Bleeding purple and gold from the Heart of Los Angeles is the lakersnation.com podcast with your host Trevor Lane. Hello Lakers Nation welcome and this is the Lakers Nation live postgame show your Lakers fall to the Phoenix Suns 114 210 for ten point loss tough one. The thoughts were red-hot from behind the arc shot 55% from 3 tonight that is tough to deal with I know a lot of our talk tonight is going to focus on the three-point shooting which the Lakers did not have tonight and the son said they did so we’ll break down that will talk a little bit about some players who did stand out. We’ll talk about a few who did not and why they didn’t flush we’re going to be taking your questions and comments and give it away some lakersnation.com license plate frames. So if you’re joining us from YouTube from Facebook from Periscope, welcome and joining me tonight is Chris the Masterpiece Masters Chris tough one, but how are you holding up man? You know, that was just a weird kind of crazy game to watch. I mean, I’m fine. It sucks that we lost. Honestly I was starting to feel in the first half. I was almost kind of anticipation in the lost or down to solve were down kuz I mean and obviously we’re down a deep but I have some hope once you know, and I I don’t wish you know Booker got thrown out. I think the third quarter super chippy was like so many thousand we’re going to get into that but you know, I had some hope when Devin got thrown out, you know what I mean that okay, maybe that evens up the match up at least a little bit with all our guys out and maybe we can actually get the win but you know as we’re going to get into I mean the production was not good tonight, even with poker going out we didn’t get the win. So a little disappointing a lot of you know, a lot of potential Master logs to go around tonight for labor. And yeah, unfortunately, we lost this one and I don’t know what who knows wage. Happens miles game so, you know going into the All-Star break is going to be kind of questionable here for us. Yeah. Absolutely. I wonder how how pretty that one’s going to look probably not very but so in this one girl had like you mentioned a bunch of Lakers outside already Anthony Davis out that alone that I mean that’s difficult to deal with and then you also lose Marcus all and some people were excited about that. But I knew that I mean that’s that’s not what you want to see you don’t want to see a starter going out like that, especially against DeAndre. Ayton who was eating up Montrezl Harrell on the offensive. And so that was that was a problem there and then you also lose Kyle kuzma to a heel contusion. So that’s three guys three big rotation guys two of them starters who are out now that’s tough to deal with but then you’re right Devin Booker got kicked out of the game. I didn’t feel that was warranted for an injection, but I don’t know what Booker’s said. We couldn’t hear it from there and CNC man. They did a terrible job all night in terms of showing replays in terms of keeping us up-to-date on what was going on. That was Rough out Not only was it a rough outing for the Lakers TNT rough outing from them that was not an easy game to follow but the Devin Booker objection you thought maybe that would level things out a little bit but in my head I was thinking if the sons are shooting fifty plus percent from three, it’s not going to matter. It’s not going to regression had to come for the Phoenix Suns in that game cuz you know, they’re not going to shoot 55% from wherever they were going to need to get a cold streak in order for the Lakers to catch back up and they didn’t they continue their hot shooting throughout the entire game and we can certainly make the argument that the Lakers left them to open and we can talk about the 3.5. It’s but yeah look ultimately it was just a rough one a lot of weird rotations that were coming in weird lineups and it never felt like a game. The Lakers were going to win like sometimes we see these games the Lakers are down a little bit, but we know they’re going to come back and they’re going to get the way you can just kind of feel it this game didn’t feel that way. I even thought to myself like this. It just it doesn’t feel like a win tonight. Yeah, I didn’t I mean and that’s why I don’t think I’m too bummed out about this. I mean, you can’t go into a game where you’re you lose you’ve already you don’t have anybody lose you saw you lose computer can’t get a game feeling so good about that. You know what? I mean? Like you said as much as we don’t, you know, we like our nation hasn’t been too happy with Gasol this season as a whole but I mean, you don’t want to lose them in a situation like this. So I’m not too bummed out about this. I mean, I kind of anticipated the loss the broker thing. Like I said gave me some hope that maybe we can pull this but man. Yeah that shooting range in ages outshot us tonight. Chris based on the the comments here that I’m seeing people are saying Trevor making excuses for the Lakers know I’m telling you what they did wrong. I’m telling you exactly what they didn’t do. They did not make threes.
to make more threes. That’s not excuse they lost because they missed so many threes kcp where we at. I’ve seen a lot of em, Negative kcp comments in here a lot a lot a lot of negative kcp comments, but the best thing kcpt did tonight was draw the foul that got booked rejected. Yeah, right off is is this the Tipping Point because for weeks now the general sentiment and people have been getting gradually more frustrated with k c p but the general sentiment has been home. We’ve seen this before from kcp. We know this happens. We know he goes through slumps. We know he’s also goes through hot streaks as well at the beginning of the Season. He was one of the best shooters in the NBA now, he’s in a major slump by tonight 5045 from behind the arc and based on the chat right now. I’m seeing a lot of people a lot of people who are making comments kind of similar to the beginning of last season. Was this the Tipping Point four K CP do you think do you think this is the point now? We’re fans are like out. That’s it. We’re done. No, I don’t personally me. I smelt the Tipping Point for me, but the frustration frustration is building and it’s being compounded by the fact that not even just tasty people lack of production. We were getting from West Matthews it just you know, it’s doubly frustrating because you know, we’re already having to deal with a k c p slump but k c p is our guy he’s been here a while back and we see this out of him and it is it’s super frustrating and you know, what a night like tonight when you look at Casey’s line is 1 / 7 and then over five from the three-point line. I mean, you can’t log out / get you know, this is getting frustrating. It really is I would say it’s the Tipping Point not for me personally, but I mean between kcp and West Matthews man, we’re just we are not getting enough out of those guys. It’s compounded by, you know, all the people we have out at this point when and we really need production from them and it’s just it’s kind of at the point where tasty P where you understand. It’s a slump but You look at some of this. It’s almost it feels to the point where it’s unacceptable almost right? I mean, like what I’m looking at is like right now it’s like that’s unacceptable. Like what what they gave tonight and and just the production they brought you know, both of them is just it’s not kind of and yeah, I mean, obviously we lost I mean it’s not all on them. There’s a lot of stuff for us to get into but again wage The Tipping Point but in frustration is building on kcb. Yeah. Yeah for sure but here’s this is I’m shocked when I see this as I just pulled up kcp shooting stats. Kcpt on the season is shooting 41% from 3. Wow, on the season. That’s that just speaks to how well he was shooting at the beginning of the season right? Because I mean shooting terribly terribly for what feels like forever. Now. But on the season, he’s still at 41% because he shot so incredibly unsustainably well to start the season West Matthews is 34% for BEP. I thought he would be lower honestly because we’ve had so many rough rough shooting Nights from from West Matthews, but you’re right those two guys, right we expect it. The Lakers they went out. I got a question on on Twitter said, why didn’t the Lakers address off the off season? Why didn’t they add more three-point shooting right? It’s obvious. This is a big weakness. They followed the 25th. I believe in the NBA in 3-point shooting 3-point percentage. Why didn’t they add more they did they did address three point shooting right? Kcp shot 39% They brought him back. They brought they brought in West Matthews 39% last season schruder 39% last season brought him in kasol. Is a stretch big the guys they parted ways with Avery Bradley Rondo Dwight JaVale all the guys who are essentially non Shooters. They added three point shooting this offseason wage. They’re just not hitting shots. Yeah, no kidding. But now you know that 40% number is pretty shocking from k c p at least have you know, thinking when you said that is how like rotation is going to say you’re making excuses for cases p with that package with that. Well, I mean, that’s just that’s just a fact that’s the stat but somebody says Avery Bradley can shoot look Avery Bradley can shoot a little bit but compared to what Casey people like Joe Casey P or Avery Bradley. Who’s the better shooter? It’s K CP, right statistically. It’s k c p. That’s the better shooter Avery Bradley historically has had more struggles. I’m not saying they are varying degrees of non Shooters game not saying that Rondo can’t shoot a three at all. I’m not saying saying every Bradley can’t shoot at 3 at all saying the Lakers Were Ten guys that were higher percentage Shooters than went out. That’s what they did. Not yet. It hasn’t really made an impact right now. We haven’t seen these guys shoot will kcps 32% for the month of February from behind the arc. That’s not going to get it done and then old for 5 tonight, so Sure, the guys that you really rely on we thought okay. The Lakers have two shooting guards here. Kcp and West Matthews. Both of them can hit from downtown. Both of them can defend at a decently high level great and off right now. Both of them looked like a real problem out there. Pretty much everywhere West Matthews even more on the defensive and I think than k c p but she hasn’t been great. They’re either. I hope that both
I hope that both of these guys can kind of hit the reset button during the All-Star break because they need it badly maybe more than anybody else on the team at least anybody else. That’s healthy. They do these guys need the All-Star break cuz I don’t know what else is going to finally get them back on track. That’s a great Point throughout let’s just hope that like you’re saying man the All-Star break kind of resets these guys a little bit of time away from the game and hopefully they can come back and get in Rhythm wage. That’s why I’m saying with k c p man. I just hopefully he can get his rhythm back. We’ve seen this before so that’s why it’s not the Tipping Point. But man, you’re just you know, even though we got some wins before this we’re back at that situation where at least after tomorrow’s game the break is here, you know what I mean? Cuz we’ve been talking about this for a while feeling like the team needs this All-Star break and walk, you know after tonight and tomorrow, I’m sure it’s definitely going to be necessary. Yeah, for sure. All right guys, I do need to give away some somebody’s calling them the brick Brothers. Oh no. Oh, no, that’s how they got a nickname coming up with nicknames for k c p and West negative nicknames. Oh, Yeah, it’s like the opposite of the Splash Brothers isn’t yes it is. Yes. It is a boy. All right, so guys we don’t need to give away lakersnation.com license plate frame. I’m going to go with Luis Martinez from YouTube by the way, guys, if you hear me call your name during the show send me a damn. I’m going to send you a Lakers nation, license plate frame. So as you’re putting comments in asking questions, all that kind of stuff YouTube Facebook Periscope off fire mauve and if you hear me call your name, you get a lakersnation.com license plate frame just send me your name mailing address and email address. You can send it to act Trevor underscore Lane on Twitter. So he asked them in all caps. I lost the question here, but it was in all caps and he said why didn’t Damian Jones get to play down the stretch. That was the question because the sons went small. They didn’t go back to the office. And so with the Suns going small you’re not going to ask Damian Jones particularly dealing with a back injury, like he was to go out there and Chase Chase a Dario saric and I think that’s also the answers to why Montrezl Harrell Get back into the game. I personally would not have done that though. I would have still put I feel at least a little more comfortable with tries chasing a guy like storage and I believe you needed him offensive boards. You needed the offensive punch from when the sons were small I would have gone to Montrezl Harrell personally Vogel decided to try to go with a little bit more spacing. That’s what he went with and also guys who are a little bit more switchable defensively home understandable because you know, that trans probably would have got switched on to undo Chris Paul quite a bit. They would’ve ran Screen World there so that could have been a challenge. But again, I I probably would have pulled the trigger and just gone to tries and say hey if you can go beast mode in the paint and you get us a bucket on put backs and things like that and bring us some energy cool. I would have I would have taken that gamble Damian Jones. I totally understand why you didn’t go back to him know big on the floor for him to defend. So that’s where we went. But but Chris, let’s let’s dive into Damian Jones for a minute. So right now Damian Jones 7 Minutes tonight 1 a.m. Four Points one which is refreshed one rebound 242 shooting he has not missed a shot as a Laker just interesting has not been shot his Laker but Damian Jones 7 Minutes tonight your thoughts on what you saw of him. He was all right. I don’t think it was anything spectacular I what I like about it is that from the you know, like the first minute he got in within the first place. I think he got a block and he got a bucket. So it was nice that he was he instantly made an impact on the game. But you know, it takes you during it and you had brought up a good point. It’s just you would kind of hope for a little bit more production from a rebounding perspective from him. And so we didn’t see that so I don’t think it was a particularly great outing. I think it might have been kind of amount have been better. You know, I felt like trash getting take advantage taking advantage of you. Bye DeAndre. Ayton. So I don’t know if maybe gave me the Damian Jones matchup might have been better in that case and I think that’s where you know, obviously maybe we’ll talk about the life somewhat vulgar kind of put out there and how you did a little bit about going small but some of it just it kind of makes sense if Vogel was taking a lot of heat on the fluid cap and Twitter so long But you know for Dave enjoyed it was it was okay, you know
You know it was what did you think anything? You know, Chris said I you mentioned the the lineups being a little weird right? You mentioned. He might have been better against DeAndre and that’s exactly what I was thinking during the game Montrezl Harrell. There’s we’ve talked about this Montrezl Harrell is great. I love what we’ve seen from Iraq, but there’s some matchups where you can tell that he’s under sized. Sometimes you don’t notice sometimes he’s just so he just brings so much energy so much aggression that you don’t notice that he’s undersized DeAndre. Ayton is one of them will make you notice right? That’s just that’s the way it is if I was Vogel I probably would have and I understand starting tries. I probably would have tried to match Damian Jones about 5 minutes with DeAndre and I understand if you’re dealing with the back injury, you’re probably not going to match them. Exactly cuz they ain’t going to play more minutes than Jones, but I would have tried to see that match up a bit more and then let Treasures go home. The bench unit for the sun’s where he’s going up against some smaller players can do a little bit more damage there that I think would have been a lot more successful than letting a much smaller trash try to deal with with it and I understand trying it and give it a shot but it was pretty clear early on that. That wasn’t that matchup just wasn’t going to work but overall Damian Jones. I’d like to we saw the right. I thought he needed to be a little bit off of going after rebounds. There were a couple of times where I thought you know, he could have really gone and gotten into the mix for a ball and he just didn’t and maybe that’s he didn’t want physical contact because of the back injury. That’s that’s certainly possible. But I also did like his his lateral movement. There were a couple of times he got switched onto a guard and while he wasn’t like he you know, he got down in his stance and just stayed in front of them. They couldn’t break them off or anything like that, but he stuck with them long enough. And I didn’t think he had that he’s a little bit more Nimble defending on the perimeter than I expected. So I like that obviously I like the the shot-blocking that he had in there and and I like that he was able to get in when she gets the ball. He doesn’t do anything too crazy just stays within himself turned finish. I thought he looked good. I mean, I mean like it’s only two games. I want to see what he does tomorrow night against the Sacramento Kings suck so far so good for Damian Jones. Yeah, and everything you just talked about was kind of like the opposite of what we’ve been getting from consol. And that’s not to disparage Gasol cuz you know as much as we do that enough as she cuz cuz saw does bring bring things obviously is Clay making and and you know, he’s able to stretch his able to stretch the floor, but I forgot the point I was making on that but I thought well, I’ve got people saying dude just vocal just not like trees or something like that. I don’t think that’s it. I I really think that Vogel had a set plan in mind when she wanted to make sure in the second half especially when they were down that they had as much floor spacing as possible and then they matched up with the sons as much as they could and the sons were small and putting in trays would would give the sun something to pick on a bit defensively, but at that point the sons were already eating you up with their three-point shooting they were already generating a ton of open threes. Again, I would have gambled on tries, but I can understand what Vogel was thinking there as well. A lot of people do saying Master Lock Vogel. I think it’s I don’t know. I don’t know how much of the rotations tonight we’re because Vogel was missing three guys. I think that was a big part of it. Right? I mean when you’re when you’re coaching in the NBA You see a lot of coaches where when the starter goes out. They don’t bring in they don’t just call up one of their bench rotation guys, they call up their tenth man or whoever it is that normally doesn’t get into the game and put them in the starting lineup because that chemistry matters and blood say you call up you lose a starter and you call up a guy from your bench rotation a guy who normally plays every night with them in the starting lineup now. Only is there a different chemistry and you’re starting group. There’s a different chemistry now in your bench group as well and vocals kind of one of those guys where he likes to have that chemistry establish of you likes to have that kind of continuing to grow and tonight. It was impossible to do that cuz you were missing so many players and I think it got to a point where he just started throwing stuff out there trying to see if he would stick getting some guys some minutes of nothing else. We saw a lot of Jared Dudley out there. Obviously some of the lineups were not successful most of the lineups were not successful, but he always kind of forced into that because he so many guys missing and it’s funny that whenever juror deadly gets in that’s automatically alerted you of something and you know, that’s not be burying a jerk. Who by the way that his audio package was amazing. I told you that I just picked that up or downloaded that yesterday’s very good. But yeah, man, well happy. What are you going to do? You know what I mean? Like, I understand I saw all that he was getting and a lot of you know, some of the lineups were questionable. It kind of seemed like they might have been getting outcoached but at certain points but like you like you said man, I mean, you know, when you’re you know, we’re just we’re hurt the team is just missing guys big time. I mean, these are not these are key players, you know, it was like when Once Cruz was out of the game where you say you had sent me that text is just kind of like, you know hands up in the air.
You know, what are you going to do? What are our chances now tonight? You know, we already Luz Casal and then you lose cruise on top of it like and then you you know them. Well, I personally am not putting too much cheat on BOGO, but it was still a question the question one night from him from a coaching perspective granted. I understand what you were referring to about going smaller and the versatility and what not. But still, you know what I mean, in terms of the you know the day mean not you, you know, having DeAndre ayton and and and treasures out there about you know what I mean? Those matches were just not working out too. Well, Tom Lee said with from YouTube said with Devin Booker out we missed out. Yeah, I mean that was an opportunity right with Devin Booker out to go out there and get away over this this unseen. But again, if you allow them keep shooting for that well from 3, that’s not going to work out so well for you and here’s here’s the big thing where vocal failed on tonight. Right? And I understand being forced into some tough rotation things like that, but they interviewed him between quarters and I don’t remember if it was between 3rd and 4th or half time when it was but they interviewed him and he I think it was between 3rd and 4th. He mentioned it was worth. For the sons and so they’ve been killing us from there all night long. Fix it then you have to adjust but Vogel has been and we saw this last year. He’s been the guy who makes adjustments the next game rather than in game. We saw that quite a bit during the pack UPS you kind of figured out a team. Then you make adjustments and go from there in this game. We saw the Lakers continually over helping into the middle. We saw Talen horton-tucker below it a few times rotating off of the wrong guy and dropping off the paint and then that left the sun’s open shooters from behind the arc. Now part of that may have been the Lakers thinking. Okay. We don’t have a d we don’t have guess all we really have to make sure the team helps and and protects the pain more but the sons were just destroying them from behind the arc. So you have to make sure you’re staying at home and Shooters and I just didn’t see the adjustments being made in game that needed to happen. Now, that could be just saying look this game’s not going our way. Why show the sun’s how I’m going to defend them if we meet them in the playoffs maybe that was part of the thinking but it was still disappointing to not see that adjustment made off. Aim, at least not too high enough degree. So that’s I think that’s the one big part where if the Lakers are lost but they made a bunch of adjustments to stop the sons from hitting all these open threes. Then you could have said, okay. Well, they’re getting they could but we didn’t see that. Yeah, I just felt like it was raining tonight,
It felt like it was raining tonight, you know Phoenix just so many open looks from the ark and they were just hitting I mean Lakers got a lot of open looks too. We just didn’t convert. Yeah. Yeah absolutely did absolutely did. All right. Somebody say, okay. So Sean. Table Aziza Ziva. Sorry Tom has Eva from YouTube said Wes or McKinney. Who are you taking? Interesting was what’s up Wes Matthews or Alfonzo mckinnie. I don’t feel like we’ve seen enough Alfonzo mckinnie, but I mentioned, a lot of times the comments go by and I’m just like no that’s not worth eating West we’ve seen so much negative from and he’s a veteran and we keep thinking okay. It’s going to come around at some point. He’s a veterans got a click. He’s just getting used to coming off the bench all this month at what point do you just say, you know, what Wes, it’s not happening. Let’s see what this younger guy Alfonzo mckinnie. Let’s see what he’s got. Now again, we can’t see them in practice. So maybe it’s very evident that Matthews is just a better player in practice. Maybe that’s the thing. But at some point if Matthews is going to continue to not produce you gotta turn to something else and see what they’ve got. I wouldn’t be opposed to seeing Alfonzo mckinnie out there and just giving it giving him a look and maybe you just give them a little bit more garbage time early on or something like that. Maybe we see a more tomorrow night against the Kings right right before the All-Star break at some point though. I want to see a real look like I’m talking a game where he plays 20-plus minutes and we get an idea of what he can really do out there. Yeah, I’m with you Travis honestly, cuz you know how you asking me about is this the Tipping Point basically and I told you know, not for me personally will I think with Wes Matthews birthday is the Tipping Point. It’s kind of been because again, you know West Matthews doesn’t have the equity that case he has we’re already at the boiling point with k c p but we just really it felt feels like wage doesn’t really gotten anything out of Matthew’s at least specifically from the offensive perspective. So I kind of say when you look at what he’s been giving us, I mean why not and like you said maybe U guys and this is just a fan perspective cuz we’re not obviously in the practices that we’re not getting everything they see but you know, just we’re getting such a lack of production from West Matthews. It’s the heck not, you know, try that out. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I think it’s worth it. I mean just just to find out you never know. I mean, he’s got the tools. He’s got the skill set the physical profile might be Worth a look a little disappointed. We didn’t see any Kostas antetokounmpo Devon take a cock. But again the Suns win so small I understand that but it could have been an opportunity to get those guys in. All right, Chris. We do need to get into the next-man-up word always feels weird doing this award when it’s kind of a down down her game like this, but let’s do it the next man up award. All right. So next man up award goes to a non Star level player that we felt stepped up. So not LeBron not Anthony Davis. Obviously a t is out. So anyone not named LeBron can win this award? I’m sure the chat is going to be given us some some thoughts on that Chris. Who are you giving it to? You know, I’m leaning towards our boy tht Dynamite I like it but there but I mean we obviously talked about it like defense office. He had some mistakes, you know, he was collapsing into the pain and that allowed some open threes. But I do I just I like what I got what we got from him offensive. We we you know in right when you attacked me and said who’s is out tonight, you know, my first thought was okay. Well who can pick up the psyche and automatically just see popped in mind like maybe tht can step up a little more tonight and kind of wage so that void and I think he was trying to do that and I liked what he was doing offensively. I know, you know again he gets he got lost defensively a few times but I like the offensive output. Yeah, I agree with you on that and 2 or 5 from three or four Talen horton-tucker that solid you’ll take that 40% from downtown 649 16 points. I like the offensive output. He tried he really tried to kind of Step Up and provide the Lakers with them. More of a scoring punch that they certainly needed and so I like that part as but he did look really lost a few times defensively. He blew it on a couple of planes just rotated off of the wrong man. I am committed fouls. They didn’t want to five personal files and in Nineteen Minutes. So there was there was good and bad but I think in terms of the offensive end of the floor, he’s certainly deserving my guy. I’m going to go with though and this is the second game in a row, which is amazing. But Markieff Morris, I thought Markieff Morris was good and I V 46243 from 36 boards 12 points 34 minutes long and I felt like Markieff Morris. I don’t know. I don’t want to say the other guys didn’t care because they care but but Markieff Morris was the one guy that you could see where the poor play was bothering him. Like he was getting upset. He was getting angry. He was getting sucked up. There was the one play where he kind of got into it. I found Cameron Payne and they were looking at you know, was it a flagrant foul? He just grabbed him on the arm, but then the next time down they give him the ball in the instantly puts it up and drains the three. We got a little bit of angry Markieff today even took Chris Paul into the paint and shot over him and
I liked what we saw out a Markieff Morris today and this has been now building. We had a good game out of a mile long. He’s got played well tonight. It just keeps getting better. And so hopefully we’re getting closer to seeing the Markieff Morris from the playoffs last season. I thought tonight was a good performance for him. So I’m going to recognize him for the the next man up a word from my side. Yeah, Morris was pretty awesome tonight. I liked some of the aggressiveness he was bringing. You know what I mean? It’s kind of nice having having a Morris brother on the team cuz it does bring a little element of toughness and a little bit of you know, especially when the game’s getting chippy, you know what I mean? There’s something about you know, seeing Morrison out there talking smack where you like that on your side when it’s on your side of the ball, you know, absolutely absolutely unique that guy you need that guy who’s going to be out there that’s going to be kind of mixing it up a little bit and and isn’t afraid to do that. So I like that I like that so that dog Sports YouTube said Chris needs to Master Lock the refs. Let’s talk about that. The officiant So Not only was I thought the ejection for Devin Booker and again, I don’t know what he said. Maybe he used the words that we didn’t we weren’t privy to and and it was adjusted by dejection. I don’t know but it looked like a pretty quick ejection double dog. Nicole then and then kicked out. Okay, but beyond that I feel like the rest just had a rough time in this game making calls in general that were I mean how many Lakers got smacked in the I think there were four guys. They got smacked in the face in this game Devin Booker grabbing kcp and tripping him because he was upset on the play and then just there was a lot of stuff on this one and then they reviewed that one song they did they did but I felt like this this game was not it’s not great in terms of the official terms of the officials. So yeah. I was not too pleased with the existing this one. Now there was not much flow to the game. I mean the third quarter just went was absolutely insane. It was just like there was I don’t know there was like for Texas test and it was like a foul on every plane and just kind of Life lyrics killed the rhythm of the game. And yeah, everybody was just kind of hot about that the referees and what they were doing with the game it just I don’t know. There’s just a weird game around you know what I mean? Like there was a lot of weird stuff going on and yeah primarily that primarily that third-quarter just come out of the house time. I don’t know what the heck happened but it was it got pretty wild in that home. Here’s the thing though. I don’t I don’t look at this game and feel like oh man, you know the Reps they cost the Lakers this game know they weren’t defending the three-point line. Well enough in the sons were making threes. That’s what I see as the culprit for why the Lakers lost the game. That doesn’t mean the officials were good, but I don’t look at the Reps as the reason why the Lakers lost That’s a good point. Try to you know what? I mean? Like when you get that when you hit that many with the way they were shooting three, it’s just, you know wasn’t going to matter in the end. Once again, yeah, yeah there unless you you were able to chop that three-point percentage and have for the sons that was going to be a tough one for them to get that’s for sure. Okay, somebody said the calls matter in a close game. Yeah, it wasn’t it wasn’t a close game down the stretch Dennis Schroder had a bad game Dennis Schroder 6-4 17 shooting. I thought he got out of control a few times. He had three phone numbers, but I believe I know at least two of them were probably the third one as well. They were the type of turnover where he was trying to thread the needle on a pass that just wasn’t there and it led there were live-ball turnovers that led to run out and transition for the Phoenix Suns. That’s one of my issues with Dennis Schroder and don’t get me wrong. Overall. I like sugar a lot. I like what he’s brought to this team him coming back was a big boost for the Lakers. I don’t want to speak to negatively about him. But one of the issues he’s got is that he can be overly optimistic with his passes. He can try to make passes that are just too risky and they lead to turnovers and trains and opportunities and we saw that tonight times where he was trying to get the ball back to LeBron. It was telegraphed everybody knew he was trying to get it back to LeBron and the sun’s read it and picked it off. So that was an issue. For tonight missing some shots at The Rim was an issue as well and then to 2 and 5 from deep, you’ll take 17 points you’ll take from it, but just wasn’t all that efficient. So I mean the counting stats 17.66 3-point shooting you like all that stuff but the turnovers and some big shots at The Rim I think kind of really really took this from being a good shooter game to being probably a met and maybe even a bad one else. Do you think he was trying to do too much trouble with all the people out or do you think that’s something you think he tries to do too much or do you like exact cuz I mean I’m with you I like there’s production but I’m everything you’re saying as well. Yeah. Yeah. I do think that he was probably trying to step up a bit much but but In fairness the last two games he stepped up and the Lakers won right so long, I understand that part of me, but he struggled to the very beginning. It’s the Blazers and then kind of got himself under control later on as the game went on the sons very much though. The sons are good defensive team there forth in the NBA Defensive rating dead. But they also were employing a defense that was encouraging the Lakers to shoot from outside. They were doing a really good job collapsing into the paint which were going to see more and more of as teams around the league look at the stats and they said oh my gosh, the Lakers can’t shoot threes. Let’s collapse into the pain and make them beat us from behind the arc. So with a guy like schruder who thrives getting into the paint that means he’s going to see more pressure at the rim and and the sons didn’t really nice job they’re dead. Yeah, I mean if I was defending the Lakers right now, I would definitely leave because I’m open on the art, especially with again with cases be in West Matthew shooting the way they are and you know, it just makes sense. So
I mentioned we we are wasting LeBron’s effort LeBron 38 points tonight hit of countries right at the end because he was over five from deep and then he finished 348 off that pulled the Lakers up to 35.5% which is still below league-average, but 35.5% on the night. Imagine if he didn’t hit those threes, the Lakers would have been well below league-average but 38 minutes from the minute watch continues overall. He’s minutes are still down on the season, but he’s certainly playing quite a bit more and I wish you look at all these guys, right? Lamelo ball that says no I’m not going to go to the skills challenge these Alex Caruso apparently had an opportunity to go to the dunk contest and he said no, thanks these guys who are declining to go to the All-Star Game and go to participate in these contests. I wish LeBron had it out because my goodness can we get this guy a week off, but now he’s going to have to go to Atlanta and play in the All-Star Game unfortunately, so that’s something that we’re going to have to deal with hopefully sneakers in the future. We’ll be able to trim down as minutes cuz you know what, he only played 24 minutes in the last game against the Warriors, but then tonight it’s right back up to 38. It’s funny Travis cuz people accused us of and in general almost kind of babying LeBron in terms of us always being so scared about him playing too many minutes off talking about how he’s just kind of a different breed of player to maybe we shouldn’t worry about that. And I don’t know, you know, maybe we should it, you know, I don’t know if it’s our history with, you know, after seeing Katie and then Thursday what happened with Kobe back in the day, maybe that’s just kind of what we can’t help but think about and worry about when you see a guy putting in so many minutes, but the only time tonight I was kind of odd, you know, cuz we did it did feel like we start again with Booker going out felt like we had a chance to win but there was a point where I guess it was just the last two minutes where Phoenix had gone up ten or eleven and I think long and that was you know, the Lakers had inbound the ball and LeBron was driving to the basket and I was just like, oh, I don’t know. It’s just felt like such a useful useless point for LeBron to be on the court at that place. I was just like get him out of there video like just you know, you just don’t want to see something stupid like LeBron, you know, the games already Out Of Reach and LeBrons driving to the bucket and he’s right and wrong choice and Ankle. I mean granted we are going into All-Star break. So at least that would be helpful. But you know, you know, you don’t you guys don’t want to get out we just we don’t want we don’t want to get hurt absolutely especially especially when wage is Out Of Reach and you know, it already felt like the dagger was in I think were two minutes left or something like that. It was it was after LeBron had already hit those two threes, you know, I think Phoenix had gotten a job another possession or stop in a possession and it was just you could tell wasn’t going to happen. You know, some people in the chat are talking about Kyle kuzma being out and how big of an impact that may I think as much as we talk about Kyle kuzma as offense. I think the kuzma being out might have been a big factor in terms of the open 3, so he’s actually because he’s like six ten and he’s able to guard the page. Kuzma closing out to a person is very different than West Matthews closing out. Now. You can argue maybe West Matthews has a little bit more lateral quickness, but kuzma closing out putting a hand up is going to extension a lot farther than say a Wes. Matthews would are certainly a Jared Dudley wood right now. I thought Jared Dudley was fine. He did some some good banging in the post and things like that. But kuzma closing out on Shooters is just a very different thing compared to those guys that they turned you tonight. And so that’s where I think you see how well the sun shot from 3 not saying kuzma would have solved everything and the sons would have shot 20% cuz Kyle kuzma would have just blocked every shot no choice, but I think he could have made a difference in terms of contesting 3-point shots. And that’s where I see the Lakers missing him. The most tonight was in terms of his perimeter defense and his ability to get a hand up in effect 3-point shots off. Yeah, and you didn’t even and I understand that’s how I would have affected the game the most tonight, but you didn’t even talked about his rebounding as which has been one of the standout things from him. So it’s just funny how bout you know, we’re doing may have talked about this before about how we as a as a fan base can go hot and cold about the players. Like, you know, how cold was it has Laker Nation been on a cruise before? Yeah, and then all of a sudden, you know, we don’t have them tonight and he’s like he’s are missing piece. So, you know, it just goes to show that sometimes you know, I’m not all or nothing with these guys, you know, sometimes it just, you know, you gotta hang in there with them and you know, obviously we like what Cruz brings to the team and I’ve never really been down on cruise that much money, you know, I think we just went through an adjustment period where we realized that you know, he wasn’t exactly what we were visiting as the third guy but he’s still a valuable asset to the team and a good contributor and birth. But he’s been putting in lately and just it cannot be denied. Even if it’s a bad shooting night. I mean, he’s hustling to grab boards. Like you said he would have been useful in defense wise with his wife tonight so long, you know. Yeah. We’re big on cruise. Yeah for sure.
I like to what we’ve seen from him this season. He’s been he’s been very good for the Lakers. All right. So I’ve got a few more comments in here that we need to get you but first, we really need to get to the Master Lock of the night. So let’s get there the Master Lock of the night Chris. Are you going to open it up everybody and do like a like a vote again? I have a feeling but based on what I’ve seen from the comments. I almost feel like they’ve already heard he voted on who they want Master unlocked. Oh my God, I don’t know how they decide. I mean there’s so many possibilities tonight. And I don’t know are we doing the master? Like video? Are you not running the video tonight know I can I can run it, but I wanted but do you want to give some options. Yeah, we’re about we’re going to open it up to like Renee for sure. So let’s let’s hit him with some options and then we’ll go to our Master Lock intro and then we’ll we’ll go over the results. So why don’t you give us the tight the three options? I bet I don’t we might be more than $3. So okay. So for the master. Come tonight Laker Nation, you tell us let’s see who you vote for over overwhelmed. There’s a lot of different kind of options here. And unfortunately, none of them are really Phoenix Suns at least from me tonight. So that’s not really good sign when the opposing team is lighting Master locked. But okay, so we have Frank Vogel or a Master Lock candidate. Do I even need to go into while we talked about the whole Sawridge Montrezl Harrell Damian Jones DeAndre and kind of fiasco a little bit that didn’t work out too. Well some of the questionable items, although again, it’s Jus bogle’s in his defense. We’re missing guys. So not completely all his fault second option Laker Nation is the refs what was going on tonight? So many thousands technical fouls, I’m not mad about the objection to Booker. I think that kind of even the playing field but the referees were very questionable tonight. I saw a lot of people on flick off Twitter talking about the officials and you know, really killed the flow of the game. So the rest are other option is I’m going to say the combination of West in k c p i mean you guys can vote for one the other or both. We don’t need to go into that any more than we already have. There’s been a lack of production there Casey peas in a slump West Matthews has been in his life since he got to the team so that makes it even worse on his past and I guess you can even go to UNC the network incidents for someone policy coverage tonight. You can Master Lock TNT, I guess if she wants so, what do you guys think? All right. So fire them off guys, let us know and you know what so we’ve got either Vogel getting the Master Lock kcp West Palm Fuse or the referees right firearm off. I’m going to run our intro and then we’ll give you the results, right we get back for the Master Lock of the night. Thursday and open until
This is closed. Why is it not supposed that I am I think the refs are getting a pass tonight. I don’t see a lot of of the refs on here, but I’m seeing a lot of people saying either kcp and west or Vogel and I’m saying something saying triple Master Lock all three of them. I know I’m really named Alex Brothers. Hey, let me let me hit you with something that popped into my head here. And so last season last season. We took Dwight Howard in Javale McGee and because they played the same position have the same role we push them together and it was July and it was the White Lake Howard. Let’s so let me let me put on you here. Let’s tavius Matthews pump wage. That’s way too much to spend too much rather, but that’s a mouthful right? That’s right. I thought you I thought you were going to go with one of these names are putting out here in the chat. I saw the brake brother headers. I took all I saw this is just terrible people are calling from the trash Brothers. I’m not condoning that I don’t like calling our guys trash. Although I don’t know, you know know off the classroom. Okay, so but we got it. Let’s let’s pick some of that one here though. I’m going to I’ll put you on the spot. I’ll leave it to you. Is it Vogel or is it the duo of k c p and Wes Matthews who’s getting getting put in the south? Along tonight, you know what? I’m going to give it to k c p and Matthews and that’s only because I mean it’s because of you know, being out happy sallah having crews out, you know and seeing. You know, I know that Vogel was just you know, he was making the best of a bad situation kind of you know what I mean? And like there was he could have done better things off the line up. Obviously, it wasn’t exactly a it wasn’t Perfect by any means but on I don’t know I just feel like there’s there’s really no excuse kind of Perkasie p in West Matthews, especially last West month is at this point. You know what I mean? Yeah agreed. Yeah. I’m good with that. So kcp West Matthews the I don’t want to I don’t want to start this but the brick Brothers. Do you know what I hope? I hope it doesn’t last. Yeah, I hope it does allows either but I mean it’s going to have to stick at least for a minute and hopefully they’ll help get them out of this slump. We I just want to repeat I haven’t completely lost faith in that month as getting frustrating very frustrating. All right, Chris one other thing that that I want to get into tonight, you know, I do know some people that cover the Phoenix Suns and one of those people that that covers the sons they mentioned something on Twitter through something out there and said, you know, the Reps have not been good tonight with the technicals and everything even from the Sun side. They weren’t happy with the with the officiating. But they said they weren’t prepared for the heat that comes with a Lakers vs Suns matchup. And I thought huh? This is to me I don’t do is that just me where I like, I don’t have any animosity towards the sun’s wage. I don’t feel that way. I mean the Celtics and the Clippers that’s where I think I take most of my focus most of my attention. Most of my negative thoughts basketball-wise go towards the Celtics of the Clippers wage, but you’ve got these like the sun’s they look at the Lakers as their biggest deadliest mortal enemy, right? That’s that’s how the sunseed like I have. I just don’t have any ill will towards the sons and I feel like it’s the same thing with the Blazers. It’s the same thing with the Kings. I don’t I don’t feel like there’s a son’s Lakers rivalry right now, but I think from the sun’s perspective there is are you or are you with me? Do you feel like I do what you just don’t feel any kind of way towards the sun’s an hour. Are you? Yeah, no trans. I mean you pass. I mean, we’ve kind of known this for a while like us as Laker fans. I mean, we only focus on like you said, it’s the Celtics and it’s you know lately it’s been the conquerors and it’s even turned into the Vets a little bit now, but that’s just cuz that’s a potential match up. But yeah, I don’t think we the reason these teams are are we don’t they’re not armed was what were their Rivals is because look how many championships that we’ve won on and you know what I mean? And those are Western Conference teams. So I mean they just thought it was can you look at it? You know when you’re a team that is you know in the Western Conference and you’re saying you’ve seen the Lakers do what they’ve done for literally decades at this point. So the Lakers have built up a rivalry with them jeans, that’s not necessarily a mutual rivalry for us. Now. The sun’s is not a rivalry. You know what I mean? Like the closest it was to a rivalry was you know on those Kobe maybe Steve Nash & Young Yeah, that was first that was for a rotary short. So and then you know Portland same thing so I completely agree with you. I mean, we have a lot of people that gave us like they’re rival but for us, you know, it’s a much smaller scope. I was I was on a radio show in Portland. It was a couple of years ago was like an NBC show and off and they were asking me about this, you know, the big Lakers are going to play the Blazers isn’t this this big rivalry and I kind of said, I don’t hear Lakers fans talk about the plays that I didn’t mean to be disrespectful anything, but I’m like, I know there’s not a lot of hatred towards the Blazers from the Lakers side of things even though they’re there is a just it’s the way it goes what happens when you’re winning championships, but we need to talk about this crash just came up Markieff Morris being very very honest surprisingly honest. He said, I’m mentally drained.
I know a lot of the guys on my team are mentally drained, but that’s not an excuse. So I mean Markieff is just coming on. I thought Mark had a good game today, but he’s coming right out and saying we’re tired. I mean, that’s he’s saying he’s drained like that song that makes me wonder what tomorrow is going to look like the last game before the All-Star break. Are they going to be able to focus at all? This team really is desperate for this for this break and I wish it was a longer cuz it feels like they need they need some time to recuperate. Well Trevor, you can’t blame them. I mean look how condense this season has been. I mean, I feel like we’re I mean we can feel it cuz I do the post game show here with you a lot of time. I mean we live or is there I can’t remember the last it doesn’t seem like I can’t really remember the last time or I feel like the last time that we’ve had two days without a game after he was almost like there’s a game every day and there is a very condensed and and it can be even exhausting for us just as terms of, you know doing like post games having to do post-game shows that often so I can only imagine as a player. You know what I mean? This is a team that went as deep as they did, you know to win the championship last season so you can only imagine kind of how these guys are feeling. Yeah. Absolutely. They I mean I I was surprised usually guys won’t admit when they’re tired. Right? I mean people have been asking LeBron for a while now like hey, do you feel like you’re getting worn out playing all these minutes and you keep saying no tires. Just a mental thing. I’m fine, but you know shaking it off. But here’s Markieff Morris just saying. Yep. I am tired. The rest of the team is tired to where mentally fatigued. I mean, it’s Gotta gotta be for now. She can’t blame him. So there’s All-Star break is going to be necessary or would be good for the team. And how long are these are all star break. I guess it’s till the 19th miles game start breaks down. And what is the date so they have tomorrow’s game they play they’re playing the Sacramento Kings tomorrow. So another Western Conference opponent and then they don’t play again until the 12th. So they get a week on the 12th the 12th. They’re going to play the Pacers. So so they get well Okay. So Thursday is the first day really of the All-Star break. So they get a week in a day before they have to play a game again a week and a half a day. Basically they get Thursday through the next Friday off. Okay. Well, it’s something you know, they they obviously need it and I personally don’t blame them, you know, cuz it’s it’s been you know this season. I know it’s less games but it’s super condensed just it’s very condensed and that’s and that’s a grind that’s a grind for sure people asking are there any trade rumors heading into the brake know but the All-Star break it’s going to be different this year the All-Star game though off right around the All-Star break. That’s typically when a lot of teams start really talking trade because everybody goes to whatever City for the All-Star game so they meet up and they’re talking obviously that’s not happening this year in terms of getting all the executives to go travel there. But I would imagine trade talks around the NBA are going to heat up here while there’s a break in play cuz at this point teams are starting to figure out what they’ve really got now will the fact that there’s you can get into the playoffs even if you have the tenth place spot in the in your conference will that change things were more teams don’t want to sell off players because they think they can get sick. 10 spot and get into the playoff tournament or play n tournament. Maybe maybe that’s a factor but we do no trade talks. Look, there’s no question. They’re going to pick up March 25th is inching closer. That’s the trade deadline between now and then we’re going to hear more and more and more in regards to trade rumors who might be on the move. So of course keep it tuned right here Lakers Nation YouTube channel guys. I keep you guys updated as we can. Make sure you are subscribed and don’t forget to bring that notification Bell Chris think we should call it a night. Well considering it’s 1:41 a.m. For me. I should be definitely call it a night. Let’s do it. Thank you for staying up late with us. Chris appreciate everybody coming up with your questions or comments. I know for Thursday night, but hopefully the Lakers can put together enough focus on the Sacramento Kings tomorrow night to finish off with a win and then go into the All-Star break and get a bit of a rest of tomorrow night. We’ll do another post game show after Lakers vs Kings. Thank you. Again. Everybody appreciates you guys joining us till tomorrow night. See you at stay safe.
