens.

But even like that, that's like the absolutely most, you know, sunshine and roses of you. I can give you right now. Russ last night, late in the fourth quarter, he had this play that made me happy. LeBron, I think, was posting up. Ross cut to the basket and finished with the dunk inside.

And it's like, damn, more of that from Russell Westbrook would be a nice thing. Because last night, he shoots five of 17. He took seven shots outside of the restricted area and missed all of them. And four of those shots annoyed me. In the first quarter, he didn't pass after bringing it up past half court shot 16 seconds off the backboard, five seconds left at the clock at the end of the first, no room protection inside. He pulled up for two and bricked it.

And they did the same exact thing at the end of the third quarter. And he looked so frustrated with himself after that. But the most frustrating one was what he pumped faked a wide open three-pointer to dribble into a slightly less open pull-up two. And he was still open because he doesn't realize the defense is saying, we dare you to shoot. At this point, Taser, Russell Restore beats you shoot jumpsouts. Other teams are going to shake your hand at that point.

I think other coaches have made the decision. And it just made life rough on everybody else on the floor. You know, the leg is probably like so many guys. You don't have to defend outside the key. It's like really a retro early 2000s. Like it's kind of funny. It does feel like that. It really does, right?

It feels like 2000s at times with certain lineup configurations with the spacing. But with Russ, like five of 10 is a lot better than five of 17. To me, Russell Westbrook's improvements, if you get back those seven plays, or at least four of them, three of the shots I can't get mad at. But four of them, if you take back those, those four possessions, you don't know how different the game looks if he's driving on those or passing on those. And I was thinking about this last night, how has LeBron James not had a heart to heart with Russell Westbrook? How has he said to Russ? Dude, we need you to just stop

shooting jumpers. Because I would assume the coaching staff has said some conversations like that. But as the leader on the team and as LeBron James, one of the greatest players of all time, I feel like if you're doing everything you possibly can to try to save this season, isn't that one of them? How is that not happened? There's a thought on my mind. How do we know it hasn't? You know, this is one of the things being on the outside. We hope it has, but, you know, man, you hope they've had team meetings.

You hope the coaches have said something. I will say, you know, last night was a bad example. I thought in general, Westbrook had stopped with the pull-up jumpers. I mean, it started back up lately, but I thought for a minute there, he did stop with the pull-up jumpers. And I think the Lakers still weren't winning, so he just was like, man, forget I just got to beat me. But, yeah, I just, I think they probably have. I think a lot of teams, you don't like to air that stuff because it's bad for the locker room. So I'm pretty sure they have.

I think I would hope they have had conversations about the play. You would hope so. I mean, like, you know, with Bogle's lineups, I wonder if he's just trying to get fired. Like, he, if this is his way off a sinking ship, the rough stuff, it's frustrating. to me. Like, from behind the scenes, what are some things on your mind that you hope we find out from like a wind horse

or a McMinneman or Shelburne, Woj? You know, what are you hoping we find out about? I mean, it's been not frustrating, but just kind of funny to me, you know, it's right? It's like, you know, at the end of the day, we step back, it's a sport, right? We love it, but it's a sport.

So it's not like, you know, life altering. But I think the thing that's been funny to me was everything's been about assessing Blaine. Everything that's been leaked. It's all about whose fault this was, who's fault, nothing about, you know, how to fix it. And I think that's just, you know, the bad part to me, man.

It's just everybody's in, cover your tail, you know, I don't want to take the blame territory. When in actuality, I think it's everybody's fault, you know, from the top down, it started out. You know, I was one of the Lager fans who was wrong on this. I completely mis, you know, underestimated the Caruso thing. Like, that was a microcosm of a huge problem. They had every opportunity.

Caruso gets his offer from Chicago, back to the Lakers, offers to take less, but because of the luxury tax, you know, they say no. So you lose a very good player. His defensive metrics and the high test speak to themselves in Chicago, like went on and off with him on and off the floor.

So you lose that guy, which obviously you need looking at the Lakers defensively at the point of attack and a rotation. He's a decent shooter now, but that goes back to the Lakers being cheap, so that's an issue, right? Again, you go with the Westbrook trade, which is, you know, Rob, LeBron A, D.

They apparently had a meeting with the guy. We don't know whose fault is. People keep saying different things. But in acquiring rush, you give up four, three or four tradable pieces who had value around the league needed to show up the margins, right? Coos has value. You know, Trez has value for a team. KCP has value for a team.

And you come off the first to get him. That's four assets that could have been used to address whatever issues would have been wrong with the team. You know what I mean? So there's the genie being cheap. Rob in the clutch making bad basketball stitches. We'll go with these lineups. You know what I mean?

And then on top of that, even when AD was playing, him and LeBron aren't locked in every night. You know what I mean? They're coastal sometimes, not giving the requisite effort on both ends to get things done. So all that added together, you get where you are now fighting for your playoff life. Plus, on top of that, the injuries in COVID. AD's on and off the floor, a lot of COVID. Kendrick Nunn hasn't suited up a guy. signed was going to play a big part of what you were doing, hasn't suited up yet.

So those five issues altogether, and there you are, 27 and 34, fighting for your life. It's wild that this is the version of the Lakers we ended up yet. Right. I said earlier, as far as comparing the expectations to reality, this is one of the most disappointed Lakers season in the last decade, I'd say. No doubt about it. Even more so than like the Steve Nash, Dwight Howard, Kobe Lakers, right?

I mean, yeah. I mean, it's right right around. This is going to be fun. Right. The article, that's, I never forget that covered.

It's a classic cover, but it is more disappointing than that because I don't know, man. I think about this Lakers team and granted, I've never been super high on Russ. I've never been a big Russ guy. There was a version of this team

that worked better if just one of those things was better, if they had health. Right. If they made a certain trade, if Jeannie Bus and Lakers ownership wasn't cheap. You know, because I talked about last week, I'm my father with Jason and Sapsione, he brought that up. He's like, with the Lakers, people assume because they're the most valued franchise

that they are swimming in cash. But the Lakers are, their business is the Lakers, you know? They're not like selling oil. Yeah, right. Or like, you know, they're not business tycoons. The Lakers are their family business. Yeah, I found that out a couple years ago, people were I was talking about somebody the Lakers signing these guys

and not, I remember I was arguing with someone, they should just wait for AD and keep the kids. They were like, no, they're not going to pay all those players because the Lakers aren't as cash heavy

as people think they are. So that's what I learned about that. I mean, that's what's going to be interesting this off season. Because you have, like, Brian Windhorse said on his pod, the hoop collective last week,

I think it was. He's like, a lot of smart people around the NBA are talking to him about, you know, maybe they should trade LeBron and AD instead of, trading Russ and their two future first round draft picks in 27 and 29 to get something else.

Like maybe pull the plug earlier rather than trying to make it work with this team that's dysfunctional and flawed, which I don't agree with it. But that's why some people say that. I mean, you know, on a video game maybe, right, but in real life, here's the thing. Do that with LeBron James. You already had a drought trying to get star players for X amount of years, right? you treat LeBron James like that and it's hard to convince

another superstar to come in as prime which is the Lakers way of doing it. I think it has to change but that's what they do. They buy their time when a superstar becomes available. They throw the whole, this is L.A.

This is the Lake Show life at him. Luke is going to be the next slide. Luke is going to be next. So if they want to keep that, keep that M.O., you can't do that to LeBron unless he asks. You absolutely can't do that.

You got to just ride it out trying to make the best with them. Because if your M.O. was going to be, we get the stars here. You can't treat them like that when they get here. You got to ride it out. 100% agree with it. 100% there.

And like if LeBron asks, it's a totally different conversation. AD asked. Only if he asked. It's a different thing. And if AD did ask, I mean, look,

if LeBron asks, I'm sad and disappointed and pissed off. If I'm working for the Lakers or a Lakers fan. But if it's AD, you know, I'm intrigued. You get something great back in return for him. But the funny thing is, the inverse of this is, like, trading Russ and they're 2027 and

29 first. When I talk to people around the league about those picks, they're like, those picks are going to be really, really valuable. Like, if you're projecting teams that are going to suck in 2027 and 29, you're projected that the Lakers are probably going to suck because an older AD, or he's gone, no LeBron, unless they learn Luca, you know, unrestricted in 2027. It's not happening. They still got Jeannie B and cheap. Kurt Rambe's making decisions from the shadow GM, but I'm definitely what that big. Exactly, exactly.

Being a big market team doesn't prevent you from sucking. The Knicks have sucked for decades. The Lakers had dark years, as you mentioned. And, you know, 2027, 29, those picks could actually be very valuable. But I'm still not sure, you know, like you talked earlier about the Lakers and the decisions that they've made that led to this point.

One of those is not being aggressive at the deadline when they could only trade the 2027 first. But like waiting until the summer, if you offer, let's say you call up Sam Presti in O KC, I don't think you're getting Shea Gildes-Alexander for Russ is expiring with the two future first. Like the picks are valuable, but they're not that value. You know, so like I'm not sure what's actually going to be out there for the Lakers in the years to come.

Here's my thing about that, the deadline issue. This was one of the few things I was kind of with Belink on because my thing is, if you trade for you get off Russ snap first right you get John Wall who we haven't seen play in two and a half three years and Christian Wood I think that was like rumored to be in addition to it but you lose THT and that pig along with Russ. How much did you really improve? Did you really close the gap on Phoenix or go to the state of Memphis? You have to really evaluate that and say we can try that just to say we did something and then shoot ourselves in the foot for down the road. we actually have a chance to retool. So I think the leg is probably weighed that.

And we're like, I don't think anything closes the gap this year on those teams. So it may have been a punt on the season, which, you know, you kind of, you don't want to hear as a fan, but you look at it, you know, logically, you understand why they didn't make that deal. Yeah, I understand it. I mean, there's certainly logic awaiting to be able to deal both those first rather than just one of them. I think, yeah, one thing for sure, that team is going to look completely different next year. Like, they are, oh, that's coaching, I'm talking on down. I'd be shot if this team doesn't look totally different last year.

Because, like, how do you not change a team that has LeBron James that has quit? Like, this team has just straight quit when you watch them play. And, you know, you think about, like, the great teams, like, just at the top of the West, Suns, Warriors, Grizzlies, those three teams, you said it earlier, from ownership to front office to coaching staff to players, it's connected. There's an aligned vision. the Lakers don't have an aligned division at all. Not, it won't bit.

I think somebody made a great point. Shout out OG Ricky G on the timeline. He said he's a Warriors. The biggest thing, the difference he recognizes in the Warriors and the Lakers. You may not even agree with everything that the Warriors have done, but they have a basketball philosophy. There's a type of player or a type of individual they want on their team. The Lakers don't have that.

It's more so we're going to throw things at a wall and then hopefully it sticks around me start. But the lake, the Warriors have a basketball like last year they got away from it. They just sure they're back to high IQ, guys that can pass, guys that can defend. And they got right back in there. They didn't have those guys in Ubra and baseball last year. But they have them with, they replaced those guys with, you know, auto quarter, good shooter, passer. Igloff comes back, defender, passer high IQ guy.

Right in line with like what their core values are as an organization. I don't think the Lakers have any core values as an organization. I think that's kind of the elephant in the room right now for what they're trying to do, decision-making wise. Gold State, like, granted they've lost some games recently, including last night to Minnesota. They lost 129, 114 to Minnesota. Carly with any towns went off for 39 points on 22 shots. And Minnesota right now, I mean, they're three back from Denver for the six-seat and a playoff lock. They're six up from the Lakers for the nine-seeds.

So the wolves right now, they're in a great spot. And as I talked about with Chris Vernon on the mismatch on Tuesday, they just need to figure out how to get stops on defense while maintaining this elite offense right now. And Cat, like Cat had 39 points last night, 22 shots, 11 free throws. Looney wasn't quick enough to stay in front of him. Nobody could stop him on the post. And I watched that thinking, you know, Kat's playing free. He's dominating here.

But here we go again because it's not the first time this season that a big has dominated the Warriors. is it? I got to upset some warrior fans because I brought the trade deadline. I was like, the Warriors get a big kid. They can really put themselves in, you know, it might cost you a moody or a Wiseman, guys who might be really good down the line, but you can pretty much submit yourself as the favorite if you get a, you know, even a Miles Turner, right? And maybe Wiseman does protect me better than him down the line, which is obviously what they weighed. But, you know, I think standing pat may have really, you know, hurt the warriors down. Especially if Draymond's back, the back injuries are always nifty.

That's a lot of pressure on Draybond to come back and bang with, you're talking about possibly, you know, Kat, Stephen Adams, and J, Triple J in Memphis, and then in the conference finals, you know, Aiden, right? So that's a lot to put on Draybom off the back injury, plus a rookie kid. Weiseman who has no experience in games that matter. So I think the Warriors made a mistake only going to standing pat with the 15 they have because they love their young guys. They might be good down the road, but I think, you know, you got a top 15 player ever playing still at the peak of his game and not going all in at the deadline, I think,

may have been a boobo on the Warriors' behalf. But right now they're going with Looney and they're just playing small the rest of the game when they're just getting eight up inside by team. Zubok put a 2010 up. Zubots had a big game, man. Like it's not just Yokic, it's not just cat. It's like Zubots. That's the scary part.

It's just any team with the center that can, you know, walk into bubble gun at the same time, it's like, you know, you can be skilled and all you want. But at the same time, this game is about advantages and height is one of them. You're closer to the basket. That's rebounding. You know, that's friend protection.

That's easy buckets. You know, throwing the ball inside. And I think it wears the Warriors down, you know? And they're late, they're tired late in games. They're working really hard in all game to come up to overcome the size disbandaries they are. So absolutely, absolutely. I mean, I think you nailed it when you talked about like how it accumulates over the course of a potential postseason.

Like first round, battle in Zubots, maybe Warriors win that series you get by. But as it adds up second round conference finals, that's a lot to ask from Dream on Green to handle all of that, considering everything else he does on defense. Like, Draymond is your defensive quarterback. He is the guy who runs everything, communicating, speaking more words than anybody.

He has more responsibility than maybe anybody on defense in the entire league. Does this, it isn't necessary for James Wiseman to be competent for the Warriors to win the finals? Yes. I think he's got to be, even if it's just, you know,

15 minutes, 10 to 15 minutes a game, you know, even if it's just because at that, at that, you can, you know, limit Looney to maybe 20 minutes. You know, James plays this 10 to 15.

Then you can fill the rest with Raymond, you know, just to ease his load. But he's got to be able to give them something in 10 to 15 minutes, even if it's just, even if they got to dumb down their offense a bit while he's on the floor to make him more. But defensively, they just need him to be deterrent and rebound and just, you know, a lot of opposing centers have career nights. And I just, if I'm the Warriors, I'm just, I know they don't care about the home court. But a second round Memphis series, man, if you look at the this year and last, the way those teams play, Memphis, for some reason, they match up pretty well with Golden State.

They got a superstar that, you know, in his mind, feels he's, you know, equal to Curry, which he might be this season if you look at him play. They got a guy that beat you up inside, which is against what the Warriors, you know, the Warriors' weaknesses, Triple J, somehow got some toughness this year. Adams is, you know, what he stands for, you know, as far as, you know, toughness and rebounding and setting screens. And then they got Bain. Elyn Brooks is going to come back. So that second round series is going to be, you know, man, if I'm the Warriors, I'm not looking forward to that.

That's a long series, in my opinion. Just hearing you talking about the Grizzlies, are they an underrated finals contender? Yes, I think I saw somebody. You think so? I said, it's Phoenix Golden State. It may be a beat behind. is the grizzlies.

And that's just because of the experience. Are they ahead of the nuggets with Murray and Porter Jr.? That's a great, you know, because Yokic is, Yolkich is growing up in the last couple of years. That dude is something we've never seen before. But the thing is, next year probably not, because I think those guys have to catch a rhythm first. It's tough to come.

I got three weeks to get ready for playoff basketball. You know, that's only, but next year, and I tell us my next year, do you think the West is tough this year? you got Kauai and PG coming back full string and you got Yokets getting high level players back to the long as I wouldn't. And he's still carrying

that team no playoff berbs. So it gets even more hectic next year. You mentioned the Clippers getting Kauai and Paul George back. They got a win last night as well against the Rockets. Four and a half up on the Lakers now, which flows by by so many games on the Lakers. But like this team, this roster aside from Paul George

and Kauai Leonard, this is, is a team that's ready for Kauai, Leonard, and Paul George. You know, the Lake Clippers, if they were to get them back in April or sooner with George. Yeah, that's... I mean, you mentioned, like, not a lot of ramp up time for the Nuggets with Murray and Porter Jr. And that would be also true for the Clippers with George and Kauai. But I can't, I can't shake the thought on my mind if, like, they do get those guys back. Like, surprise, Kauai's back. Right, right.

And then they're running out lineups of Paul George, Kaui Leonard, Robert Covington, Morris, Batum, like five guys who are six foot eight, six foot nine that can defend multiple positions and rebound. Like, oh my God. Yeah, like again, like we just talked about, you know, clippers have organizational value. They have an archetype of player. They like, they know how they want to build their team. You tie loop. I need switchable wings. I think guys I can get to the rim. I don't necessarily the point guard, but we got guys like to penetrate and kick will move the ball well enough. Like they have a style of play they want to build around. And I think, you know, going back to the Lakers, they just, they don't have that.

But the Clippers, I think Ty Lou, it's human-sponsor for me for the best coaches in basketball, in my opinion. I agree. And I just, you know, when Tylo is done with that group this year, you got your 50-plus points out the lineup every night and still, you know, being competitive over 500 in the playoffs and just competing every night. You know, they rarely get blown out. They're in every game. It's just, you know, the lack of talent or close. They don't have a closer right now, per se, even though Randy Jackson and clutch numbers are insane this year, which is kind of hilarious. given where Kawhi was looked at them funny in a bubble a couple years ago, but his touch numbers.

It's amazing how much Reggie Jackson has changed at that moment. But if you know, guys get in the right situation, you know what I mean? They adapt. So, yeah, man, the Clippers, I think if they had Kauai and PG, they'd probably be the favorite this year. The favorite? Yeah, with the continuity coming back, they'd be the way. Why is that? I think the continuity they have would have had coming back, not a lot of roster turnover.

I thought Kauai was playing like the best player in basketball before he tore his ACL. That playoff where it was just insane. Insane. It's like 60% shoot. It's mostly on jumpers. And he still gives you not maybe quite what he was defensively in San Antonio, but still, you know,

damn good on that end. So even like 80% of peak Kauai on defense is still one of the better defenders of basketball. Right. So, you know, I think the Clippers would have been the favorite this year. They had, you know, they had the great coach. that the superstar player

the number two and a bunch is shooting I look at their spacing members from last year like Kauai and Piji were both in the like 90 plus percentile was spacing the round so when they beat you and you double

that that team just made you pay last year they shot the ball so well I don't know anything about the potential for a return I don't know anything but I can't help but wonder if you know everything's always quiet around Kauai Leonard

I can't help but wonder if there's actually a chance he does come back and it just comes out of nowhere. We get a random Wodebomb in late March or Shams tweets about it. Like, would that surprise you? Like, we get something out of nowhere. Kauai might come back in two weeks.

It wouldn't surprise me because he signed the four-year extension. And he even said it before the season. He's like, I signed the long-term deal because if I signed the one-year deal, I wouldn't come back because then I'd sign the five-year mag. Like, he said it. There's no financial danger for, you know, getting hurt again and missing.

So I think if he can, he'll give it a go. So on the other side of that, Lakers' loss was the Mavericks win. I want to talk about Dallas real quick because we have this new look team that trade Chris Staps, Porzinger's for Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertons. Ben Dinwiddie last night had an okay game. Bertons was 0 for 4 in 10 minutes. What's your evaluation of this new look Mavs team and how it has impacted? So I've seen two game.

I saw the whole entire Mavericks. like Mavericks Warriors game the other night. Then I saw this one all the way through. Didn't what he'd made, he played very well against the Warriors, but I think he didn't shoot it well last night, but what he does do,

he takes such a load off Luca with the ball handle. And it's weird because people see Luca in the NBA and say, you know, oh, that's hard and he has it out of time. If you listen to him talk and how he plays in his country, he doesn't like playing that way. Like he wants to give the ball.

ball up and have other guys. He just hasn't had that. I think now with Brunson and Demwitty, I think that's what he wanted, more ball handles. And I think this made Dallas more dangerous. You know, Bertan is up and down with his, you know, with his shooting. But that team defends

under kid. Kids got them defending now. I think with those ball handlers, it's just, there'll be, there'll be a beast to play because Luca is going to be the best player on the floor in a lot of series he plays in. He's the team. isn't on par. And I think that in the playoffs, it, you know, closes the gap when you have the best

player in the series. And I think that's why Dallas is, even though like those Clippers series, Clippers had a way better team, but Luca was, you know, outplaying Kauai for multiple games in the series. And, you know, it's 2-2 going to a swing game five, right? Kauai has to go for almost 50 to get him off his back. So it's just, they're going to be a tough to play just because the Luca factor. He's just that amazing. you mentioned how amazing Kauai was playing in those series I mean look averages 31

10 and 9 in 2020 and then the last year he averages 36 I'm saying yeah I mean like it's nuts what he was doing in that series and he'll probably do it again if not even better this season with the amount of spacing he has around it with the kind of the reoriented lineup

I just the way he maestroes a game like the slows it down on a tempo I'm going to get the look we want It's just, you know, it's eerily reminiscent of LeBron, you know, controlling the tempo, like the little older age of LeBron. We're going to slow down, no, I'm going to take you in the post here. I'm going to get this bigger roll here. I see a weakness.

I'm going to get that shot or put that guy on an island that's just like he's just very scientific with how he plays offensively at times, especially late in games. It's just like it's beautiful to watch. Why is it beneficial for Luca to share the ball with other guys like Brunson, Dinwiddie, who can create for him rather than just him doing everything Hardin style? I think because as you saw, I'm glad you brought the name of Hardin up.

I think it's because, you know, you wear it down over the course. You know, a lot of James Hardin's playoff, you know, foibles can be, you know, reduced down to fatigue. You've got a guy, you know, 35, 36, 37 precision's use over a whole year and into the playoffs. You know, you think, you know,

teams start keying on you every other night. I think it wears you down. I think having other guys you can do stuff, you know, it's kind of that less is more theory. You know, we'd rather have Luca do less than he can close games for us. They can get better effort on defense, which he's doing this year,

which is the big thing for me with Luca this year, definitely much better defensively than what we've been used to over the last couple years. So I think that's why it's, you know, it's beneficial to have other ball hails on the team. Tap and fire questions. One question for each team that we haven't touched.

The Wizards beat the Pistons. 116 to 113. Kyle Coosma had another strong game. You mentioned him earlier when talking about the Russell Westbrook trade with how good he's been. He had 21, 21 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists. He's averaging 22, 10, and 4 since late December, over 27 games. So this isn't just some, you know, short-term streak here. Why is everything clicking for Cusma? I just think natural progression. You know, his rookie year, he got a lot more touches, but then obviously, you get LeBron James, you know, he's the best player, you know, best player in a real conversation.

You're going to, you know, you're just going to go down. I did think, you know, watch him with Ron. You know, he did learn how to play. Obviously, he works on his game. You know, he's developed. He's not a guy's going to be a spot up, not comfortable being a spot up shooting, which is what his role was, with the Lakers a lot. I think is

we know, with, you know, with more opportunity it comes growth. They did, they started off high and hit a rough patch, but I think he's starting to, you know, stabilize and find out who he is the player, which is, you know, It's good to watch, you know. He wasn't my favorite Laker, you know, but I did respect the sacrifices he made and the leaps he made defensively to make himself a championship role player.

So, you know, you got to respect that. Cade had 20 points in that loss. He's stringing together a better stretch here, a little bit more consistent. What is Cade's ceiling? Is he all-N-B-A guy? Yes. Multi-time, all-time. All-N-B-A guy.

All-N-B-A-guy. Fringe-M-M-BP, consideration. I think he's that good. Why? Well, what's the, why? What do you see in Cade's game to see that level of upside? When you have a guy who's legitimately, you know, six, seven, six, eight with point guard vision, can shoot it.

It's just a matter of, you know, the experience, and they get better pieces around him in Detroit. And I think it's just, I saw it in college. So that Baylor team shut down everybody. Everybody. They played Cato, Oklahoma State with no other pros on the team, and he put them down twice. It's just, you know, moments like,

that. It was like, okay, he's got it. And then I see him late in games, even, you know, in Detroit, you know, he's taking games by the horns, directing traffic, getting guys where they need to be. I think he grows, like the more he grows, getting used to NBA speed. The biggest thing for guards, I think, is getting used to the speed of the game. And I think once he, you know, you know, grapples with that, the sky's limit. I still think he's number of people. Like, Mowbly is great. I love Jailene Green still, even though the, not shooting in great. Scotty Barnes, I still think, K is the best player. at the end of the day here.

So we'll talk about another one because the Raptors beat the Nets 109-108 and Scotty Barnes made winning play after a winning play in that fourth quarter. I mean, he's a rookie, but plays like a veteran, kind of like Cade. Cade plays older than his actual ages.

What's Scotty Barnes is sailing as a player? See, the basis that everybody does make the any wing that shows the lazy thing is to say Kauai, right? That's everybody says with these wings who show stuff early, but I'm thinking for Scottie, man, he's just got a real OG thing

to like an OG like an OG like on the old guy 24 hour fitness like just knows how to win whatever it takes to win he like has that vibe to his game you know I love watching Scottie I'm trying to think what's a good cop for him

that's not Kauai I mean Raptors fans Raptors fans uh the most optimistic Raptors fans say how about like a less athletic Janus that's what the most optimistic Raptors fans say man when I'm like a you know

I try to stay I try to stay I try to stay away from all-timers, man. I know. That's scary. John Yannis is an all-timer, and his development was different as it itself. But she's maybe some Igwadala, you know, with the defendant two-way. A bigger version of him.

Yeah, like me real smart. Heady makes winning plays. Maybe not, maybe won't be your, your leading score, but be your second or third best player and be like a connector. You know, I can see like. You want to hear some dumb comparisons that I had in my draft guide for Scotty Barnes. Draymond Green was the first one, which I think makes a little bit of sense.

Pascal Seacom was the second. Makes a little sense, big jumbo-sized ball handler. The third one, this is the dumb one. I said, taller and bulkier Michael Carter Williams. Really dumb.

That was like a worst-case cop. But like, if you think about it, though, a six-foot-eight, 240-pound Michael Carter-Williams. That's a better play. That's not a bad player. That's pretty good.

But yeah, I think, yeah. but Scott, I think, yeah, because I thought, well, they weren't going to take Suggs because of the, you know, they got, they just paid Fred. So, but I like, I like, I like, I like, I like, I like, I like, I like the whole top, the whole top five, honestly. You know, you know, Sond isn't playing great. I like the top, I like the entire top five with his job. You too. I agree.

I still think Suggs is going to turn out to be a good player. Just needs to figure out the scoring. On the other side of that is the Nets, their four and a half games back from the Celtics now for the six seed, three up from the 11th. seed wizards falling out of a plan potentially. They're going to get Kevin Durant back on Thursday night, we're being told multiple reports say that. But over the next week, the Nets have games against the heat

at home, then road games against the Celtics, Hornets, and Sixers. In one week, what's more likely to be the conversation, Jason? Nets in danger of missing the play-in, or Nets making a late push for a playoff lock for a top six seat? What's more likely to be the conversation?

I think they're actually going to stay in that playing spot. I don't think they'll fall out. I think when Katie... So it stays right in the middle. They're not going to push you the way. Yeah, I think they're going to stay in the playing spot. You know, anytime Katie's on the floor, you have a shot, he's one of those guys. He's got to get him, you know, staying on the floor.

I don't know Ben Simmons said to. I know he had a setback with his back recently. That's going to be a big key. And, you know, the mandates are... I'm sorry, the mandate still keep Kyrie out of home games, I think, even with the changes. Is that right? Mm-hmm. Yes.

That's what we understand right now. That's a tough. It doesn't make any sense to me. and I'm a pro I'm a pro-vax guy but you know. Oh yeah. I'm triple-vexed.

I wear my mask in everywhere. You know how it is in California, but it doesn't make any sense. Yeah, I'm like, so he can go to the games, but he, I guess when he plays, his breath becomes more COVID-y,

I guess, but I just... He can sit in the stands and go buy a popcorn and a beer and walk around without his mask on and sit down at the stands

without his mask on. That's okay. But he can't be in the locker room with 20 guys and coaches. He can't said on the bench, he can't be on the court, which it is the stupidest rule. It makes no sense. Right. They need to change it. Like, it just makes no logical sense. So I think, you know, so they just got to get everybody here. I love the nets when they're helping. But, you know,

we were just talking earlier with the nuggets and the clippers. You know, there's something, you know, see, he said about the ramp up time. You know, guys have got to, you know, get rhythm. Obviously continuity is going to be needed, but, you know, Ben's a big piece, a big part of what they want to do. So he's going to have to, you know, get acclimated playing with KD and then, you know, the Kyrie situation, that's crazy, he might not be allowed to play home, playoff games. They got to change that.

I'm operating as if, I've said this like two, three weeks ago, I'm operating as if Kyrie will be a full time ago. That's just the way I'm thinking about it. There's just too much momentum in that direction for them not to change that rule in there. It just doesn't make enough, not that,

not that rules or laws make a lot of sense, you know, nationally, internationally, uh, this is one it definitely doesn't make sense. Also last night, the Celtics beat the Hawks 107-98. Jalen Brown turned his ankle three minutes into the game.

And as of recording Wednesday morning, we don't have news on that as far as I've seen with his condition. But assuming he does get back healthy from that, are the Celtics finals contenders? French. French. French, but my thing is on the bubble, and the Memphis category,

like we talked about earlier? Maybe slightly behind it. Okay, that's fair. When you defend like they have been the past couple months, and you have a closer like Tatum, you're tough to play. Because you got a superstar who has no problem, you know, taking the range of a playoff game,

at home or on the road. You defend, like nobody's business. You know, the East is going to be a bloodbath from round one. Imagine you're Chicago, you do all this, you know, surprise team of the season, end up with the second seed. Congratulations. You get to play a fully healthy name. next team and in round one, God bless.

You know, what I'm saying? You know, so it's like, it's so shitty. Right. If you're the Bulls or whoever ends up, the one, the two seed probably,

because the Nets probably get the seven. Like, man, that sucks, dude. You want to be in the, you probably want to be in the four or five saw, but this is why you can't play off. You can't plan for seating,

though. Yeah, because you could say, we want to be in the four or five, but like the Nets could end up the eight. You just got to play. It's so nice with the playing. I love it.

It makes it so much better. And then the Hawks, the Hawks are only a game up on the Wizards right now. They go to the East finals and they're only a game up on the Wizards. They could slip out of it. It's not impossible.

Yeah, I think the East is just really rough right now. It's just, I think that that pendulum might be. I remember the West was, you know, the Marines and the East was ROTC for me. I think the gap is closing. I remember the East.

100% is closed. There were like 35 win teams getting a, seed knees for it. It was crazy. And now we're at a point where the Hawks are on the fringes of actually missing the postseason and it's deep. Like there's a lot

of good teams in the Eastern Conference. Last team I want to discuss here, Jason, is the New Orleans Pelicans. We got some news this morning. The Pelicans announced that Zion Williamson has had some improved bone healing with the fifth metatarsal in his right foot and they're going to

gradually progress to full weight bearing exercise and basketball activity. but the last line and the report from them is Zion remains out indefinitely, which is too bad. I mean, we'll see if he's able to get back this season. I look at the Pelicans this year, man, and I'm watching the way they're performing after the acquisition of C.J. McCollum, Larry Nance could come back soon.

You got Brandon Ingram playing the best basketball of his life, defending like he was back in L.A., playing hard. And the playmaking improvement, in addition to the scoring ability, he's just a complete guy. So one of the things I'm wondering about is when Zion returns, he's returning to a better Ingram. He's returning to C.J. McCollum. And with Ingram, his passing progression, how has he evolved in that way since he was a young player with L.A.? I think the big thing is, like even up to last year when he got better at it, he would have these predetermined notions about what he's going to do before he drove. And I think the biggest step for me is he's playing the moment as, and that's very hard to do. It's very hard to do to make that.

split-second decision like the defender comes go here. But I think he's doing a great job, but when he drives, not having his mind made up. I think that's a big step for anybody to become a great playmaker. I think that's the step he's taken this year. That's a great way to frame it. Driving, you know, attacking the basket without having your mind made up. You know, you're not going in with thinking I'm going to score. You're just going in.

You're just driving. It's a process kind of, it's a process-oriented mindset rather than results with what you're going to do in the end. end. I mean, I think what you just said about Ingram, similar to me in C.J. McCollum, like, he's not a playmaker. He's not a pass-first guy by any means. But I think he's a much better playmaker than what people are giving him credit for at the time of the trade. People act like C.J. McCollum is a ball hog. He's not. McCollum can pass the ball a little bit. He was playing. He was playing off a game. He's playing off a game. Yeah, he's playing out of a game.

Exactly. And now he's being more of a playmaker. Well, what's your been in your evaluation of C.J. McCollum since the Pelicans got him. Just great. And even the intangible stuff, you know, talking to guys, he said he took BI out for some wine. Like, B.I. had a rough first couple games, and he took him out. You know, they had some wine. And he was like, this is your team, you know, let me fit in around you, like saying stuff like that.

You know, even going to Bath for Zion, who he hasn't even met, you know, face to face yet. You know what I mean? Since he's been a pelican. I just think he just filled a really big leadership boy and off the court, go on the court, the number speak for themselves. Just amazing. I think the PPP is like near the top of the league

since he's been in the Pelican. It's crazy. The efficiency he's been. I think just he's just freed up Ingram so much. Like when Kings trapped Ingram, they're being made to pay for on the weak side right now. He's just getting his one-on-one situation. He's just tearing the team apart.

Defensively, it hasn't been great, but it's better than I thought it would be. I thought that would be the big, cumongous hurdle, like, defensively. But, you know, Herb Jones, you know, covering a lot on that end. I love her, Joe, so much, man. You're just saying his name brings a smile to my face.

You know, he'll be on all NBA defensive teams. This entire career probably after this year. Oh, yeah. So I just love what, you know, he's bought, CJ's bought to that team from a leadership and, you know, on the coin effect from the standpoint. Just, you know, I mean, people were complaining about the cost in his age.

And I'm like, you know, Ingram's in his seventh year, still hasn't made the playoffs. You know, Jonas is 30. You know, they just extended him, you know, at some point, you just can't keep kicking the we're going to rebuild thing can down the road. You got to get players that are going to help now. And I think that's, you know, what Griff did and the success for me. For sure. No, I'm with you, man. I think this Pelicans team, they're ready for Zion. They're just ready to take him on. Like, you have your scores slash playmakers,

shot creators, and C.J. McCall and Brennan Ingraham. You know, you mentioned Stephen Adams earlier, how tough of a matchup he'll be for some centers in the playoffs, but he wasn't the best fit. Yeah, that was, I never said Adams couldn't play. I just thought to fit alongside Zion, in addition to having a digerum out there.

It's just, the spacing was terrible. Valentuna's is a way better fit. Like, he can space, he's shooting 38% three on multiple tennis per game. He can spot up, pick and pop. He can feast inside to,

like, Valentuna's is just a way better fit for Zion. And then, then Herb Jones, Herb Jones is so important because he's taking the opponent's best player, regardless of position, which alleviates the pressure off of Brandon Ingram from having to do it, and alleviates the pressure off of C.J. McCollum from having defend anybody on the perimeter. He can kind of do his thing off ball. So you bring Zion into that. If he were to come back either this by the end of the season, which we haven't heard anything

about that, about that possibility. But if he did, you're talking about a starting five of McCollum, Ingram, Valanchunis, Herb Jones, and Zion. That's a team with size, scoring, all five players can create, because that's the thing that's underrated about Herb Jones. He can bring the ball up the court for you. He can attack a closeout. Yeah, that's what they love how Herb attacks closeout.

And he's attacking in transition. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So, yeah, it's just, you know. And I think that... He was a complete team, doesn't it? I thought Nance was like filler and wasn't going to play this year. Like, you talked to Larry Nance.

He's like, no, I can't wait to play for the New Orleans belt. Like, when he people talk to him, he was like, I'm trying to get back out there this year to play for the New Orleans party. Even he adds a little bit of versatility, you know, small ball five, the switching defender, you know.

Tony Snell shooting two for that matter. That's funny. I was like, they got Tony Snell making a shout. I think over the all-star break, I think, you know, Willie Green, you know, got to shout out him for, you know, not letting the team sink after a one and 12 start. He made some very good line-up adjustments over the break. I think two of them was, you know,

one was pushing DeBonte Graham to his rightful role, which is a six-man. DeBonte's been much more effective coming off the bench. He's just not really a starter. I think the other thing is, you know, taking Garrett Temple out the rotation because he just wasn't making any shots. It wasn't defending. So I think those two things have just made a ton of, you know,

a ton of impact these, you know, first couple of games after All-Star break. They definitely made some adjustments. Do you think they're going to be a playing team even without Zion? Like, do they hold on to the spot? They're currently the 10 seed right now. I think so, you know, let's say the Lakers hold on the 9, and they pass the legures at 9. So they're a tie with the Blazers at 10.

The Spurs are one and a half behind. That's what it is right now. I think Portland schedule is hellacious the next couple weeks. A bunch of contending teams. I think Portland's going to fall off. But I think, you know, Poppich doesn't believe in tanking,

so the Spurs will be right there. I think that'll be their competition to ultimately is holding off the spurs and, you know, trying to catch the Lakers. But I think they'll make it. It'll be fun to see them play at a game of meeting at the end of the season to see what happens.

So that that'll be fun to watch. My last question for you. How about them cowboys? Why? you almost got honey. Come on, man. You know, my therapist has finally allowed me to, you know, move forward. I still will be wearing all black on football Sundays.

You know, the healing has not, it's not all the way done, sir. So, you know. Kahnis has one question. Is keeping Zeke Elliott over Amari Cooper as it seems like they might do the right choice? You know, for Jerry it is because, you know, Zeeb says a lot of uniform. but, you know, it's just, I hate it because, you know, you don't want to devalue the human being, but if you look at the value of the position of the running back,

no good team has a high-paid running back on the salary. It's just, it's such a dependent position with the offensive line, the quality of the quarterback, you know, so you just need a passable guy there who can get you, you know, four to five yards of pop. You don't need to, you know, don't even get me starting. I mean, like Tony Pollard. That's what I'm saying.

For the Cowboys. And on top of that, you know, they pretty much run Zeke into the ground this first six years. So it's just a lot of trend. He's like over 350 touches a year for five straight years on top of that. So it's just, you know, I'm not looking forward to that. I'm not looking for it next football season. I'm telling you that. So you're a Lakers fan, a Cowboys fan.

What's your baseball team? Do you have a baseball team? Seattle Mariners, man. Seattle Mariners. Hell yeah. I love the Mariners. It's funny. I grew up a Red Sox fan, but before I was a Red Sox fan, I was a Ken Griffey Jr. fan. It's funny. Because everybody says, oh, you like the Legers and Cowboys. Who do you like the Yankees too? It was like, that's the joke. That's the joke back in all the time. But no, I hate the Yankees. Okay, good. Ever since I saw I saw Ken Griffey Jr. take a swing. I've just, I've been a Mariners fan ever since. I saw in the mid-90s. It's like, that's been my squad. It is they have not made that. They have not made a playoff. come in after that. Oh yeah,

each real A-R-R- Comes in after, yeah, exactly, some good teams. Remember Felix Hernandez when he was nasty when he was coming in? Man, I just, I hate that. He's probably the best pitch who never got the pitch of the playoff game. It's crazy how they did,

how they wasted his whole career. He probably the best pitch of ever, never got the pitch in the playoffs. That's insane. I don't think I realize that he never pitched until this moment. I just pulled up his baseball reference page. He never played in the playoffs,

because I kind of stopped watching baseball in the early 2010s. I didn't realize he never. Mariners had the longest playoff drought in America of professional sports. Longest playoff job in America professional sports. NBA, MLB, NFL, hockey, Mississippi, longest playoff drought in professional sports. They missed it by one game this year. They almost made it.

Oh, wow. They were 90 and 72 this year. How does 90 and 72 miss the playoffs? How many 90 win teams in baseball? history of missed the post season. The A.L. was a blood back. Didn't they also expand the postseason and the meritor still missed? Yeah. They added a team. They missed.

But they said this year, I guess if they ever get that together, they're going to expand the 12 teams. Well, let's hope they do. Jason, I love this conversation with you, man. This is fun. Oh, yeah, it's dope. I love talking to move, man. Thank you, man. Appreciate you coming on the board. It's all good, man. Thank you, Matt. You can follow Jason Maples on Twitter at J.J. Maples 55 underscore

MST. I love Jason's feed. It is very enjoyable on basically a nightly basis. A big thank you to him for joining The Void. Thank you to Jesse Lopez for producing this week's episode. And thank you to you for listening. If you really enjoyed this episode, please pass along the link to a friend who you think might like the show that really does help and also leave a rating and review on Spotify or Apple, wherever you're listening to your podcast, that really does help the show. Thank you so much. I'll talk to you on Friday with Chris Vernon, another episode of The Mismatch. It'll be back next Wednesday with another episode of the board. Have a very week.