The Clippers & Lakers Could Shake Up The Playoffs

This story with LA is just remarkable.

You go back to late December, they're 6 and 20, looking like they're lost, 6 and 21 after getting beat in Oklahoma City.

And all of a sudden, they have turned it around, and nothing seems to be derailing this upward momentum.

They won 7 of the last 9 games.

You trade away James Harden, and they're still winning.

You trade away Avika Zubach and they're still winning.

Um, you look at some of these numbers since December 20th.

They're in the top 15 in defensive rating, top 10 in opponent points per game, top 10 opponent field goal percentage.

They've gotten their defense right since like a really rough start to the season.

But it is remarkable.

That they're doing it after kind of sort of waving the white flag at the trade deadline, trading Harden for a younger piece in Darius Garland, trading Zubach for draft picks.

Um, how surprised are you by what you're seeing from the Clippers at this point?

Um, yeah, surprises, I don't know, it's not that, it's, it's, um, unexpected, I would say.

Like, like, you, you know, when you looked at their roster to start the season, like, you saw some pieces that if things clicked, like, this could be a team that is in a play-in or playoff situation.

Um, and so it's not surprising that they're in that environment in terms of play in playoffs, you know, depending on how things finish up, but I think unexpected with how they got here.

Um, and that's why again, I go back to the coaching thing, like, I don't disagree with Joe Missoula.

I think JB Bickerstaff can't be lost , but bro, Tyronn Lue.

Like, I mean, you could argue he's had You know, worst situations.

I don't know, but the job that he and his staff have done to, like, for us to be talking about the Clippers in this way right now, you also, you, he should get a few votes as well.

Um, but I, I think the, the waving of the white flag, I think was also a recognition of where the league is now.

And sometimes when you're navigating like high-level successful veteran guys the way they were to start this season.

It's hard to maybe have some honest conversations about what needs to truly happen in order for us to kind of turn this page and play in a way that's gonna allow us to win games in the NBA today in 25, 26.

And so, trading some of those pieces was, yes, probably around some salary cap and luxury tax consequences to avoid, um, some draft assets and capital that you could maybe use.

Thinking about potential free agency situations coming up, all of that's true.

But to get the coaching staff younger, more athletic, faster, More versatile pieces to work with.

You think about Jeff Van Gundy's genius on the defensive end and the job he's done since joining the Clippers.

And then again, you know, T Lewis masterful just in terms of relationships with his players, the trust and the buy-in there, what he can do to put people in position to be successful on the offensive end.

Like it's, it's all, you know, going really well.

And again, we just hope Kawhi Leonard can stay healthy.

So we can see whatever the best version is of, of this team this season.

Yeah, it helps that they're getting peak Kawhi.

And, and we, we didn't really talk about Kawhi as an MVP candidate, but it's hard to think of a guy that's more valuable to his team right now.

Um, I mean, he is playing games where he's strapping this team on his back in the 4th quarters and just carrying them to the finish line.

And when you have a star, to me anyway, when you have a star that is playing at this level, like all these moving pieces, it just makes it so much easier to integrate a Benedict Matherin, you know, keep, you know, just get, get all these new faces and new guys into the mix.

Like, this is as good as I've seen Kawhi play.

You gotta go back a number of years.

I mean, I'm sure there's been a season or two in between the championship season in Toronto, but I, I'm watching him just dominate, you know, the 3-point shot is going.

The mid-range game is still hot.

He's still a physical defender on the other end of the floor.

Like this is, this is what looks like Peak Kawhi to me, Derek.

It just seems like we're getting the best of him.

Yeah, no, that's a great point.

Um, a, a, a fan asked me recently, I, I went to.

The Lakers Nuggets game, uh, yesterday for a couple of appearances and suite visits and stuff and, and engaging with fans, which is always enjoyable.

And, uh, somebody asked me though on the way out, like if Kawhi Leonard is gonna get some MVP votes.

And I was like, well, I hope he gets at least one.

Like, like somebody should just throw him on there because Yeah, they haven't won enough games.

There's no way he's gonna win, but man, I mean, if he meets the threshold in terms of minimum games, he should get one vote.

Um, and your point as well, I think goes to some of the personnel decisions.

Cause I think as an organization, you have to have some confidence that Kawhi Leonard is actually healthy and that we are going to get Pete Kawhi.

In order to maybe flip that thing in mid-season without any idea.

Like you're not telling T Lou that you're about to turn the team over and you're just gonna lose the rest of the season.

He's not going for that.

That's not how he's made up.

So, you know, it, it, it, it definitely seems that he's on that path of being like Pete Kawhi and Again, hopefully the ankle sprain is very temporary.

He plays tomorrow, and he just continues to, you know, to have the type of season he's having, cause the Clippers can be a difficult out if, if that's the case.

I, I wouldn't want to play him in the first round.

Um, if he's healthy and able to give you 35 minutes a game, I wouldn't want to play him in the first round.

I don't care who's around him, that's a killer in the playoffs.

That is an absolute killer in the postseason.

I wouldn't want.

Um, last thing I wanna hit you on, uh, was the Lakers, and again, speaking of kind of.

Unexpected.

Um, I, I was at the last few games , the games without LeBron, the game with games with LeBron, uh, it, it feels like we're entering a new era of LeBron James here.

Like, it feels like we're entering the LeBron role player era, and maybe that's too strong a phrase for a guy that's still able to give you 20 any given night, but I'm looking at some of these numbers, and he's averaging less than 13 attempts per game this month.

That's the fewest attempts per game, um, he's averaged all season long.

Um, and, and I watched the game the other night, not the Denver game, the other one, and was sitting there and I'm like, if he's gonna be swinging the basketball, the Chicago game, if he's gonna be swinging the basketball around like that, and if he's gonna be setting screens like that, if he's gonna be rolling to the rim, like he's Jackson Hayes, like that, and being a playmaker.

This team's still dangerous.

Like the, the numbers are what they are with LeBron, Luca, and, and Reeves on the floor.

It wasn't working up until the last couple of weeks.

Like they just couldn't seem to get any offensive chemistry together.

It's one of the worst trios in the NBA statistically, with those three on the floor.

But if LeBron is gonna play the rest of this season and into the postseason, as a guy willing to.

See the spotlight, so to speak, to Lukadoncic who's on a heater right now.

51 point game, 44 point game, just peak Lukadoncic.

And Austin Reeves is giving you 30 on, on some nights.

If he's willing to like allow those guys to be the offensive hubs and get his when he needs to and make hustle plays like he did at the end of that Denver game, just diving full length on the floor after a loose ball.

I was ready to write off the Lakers as one of those teams that you could beat in the first round, like a 3 seed, like weakest 3 seed maybe out there, you wanna play.

The Lakers in the first round.

But if this is how he's going to play, if he's going to embrace his inner role player, which, I mean, you've been around all these guys, it's hard to do that.

If you're, you know, LeBron's arguably the greatest player of all time.

He, it's for, even for a guy, a, you know, a fraction of what he is, it's hard to accept, you know, a lesser role on any team.

But if he's willing to do some of the things I've seen him do over these last couple of games, give up the shots, be more of a playmaker, try more on the defensive end, which he's been doing.

To me, that changed the calculus a little bit on what the ceiling for this Laker team is.

What do you think?

Um, I agree with, you know, everything you're saying.

I, I, you know, the, the, like the greats.

I don't, you'll, you'll very rarely ever be able to finish a season and look back and, and say it was them.

That was the reason why the team couldn't get it, couldn't get it done.

And LeBron is, you know, one of the best chess players of all time in terms of NBA basketball.

And, you know, in 2001, um, Kobe missed some games late in the in the regular season, uh, I think March into like early April.

And he came back, I think we had about 8 games left in the regular season.

And during the, the short stretch that he was out.

As a chess player, I think he's, he saw how Shaq was playing.

He saw the growth in, in my game.

He saw how Horace Grant was playing.

He saw what Rick Fox and Bhaw were doing, and he kind of just stepped back into it.

And yeah, he was still Kobe, but he allowed the, the chemistry and the way the ball was popping, no-stick basketball, 0.5 decisions.

Like he, he just stepped back into it and took whatever was there.

And yeah, that was the year we lost one playoff game.

And so, you know, I think LeBron, you know, he started the season out, and I think coming back, he was just trying to figure out how to get himself back to a level of performance that he knew he needed to be at in order for the team to be successful.

But throughout the year, they just didn't have everybody in for him to really get a sense of like which version of me am I gonna need to be in order for us to win the West.

And I think he may have figured that out, and he's choosing to slide into that pocket where it's like, OK, if Lucas doing that, and Austin's doing that.

And I can step into this role, and that gives us a chance to beat anybody in the Western Conference.

At this point in his career, there's, there's nothing, what else is he worried about other than another trophy.

So, he doesn't need to score more points or do anything to convince us that he's one of the greatest players ever.

So, we're all gonna measure him and all the water cooler conversation is gonna be, did he win a 5th title.

So, whatever he's got to do to do that.

From the LeBron, I know he's signing up for that role.

Yeah, the, the other guy they need is Ayton, who's had a great stretch too, like where, you know, there was that whole Clint Capella stuff and they're trying to turn me into Clint Capela, but it seems like somebody's gotten to him over the last couple of weeks that, hey, being Clint Capela ain't that bad.

Clint Capella got paid.

Clint Capela had a good career, uh, in his prime year, still playing right now.

Um, is that sustainable from him, you know, being a, a double-double type of guy, energy on the defensive end, cause if he's able to do that, that's another player that changes the calculus for the Lakers.

Yeah, I think it's, it's sustainable because the Lakers are being intentional about keeping it that way.

Um, when, when you have, I mean, all bigs are kind of wired the way DeAndre's wired, like, if, I mean, Shaq used to say it, and I know Shaq and Aiden are obviously different, but it's kind of like, if you don't feed the dog, like, the house won't get protected.

I mean, it's, it's that simple.

And so, whenever you're thinking about why Bs do or don't.

Just go to that concept.

Are you feeding the dog?

OK, cool.

He will look out for you then.

He will protect you, he will be loyal.

So to me, the Lakers are being intentional about feeding the dog.

And you see Marcus Smart going out of his way to make plays and create opportunities to get DeAndre finishes.

I mean, Luca's always been a great player in pick and roll, throwing the lobs.

Austin Reeves is great in pick and roll, throwing the lobs.

And so, and I think JJ Reddick and the coaching staff know DeAndre well enough even just in this one season, that like, if we're intentional about putting him in certain positions to be successful, he will do the things that we're asking him to do.

And we can hold him accountable.

To doing the things we're asking him to do if we don't just have him running up and down the court, you know, waiting to touch the basketball once every 10 times down.

There's no big, even Clint Capela wouldn't have been Clint Capela if he wasn't with James Harden in pick and roll or Trae Young in pick and roll.

Like those guys were 15 assists a night, you know, so as long as you're keeping DeAndre in that position, I, I think he will continue to play at, at a higher level.