Luka and Lakers advance in NBA Cup

Summary

The Athletic NBA Daily

Episode: Luka and Lakers advance in NBA Cup
Date: November 26, 2025
Hosts: Dave DuFour, Esfandiar Baraheni
Guest: Law Murray

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Episode Overview

This episode of The Athletic NBA Daily spotlights the latest results and implications from the NBA Cup, particularly focusing on standout performances from Luka Dončić and the advancing Los Angeles Lakers. The crew dissects the night’s major games, what’s fueling the Lakers’ recent surge, the developing issues with the Clippers, and some intriguing emerging storylines across the league as the Cup heads into its knockout rounds. Beat writer Law Murray joins to provide in-depth context on the Lakers’ clinch and the Clippers’ unraveling.

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Major Discussion Points & Insights

1. Cup Night Recap and Hot Starts

Timestamps: 03:38 - 07:15

• Only three NBA Cup games on the slate, as the league shifts focus for the upcoming knockout round.
• Wizards vs. Hawks:
  • Wizards exploded for 45 in the first quarter, capping off a blowout win. Atlanta’s lackluster effort was called out.
  • “[Atlanta] should feel embarrassed.” — Dave DuFour, 03:10
• Magic vs. Sixers:
  • Orlando posted 86 first-half points and demolished Philadelphia. The Sixers are struggling after a hot start.
  • Anthony Black had a breakout game (31 points, 4 threes). Orlando’s pace and energy stood out, especially while Paolo Banchero is out, which has oddly improved their offensive rhythm.
  • “Anthony Black... makes them run faster... That’s one of the best qualities that he has.” — Esfandiar Baraheni, 06:37

2. Orlando’s Unexpected Surge Without Paolo

Timestamps: 05:30 - 09:00

• Magic are 5-2 over their last seven without Banchero, ranking 2nd in offense in that stretch.
• The panel muses on how Paolo’s isolation-heavy style slows things, suggesting Orlando’s staff must find a way to leverage his strengths as a passer and keep the more dynamic ball movement going.
• “You need an inventive offense... One of the more underrated areas of Paolo’s game is the fact that he’s a really good passer.” — Esfandiar Baraheni, 08:39

3. NBA Cup Knockout Stakes & Dark Horse Hopes

Timestamps: 09:21 - 12:15

• Much excitement for Vegas and for certain teams to advance (Lakers, Raptors, Magic, Pistons).
• Panel notes Lakers and Bucks as serious Cup contenders.
• Giannis Antetokounmpo’s return for the Bucks underlines the Cup's growing importance among star players.
• “The Cup just means more... these guys actually kind of care about this.” — Dave DuFour, 10:23

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4. Spotlight: Lakers Cruise, Clippers Sputter

With guest Law Murray
Timestamps: 16:38 - 31:25

Lakers Look Legit

• Lakers clinched a knockout round spot after a “statement” win over the Clippers.
• Luka Dončić: 40-point game, 24 in the first quarter alone.
• Austin Reaves delivered in the clutch (18 in the fourth quarter), LeBron James is regaining form after returning from injury.
• Lakers’ top three (Luka, LeBron, Austin) are producing at an elite level, and the chemistry is tangible.
• Law Murray’s emphasis: Stop overanalyzing early metrics; the Lakers are good.
  • “The Lakers are a good team and people just need to stop getting too caught up in point differentials... Winning the game means more.” — Law Murray, 17:44/18:54
  • “I’ll take two or three close wins for every one time I get smacked. That’s a good week.” — Law Murray, 18:59
• LeBron’s “mini camp”/recovery process detailed — G League stint, time to ramp up before full return, which is rare in the NBA season.
  • “This isn’t a team where it’s just a matter of, oh, you got talent and you got good coaching. No—there’s not a lot of drama and BS on this team.” — Law Murray, 20:38

Clippers’ Crisis: Lack of a True #2

• The Clippers were outclassed in crunch time despite close three quarters — their roster limitations and lack of a clear secondary star were exposed.
• Kawhi Leonard isn’t lifting the defense; he’s not yet playing at the necessary “number two” level, and the team schematic flaws are glaring.
  • “The Clippers don’t have a third guy. And honestly, I’m not sure they have a second guy.” — Law Murray, 17:03
  • “It’s shocking that Kawhi Leonard is part of one of the very worst defenses in basketball right now, man.” — Law Murray, 25:38
• The Clippers’ rebounding and defensive slide is dramatic compared to last year; their “size upgrade” hasn’t panned out.
• Questions about fit (John Collins/Kawhi), poor rebounding, and the specter of future trades if things don’t improve by December.
  • “John Collins had an assist tonight—that’s the first as a starter in eight, nine games. You accidentally get assists all the time. It’s the NBA.” — Dave DuFour, 28:01
• Technical note: Law Murray briefly loses his video in comic fashion as the lights go out in his room:
  • “They just turned the lights off on Law... It’s going dark early on the Clippers, as it just went dark on Law Murray.” — Dave DuFour, 28:58

Strategic Uncertainty & Oklahoma City’s Watchful Eye

• Clippers are under pressure: no tanking incentive (OKC owns their picks), but the window is closing as most contracts—including Harden/Kawhi—expire next summer.
• “The window, as far as I’m concerned, shut in 2024. It’s going to be 2026 in, what, 35 days?” — Law Murray, 30:46
• If the Clippers’ pick lands number one, the historic significance of the SGA trade grows.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Pie Debates (lighthearted banter at the top):
  “Pumpkin pie is the goat pie... It could be dessert, breakfast...” — Esfandiar Baraheni, 03:19-03:44
  “I think cheesecake is a pie... It looks like a pie. It’s controversial.” — Dave DuFour, 03:54

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Key Timestamps

• 03:38 – Wizards’ first quarter explosion vs. Hawks
• 06:23 – Anthony Black’s breakout night for Magic
• 09:38 – NBA Cup knockout round anticipation, rooting for up-and-coming teams
• 11:01 – Tyler Herro’s impactful return to the Heat
• 16:38 – Transition to Law Murray (Lakers/Clippers segment)
• 17:06 – Law on the Lakers outpowering the Clippers in crunch time
• 22:58 – Law on the Clippers’ lack of a second option, Kawhi’s struggles
• 25:41 – Clippers rebounding/defense compared to last year
• 28:01 – John Collins’ shocking lack of assists as a starter
• 30:46 – The Clippers’ summer plans and looming contract situations

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Final Thoughts

This episode dives deep into the NBA Cup’s immediate impacts, with a clear-eyed look at teams on the rise (Lakers, Magic) and steep decline (Clippers). The stakes for the next month are high and the hosts—true to the show’s dynamic, witty, and analytic style—bring both humor and sharp analysis to previewing the NBA’s Cup future.

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Miss the episode? This summary has you covered with every crucial highlight, context, and quote!

Transcript

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[A]

Good morning and welcome to the NBA Daily for November 26, 2025. I'm Dave Dufour here with Esperahenny. Coming up, it's cup week. We're going to talk all things NBA cup, including last night's games. We're going to look ahead to the end of the week. And then we got Law Murray to talk about the Lakers clinching their trip to the knockout round and what's going on with the Clippers. Good morning everybody. What's up ass? Great hoodie. If you're watching on YouTube, you see it. If you're listening, we got the Seattle SuperSonics.

[D]

Yeah. Bring the Sonics back, man.

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

Easy peasy. Why not save our Sonics? Yeah.

[A]

Great documentary from back in the day.

[D]

Absolutely.

[A]

There were only three games last night. Kind of a slow night, but you know, the NBA trying to feature these NBA cup games. You know, we've talked about how it's, it's really, it's hurt Thursday nights throughout this run, but this week they're loading up because we're Heading to the knockout stage. And so only three games last night. And you knew it because, like, social media, like blue sky, they were talking about pie, right? It was. I mean, there were blowouts. You were either super excited about the wizards putting up 45 in the first quarter on the Hawks, which is just.

[D]

Which was exciting.

[A]

Atlanta should feel embarrassed. Yeah. Or we were talking about the merits of key lime pie versus lemon meringue. What's the best pie?

[D]

S. I. I think pumpkin pie is the goat pie.

[A]

That's right. That's right.

[D]

It's the greatest. It can be. It can be had cold. It could be had hot. It could be had with ice cream. It could be had without itself. By itself. I think it's the goat. I think it's the best pie.

[A]

It could be dessert, because I know people say raffle piece.

[D]

It could be breakfast. You're right. Yeah.

[A]

Yeah. Could be all those things.

[D]

What about cheesecake? But it's just cheesecake apply in this, like, can. Can.

[A]

Okay.

[D]

Because we were debating this a little bit.

[A]

I think cheesecake is a pie. It matches like. It looks like a pie. It's controversial. I think it's a pie.

[D]

I think this is one of the most controversial takes you've had on this podcast is that cheesecake pies don't.

[A]

Like. Pies don't have to rise. Maybe that's the difference. Right. Like cakes.

[D]

I get what you're saying, though, because. Because cheesecake, you know, crust.

[A]

Right.

[D]

And that's very pie.

[A]

Like, it's a. Literally a pie crust. It is literally a pie crust. So. Yeah. I don't know. Yeah. Let us know what you guys think.

[D]

Please do.

[A]

All right, let's talk about these games last night.

[E]

Be.

[A]

Before we go to law the. Let's see. The. Like I said, the Wizards, they beat the Hawks. Just not a great effort from the Hawks. We're not going to dive into that game.

[D]

I.

[A]

The Wizards were on fire from three again. They put up 132 points in the game.

[D]

Yeah. It felt like they did all 132 of those points in the first quarter. Yeah, it was. It was like 45 points in the first quarter. I looked around and I was like, wow, the. The Hawks might not crack 20 points. I don't know which one's more impressive, the fact that the Hawks are not going to be able to score 20 points on the Wizards or the fact that the Wizards were just going to blow them out in the first quarter. It wouldn't be competitive the rest of the game. Obviously, the Hawks have been playing some really good basketball recently. Maybe it was too much pumpkin pie.

[A]

Yeah, maybe. Well, I don't know. DC's a brunch town, just not normally on like a true, you know, a Tuesday afternoon on a work day.

[D]

They like the mimosas. You're right.

[A]

It's funny because, like we're watching this first quarter, I'm thinking, hey, we might see a 50 point quarter tonight. And then we did in the next game because the Magic went nuts. They had 86 points in the first half on the Sixers. The Sixers been sliding since that hot start that they got off to last 10 games or so has not been great for them. But the Magic since Paulo's been out, and I'm not saying that Paolo being out is why. Or am I? I don't know. I don't know. I'm just asking questions here as they're 5 and 2, second best offense in basketball over that span. And we talked about their struggles to start the year offensively. And just like the fit was clunky, you know, like where the passing coming from? I don't know, man. Like, it looks good right now without Paolo. I don't want to harp too much on it because he is a good player, but, man, Magic are kind of figuring things out.

[D]

Well, first we got to talk about Anthony Black in this game because he was awesome. He was exceptional. Finished with 31 points. I believe it was knock down four three. And so that's, that's a part of his game that he's constantly improving. The dude is a wildly talented transition player. So he makes them run faster.

[A]

Right?

[C]

Right.

[D]

He makes them go. And I think that's one of the best qualities that he has. Truthfully, one of the best qualities of this Magic run over the last week, it's been the fact that they play faster, they play with more zip. The ball is moving a lot more. And again, I'm not saying this is Apollo issue. More so a team that was trying to get acclimated and figure out who they were, we're seeing some of these other guys figure out their roles. Tristan Da Silva we've talked about before, Desmond Bain figuring out his driving angles more often. But I think Anthony Black was a big part of this equation of like, hey, we got to play faster as a group, right? They have so many plus athletes that it just makes sense for them to play faster like this. And I mean, they, they did lay down a, a beat down on the Sixers, so much so that Andre Drummond just had to start Something for the sake of starting something.

[A]

Jalen Suggs got ejected and I still don't quite know exactly what happened there. You know, Andre Drummond had his dukes up.

[D]

Two ejections. Two ejections tonight between. Yeah, what, Chris Dunn in the later game and then. Yeah, this one. Wow.

[A]

Again, everybody's trying to get home for Thanksgiving. You know, the. We. We know that the. The airports are doing right now. You know, like, they're just like. Let me get a head start on travel. I. Look, the. The thing about the way that the Magic are playing, okay, they do play slower with Paolo. There's more isolation dribbling with Paolo. Right. Like, it's a more methodical approach. And, you know, what the coaching staff has to figure out is how do we bridge this gap? How do we use his strengths and then work around it? I mean, like, there's some stuff that. I mean, they could be running some split post stuff with him. It's going to be up to using, like, find a way to use him as a passer more. Yeah. And almost as a decoy. And I'm not like, I don't mean that as in he's not going to try to score, but, like, if he's looking for cutters and, you know, especially when you've got guys like Bain and Suggs who are pretty good at that.

[D]

I don't know, you need. You need an inventive offense. And I mean, like last night we talked about this with the Raptors and how they're using Brandon Ingram and. And like the pinch post area, they have tons of movement around Ingram to get him opportunities to be a playmaker. I think one of the more underrated areas of Paulo's game is the fact that he's a really good passer. And so they can. They can weaponize that just by being a little bit more creative offensively. I think that's on Jamal Mosley to figure out.

[E]

Right.

[A]

Yeah. And these other guys gotta, you know, when he comes back, they've gotta be able to. To generate offense and looks like this so that when the double comes for him, they can take advantage and you know what I mean? And also so he can get some single coverage with the Sixers games coming up for.

[D]

For them, too.

[A]

That. That's right. Yeah, that's right. They get the Pistons Friday.

[D]

They got the Pistons on Friday, which should be a good one. It might decide this whole thing. I'm all in on the cup stuff. You know, I want to know who ends up clinching, especially because we're going to Vegas, we're going to see.

[A]

Yeah, we at least have some. And we're not faking it, but we. We at least have to feign excitement for this because we are going to be there. I mean, for me, I actually, like, I've been rooting for particular teams, you know what I mean? Because there's teams I'd like to see. The Lakers clinching. Getting into the knockout round is big because obviously, like, I'd like to see Luka and LeBron. Like, you never know. It's going to be LeBron's last year. Right. The Raptors being in the knockout is awesome because they're such a kind of a funky team, and I always like to see that in person. And then I gotta say, man, I really want to see this Pistons team up close. So I'm. I'm hoping they can. That they can move on. What about.

[D]

What about Giannis? What about the Darvin Ham experience? You know, undefeated in the NBA cup. You don't want to see that.

[A]

Darvin still hasn't lost. And then we got news yesterday that Giannis was going to come back because frankly, guys, look, the cup just means more. Right. Like, it's just these guys actually kind of care about this. Yeah. Which is fun. And so, yeah, Giannis coming back, it seems.

[C]

And.

[A]

And we're. We're gonna see. I don't know. You think the Bucks are going to be the fourth team? Can. Can. Is that possible? Do so tomorrow.

[D]

Tomorrow the Heat have a chance to clinch, which is the team the Bucks are facing. So the Bucks can kind of force their way into this conversation here if they win tomorrow, make it a little bit more interesting in their group in the East.

[A]

Tyler heroes back, by the way. And yes, look, he hit eight floaters in the game that he came back, which I, I believe is the most or tied for the most in the NBA tracking data era, which is kind of impressive. Right. When you think about how much we've.

[D]

Talked about, that's actually surprising.

[A]

Isn't that. Isn't that wild? But to make eight floaters. But when we've talked about how the. The Heat are going to look, getting Tyler Hero back in the mix, like, what's going to happen? I mean, he. He blended right in. Yeah.

[D]

So he also said post game, he's like, yeah, I think we probably will have to run more pick and roll eventually.

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

But. But I agree that, like, he will eventually, like, work into their system. Miami is. Miami's a really interesting team. The way they just, they drive the ball relentlessly. We talk about athletes with Orlando very similarly. Those guys have just a well oiled machine of pace and space and offense. And Khlo War is playing, playing extremely good basketball now. Yeah, they're a fun team out east. Maybe another NBA cup team.

[A]

Yeah, maybe. I don't know. I mean, but again, man, the Bucks, they've just got that Darvin Ham.

[D]

We can't.

[A]

All right, if you're the Pelicans, are you this summer, you're, you're saying, I'm all in. We're going to win the NBA Cup. We're going to get Tarant Prince, we're going to get Darvin Ham. We're going to do anything we can to get a win.

[D]

Listen, if it happens again this year, there has to be something.

[A]

I mean, I think it's already a thing. If it happens twice, it's a thing. If it happens a third time, you know. All right, that's something else. Anyway. All right, guys, stick around after the break. We got Law Murray to talk. Lakers, Clippers and just what, what are the Clippers gonna do?

[C]

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[A]

You know S we say all the time that maybe no team respects the cup like the Los Angeles Lakers. I I think safe to say the performance last night against the Clippers proved it that they really fully respect the cup. And our man Law Murray was in the house for the game last night. Law Look Luca another 40 point game. He's ridiculous. Austin Reeves LeBron looking great. The Lakers might be good.

[E]

I don't know why might is even in that because it seems like people.

[A]

Still doubt the Lakers. Actually I like there's a prevailing sentiment that it's not real.

[D]

It's because the Oklahoma City Thunder exists. But go ahead, Law. Sorry.

[E]

I mean, the thing, the thing with the Lakers is I was expecting Tuesday night's game to be a clutch time game. And through three quarters that's where we were headed. This was a. The Clippers led after a first quarter that saw Luca score 24 points in the first quarter. And the thing is, I've seen Lucas score more than that against the Clippers before. So, you know, there's that. I mean, but look, it was a three point game at halftime. It was a five point game going into the fourth quarter. And the Lakers were simply more powerful than the Clippers, which I don't know when it comes to the Clippers, like they're not going to get a whole lot better than they are now as far as personnel. Like this is going to be their team. Brad's not coming back. You're not expecting Derrick Jones year to make up what wound up being 17 points. They were outplayed so thoroughly because the Lakers kept scoring in that fourth quarter and the Clippers didn't. Luka didn't make a single field goal in the fourth quarter, by the way. You know, Austin packed them up for 18. The Lakers are that good as far as their top three guys. And the Clippers don't have a third guy. And honestly, I'm not sure they have a second guy. That's a story for another day, maybe by the time this pod comes out. But the Lakers are a good team and people just need to stop getting too caught up in point differentials, offensive efficiency, defense. First of all, it's very early in the season. Second of all, a very important piece of that team just came back. And third of all, winning the game means more than, you know, like, look.

[D]

I'll take a spot or whatever.

[E]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'll take two or three close wins for every one time I get smacked. That's a good week. Yeah. I need people to understand that winning three times more than you lose is really, really good, especially in the NBA.

[D]

You know, it is. Look, you mentioned the guy who just came back and LeBron James. This was his third game back for this Lakers team. Seems like he's getting his legs under him. Defensively, he had a couple of nice plays tonight. Offensively, I mean, he's got them going in transition from seeing LeBron over the first couple games. What have you seen from the Lakers side of things with LeBron?

[E]

I think that they did a really great job of using a LeBron James training camp in preseason. He needed one just for him and it starts with getting the injury to calm down and to recover and make sure he's good to return to basketball activity. Then having the G League, you know, getting the chance to be in South Bay while the Lakers were on their road trip. And then LeBron comes back and reunites and has that one practice before the home game, and then they had four days off again in the NBA during the regular season. Having that much time off, yeah, you get. Maybe they played pickleball.

[D]

That's what the broadcast was saying.

[E]

They play. You need pickleball, too, man. Yeah, Listen, basketball is five on five. That's what Kevin Durant taught us. The same tennis, right? It's not just the individual. You need to have guys care for each other. You need to have guys on the same page, and then you can roll the ball out and see if it goes in or not. Right? So I feel like that is a big part of it, too. Like, they want to play for each other. This isn't a team where it's just a matter of, oh, you got talent and you got good coaching. No, like, there's not a lot of drama and BS on this team. Now, that's a far cry of how things might have been over the offseason, especially when it comes to LeBron. But, no, they had enough time. And you know what? That game in Utah, LeBron wasn't very good, and the Lakers were not very good with him on the floor. But you have those moments because it makes everyone better. Makes him better. And he looked like he got his win tonight. I didn't hear from LeBron, but I would imagine that LeBron's feeling really good about where he's at, considering he just came back a week ago. You have those Utah Jazz games. They're like preseason. Exactly. Like, you get an opportunity to ramp him up while the train's already moving. The Lakers have been playing. They've had guys in and out, and they've won and succeeded. Now LeBron gets to be a part of something instead of having to save anything. And if they can continue to progress. And, yeah, power rankings said that they were top contenders. Damn it.

[A]

Spoken on. On the Lakers. That's it. Even some of those passes, by the way, that LeBron was throwing in that Jazz game. And look, I mean, the Jazz, as fun as they can make it, offensively, defensively, that is like a G league team. But LeBron was throwing, like, practice passes. A guy looking to find his rhythm, find his timing, and also knowing that, hey, my job is to make sure everybody runs so let me try it a little bit with some of these guys I haven't played with. Yeah, I think that that makes a lot sense.

[D]

He had a couple dimes tonight too, where I'm like, oh, he's. Yeah.

[A]

Well, this, the Lakers have real chemistry. I mean, you know, whether it equates to winning in the playoffs or not, we don't know. But they've got real chemistry. I mean, I think the, the Luca and Rui thing is, is pretty real. And, and Luca and Austin have played, Austin Reeves have played very well off each other. But Law, hey, look, that's enough about the Lakers because you just said something very interesting and I know you said by the time this podcast might come out, it's a story, but this podcast doesn't come out for a little bit, so maybe we can come out at the same time as the story. And you're saying you don't feel like the Clippers have a number two? Would you care to elaborate on that?

[E]

Yeah. I mean, one is the loneliest number. And then they say two is just as bad as mine's the loneliest number since number one. And that dude too, gotta get back to being two. He ain't there yet. And it's always nice. See, we're talking about injuries a lot in the NBA, how to prevent them and how to, you know, shorten the schedule, even though everyone knows that ain't happening. The worst media presence is, you know, sometimes when Kawhi's out and no one knows what the heck's going on, everyone thinks he's faking it or everyone thinks he's just milking the injury. And no one wants to really be transparent about his situation when he comes back. It's great. But there's an adjustment that comes with that. He's not playing the minutes that he needs to play. He's not guarding the guys. That would make you talk about the Jazz defense. The Clippers defense is as bad now as they were good a year ago. And you saw that on display for four quarters Tuesday night on national television. It was, it was embarrassing. And you're seeing Kawhi guard guys that are non threats because he's not in a position to guard those guys. And you know what? You guys wanted John Collins and, and, and to have a bigger for her so Kawhi could play his quote unquote natural position. Well, he's playing his natural position and the Clippers are getting it just slaughtered by anybody who's capable of beating them off the dribble. And The Lakers have two of those guys. I mean, LeBron was just kind of filling in. You know, I was a charity. 25 points for him. Luca and Austin had 74 points. The Clippers don't have a prayer against anybody. They. They banned Brook Lopez to the end of the bench tonight, and it was a. It was really nice. I. It's a charity because it's to say, don't blame Brook Lopez for this. He's. Brook Lopez did not give up any of the 50 field goals that the Lakers made tonight. Okay? So I just got to say, like, when it comes to why, like, I mean, Kawhi in. I've always looked at him as a floor raiser. He's not raising the floor this year on either end of the floor. And until he does, and he admitted tonight he's got to get his minutes back, and he's probably going to have to play playoff minutes for this team to get into a decent spot in the standings in the next month and a half, two months. It's getting late early for the Clippers, and a big reason is because their defense is terrible. And it's shocking that Kawhi Leonard is part of one of the very worst defenses in basketball right now, man.

[D]

And they can't rebound either. They were out rebounded by a lot. I think it was like nine rebounds. The Lakers had more than them. But overall, like, if you look at their rebounding numbers throughout the season, last year they were top five in rebound percentage.

[E]

This year, number one in defensive rebound percentage.

[D]

Last year, number one in defensive rebound percentage. You talked about this team getting bigger, right? This team was supposed to get bigger so that they could crash the offensive glass, crash the defensive glass, close out possessions more. But they haven't been able to, I guess, law, like, there are easy wins. There are easy ways to improve and figure out, like, okay, Kawhi needs to play better defense. This team needs to figure out its defensive identity. Hopefully that allows them to get more offensively from some of their other guys. But outside of that, are we looking at trades for this Clippers team? Eventually, at some point. Is it time to press that button yet?

[E]

We're going to. I'm going to say it's not time, but the trial is December. Like, this thing has to turn around in a month because what you're seeing is Kawhi Leonard and John Collins are starting together for the first time. Kawhi hasn't played next to a big body power forward. I mean, you could count Marks, Morrison, even Marcus told me he would prefer to be A three. That probably tells you all you need to know there. I mean, it really hasn't happened with Kawhi as a member of the Clippers, but Kawhi hasn't had to play the four until they traded Marcus Morris and Nico Batum, even though Nico's back now Robert Covington so that they could get James Harden. You know, that season two years ago, you saw Kawhi base pretty much establish himself as a four. Last year, he was playing the four. And again, this Clippers team was number one defensive rebound percentage, number three defensive efficiency. You're bigger and you're a whole lot worse. And so John Collins is the. Is the guy who you got to see where the fit is. With him off the bench, he was really good, but they're not talented enough to keep bringing him off the bench. It's not a luxury anymore. They have to incorporate him as a starter. And he had an assist in the first quarter tonight. S and Dave. That was the first time John Collins had an assist as a starter since getting that starting position. That's eight, nine games.

[A]

It was eight games without an assist as a starter. One which as a starter law. You accidentally get assists all the time. It's the NBA. They give away assists to everyone.

[D]

I watch a team in the Toronto Raptors that gets a lot of accidental assists. Absolutely. Yes, 100%.

[E]

And. And that speaks to the fit on that end of the floor. But we're not talking about offense as the issue with the Clippers. I mean, the turnovers, that's a big issue. And when they do have live ball turnovers, their defense is cooked. But the thing is, it's like, can Kawhi and Jon coexist defensively? Because if Jon's there, Jon's really athletic as far as his explosion, his ability to run and jump, and he's got the size, but laterally, he's not great. And the effort's going to be there with Jon. It's the awareness and it's the fact that his strength has never been holding up. Oh, we got dark.

[A]

They just turned the lights off on long. Yeah, let's go on the Clippers, too. It's going dark early on the Clippers, as it just went dark on Law Murray.

[D]

I don't know.

[A]

I think he's coming back. Maybe not. I don't know.

[E]

I'm coming back.

[A]

It's good. It's good video. It's better video than it is podcasting.

[E]

This is my room.

[A]

Yeah, well, hey, listen, man, look, we're going to be paying Attention to both of these teams. Obviously you cover both of them, but especially December 15th coming up. I'm with you. I think that this is pertinent for the Clippers. It's not even a month. It's really like you got to win some games in the next three weeks or what do you even do? You have no reason to tank. I all every law. Are they hitting you yet on social media, the Oklahoma City Thunder fans? Because I, I'm sure they are three Clippers long man, that tank a thon.

[E]

That's been the case honestly ever since TWI towards acl. You remember the. The year that Kawhi didn't play and Paul missed more than half the year and they trade for Norm just for him to break a bonus foot. A weekend after the trade, the Clippers were in the play in tournament. They failed to play in tournament and the Thunder got a lottery pick out of it. That lottery pick turned into Jalen Williams who won a championship and was an all NBA and all defense selection before his second contract was signed. So we've seen this with the Clippers and the Thunder and everybody like not being able to tank. Not wanting to tank. The Clippers are going to make moves in order to achieve two things. Number one, try and win as many games as possible. So they're not going to just trade just to trade, you know.

[C]

Right.

[E]

But number two, because they are trying to keep their books as clean as possible for this summer and next summer. Look at all the contracts.

[A]

Yep.

[E]

All the guys, including James Harden and Kawhi Leonard, none of them are signed for multiple years after this season. That is intentional. The window, as far as I'm concerned, shut in 2024. It's going to be 2026 and what, 35 days, which is just obnoxious.

[D]

That's crazy. Just hear out loud.

[E]

We are. Yeah, we need to say those things out loud. We ain't talking about somebody's son. Yeah, man, 2026 is about to be very real. And, and the Clippers have been planning for the next part of their phase for a while, but they weren't planning on being this bad at any point. And that is.

[A]

Well, they were so competitive last year, man. Look, they, they had a legitimate chance. I mean you could do the math in your head and you could say, hey, you push the Nuggets to seven games. The Nuggets push Thunder to seven games. Thunder push the Pacers seven games. We were right there. I, I get it. I understand it completely.

[D]

They beat, they almost beat the team that almost Beat the team.

[A]

That's right.

[D]

Right.

[A]

That's that almost beat the team. I mean, it's the guy behind the guy behind the guy. And I would say right now, hey, you know what? 6.8% chance right now. Oklahoma City gets that pick, and it's number one, man. If that happens, the. The Shay Gilgis Alexander trade becomes even more epic if that happens. So get ready for that one, Law. Thank you, Law Murray, for staying up late and hanging out with us. Thank you, Esperaheny. I'm Dave Deforder. This has been the NBA Daily. Thanks for waking up with. Ready to order?

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