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You're right. There we are.
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I was weird, Um, been doing this for a while and they don't counts down 3 to 1, and then boom, we're in.
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Uh, didn't do that this time, But how are you? We're peach basket.
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We are a site dedicated to giving fans a voice.
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And we are fans of the MBA.
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We started out honestly, for those of you that have join us for other streams, we started out as a site dedicated the Lakers and the Clippers.
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And I'll be honest.
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That's still where my passion lies.
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And so I want to start while we wait on people to join Definitely more people to join.
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I want to start just by saying that I'm excited to say that both the Lakers and the Clippers of now, um, met the challenge and have moved past the first round and, uh, still are in line to meet for the Western Conference finals.
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If you're not from l.
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And you know the history of the Lakers and Clippers, you may not know what that means, but it means a lot.
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And even if the Western Conference finals played in Orlando, uh, is going to have a ridiculous impact here in l. A.
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And, uh, I'm kind of excited to watch that happen.
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Ah, so, so far so get the Lakers dispatched of the game, but undermanned Portland Trail Blazers.
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Four games, toe one.
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And today, not too long ago, the Clippers beat the Mavericks four games to two.
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Um, gonna just talk about a few things from my passion for this What I really enjoy doing getting on SportsCastr and talking to Yala's is when I could talk with other people would enjoy doing our site.
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You know, we call ourselves the voice of the fan, and we really want to be that We want to provide a voice for fans and just speak up, not just to listen to me talk.
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So I'm not really a big fan of doing he's alone, But that's where we find ourselves.
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So we'll go quick.
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Um, wanted to call out a couple of things.
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Does it relates to the Lakers, Siri's and in the Clipper, Siri's number one with the Blazers.
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Carmelo Anthony.
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Carmelo Anthony was left for dead in the MBA.
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Um, he was actually signed by the Rockets and didn't play and just basically kind of thrown away.
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Uh, which is rough.
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But that's kind of what happened that Melo, one of the greatest players, certainly top 100 players in the MBA.
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15th leading scorer in the Empty A.
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This guy is good, but he didn't fit it.
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Oddly enough, um, with used rockets.
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So a lot of people were, you know, just kind of really signing him are, you know, thinking he was done and then he found a home with the Blazers and man.
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And in this series, he looked good.
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It was really for me, you know, who's been watching basketball for a while.
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To see Melo do what Melo used to.
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Dio was pretty exciting.
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And to see him do it against a guy who's been playing with since the AU days and LeBron, it's was pretty special.
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So the first question I posed and I kind of want to talk through a little bit is, did Carmelo do enough to be invited back Portland next season? He came out recently.
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I think it was after the game, yesterday, said.
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You know, he feels like he found a home he enjoyed playing with that team and he hopes to be back.
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Did he do enough? Yeah.
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What more could he dio? Um, in the game yesterday that was was crazy from a from a Portland Blazers perspective? Because they basically said, you know, we're gonna play are stars and which will play until you know, some happens.
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We're gonna win, are you? We're gonna roll the dice with these guys.
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McCollum, who is unbelievable, played all but a couple of minutes.
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Um, I think he played on one second of the first half, which is just mind boggling.
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But Melo did more than enough.
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He played 40 minutes at 27 points, shot three or four from distance and had seven rebounds.
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So did he do enough? Yeah.
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You couldn't ask a player to do anymore.
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But the bigger question is this.
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Portland wanted back to Portland.
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The Lakers gave all the credit to the world to the Blazers, and they deserve it.
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And thats probably one of the greatest backcourts in the game right now, but I think that they've reached the plateau.
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They've gone as forest.
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That team can go.
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So now the Blazers front office with Neil Shaw, who came from think that's a pronounce it.
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Forgive me from a little off, but he came from the Clippers.
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Um, they have to decide, you know, Are we gonna blow this team up to start over again? Damian Lillard has been nothing but, um, dedicated and faithful to that team.
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So I don't see them, you know, obviously getting rid of him, But they're gonna after reboot.
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So the question is, do they want Melon to be a part of that? If not with Portland, he'll be with somebody.
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He certainly has earned time, and he's earned money.
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He was on a $2 million contract, which is a lot from MBA perspective.
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It's not that much so.
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Yeah, he did enough.
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Whether pulling wants him back or nut, I don't know, let the thing.
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So there's a great story, but I kind of think could be in another uniform next season.
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Next thing, if the Lakers big to dominate like they did against the Blazers, can anybody beat them in that game? LeBron at 36 Um, talk a little bit more about, um his stat line in a minute.
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A D had 43 his mid range game was amazing.
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Um, listen, when those two guys played that well, there's nobody gonna be the Clippers.
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I pardon me, the Lakers, period.
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It's just not gonna happen.
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But see, that's the problem.
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I think with the Lakers, can those two consistently play that well in every game and every Siri's? Now they don't have to win every game.
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Obviously, they have to win out four out of seven, which is what makes his team really attractive.
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Could they play that well? Four games at a seven.
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Siri's out of out of seven in Siris.
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Yeah, I think they could.
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And they've got guys who are street shooters that are good enough to fill in the gap from time to time.
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It's not gonna be unusual to see in Koosman go for 20 or even Dion waiters if it's time to get any, oddly enough against the Blazers.
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But early that much.
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But they've got guys contagious, a KCP Cobra pope.
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They've got players, but we know and I think the MBA knows that they need a D and LeBron to be spectacular four games out of seven to take them far.
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And, you know, for the Lakers that Zafy, um, they could do it.
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Um and e I wouldn't be surprised to see him do it, but that that's the precarious person find themselves in.
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Um, when they play that way, there's not gonna be the period.
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LeBron continued to dominate it 35 years of age, and we just kind of teased his stats.
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Uh, so here they are, and it really is amazing.
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Let me watching him do what he does at this age is amazing.
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Um, you're the old adage is Father Time is undefeated, and at some point, LeBron will start to slow down.
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Its gotta happen, but it doesn't look like it's a season.
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Um, in that close out game played 33 minutes with 36 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.
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Another triple double thinking average, a triple level in this year's.
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Can he continue to dominate? Here's the thing.
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LeBron's been there, right? We all know that he's won championships with two different teams.
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He's used to grind, and he knows now he can see it.
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You can see the finals.
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Um, it's 48 games away.
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Um, eight wins away.
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And you know that that invigorates somebody like love, like LeBron and, um, yeah, can he continue to play at this level of excellence and 35? Absolutely.
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I think the key is gonna have to be, you know, for Vogel toe monitors minutes to make sure he doesn't overdo it.
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Because I think that's gonna be no.
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The thing for LeBron when he is that close and he knows he's a king's away. It wins away.
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He's gonna want to go for it.
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And it's hard to tell somebody of his stature.
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I need you to sit for a little bit.
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I need you to go get a little treatment or something.
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And I think it's gonna be important to really monitor that, Um, 33 minutes.
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It is not unusual, and he's gonna have to probably average that, But you don't want to go, you know, 40 45 with him in multiple games.
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Um, so I I think vocalist proven that he could manage LeBron's minutes.
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What remains to be seeing is if a D can really be who they need him to be in the bras on on the floor.
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That will be interesting, But can LeBron dominate kitchen to dominate? How do you How do you count him out? How do you vote against him? Um, I just don't see how anybody would know that would be the one to do it.
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Let's talk about the Clippers and their match up a little bit.
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They played the Dallas Mavericks, and they got tested by the Dallas Mavericks.
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I don't want to call Lucas shot in the last second shot that everybody in the world was talking about his. It was phenomenal.
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You're lucky because he makes those shots.
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It's not luck. Yeah.
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You know, if you do it often enough, Luke has made the three point shot.
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Um, but you have to understand that was a close game.
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That was one of the last second shot.
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So you take that one away.
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You know, there might have been a 41 Siri's victory for the Clippers.
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Um, Dallas is a good team.
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I think they're a better team in Portland.
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And they gave the Clippers are run.
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Um, and I think looking forward, it's scary how good that team could be.
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Which kind of takes me to the first question about the Mavericks? How many more seasons before Luke is considered to be the best player in the association? They're already grooming him for that.
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I think that the subject came up even in today's telecast.
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So I think what is gonna, at the end of the day determined who the greatest player in the N B A.
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Is, or at least who people think? Great player in the n B a.
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Is how many championships he's one g honest right now.
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Is that person uh, he's got you probably gonna have back to back every piece.
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He's got a defensive player of the year, Um, and he's played in the biggest game.
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He is that guy, uh, Lucas going out to do something similar.
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Um, averaging triple doubles is great, but it's not gonna be enough.
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Westbrook did that already.
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So Luke is going to have to dominate, and he's gonna have to push his team, um, to the championship.
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Um, any any any is gonna have to do it, um, consistently, but I think the metal has already kind of been fitted for the guy the MBIA wants is this guy to succeed? Um, so my thinking is, I think, with three seasons will be looking at Lucas as the face of the MBA, and the guy that everybody kind of props up is the best player Now.
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If you the Mavericks, happened when Egyptian before, then it's gonna happen sooner than that.
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I don't know that I see that happening, but I can tell you that if you're Dallas Mavericks fan, the future is bright, Which is kind of cool.
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Um, because that's a scary team.
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Identify on the Clippers.
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Biggest weaknesses.
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So they probably should have got six games against the Mavericks, but they did.
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Um, there's a lot of chatter on Twitter about them being a dirty team now because you know what went on when they're trying to kind of bully Luca and step on his foot and whatnot, which I don't necessarily think happened.
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But, you know, that's the storyline right now.
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Um, so when I look at the Clippers team and this is what's ultimately scary about the Clippers, his you just don't see a lot of weaknesses.
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They're well coached.
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They've got a deep bench.
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They've got a super star and I just a superstar, but a closer.
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And we really saw that.
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And quite a day in this game, the four quarter that the Mavericks made the run they got to within six dot called a time out brings in Kawai.
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Boom! It's back up to double digits again.
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For this team Kobe did for the Lakers, where Michael did for the Bulls.
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I'm not saying quiet is that player, but I wouldn't argue with you if you said it, But I can tell you that he plays in that role for this team.
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When the momentum is shifting, you bring in a closer and hit a big shot to get a big stop and co I can do to both ends of the floor.
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And that's what makes him special.
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Um, and Toronto Raptors missed somebody like, Oh, I in their game against the Celtics today.
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Clippers have got him and it Z pretty special toe watch.
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So what's their biggest weakness? They've got a super sent that got too close and they got a bench. They got a great coach.
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Um, I think there because, you know, honestly, their biggest weaknesses. Complacency.
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The Clippers are going to lose a Siri's if they get complacent.
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I'm not talking, of course, about injuries.
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That a possibility for every team.
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But if the Clippers get complacent if they forget, forget to put the gas on the pedal on really drive a victory home and just kind of think you know we're gonna win because we're the Clippers, which if you follow the Clippers for any length of time, you know where that is, even to say.
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Still, they've been great for eight seasons, but before that, they were historically bad.
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Um, so if any Clippers fan or any Clippers player, uh, has that money mentality, we're gonna win because we showed up.
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It's kind of comical to think when you when you know the history of that franchise.
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Um, but really, I think that's the biggest challenge.
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Uh, Doc Rivers and the coaching staff is going to have to keep their eyes on the prize and remind them that nobody's hand in anything to him.
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They've still got to play Well, they still got to play their best on when they dio e just don't think anybody can beat them.
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Um, they just don't have any weaknesses, and that makes the team really, really dangerous.
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We talked before about, you know, the Lakers.
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The Lakers need both their stars to show up and you know they need that.
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Most of the time, the Clippers don't.
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Paul. George has not been great.
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Wasn't great against the Mavericks, and they won.
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Um So why was was Hoku? Why is he was a spectacular justice.
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Will be always Waas.
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So that's an indication that they don't need the big two.
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But that takes is kind of to the last thing I wanted to discuss here about the Clippers as they move on to the semi finals of the Western Conference.
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Other than quiet, PG and we need to step up.
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I made a big point just now, saying they don't have any weaknesses.
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They've got a deep bench.
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Um, so who needs to step up right now? I think we're looking at its forest.
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Consistency is we're not seeing the same player.
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Step up to the Clippers.
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Credit the Clippers credit.
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There's always somebody new.
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Reggie Jackson had submitted shots today Marcus Morris before he got ejected today, incidentally, I thought that was a You know, when I saw it, I thought it was a valid objection.
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But then I looked back to see Ah, pg was driving and, um, she can't forget the kid's name.
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But anyway, there was there was a foul against PG that looks so similar to the foul against Morris Luca.
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So that did seem to be, you know, a little discrepancy there.
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I think Morris got ejected like Doc said, because these markets more is because the two were John him in Lucca.
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Anyway, I'm going off on that tangent.
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Marcus Morris is hidden some big shots.
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They've always had somebody step up.
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But what the Clippers are going to need consistently moving forward is that gonna need Lou Williams and mantra as Harold to be who they were before the break.
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Um, thes guys were you really should be.
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Could be be kind of cool if they are six players of the year co six players of the year.
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Um, they're pretty spectacular.
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Their pick and roll game is phenomenal.
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They've got a connection that I've really seen in the bubble yet, and I think the clippers to really be that dominant force.
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If you got Coe, I play like Hawaii PG playing like PG and Lou Williams and Montrose Herro being who they were.
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Um, that's gonna be pretty spectacular to see.
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And I don't think we've seen that in the bubble yet.
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Show who needs to step up the six men for sure.
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Um, to the Clippers credit.
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They've had another guy step up so hasn't been in need.
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But I think to get past Denver to get past Utah, whoever it might be and then ultimately hopefully Teoh meet the Lakers for the chance to go to the finals.
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They're going to need those two guys to step up.
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So those are my takes.
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Will love to hear yours.
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We are peach basket.
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You can find us a peach dash basket dot net.
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Uh, his comments shot us out on Twitter.
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We want to be the voice of the fan.
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We want to provide you a voice.
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If you want to say something, we want to be the platform that gives you that opportunity.
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And as we kind of move forward through the playoffs on certainly into the off season well, here you will hear more about how we want to do that.
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That's everything I had free all today.
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Thank you all for taking the time to listen.
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I appreciate it and we will likely be back for game.
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Recaps around the second, the second round the playoffs through to the all L A Western Conference finals.
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That's the hope we'll talk later.