Did LeBron play his last game for the Lakers?

Summary

The Athletic NBA Daily – May 12, 2026

Episode Theme: Did LeBron Play His Last Game for the Lakers?

Overview
In this episode, Dave DuFour and Zena Keda dive into the end of the Lakers’ playoff run and the possibility that LeBron James has played his last game with the organization. They break down the Lakers’ elimination at the hands of the OKC Thunder, speculate on LeBron’s future, discuss key Lakers free agency decisions, and analyze the rise of Oklahoma City. The episode also features Hunter Patterson on the Cleveland Cavaliers’ strong playoff performance and the Pistons’ struggles.
Note: All times in MM:SS format.

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1. Lakers Eliminated by OKC: The End of an Era?

Segment Start: 01:37

Game Recap & Immediate Reaction

• Thunder sweep the Lakers with a 115–110 Game 4 win in LA.
• Lakers put up their best fight of the series but couldn't seal the win in a close, “clutch” game.
• Final possession controversy:
  • Rui Hachimura, hot all night, was on the bench during the critical last play; Austin Reaves missed a clean look.
  • “That was a little bit of a head scratcher.” — Dave (02:13)
• Overall tone: bittersweet and somber for Lakers fans—an “end of an era” feeling.
  • “There was all this speculation about what [LeBron] might do... there was like this end of an era feeling that felt [present] at the end of this game.” — Zena (03:25)

LeBron’s Situation & Free Agency Outlook

• LeBron is an unrestricted free agent; highly questionable whether he returns.
• “It doesn’t really make a lot of sense if you’re the Lakers to bring him back, in my opinion, unless he’s going to take some kind of a massive pay cut...” — Dave (05:06)
• Dwyane Wade noted on the broadcast: “When has LeBron taken a pay cut? And frankly, why should he?”

Building Around Luka Doncic

• Lakers pivoting to a Luka-centric model; need a big man (“sort of approximates what they had in Dallas”).
• Austin Reaves’ future is pivotal.
  • He can opt out; may get $40+ million offers which could “hamstring” the Lakers’ flexibility.

Key Lakers Quotes

• “Is this LeBron’s last game as a Laker?” — Dave, opening speculation (06:51)
• “Feels inevitable that this is his last year...” — Zena (06:51)
• “[LeBron] has done every single thing that you’re supposed to do within a Lakers jersey on the glitziest stage in the NBA.” — Zena (07:13)

Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura & Roster Strategy

• Reaves has become indispensable and has strong synergy with Luka.
• Zena argues that the Lakers’ team-building “starts with Luka, obviously, but Austin is Austin, then Rui, I think really are your next two, like indisputable options” (08:51).

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2. The Broader LeBron Question: What’s Next?

Segment Start: 09:36

LeBron’s Future Teams & NBA Impact

• Dave throws out possible destinations:
  • New York Knicks (“could LeBron go and finish out his career at MSG? Absolutely.”)
  • Cleveland Cavaliers (returning? “could potentially be an option.”)
  • Golden State Warriors (“what if he finishes out his career and he plays with Steph Curry and Draymond Green?”)
• LeBron’s status: legendary and unprecedented “choose your path” career flexibility.
  • “He can just choose right in. Remember those goosebump stories where you could choose your path? That’s where he’s at right now.” — Zena (11:25)
• LeBron is shifting to legacy-building over being a team’s No. 1 focal point.
  • “Wherever he’s going, he’s proven... LeBron’s willing to take a back seat. LeBron’s willing to do whatever it takes just to win and be able to get teams to where they should be.” — Zena (11:25)

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3. The Ascendant Thunder: Young Core, Big Results

Segment Start: 12:40

OKC’s Depth & Development

• A.J. Mitchell’s star turn is highlighted:
  • “[He’s] playing at an all-star level... For him to do this in the playoffs... 3 years, $9 million contract. That’s the best contract in the NBA.” — Dave (12:40)
  • “Highway robbery is what Sam Presti is doing right now.” — Zena (13:46)
• Key stats: 28 points in Game 4, averaging nearly 19/4/5 in the playoffs—showing big-game maturity at age 23.

Thunder’s Outlook

• Thunder are undefeated (8–0) in the playoffs; defending champions eyeing a three-peat.
• Dave: “Are [OKC] going to three-peat?... My Spurs pick might be super wrong when I watch these guys play.” (15:05)

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4. Pistons vs. Cavs: Third Quarter Collapse

Segment Start: 17:11

Game Recap

• Cavs win 112–103 in Game 4, courtesy of a dominant third quarter (22–0 run).
• Pistons were strong defensively early, but third-quarter turnovers and Donovan Mitchell’s eruption (“One point until three minutes left in the first half, then 21 points in the third”) decided the game.
  • “Donovan Mitchell had four points in the first half and then goes out in the third quarter and himself scores the amount that Detroit had as a team.” — Zena (19:00)

Pistons’ Problems

• Detroit’s offense became stagnant; couldn’t match Cleveland’s physicality or defend without fouling.
• Jalen Duren, expected anchor, is underperforming: “He’s been a no show, complete no show. Not just not living up...” — Dave (20:48)
  • Discussion if Paul Reed (“B-Ball Paul”) should see more minutes.
• Bench production is a rare bright spot:
  • “52 bench points for Detroit versus just 19 for Cleveland.” — Zena (23:53)
  • Caris LeVert’s huge game (24 points): “This was Kerris’s best game as a Piston.” — Hunter (25:59)

Keys for Game 5

• Cavs’ defense: “Duncan Robinson only attempted two threes in the entire game.” — Dave (27:13)
• Pistons need better lineup optimization, specifically staggering Duren and Asar Thompson’s minutes.
• “You’re not going to win a lot of games turning the ball over 18 times and only attempting 23 threes.” — Dave (27:13)
• Evan Mobley’s two-way dominance: “Two steals shy of a five-by-five in the playoffs.” — Dave (27:28)

Memorable Quotes

• “It’s less about the X’s and the O’s and it’s more about the Jims and the Joes, and the Pistons got to find out who their five best guys are.” — Dave (28:36)
• “The defense, they’ve really ratcheted it up... The Pistons, they’ve got to come out punching, throw haymakers in Game 5.” — Dave (29:50)

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Notable Quotes & Moments by Timestamp

• [02:13] Dave: “That was a little bit of a head scratcher. But the Thunder really, in my opinion, they didn’t leave any doubt in this win.”
• [03:25] Zena: “There was like this end of an era feeling that felt at the end of this game.”
• [05:06] Dave: “It doesn’t really make a lot of sense if you’re the Lakers to bring him back, in my opinion, unless he’s going to take some kind of a massive pay cut...”
• [07:13] Zena: “[LeBron] has done every single thing that you’re supposed to do within a Lakers jersey on the glitziest stage in the NBA.”
• [09:53] Dave (on the never-ending Giannis rumors): “That is the sort of— I believe that they are going to be trying to make a big move.”
• [11:25] Zena: “He can just choose right in. Remember those goosebump stories where you could choose your path? That’s where he’s at right now.”
• [13:46] Zena: “Highway robbery is what Sam Presti is doing right now.”
• [19:00] Zena: “Donovan Mitchell had four points in the first half and then goes out in the third quarter and himself scores the amount that Detroit had as a team.”
• [23:53] Zena: “52 bench points for Detroit versus just 19 for Cleveland... The bench pulled its weight tonight.”
• [27:13] Dave: “You’re not going to win a lot of games turning the ball over 18 times and only attempting 23 threes.”
• [28:40] Hunter: “Now it’s about... imposing your will the same way you did during the regular season. And that obviously is easy for me to say here, talking to y’all and not being on the court, but the Pistons just haven’t looked like themselves over these last two games.”

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Key Takeaways

• LeBron likely played his final game as a Laker—free agency decision looms large.
• Lakers’ future: Immediate focus shifts to building around Luka Doncic, with Austin Reaves his likely sidekick and Rui Hachimura a priority.
• OKC Thunder are surging, poised for a three-peat, thanks to young stars like A.J. Mitchell on a bargain contract.
• Cavs show championship form; Pistons need answers—Donovan Mitchell’s second-half explosion underscored Detroit’s faded toughness, while bench performances provided a lone bright spot.
• Both LA and Detroit face pivotal off-seasons, with leadership, roster moves, and role player development at the heart of their respective futures.

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For more analysis:

• Read Sam Amick and Dan Woike on the Lakers’ offseason (12:40)
• Read Hunter Patterson’s story on the Pistons’ game and outlook (29:50)

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End of summary. All ad, intro/outro, and promotional segments omitted.

Transcript

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[Dave DeFore]

Good morning and welcome to the NBA Daily for May 12, 2026. I'm Dave DeFore here with Zena Keda. Coming up, LeBron James may have played his last game as a Laker and the Pistons got beat by the Cavs. We're going to talk to Hunter Patterson about. Good morning everybody. What is up Xena? How's it going?

[Zena Keda]

It's going well, Dave, but I don't know. I feel kind of sad about the way last night ended. Got some really great hoops at the very end of that Lakers OKC game and then it just kind of. It just ended it. Was it sad?

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah. LeBron's very fun old man playoff run is over the Thunder. The Thunder complete the sweep. 115. 110. They they win game four in LA and look, that was probably the best Lakers performance of the series. They had a chance down at the end of the game, it was 113, 110, and they called a timeout. And controversially, Rui Hutch, who basically does not miss threes in the playoffs and was just hot last night, was on the bench and Maxi Clabo was out there. You know, Austin Reeves got a great look at it and you know, hey, he missed. And really being on the court doesn't really change that all that much. But that was a little bit of a head scratcher. But the Thunder really, in my opinion, they, they didn't leave any doubt in this win. Like they, they came back and they took it from a team that had the crowd behind them. I mean, again, there was a lot of emotion in the building. It felt like the Lakers were running about as high energy as they could, you know, given the age of the team and whatnot. But valiant effort. But the Thunder move on eight. No, in the playoffs. Now, Xena.

[Zena Keda]

Yeah, and this is the first game that you saw the Lakers actually really put up a challenge in the second half. That was the big stack coming into this game was just like the okc. Third quarters were massive discrepancy between these two teams that they get out ahead. OKC would. And then the Lakers would have to claw back and they couldn't, they didn't have any ammo. And you mentioned that Rui Hachimura was not on the floor for that last shot, which again, they got exactly. They shot they wanted. Austin Reeves coming off a screen towards the ball, turns around perfectly, squares up. The ball was in and out, scoops out. It's just a question of was Rui. Could Rui have been the person coming off that screen? Who knows? But you like, you like to see the fight in LA at the very end there. This, this was the first clutch game of the series between these two teams. This was the first clutch game I believe that OKC has had throughout their entire playoffs so far. I mean, it was. That's why I think it felt so deflating to get that sort of like NBA Classic performance at the end of the game. Crazy shot making, as Shay Gildas Alexander put it in his post game press conference. It was how fun it was. And then it just ended and the arena kind of fell flat. Even as you watched Allie Clifford do her, her interview with Shay, the energy was just down. And then you watch Lebron James walking in the tunnel and you're, you know, there's all this speculation about what he Might do, et cetera. But there was like this end of an era feeling that felt the at the end of this game. And you're like, sure, OKC fans are woo excited, I'm sure. But yeah, it just felt kind of sad to see that game end the way it did.

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah, I mean this is the end of an era. I think this is where you close the book on the LeBron James chapter of the Lakers. He's going to be a free agent this summer. It doesn't really make a lot of sense if you're the Lakers to bring him back, in my opinion, unless he's going to take some kind of a massive pay cut, which Dwyane Wade kind of said on the broadcast, like, when is LeBron taking a pay cut? And frankly, why should he? He's playing an all star, all star level, this guy. Like, I mean outside of the fact that he I think is going to be looking to compete for a championship. But if, if that's the case and he's going to take a pay cut for that, the Lakers are not that. This is not a team that's going to be pushing for a championship next season. I don't think they've got, they got to basically go to the drawing board and rebuild this team around Luka Doncic. I think, you know, first and foremost they got to get a big man that sort of approximates what they had in Dallas with Daniel Gafford and, and Derek Lively. I think you've got to figure that out. Rui Hachimora's got to come back. I mean, that guy is going to be a free agent this summer. And I think that the biggest question mark isn't whether LeBron leaves, it's Austin Reeves. Austin Reeves can opt out of his contract this summer, can leave in free agency as an unrestricted free agent. He may get 40 some odd million dollar offer this summer, which obviously if you're the Lakers, that hamstrings you quite a bit when you're looking to build your team out. But it does appear as if he and Luca, I mean, I think that that's a pretty good pairing. Luca needs another guard like that, whether it's Kyrie or Jalen Brunson. Like we've seen him at his best with a guy like Austin Reeves. So I'll give you a couple questions here. One, is this LeBron's last game as a Laker? And then two, is Austin Reeves going

[Zena Keda]

to leave on that first one? Feels inevitable that this is his last year. Especially when you think about the Money, especially when you the urgency that it feels like the Lakers have to capitalize on this Luka window and find a championship caliber roster and have the bandwidth to be able to build that. And LeBron is just going to be a roadblock financially. Not a roadblock from a talent perspective. We know eight years with the Lakers, he's been all NBA this whole time. He's been an all star this whole time. He's been playing well, worth his money, won them a championship. He's done every single thing that you're supposed to do within a Lakers jersey on the glitziest stage in the NBA. But now thinking about what Austin Reaves does, it's incredibly hard for me to picture Austin Reaves anywhere else. One, he's endeared himself upon the Lakers fan base, right. He's so far from what a Laker feels like in terms of, you know, he's not this star like player. But his game is so big, it pops, it explodes on the page alongside someone like Luka. He did it alongside LeBron James. That's invaluable. Someone that can be as productive as he is alongside these big stars and is so kind of humble about it in the way that he goes about it. He doesn't need the ball in his hands in a way that we've seen some other guards alongside. These type of superstars might start to ask after they have the numbers that Austin Reeves has put up. But he, he just plays his role incredibly well and I think that there's something invaluable about that. So I don't, I personally think that Luka is going to do whatever he can to keep his, you know, his ace beside him. And I, I believe the, the Lakers look at their building of this team around Luka. It starts with Luka, obviously, but Austin is Austin, then Rui, I think really are your next two, like indisputable options?

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah, I'm with you there. I think they, they pretty much have to bring Austin Reaves back. That duo of Luca and Austin Reeves, it just proved itself to be too potent on offense. They create too much. I do believe that like they're a little bit hamstrung in the, hamstrung in the trade market. They don't have a lot of high value picks. Like they're going to have Luka Doncic on their team. So they're not going to be terrible, you know, trading away a future first. It's just not as valuable as if they were a bad team. That being said, it's the Lakers and it's Luca. And I do believe that they will attract people. They will likely be in the mix for Giannis Antetokounmpo, who we're now hearing that, you know, the Bucks are once again taking offers. You know, surprise, right?

[Zena Keda]

We got surprise, surprise.

[Dave DeFore]

The draft, six weeks, this.

[Zena Keda]

This is gonna just circulate and circulate. We're gonna make money off of this, Dave. Every year you just go, let me know.

[Dave DeFore]

We've been doing this for eight years. Where have you been? You're welcome. Welcome to the party. We're all making money.

[Zena Keda]

That's hilarious.

[Dave DeFore]

Yanis, trade speculation. Where's Eric? Our guy, Eric. Name and I have been doing this for a long time, but again, like, that is the sort of. I believe that they are going to be trying to make a big move. Whether it's Giannis, I don't know. But it does appear as if, like, I think Luca and Austin Reeves, that's their pair going forward into the future. Everything else is going to be debatable. As far as LeBron goes, I think you can sit back. Let's see how this year, like, this rest of the season plays out. What if. Look, if the Knicks, who we. We all like the Knicks right now. We think they're going to make the final. What if they don't? What if they don't make the Finals? The Knicks are a team that I look at. Could LeBron go and finish out his career at MSG? Absolutely. Could see that at the end of his book, 100%, like, MSG means something to LeBron and I think to the league. So I'd say keep an eye out for them. Obviously, we're all always thinking about LeBron going back to Cleveland. I don't know how much sense that makes, but that could potentially be an option. I just think that if you're LeBron James, and especially depending on what sort of pay cut he may be willing to take, he can pick and choose to a certain degree. And again, Xena, I know you love that I throw every old man in the NBA.

[Zena Keda]

I was waiting for it, David. I was waiting for it.

[Dave DeFore]

But what, you know, what if there's a world in which he does go and he finishes out his career and he plays with Steph Curry and. And Draymond Green and they listen, pair up with Steve Kerr.

[Zena Keda]

The retirement home would happily take him. Okay. No, I really do feel like this is such a luxury that LeBron has, is that he can pick and choose anyone that gets him. He would automatically be a boon at 42, 43 years old. This man is still doing amazing, unbelievable things. He just passed Wilt Chamberlain at last night's game. Playoff Double doubles. I mean, this is insane what he's still capable of doing. And I don't think he's stopping anytime soon. But what he is going to stop doing is caring about being the number one, which we saw him do in this season in this era of the Lakers. So wherever he's going, he's proven to all these other GMs, all these other superstars, LeBron's willing to take a back seat. LeBron's willing to do whatever it takes just to win and be able to get teams to where they should be. He takes this Lakers team, a Luca list Lakers team, to a semifinals. Like he can just choose right in. Remember those goosebump stories where you could choose your path? That's where he's at right now. He can just flip to page 43. He could flip to whatever path he wants to take. And that's fun for all of us scheming to see if he could get to a particular team. But it's mostly great for the NBA.

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah. And by the way, over at the Athletic, there's a little bit, you know how we do it when a team gets eliminated. We got Sam Amick and Dan Woicke on the job. So go and read about the Lakers and their summer coming up because again, it's pivotal summer for them as they look forward with Luka Doncic. Look for the Thunder. I do wanna, I think we got to talk about A.J. mitchell. I know we talked about him all season long. You know, Shay scores 35. Okay. Yeah, that's ho hum. He does that. AJ Mitchell had 28 points. Again, like this guy just comes in, they put him in the starting lineup. This guy's playing at an all star level. I mean he was doing that at times during the, during the regular season, but for him to be able to do this in the playoffs, Remember this guy is three year, $9 million contract. That's $3 million a year. That's the best contract in the NBA. And he's starting for a team that's now 8, 0 in the playoffs, defending their championship. And the Thunder just, they every single game, sometimes it feels like they get richer.

[Zena Keda]

Highway robbery is what Sam Presti is doing right now. Being able to have someone that level of talented, that unafraid of the playoffs. Right. Just the way that he's scoring, the way that A.J. mitchell is getting to his spots in the paint. You look at his shooting chart and how it distributes. He is incredibly efficient within that box and out beyond the arc. He knows exactly where he wants to be on the floor and he also meets the moment right. How many times in the fourth quarter did you see him? Even Jared McCain just being able to hit big time shots to keep OKC within it to make sure that they didn't fall too far behind the Lakers. This is huge from a guy that is literally 23 years old. This is his second year, his second taste of the playoffs. He's averaging almost 19 points, four rebounds, just under five assists per game he's had in the eight games he's played this season in playoffs. Seven of them in double figures. The last three 20 or more. These are numbers. The volume is crazy. And he's chilling like he's. He's taking post game interviews like a pro.

[Dave DeFore]

28, 28 points in a closeout game at LA against LeBron James on the biggest stage.

[Zena Keda]

Yes, exactly. Exactly.

[Dave DeFore]

Look again. The Thunder. Are they going to three peat? I think that's where the point I'm at now because it just. I feel like my spurs pick might be super wrong when I watch these guys play. We'll see Spurs, Spurs, Wolves tomorrow night. We're gonna. We gotta. I need to see more out of the rest of the Spurs. Wemby, we know we can do it. What are the rest of the spurs gonna do? All right guys, stick around after the break. We got Hunter Patterson here to talk about the Pistons just getting manhandled by the Cavs in the second half.

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[Dave DeFore]

CAVS Pistons game four did not go the Pistons way. The Cavs win 112. 103 thanks to what we're going to call equal part. Third quarter collapse by the Detroit Pistons and a cavalanche by the Cavs. Our man Hunter Patterson who covers the Detroit Pistons over at the Athletic Forest, he's in the building. You guys can hear him. Maybe they're tearing down arena behind him. Are they going to just ship that thing to Detroit? Do they share the the floor?

[Hunter Patterson]

I mean as well as the Cavs play? They might try to for real. I think they, they love playing in,

[Dave DeFore]

they just don't lose at home. Right. As brought this up on the show yesterday. You know, obviously, you know, watching that Toronto Cav series, it does feel like at home they're much more comfortable. I thought Detroit came out of the gates. You know, the first half I thought they did a pretty good job defensively. Donovan Mitchell couldn't get going. They held him to one point until three minutes left in the first half. But the second half just completely different story Hunter. And we haven't seen the Pistons really let go of the rope the way that it felt like they did during that 22:0 run in the third. What, what happened there, I think it

[Hunter Patterson]

was just a combination of lackadaisical offense that got stagnant and just not playing well enough defensively. Donovan Mitchell, the first bit of his 21 points in the third were an 80 run that forced JB to call a timeout. He was scoring from all three levels. He had it rolling from three. He was getting to the bucket and getting to the free throw line. And it also doesn't help again when the Pistons turn the ball over six times in that third to allow nine points off turnover. So I think it was just a combination of the Pistons not having side to side action and also just not being able to defend Donovan Mitchell.

[Zena Keda]

I mean it is kind of crazy to think Donovan Mitchell had four points in the first half and then goes out in the third quarter and himself scores the amount that Detroit had as a team. And shout out to Paul Reed, you gotta Give him credit because he did his best in that third quarter. But there was no stopping the Cavs. I'm really impressed by the way that the Cavs came out and clearly said physicality is going to be matched. You're not going to bump us around. And this is something that Detroit has dominated all season long. You were never going to out physical them. And yet in game three, we see it, and now in game four, we see even a ratcheted version of that. What. What else can Detroit tap into to. To try and subvert that for game five?

[Hunter Patterson]

Just kind of getting back to what got them here. I think at home they look much more comfortable imposing them themselves physically on the Cavs. And once you get here, it's like they're just not able to meet the moment as far as just putting bodies on people, as far as also just the. The rebounding disparity. They just were not able to defend properly without fouling. Like that's something that they own. Both JB and Cade where in the locker room and at the postgame podium, they're like, we do have to stop fouling. Obviously, JB kind of was asked about the foul disparity, so he went more in depth on that. But they're just not able to match some of the front court physicality. And that was something Jalen Duran also owned up to, where he said he's supposed to be the one to anchor them on both sides of the ball. And he said he's his toughest critic and understands he's not living up to the expectations that he set for himself during the regular season.

[Dave DeFore]

I mean, he's been a no show, complete no show. Not just not living up. This play that everyone's gonna. Gonna see on the highlights from this game is him being wide open for what should have been a dunk. And he was just completely asleep. Ball goes out of bounds, off his hands, right? That, that to me is the sort of stuff, look, get outplayed, you can, you can get outplayed. It is the NBA like you're playing with the best players in the world. You're not going to have it every single night. But those type of plays and then you're seeing it more and more on the defensive end. Hunter. And I wonder, you know, maybe this is like, it's a confidence issue that's starting to seep into an effort with Jalen Duran. But to, to me, like, I think B ball Paul Reed has outplayed him, if for no other reason, just from working harder and just being, you know, More active. And is this something that look, we're looking now, it's best two out of three series. This is the second series in a row that we're seeing this with Jalen Duran. I mean, is it time for JB Bickerstaff to start thinking about the minute distribution and maybe, you know, maybe Jalen Duran isn't guaranteed 25, 30 minutes a game.

[Hunter Patterson]

He did just say that. This, this, his rotations are about earning minutes. And Paul Reed, he said multiple times throughout the season, works harder than almost any player he's been around and prepares himself as a starter, although he might not play. But there also, I think is just a clear understanding that at this point, JB is coaching for now, obviously, but coaching for the future as well. And he wants Durin to feel as confident as possible. He just reiterated in the post game presser that he feels they are trying to do everything they can to keep Durant as confident as he can be and while still holding him accountable and allowing Paul to get minutes. So I think he's, he's coaching for now, but also coaching for the future and going to continue to give Duran some, some leeway whether that costs the Pistons or not.

[Dave DeFore]

What, what sort of an adjustment would they make to, to set Duran up better? Like what, what is missing from Jalen Duran? Like opportunity wise to, to make him more effective?

[Hunter Patterson]

I think a portion of it is just on him. Yeah, like we, we see him in DHO's. He, he looked to get to the basket a little bit more tonight. He had a pinoy step. So I was like, okay, I see you on that. But there, yeah, there's times where he's just looking to hand the ball off and not really looking to get downhill. And then when he does get downhill, he'll sometimes dribble the ball off his foot or not look as coordinated as he did during the regular season. So I think it's just him slowing down, realizing that he outweighs both Evan Mobley and Jared Allen. So it's like you have the physical advantage. If you take your time and aren't sped up unnecessarily, I think he can be much more effective. And then I mean, Dave, to your point, like he, he just is fumbling the ball more often than I think we saw during the regular season as well. So it's kind of some self inflicted issues for him.

[Zena Keda]

When I think about Jalen Duran starting this game, I thought he was meeting the moment. I think you talked about that move he made. ISO dribble takes a Little step, right. Waits as Evan Mobley's contesting him. But the problem was is that right after that play, the very next opportunity, Evan Mobley goes down, does what hits a three at the top of the arc. It felt as if that aspect of Jalen's game wasn't there in terms of meeting matching. Matching. You know what Evan Mobley's production was shot for shot. Volume. For volume. You look at the fact that Evan Mobley for throughout the game, 6 of 11, just three more shots, sure. But he was plus 30 overall. So he was able to put up more offensive production and much 15 points. Right. Much bigger impact. Exactly, Dave. And so it just felt as if he's not meeting the moment in terms of the impact that he can provide. I want to try and like, you know, find some positives because I think that one of the biggest discrepancies of this game, if you look, we're looking at the stats, bench points. 52 bench points for Detroit versus just 19 for Cleveland. Cleveland starters did their job. They did exactly what they're supposed to do. You we, we were concerned about Donovan Mitchell, but we know Donovan Mitchell's always going to get heated up towards the end of games. Didn't know it was going to be 43 heated up, but alas, then you look at what Detroit had to do. We saw in the first half, Caris LeVert, who was potentially not in this game, right. With the heel contusion situation, comes in and immediately helps Detroit go on a run, ends up with 24 for the night. We've seen these type of pops out of the supporting cast for Detroit. How much does Karis Lavert, Paul Reed, thinking about Dennis Jenkins, who didn't have a great offensive night tonight, but these folks, that kind of pop, you know, how crucial is it that their in the math for this next game, finding a way for the bench players, the folks that are getting these kind of auxiliary minutes to get some opportunity, I think it's huge.

[Hunter Patterson]

This was Kerris's best game as a Piston. It was his season high when the Pistons needed it most. He sparked a few runs as soon as he came in. And he's playing really well defensively too. I thought he. He did. He was part of the reason why Donovan Mitchell couldn't really get going in the first half. And that obviously didn't really sustain itself throughout the game. But he played well. He's been in these moments before. He's one of the more experienced players on the team as far as playoff experience goes. And it's Tough because he outscored each of the starters. Cade had 19 points on 16 shots. Tobias had 14 of his 16 in the first half and finished 6 of 17 from the field. So the, the bench pulled his weight tonight. Paul Reed outplayed during again and I think that's just a challenge that the Pistons are going to have to overcome in this series. Like we still haven't seen a signature game 4K during, during this round. So yeah, yeah, it's going to be huge for them to try to get rolling back at home and just try to overcome the offensive issues that they've had so far as, as far as missing shots and turning the ball over.

[Dave DeFore]

You're not going to win a lot of games turning the ball over 18 times and only attempting 23 threes. You got to credit the Cavs defense too in this game. Did a really good job. I mean Duncan Robinson only attempted two threes in the entire game.

[Zena Keda]

Crazy.

[Dave DeFore]

Basically the only shooter that you have to worry about and they just turn the water off. Again, this is J.B. bickerstaff has a lineup choice to make for game five. And I really do think part of this, there's some Assar Thompson stuff there like which we've talked about over the course of the playoffs. I think Asar and Duran, you've got to find a way to split their minutes up because a lot of times they're occupying similar spaces on the offensive end or at least they're in each other's way sometimes. And if you just don't have to guard guys on the perimeter, everyone's going to have a tougher time, including Cade. And so, you know, you get to this point in the series and now the Cavs starting to get some confidence behind them. I mean Evan Mobley was maybe like we said, Donovan Mitchell had 43. Evan Mobley might have been the best player for the Cavs in this game. Last night he was all over the place. He was two steals shy of a five by five in the playoffs. I mean it just an absolutely fantastic game from him. So I think looking ahead to game, to Game five, like you're at the point now where it's less about the X's and the O's and it's more about the gyms and the Joes and the Pistons got to find out who their five best guys are and they've got to find it out for, for game five.

[Hunter Patterson]

You, you mentioned Asara too, and I think this was one of his worst performances. I think in this postseason he had four turnovers early and didn't really see the floor much after that. JB kind of had a short leash with him. And when Asar is turning the ball over that way. JB spoke about it pregame, too. He mentioned fouls were going to be the only thing to keep USAR off the floor. But when he's turning it over and just dribbling the ball off his foot and losing the ball in an uncharacteristic way for someone who seemed to be a better ball handler than he showed tonight, that's just not going to cut it either. So it's like you said, it's not about X's and O's anymore, it's the gyms and the Joes, I think he said. So now it's about like imposing your will the same way you did during the regular season. And that obviously is easy for me to say here, talking to y' all and not being on the court, but the Pistons just haven't looked like themselves over these last two games.

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah, well, hey, Max Drew's ball pressure 94ft will do that to you sometimes. So yeah, he was.

[Zena Keda]

But let's be real, the first two turnovers were James Harden on Assar Thompson.

[Dave DeFore]

They, they honestly, the defense, they've really ratcheted it up. And I think to to Zena's point, look, the Pistons came in. I thought they had the toughness advantage. Cavs have started to answer the call a little less like deer in headlights. There's no fear there whatsoever. I think the Pistons, they've got to come out punching, throw haymakers in game. Game five. Everybody go and read Hunter's story over at the Athletic. He's going to write all about the third quarter collapse and what to look forward to in Game five for Hunter Patterson and Zena Keda. I'm Dave Dufour and this has been the NBA Daily. Thanks for waking up with us. Thanks for listening. Make sure you hit the subscribe or follow button so you never miss an episode. If you enjoyed it, drop a like leave a rating or let us know in the comments. Thank you guys for waking up with us.

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