Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Okay, so are you ready for some NBA action? We're talking Lakers today. And let me tell you, some people are saying this season could be a dumpster fire.
[00:00:10] Speaker B: Yeah, the hot takes are out of control. Like they forgot LeBron was holding up that trophy a minute ago.
[00:00:14] Speaker A: Right? But there's this video we're diving into from Am hoops, and they make a pretty good case for why things could get kind of ugly. They even called it LeBron is gonna hate this. So, you know, it's gotta be good.
[00:00:25] Speaker B: Yeah, they're all about how the Lakers basically built a team designed to implode.
[00:00:29] Speaker A: With the aging superstars and the rookies coach and.
[00:00:32] Speaker B: Oh, and the schedule. Don't forget that schedule. Oh, man.
[00:00:35] Speaker A: Yeah, am Hooch was talking about how the Lakers have all these preseason games, like back to back to back. Palm Springs, Milwaukee, Las Vegas, all on the road. Can you imagine LeBron and ad, fresh off the Olympics, stuck on a bus instead of their cushy private jets?
[00:00:50] Speaker B: It's kind of funny when you think about it, right? Like this team is all about that five star life and now they're stuck with lukewarm Gatorade and those tiny hotel soaps.
[00:00:57] Speaker A: But seriously, all that travel can wear anyone down, even if you're at the top of your game. And when you factor in a brand new coaching staff and a bunch of.
[00:01:07] Speaker B: New players trying to figure things out.
[00:01:08] Speaker A: It'S a recipe for disaster. Yeah, and speaking of the coaching staff, their new head coach, Darvin Hamm, total rookie.
[00:01:16] Speaker B: True, but he and LeBron are tight, right?
[00:01:18] Speaker A: Yeah, they're close, but is that a good thing?
[00:01:20] Speaker B: That's what I'm saying. Am Hoops makes a good point about this whole thing. They were comparing it to what happened with Steve Nash over in Brooklyn.
[00:01:28] Speaker A: Oh, interesting.
[00:01:29] Speaker B: Like, Nash was a great player, obviously, but being tight with KD only goes so far when you're trying to manage a whole team of stars. And we all saw how that turned out.
[00:01:38] Speaker A: Yeah, not pretty. And it's not like LeBron is exactly known for being. What's the word? Low key.
[00:01:44] Speaker B: Exactly. And, you know, LeBron even said himself that he was a little distracted this offseason training with brawny and all that.
[00:01:50] Speaker A: Oh, right. With brawny about to enter the draft and all.
[00:01:53] Speaker B: So you can't really blame the guy. But when you're LeBron James and the expectations are sky high, every little thing matters.
[00:02:00] Speaker A: It's like the pressure's already on and the season hasn't even started yet.
[00:02:04] Speaker B: And let's not forget about the whole Westbrook thing looming over everything.
[00:02:08] Speaker A: Oh man. Yeah, the Westbrook trade, that's like the elephant in the room.
[00:02:12] Speaker B: It's like they're trying to pretend it never happened, but that contract is huge.
[00:02:16] Speaker A: Ee for those who maybe haven't been following every detail, the Lakers traded for Russell Westbrook a couple seasons ago, thinking he'd be the missing piece, right?
[00:02:24] Speaker B: They went all in, basically, and it.
[00:02:26] Speaker A: Totally blew up in their faces.
Turns out Westbrook wasn't a good fit at all, and that massive contract really messed up their salary cap.
[00:02:34] Speaker B: They're still trying to recover from that.
[00:02:36] Speaker A: One, which is what makes this whole Lakers are doomed thing even more interesting. Am Hoops was saying that the Lakers might be too scared to make any big moves now, even if it means losing LeBron.
[00:02:48] Speaker B: So they have PTSD from that Westbrook trade.
[00:02:50] Speaker A: Westbrook PTSD. Thats actually a good way to put it. And I get it. The new CBA makes things even trickier for teams when it comes to big trades.
[00:02:59] Speaker B: Way more risky.
[00:03:00] Speaker A: Okay, so pretend im someone who barely understands how the salary cap works, let alone the CBA. Break it down for me.
[00:03:05] Speaker B: All right, so the CBA is like the rulebook for everything in the NBA. Player contracts, trades, the whole nine yards. And the new rules make it a lot harder for teams to get rid of bad contracts, and they can't spend as much money as they used to.
[00:03:17] Speaker A: Ah, okay.
[00:03:18] Speaker B: One of the big things is this thing called a second apron. Basically, if a team's salary goes over a certain limit, bam. Huge penalties.
[00:03:26] Speaker A: Ouch.
[00:03:27] Speaker B: Yeah, and the Lakers are already kind of close to that line. So one wrong move and their future is toast.
[00:03:33] Speaker A: So they're screwed if they make a trade, a and D, screwed if they don't. Sounds like a lose lose.
[00:03:37] Speaker B: Pretty much.
[00:03:38] Speaker A: It's a hicken.
[00:03:38] Speaker B: And on top of all that, don't forget LeBron is in the last year of his contract.
[00:03:43] Speaker A: True. If the Lakers are doing terribly this.
[00:03:46] Speaker B: Season, he can easily bounce and chase a ring somewhere else. He's earned the right to be picky at this point.
[00:03:50] Speaker A: Yeah, for sure. And he basically wrote the book on player empowerment.
[00:03:54] Speaker B: Exactly. Think about Cleveland, Miami. Even his first time with the Lakers, LeBron has never been afraid to use free agency to get what he wants.
[00:04:03] Speaker A: Build a super team, basically. And now with brawny about to be in the league, too, I wouldn't be surprised if LeBron wants to play with his son.
[00:04:10] Speaker B: That would be a crazy story. Yeah, but okay, let's say the Lakers somehow pull it off, right? They have an amazing start Darvin Ham is coach of the year. LeBron's over the moon. What happens then, right?
[00:04:23] Speaker A: Do they stick with the team they have and risk it all, or do.
[00:04:26] Speaker B: They go all in at the trade deadline, even if it messes up the team's groove? Tough call.
[00:04:31] Speaker A: Am Hoops threw out a few names that have been floating around. Who knows? The Lakers would actually go after these guys. But it's fine. Fun to think about, for sure. They mentioned Marcus Smart from the Celtics.
[00:04:41] Speaker B: Smart's interesting. He plays lockdown defense, brings a ton of energy, but his shooting can be a little streaky, you know?
[00:04:47] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:04:48] Speaker B: Would he be enough of an offensive threat to make a trade worthwhile, especially with that jump shot.
[00:04:54] Speaker A: Then there's Bruce Brown, who just won it all with the Nuggets.
[00:04:57] Speaker B: Solid player for sure, but he's coming off that shoulder surgery, right?
[00:05:00] Speaker A: Yeah, he is.
[00:05:01] Speaker B: And it's not clear how he'd fit in with the Lakers. He's best as a small ball center, and ad already has that covered. Would he be cool with coming off the bench? Would that cause drama in the locker room?
[00:05:12] Speaker A: A lot of question marks there. And of course, it wouldn't be a Lakers trade conversation without bringing up a certain center who's not exactly loving life in Utah right now.
[00:05:20] Speaker B: Walker Kessler, now that would be a game changer. He's exactly what the Lakers need, a young, dominant center who can protect the rim and catch those LeBron lobster.
[00:05:31] Speaker A: I mean, he'd be perfect, but the jazz know the nat.
[00:05:34] Speaker B: Oh, yeah, they're gonna want a lot in return for him. Like a king's ransom.
[00:05:37] Speaker A: Okay, so we've got the Westbrook PTSD, the LeBron free agency drama, a whole bunch of trade possibilities, but then am hoops hits us with a curveball. They're like, what if the biggest move the Lakers make isn't about who they get b u t, who they trade away?
[00:05:54] Speaker B: Yeah, that's a wild thought, right?
[00:05:55] Speaker A: They're talking about trading Anthony Davis.
[00:05:57] Speaker B: It would be a huge decision.
[00:05:59] Speaker A: Huge. Ad is like, when he's healthy, he is unstoppable.
[00:06:02] Speaker B: That's the thing, though, isn't it? The when he's healthy part?
[00:06:05] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:06:05] Speaker B: Ad's injury history is a little worrying, to say the least.
[00:06:10] Speaker A: But still, trading him seems like a crazy risk. His value is probably as high as it's ever going to be. Plus, he and LeBron are like the perfect duo.
[00:06:17] Speaker B: I know, right? It's a tough one for the Lakers. Do they hold on to ad, hope he stays healthy, and go for one last championship? Run with Lebron? Or do they say, hey, let's make a change while we still can. Get some young blood, some future draft picks, and just rebuild.
[00:06:30] Speaker A: It's like they're trying to have it both ways. Win now, indie win later. But am hoops made a good point. Sometimes the toughest choices are the ones that set you up for success down the road.
[00:06:40] Speaker B: Totally. And this all comes back to LeBron, right? Yeah, his whole legacy, his timeline, it's all connected to what the Lakers decide to do.
[00:06:47] Speaker A: So for all you listeners out there, get ready, because this Lakers season is going to be must see tv, on the court, off the court. Every LeBron interview, every trade rumor, it's all going to be huge.
[00:06:57] Speaker B: And here's something to think about. What if, at this point, LeBron's legacy isn't about how many more rings he can win?
[00:07:04] Speaker A: Interesting.
[00:07:05] Speaker B: What if it's about whether he can be there to guide his son, brawny, as he enters the NBA? Now that's a storybook ending.
[00:07:12] Speaker A: That's all the time we have for today's deep dive. If you liked what you heard, be sure to subscribe to the channel and hit that notification bell so you never miss an episode. And let us know in the comments what you think the Lakers should do. Should they trade ad? Should they go all in for another ring with LeBron? Until next time, peace out.
