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- [00:00]
A
Coming up on this episode of Mind the Game. We probably shot our last pod together in that room you're in now before you guys played OKC a month ago or whatever, and we were talking about your adjustment to being the third option. A few weeks later, you're the number one option again, carrying the load. Like, talk to me about walking that back.
- [00:18]
B
We gotta walk that back quick, man. You know, at the end of the day, you know, it doesn't matter what the bookmaking are saying or, you know, the experts, so called experts are saying. The game is always wanted between the four lines and we, we had to prepare. You know, I knew I still had a lot left in the tank when I came to this franchise in 18. But to say that, you know, at 41, I would be leading the team into the post season and then, you know, coming out with a series win, I wouldn't have guessed that and I wouldn't have bet on that.
- [00:44]
A
To share with your son what it takes to be a pro, and you were rewarded by playing meaningful playoff miss with Bronny.
- [00:51]
B
I kind of, I've always, like, always been locked in that moment right there, throwing him the lob, seeing him make the three. We kind of going back and forth. I kind of blanked out for a little bit and just really just accepted and relished in that moment.
- [01:04]
A
Ok, Steve, coming up on tap here, what's your approach? Mind the game, I mean, episode, whatever season, whatever. The man is in the second round, man. Without Luka, Arkansas, you still got your team to the second round, man. Congratulations.
- [01:35]
B
Thanks, Dave. Appreciate it, man. Tough for sure.
- [01:39]
A
Yeah, a bit fun. Fun to watch. I mean, you guys were underdogs going in, like, literally 15 out of 16 ESPN analysts had you guys going out. All the bookmakers had you guys going out. What was the approach going in. Like, what gave you that belief and allowed you to lead the team through?
- [01:59]
B
I felt like I had to start with our preparation and our belief. You know, at the end of the day, you know, it doesn't matter what the bookmaking are saying or, you know, the experts, so called experts are saying. The game is always wanted between the four lines and we had to prepare. And obviously we know we was going against, you know, you know, a different circumstance and against the odds, obviously, without Luka, without AR to start the series and, you know, them being, you know, super well equipped and ready for whatever, you know, that we would bring to the table. But the game is, like I said, this game is always one in between the four lines. And if we could prepare ourselves, you know, we could play well. We could compete at a high level. We could bring the physicality that Houston brought to the table. Then we felt like we had a good chance of trying to, you know, win each game, and that's all that mattered. It wasn't about the series. We was like, how can we win one game at a time? You know, And I think we started building confidence and guys just played well and, you know, we was able to win it in six versus a very good team.
- [02:58]
A
So you guys had a historic comeback in game three. You know, you had that steal, you had the big three other guys made some big plays. Essentially, that was the series right there. Have you ever been a part of a game finish like that?
- [03:17]
B
Yeah, I mean, off the top of my head, Steve, I can't really, like, think of. Oh, yeah, you know, actually I can. I think the last time or the one that clicks in my head right now, I think it was the 2011 playoffs, Easter Conference finals versus Chicago. We made a comeback late in that game as well and was able to steal that game to close that series and advance to the NBA Finals, you know, in 2011. So definitely had a moment there. So that was. That was a big time, you know, moment. I think it started with Marcus getting the steal. You know, they fouled him on a three point play. He made three free throws. We were still down three. And then I was able to, you know, not foul, try to get a trap in the backcourt, but also I was able to tip the ball away from Reed shepherd and make the game tie in three to basically send it over overtime. And guys made plays in the overtime, you know, session, and we was able to win that game. Like you said, that basically was a big time moment for us and helped us win that series.
- [04:21]
A
It's funny, right? Like, you think about a series, how it twists and turns, and obviously they played a little better after you guys went up three zero, but that's the game, right? Like, in a sense, that's too much for them to come back. No one's ever done it. Did you think for a second though, like, how was your team with them getting back to 3:2, you know, knowing no one's ever gone that far? Were you guys full of confidence? Did that add to the nerves or anxiety or how did you guys approach it?
- [04:43]
B
Well, I mean, if you're a human being, of course it adds to the nerves and anxiety, of course. You know, you come home, you're up three one, you know, and, you know, the. The sense of A human being, I believe sometimes you're like, okay, we can kind of relax a little bit, even though, you know, you can't. Because at the end of the day, the series is never over until four games is won. And that is always the hardest game. The hardest game is always the closeout game. So, you know, they beat us up pretty bad in game four on their home floor. So they had a little confidence coming in to game five. And we played well in the first quarter. We had a 10 point lead, gave up a three point play to end the quarter, you know, and then, you know, they just started playing better and better as the quarters went on and, excuse me, was able to beat us. And obviously they felt, you know, super confident. You know, they felt like they were the better team. They felt like them going back home would give them the upper edge, you know. And for me, you know, as a leader of the team, I felt like, you know, it was about, you know, what team can kind of just hold their composure and stay even keel and understand the assignment. And that was kind of like my whole mindset going into game six, like, you know, breathing confidence into my guys, understanding, like, listen, we're here for a reason and we can close this thing out if we just limit our mistakes, both offensively and defensively. And that was one of the first times in the whole series that we finally put together a complete game. Even though we was up 3 0, we hadn't put up a complete game yet. And in game six, we finally did that to close it out.
- [06:11]
A
When you say breathe life into your teammates, is that just your demeanor, your approach, or is that in film sessions, walkthroughs, individual conversations, all of the above. Like, how do you breathe that life into them? Because you can see it. It's happening.
- [06:25]
B
Yeah, yeah. I mean, Steve, it starts from the moment that we arrive on that plane, you know. You know, none of us wanted to get back on the plane to go to Houston. We all wanted to close out at home and get some extra rest, especially my ass, you know, you know, I could use as many days as possible. So, you know, it starts from the moment that we're all walking on the plane. It's our demeanor when we get on the plane. It's how we feel about the moment, you know, and not shying away from it. So. And it goes down, like you said, to the film sessions, to whatever we're preparing for, you know, all the way up until, you know, the moment the ball tips, you know, that game. So, yeah, it started way before we Even got to Houston.
- [07:02]
A
Are you. Are you jumping in film sessions a lot? Like, is your nature to, like, speak up in film sessions, or do you kind of take it all in and then let it talk it out on the floor?
- [07:12]
B
A little bit of both. You know, I kind of take it all in early on, you know, kind of. Especially if it's the beginning of the series, just to kind of, you know, calibrate and see, you know, everything a team wants to do, their pros, their cons, how great they are at something, some of the things we may be able to limit, you know, and I kind of just, you know, put all of that information into the database and let it just kind of work its way through there and then start, you know, kind of deciphering it and picking through it or whatever the case may be. So as the series goes on and on, or whatever the case may be, I kind of kind of implement, you know, once we have kind of, you know, some minutes played, you know, and throughout the series where I felt like, okay, we could have been better here, or, you know, let's not make that mistake there, or we can exploit that. So, you know, I think it's more the vocal part comes as the series goes on, you know, before the series starts or, you know, leading up to a series, I kind of just, you know, just taking it all in and just letting it calibrate.
- [08:07]
A
Yeah. It's funny because I think sometimes when a casual fan hears adjustments, they think, oh, they went from blitzing to pick and roll to switching to dumb. But often the adjustments are just within your scheme. Like, no, your feet have to be here. You have to be here early. You have to be here on time. You have to whatever it is. So, like, how much of that I can imagine with your experience, you're like that, you know, like, if you are here on time, we don't have a problem. If you have your feed here, if you can make contact here, do you feel like you can help your team a lot from all that experience about just not necessarily adjustments of scheme, but adjustments within scheme of how you can be more efficient?
- [08:46]
B
No, no, absolutely. I mean, listen, you know, there's not one team that's built, you know, eight, nine months of habits, and then all of a sudden the playoffs start and they're like, oh, we got to make adjustments. We got to scrap that and do something else. It's like, you know, you have your foundation and you're going to figure out ways how you can be better at things in the midst of what you've already done, you know, so how can we be better at what we already do? And those are like, small little tweaks. And how many times can you do it over and over and over, you know, throughout the course of a playoff game, throughout the course of a series, and you start to learn, you know, the person that you're playing against, your opposition, you start to learn their tendencies. You start to see the flow of it. So, yeah, you know, there are some minor adjustments. Sometimes there's a lineup change, sometimes there's a shift in defensively or how you play offensively. But nobody's coming into a playoff series and saying, we make an adjustment in game four, and it's completely different from what we did to 82 games in the preseason and all the training. Like, there's a foundation built over the course of the season.
- [09:51]
A
So we. We met. We probably. We probably shot our last pod together in that room you're in now before you guys played Oakley OKC a month ago or whatever. And we were talking about your adjustment to being the third option to, you know, allowing and helping. Obviously, Luka's, you know, one of the greats, and then Austin's, like, taking this all NBA level, and now a few weeks later, you're the number one option again, carrying the load. Like, talk to me about walking that back quick.
- [10:18]
B
We gotta walk that back quick, man. It's definitely not the situation, you know, that I would want to be in under the circumstances. Obviously, I understand that I can always tap back into this role, and it's something I've done, you know, for the majority, if not the whole. My entire career. But I wouldn't want to do it under the circumstances that we're in when we're losing an MVP caliber player and Luka, you know, to start the playoffs and we're losing a 25 plus point score, rising, you know, you know, player and Austin Reaves to start a series. You don't never want to go into the postseason and not have your guys, your soldiers, like, you know, like I said, we built things over the course of the season. And we were, you know, up until that point, before we came to Oklahoma City, we were rolling. We were playing a great ball. I think we were 13 and 2 or something like that. We had, you know, made some strides. We were playing, you know, exceptional basketball. Everybody kind of knew their role. We were starting to finally get healthy. And then obviously, the OKC game happens. We go off to Dallas, you know, we lose that game and everything. Just kind of all the momentum that we had built that month and a half, two months, three months, just quickly shifted in three weeks. So, yeah, it's definitely been challenging, but I've just tried to, I guess, weather the storm and just, you know, just rise to the occasion as much as I could.
- [11:37]
A
Well, it allowed us to see you playing 4D chess in full effects. But before we get to, like, some of that stuff, there's Never been a 41 year old has been the best player in a playoff series. Like, what's that. What's that like for you? Like, did you. Did you, like, when you're 35, did you think, yeah, 41, I'll still be playing. I'll still be the best player in a playoff series. Is this normal? Or you're like, wow, I'm still here doing it?
- [12:02]
B
No, I definitely didn't. I didn't believe that. I mean, listen, I came to the Lakers in 2018 at 33, and there's no way, if someone said, would you be playing in 2026 in the postseason? Like, you know, just playing? Like, I don't know if I would have been able to answer that question, just playing and then let alone saying, hey, but now you're the number one option on a playoff team and you're helping to win a series. Like, you're the number one option on that team. I just. I wouldn't have believed that. I mean, you know, I knew I still had a lot left in the tank when I came to this franchise in 18. But to say that, you know, eight years later, you know, at 41, I would be leading the team into the postseason and then, you know, coming out with a series win, I wouldn't have guessed that, and I wouldn't have bet on that.
- [12:58]
A
And now over to our producer, Jason, for a word from one of our partners.
- [13:01]
C
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- [14:27]
A
Everyone has a favorite sports memory. For me, I'll never forget an incredible image from the 2022 FIFA World cup final. The streets of Buenos Aires empty one minute, everyone glued to their screens. Then a minute later, the final whistle blows and suddenly the streets are flooded with a sea of 1.5 million fans. Absolute euphoria. There are not many things that can bring joy to that many people in one moment. That's the magic of the FIFA World Cup. With big events like the FIFA World cup coming to your area, fans will be traveling thousands of miles to be part of the experience. You could list your space on Airbnb and help fans create the stories they'll be telling forever. Plus earn some extra income while this event is happening in your backyard. Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much@airbnb.com host. We had you on Nightcap on NBA Amazon Prime, NBA coverage after the series, after the win. And I think Taylor asked you, you know, how's it going against Father Time? I already passed him. I already passed him. But seriously, though, tell me, like, what inspires you? Like, where's the motivation to stay at this level this long? Is there other athletes? Is there something about the sport or the game yourself? Like, what is it where you can continually find the motivation and inspiration to rise at this stage of your career in life?
- [16:06]
B
Yeah, I think it's definitely the sport and it's the, you know, I have the ability to still inspire and I have the ability to still play this game at a high level, you know, and I still love the process of getting up and putting my body through rigorous rehabs and training sessions and whatever the case may be to try to find the results. And I think the result of what you Saw what guys are seeing in the first round or, you know, since I came back from injury or whatever the case may be, you know, and I also have, you know, to be able to, you know, have Bronny in the locker room has definitely helped out a lot as well. Just I have a job and a responsibility to show him what it means to be a professional, you know, and, yes, he's seen it from the outside, looking in throughout the course of his life. But now being in the locker room, being in film sessions, being on the plane, being, you know, in the. Everything that surrounds how to be a professional and, you know, the results that come with it, I have a responsibility in that. So those are, you know, a couple, you know, ways for me, and a couple ways that's given me inspiration and given me motivation to. To still do this. And, yeah, it's paid off. I hope so. I hope it's paid off, you know, in the sense for Bronny and in the sense of my teammates that, you know, they get to see, you know, how I approach the game, and it comes way before, you know, the lights come on and the popcorn is, you know, popcorn is popping and everyone is filled in their seats and whatever the case may be.
- [17:34]
A
What an answer. I mean, obviously, you probably get motivation and inspiration from a lot of places, but to say, like, to share with your son what it takes to be a pro and to take those steps every day and build those habits, it's amazing. And you were rewarded by playing meaningful playoff minutes with Bronny, and not only that, throwing him a lob, like, talk to me, brother. Like What? That's crazy. 41, leading your team in the second round and getting to play with your son. Meaningful minutes.
- [18:00]
B
Yeah, that. You know, one of the things that I came into this season, obviously, last year was, you know, challenging for everybody, and he was learning his. His. His ways on, you know, being a professional, whatever case may be his rookie year, but, you know, he's made so many strides in his second year, and, you know, it resulted in him, you know. You know, taking, you know, the moment, obviously, without Ar, without Luka, you know, he was next man up. He was one of the guys that had to step up in his absence and to share that moment. In game three, I believe we scored 10 straight points between the two of us. I think we both had a three, and we both had a layup, whatever the case may be. I was able to throw him alive, and we had that mini run between the two of us, and that was just something that I Would never, ever forget. Something that I've learned obviously at the, you know, my elder stage and being 41 years old, to kind of like appreciate the small wins in the moment. And that was one of the moments where I kind of, I've always, like, always been locked in. And those, that moment right there, throwing him the lob, seeing him make the three, we kind of going back and forth, I kind of blanked out for a little bit and just like really just accepted and relished in that moment. And that's pretty cool for me as a dad and then us as colleagues and then our whole family. Like I think I mentioned at one point, like my mom being at the game and her being able to watch her son and grandson in the post season game at the same time. Like, you know, and it's the same. My wife was there. Yeah, it was like my wife was there, his sister was there. I think Bryce was back home from college. He was at a playoff. Like, it was like, you can't, you can't even, you know, you can't even write that script in Hollywood better than what's going on. So just being super appreciative of it.
- [19:46]
A
That's incredible. But let's be real. Does Bronny actually listen to you?
- [19:50]
B
No. Does any kid? No. Yeah. Does any kid. I mean, he's 21 years old. Does any kid stay parent at that point? No, no. He's a great dad. He's a great kid. I don't even try to, I don't give him too much. Listen, I'll try to lead by example when my voice is needed. You know, I feel like he'll reach out and he wants it. And other than that, I just, you know, hope that I'm, you know, doing my part, you know, doing my part by leading by example, leading by my voice. And, you know, he takes. Take what he want. Yeah.
- [20:21]
A
Well, we could talk about father time, but that is an age old story. Fathers and sons and how much they actually, you know, listen to you. I remember trying to teach my son to get his elbow in on his shot and he's like, well, that's not the only way you can do it.
- [20:33]
B
Right, right.
- [20:34]
A
I was like, well, it might. I could. Let me save you some time here. Right, right.
- [20:38]
B
So, you know, to fix it later on in life. If you just do it right now,
- [20:41]
A
we'll have to come let alone like, I might have shot about 10 million of these.
- [20:46]
B
Right, right.
- [20:48]
A
But that's, that's father and son. But man, what a great moment to Watch you guys play together. And him having some success and adapting to a new environment of the playoffs was. Was fantastic. There's a clip I want to watch with you because I think it's just indicative of your impact on this series where you were just offering Houston the advanced placement test and seeing what they were ready for. So this one is, like, not even so much reading and reacting. This is just guile and gamesmanship. So let's run this tape here. You know, it's obviously coming to an end of a quarter. You guys can slow it down, set up, and you tell Smarty here, hold on, hold on, hold on. And just kind of give the okie doke.
- [21:28]
B
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
- [21:29]
A
Here he just relaxes. But you and Smarty have the eyes, and you told him like, hold on, and then you gave him the stare.
- [21:38]
B
Yeah, yeah. You know, just. That's just playing possum, you know. You know, I feel like, you know, the game is, you know, I mean, which we saw in Game 3 in Houston. The game is never over until, you know, those zeros on the clock. So even though we had momentum, we had got to stop, we had momentum. You still have to execute, you still have to score. And I felt, you know, at that time, they had got a little. They had got a little deflated. They didn't make some of the shots that they made or wanted to make, and we were getting stops, and they were kind of, you know, lagging a little bit, you know, maybe thinking about the previous play. And I kind of noticed that walking down the court. So, you know, I kind of told Smarty like, hold, hold up. And they all kind of was watching me do that. And at that moment, when I saw Tari Easton kind of, you know, just take a little beat, like, okay, I can breathe. That's when I was able to make eye contact with Smarty and get that back door and kind of. And pretty much, you know, seal the game after that.
- [22:33]
A
It's interesting because, you know, we become accustomed to, you know, all the things you've done on the court. And it started out with incredible athleticism. Size, strength, speed, explosiveness. You know, then you developed your shooting, you develop that. I mean, you always had great vision, but that processing power, you know, at your stage, there's gotta be times where you can't rely on all those factors. You know, whether it's just slight difference in athleticism, fatigue, whatever it is. Like, it's just different being 41 than being 35 or 30. When do you feel it most your age? Is there a Scenario or a time when you're like, yeah, I can't do that anymore because you always adapt. You make up for it in other ways. Is there a moment or a scenario where you're like, yeah, that's one where I hold back or I avoid?
- [23:19]
B
Yeah, you know, I'm trying to push the limit, Steve, as much as possible.
- [23:24]
A
Well, you clearly are.
- [23:25]
B
Yeah, you know, there is. There's times out on the floor where, you know, like, okay, you know, you have to maybe scale back a little bit. You know, you have to maybe, I don't want to say preserve any energy because definitely in the post season, it's so much harder to do that. But there's times where, you know, now, you know, you get off the ball, you know, you know, more than you would do when you were, you know, 28, you know, 32, you know, you know, I could run. I could run 10:12 straight, pick and rolls and make all the plays and pretty much not be tired after the end of that or not feel worn down in the fourth quarter, you know. So now, you know, I understand that, you know, at this point, you know, in my career, that that's not probably going to be beneficial to the long term of that game or, you know, even the next game, especially in the postseason, of me running 10 straight pick and rolls or me having the ball in my hands for 1012 straight possessions, that's just not beneficial to not only myself, and then it won't be beneficial to the team. So just kind of picking your spots, understanding, like, when the team may need this or need that. So playing off the ball, playing on the ball, you know, spotting up in the corner, just trying to the first, you know, you know, diversify my. My portfolio out on the floor, you know, in order for me to have the maximum energy that I can produce still at this point in my career.
- [24:38]
A
Yeah, I mean, you. What I. The way I, you know, going off, that's that clip where you, you played possum, but you were able to dominate in so many different types of actions where you didn't need to take the ball and go coast to coast. So, yeah, your man, you're running, they're running back in defense and transition, and you get a feel that he's got his head turned and doesn't realize, and you just beat him down the weak side, get the ball, layup. Like a guy jams you off the ball to try to be physical, and you allow the first jam and then you, like, show him, oh, let him think he's winning the Next one, next bump, back, cut, layup, you know, double team in the post, like making sure your guys are spaced, the timing of your reads, which one's the right one, they might two be open, but which one sequentially puts them in a difficult position. So pick on game like, you know, cutting all those things you are able to do to find ways to win a game. It doesn't matter if the ball was in your hand to start the possession.
- [25:37]
B
No, no, not at all. I mean, you said it, not at all. You know, it's, you know, how can we, you know, get the most out of this possession? Either like you said, me off the ball or on the ball or, you know, I know that, you know, for the minutes that I'm on the floor, I'm always a threat in the defense eyes, they're always kind of accountant for me. Where is he? You know, is he in the post? Is he on a perimeter? Is he gonna cut back door? Is he gonna set a pick and roll here? So, you know, I understand that the threat that I still possess on the floor, so I have the ability to be in multiple positions and multiple spots on the floor for the benefit of our.
- [26:22]
A
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- [28:02]
B
No, no, actually, I mean, it all happened by, by fault, unfortunately. It's not saying that he'd never been able to do that, but when you lose, you know, our team lost so much in Luka and ar. We had to rely on Marcus and Luke and at times Bronny to be able. We have to create a blender. How can we create us getting into the paint, you know, where we can get the defense shifted from one side to the other side. And we noticed, you know, early on, even before the injuries happened, that Luke had that ability that he could because his ability to shoot so well. A lot of teams run him off the line, but they don't also realize that he can also play in the blender where he can make plays not only himself with his pull up jumpers and his step throughs, but he can also make plays where he's spraying out for other guys. And now they're playing against closeouts and things of that nature. So we kind of saw that, a little sample size of it when, you know, AR and Luka were playing. And then when the injuries happened, we knew we was going to need more. We had to, we had no choice. We needed that more from him. And listen, he stepped up to the plate and like I said, I said before, I said, damn, I mean, you know, Atlanta and you know, you know, other places in Memphis where he was or the Clips, you know, I don't know if it was because of the, at what point his career was, but I just never seen them utilize him as much in that position. But we've taken full advantage of it. I got to give a lot of credit to the coaching staff too, empowering them. And then all of us try to just, hey, just stand on him like, listen, man, do what you do. Be a ball player. You're not just a great shooter. The best shooter in our league as far as percentage wise and one of the best shooters in our league, period. But just be a ball player too, and he's taking that full responsibility for sure.
- [29:47]
A
And what about D.A. i mean, Deandre Ayton's had like, you know, it's been, it feels like a little up and down. You know, he made the Clint Capella comments. You know, he's said a few things over the course of time, but 12, 10 and A block a game in the series and it feels like he's embraced his role. Tell me a little bit about that journey and how he's starting to, for me, like, looking to be more active, looking to protect the rim, second efforts. Have you noticed a shift in his mentality?
- [30:13]
B
Yeah, it's just about empowering da, you know, you know, DA understanding. He's the biggest, strongest, one of the most athletic guys on the court. Every night we hit the floor, but empower him to, you know, rim run. We want to, you know, look for him when he gets early rim runs and seals. He does an unbelievable job of setting screens and getting, you know, defenders off our bodies. And if teams are switching, you know, we want him to bury inside. And he's great in that pocket with that, you know, with that 12 to 15, mid range shot. He's great in that. He's unbelievable. He had, even in the game that we lost, I think it was game four against Houston, he had, he had 10 offensive rebounds. Like, you know, he was such a present presence in that game. Even though we lost that game, it was either game four or game five, maybe game five at home. He was just such a presence and we need that from him. We need his, his ability to, you know, like you said, block a shot or two, you know, but he also changed shots. We need him to have the ability to switch off on guards. Sometimes we go 1 through 5, but we switch and we feel like he has the lateral quickness, he has the ability to guard some of our guards in our league and he's been great for, especially in the postseason.
- [31:15]
A
Yeah, such a weapon to your defense. And then if he's filling holes offensively, I mean, it just gives the team a boost. What about ar? I mean, obviously very difficult to miss four or five weeks and then come back right in the playoffs looking more comfortable each night out. But maybe just tell the fans out there what that's like to hit playoff and take intensity with, you know, man.
- [31:38]
B
Yeah, I've never had to go through that. And I can only imagine, like I did it from preseason to the regular season. I have so much more time to get back into game shape, you know, even with the regular season. But to have to be four or five weeks out and then have to jump back into a series, especially versus a Thompson twin and Houston and their physicality and their athleticism, you know, it's challenging. And you know, he came back in game five at home, gave us a spark offensively. Obviously didn't shoot the ball well, but that just came from just. I thought I just didn't have any legs, you know, especially late in that game. And I mean, it don't matter how much training, how much rehab and how much, you know, court work you're doing, there's no substitution for game fatigue, you know, so. But I thought in six, he did a great job of like attacking the paint, you know, just giving us that presence. We need another guy that can get in the paint and create the blender, and that's one guy that can do that. And also, you know, he can get us into the bonus with his ability to, to create contact and create free throws and fouls and things of that nature. So it's just great to have him back, that's for sure. He gives us another presence.
- [32:46]
A
Yeah. Constant pressure on the defense, Constant pressure shooting his penetration. Obviously he's so skilled, so it's great to see him. Hopefully for game one, he feels like almost back to his best. And shout out to the Thompson twins. Those kids are everywhere.
- [32:59]
B
Oh, man, they're everywhere. They're so damn good, man. They are so good.
- [33:03]
A
They should, they should sneak in a swap one day, see if anybody recognizes.
- [33:10]
B
Yeah, just see like how you feeling today, brother? Banged up, man. Okay, don't even worry about it. I'll take, I'll take this game.
- [33:17]
A
Yeah, I'll come out to Detroit.
- [33:20]
B
To Detroit. Yeah. Yeah, exactly.
- [33:22]
A
Talk a little bit about JJ and the coaches. You know, I just thought the game plan was so solid throughout the series. You guys adherence and discipline of the game plan was fantastic. You know, you obviously under matched and going against the physical, athletic team, but you know, it helps to have you out there processing, leading. But tell me a little bit about that process. Were there any adjustments you felt like or details that became more and more apparent throughout the series where they honed in on.
- [33:46]
B
Yeah, I think like we just preached on we understanding like the team that we were playing like and we knew it'd take a little time to get into the fight of it. And you know, we had two main keys. It was protect the ball and block out. Like, you know, we were playing against a team in Houston who was the best offensive rebounded team in the last 25 years, you know, so, you know, when they miss shots, you know they're getting second and third chances and it's just too hard, especially in the post season, to give teams multiple opportunities. And then if you're turning the ball over, they're too fast, they're too athletic, they're too quick and you're giving them pick sixes. And we saw, you know, what can happen, you know, in that game five, you know, in that game four where we Turned the ball over and, you know, we didn't clean glass as much. So they were very strategic and very on point about how we wanted to execute against Houston. And. Yeah, so, you know, throughout the course of a series, you make minor adjustments, but we had a staple on how we wanted to play and how we wanted to execute versus them offensively, how we wanted to execute versus them defensively, and we did a good job. As far as the guys just kind of, you know, I want to say buying in, because of course we're going to buy in, it's the postseason. But guys understanding how we can get the best out of what they're giving us, the information that they're giving us in order to be able to accomplish the goal. And that was to, you know, win a playoff series.
- [35:08]
A
Yeah, it's interesting, like we talked about a little bit earlier, but it's not, you know, you start the series maybe with the game plan. It doesn't always mean you adjust, you, you play better. I mean, as silly as that sound, it's like, let's get our details back. Let's make sure we don't give up on it. It doesn't change. It's just like they outplayed us in these areas. And so sometimes I think through a series, it's like you might throw in an adjustment, but you come back often to what you originally did. And let's do it better, let's do it more meaningfully, let's do it with better detail. So it sounds like you guys just, you know, other than those two games, you got back to like winning those little battles, those things you started the series doing.
- [35:44]
B
Yeah, that was just our main focus, our main focus on how we can, you know, win. The small details, the small battles, that's ultimately the big battles. You know, you know, boxing out, like that's a, that's one of the first, you know, drills that you do when you first start playing basketball. But you know, you know, some of the things that it gets lost in detail, it gets lost in the fundamentals of the game. As we get bigger and stronger and faster and more athletic. You try to outleap everybody and you lose some of those details. So we got back to that. Our first practice to begin the series, we literally started with a box out drill. That was literally our first thing. And we didn't do a great job at it in game one and game two, but we got better and better and better as the series went on. And I think up to game, all the way up until we played in Game six, I think they only had seven offensive rebounds, you know, and we just was very detail oriented. Understanding our best possible chance for us to win is to control the controllables. And, you know, and that's defensive cleaning glass. You're going to have some wild bounces where guys get offensive rebounds. You're going to have some where might have had it in your hand and, you know, got fumbled around. And then offensively you're going to have some turnovers. But if this turnover is out of aggression and not being passive, you can live with those.
- [36:49]
A
All right, well, we know you're in the playoffs, so let's make this the last thing. OKC coming up on tap here. I mean, this is an incredible team with a chance to start building some historic profile. What's your approach? You know, obviously Luka's, who knows, probably unlikely at all. So what's the approach? What's, what's the reward here? Yeah, going into OKC for games.
- [37:10]
B
Yeah, I mean, it's the same approach as last series. I mean, we're, we're underman and we're the underdog and we understand that, but it's even so you heighten that even more by like 5, you know, because of, you know, their ability and what they bring to the table. They're one of the most historic basketball teams offensively and defensively that our league has seen and they got one of the most, you know, efficient players in our league history and probably is going to be the MVP again, you know, so we have to, we cannot shortcut the details, you know, in order for us to give ourselves a chance to win games, we cannot shortcut the details in the game plan. And we know we can't stop everything. It's impossible. They're that great. But if we can control the controllables, which is another one of not turning the ball over because we know how great they are when it comes to pick sixes and how handsy they are and athleticism and speed that they play with. Then, you know, we can give ourselves a chance. And that's all you can ask for in the postseason is a chance to compete and compete to win games.
- [38:10]
A
And I think that the Rocket series, you know, the way you guys like detail oriented game plan, how well you guys did on those things and got better probably from the start of the series. In this series, that's going to give you some confidence and some like, you know, purpose going into this series. Like, hey, look, those controllables are out there for us just like they were in the Houston series. Let's take another step. You feel like that gave you guys some motivation and some confidence going?
- [38:32]
B
Yeah, I think so. I mean, we know we have the ability to win. And, you know, when you come into a series for the first time with a new group, you know, you don't know what to expect. Expect. And, you know, we had a bunch of guys that's, you know, that hadn't won a playoff series. We had some to have, but we also had guys that hadn't played in the playoffs before that played meaningful minutes, you know, so, you know, now that they have that experience, I think it can help us.
- [38:52]
A
Well, kudos to you and the Lakers moving on to round two.
- [38:55]
B
Yes, sir.
- [38:56]
A
KC Thunders super fun to watch. Keep it going, man. Stay healthy and have fun.
- [39:00]
B
All right? I appreciate it, babe. Appreciate it. See you soon. All right?
- [39:03]
A
All right, man. Good luck.
- [39:04]
B
All right, Steve.
- [39:12]
A
Thanks for watching. Mind the game. New episodes drop every other Tuesday. Remember to, like, subscribe or follow wherever you're watching.