Stephen A. Smith is a New York Times Bestselling Author, Executive Producer, host of ESPN's First Take, and co-host of NBA Countdown.
Earlier this week, we sort of Los Angeles Lakes eliminated from play of contention at home by the way by ant Man himself, Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Lakers lost in five five, and the team met with the.
Media yesterday to talk about the offseason and what needs to happen heading into next year.
Head coach JJ Reddick had.
One thing on his mind yesterday when talking about what the Lakers need to do to improve.
Take a listen.
I'll start with the off season and the work that's required in an off season to be in championship shape. And you know, we have a ways to go as a roster, and certainly there are individuals that were in phenomenal shape. There's certainly other ones that could have been in better shape.
First things first, obviously he's talking about Luka Doncic. It doesn't take a nine style to figure that out. That may not be the only person he's talking about, but clearly he's talking about him. At the very least, he's the one that's going to have the ball in his hands the majority of the time. He's going to be the frase to the franchise for the next decade. For you or at least a foreseeable future. He is a basketball iconic superstar globally, I might add. And so because of that, you're looking at him and you know the conditioning or lack thereof the manner in which he was attacked the man, the fact that in Game five and the close out game he gave up none blowbots for crowd out loud. That is something that has to be rectified. JJ Reddick knows that, and his willingness to speak about that is not hypocritical in any way, Ladies and gentleman, because JJ Reddick say what you all about him, but he has always been somebody that's been in shape. He was always his pension, and what rode his success through Duke as an All American and then ultimately on the professional basketball level was the fact that JJ Reddick's movement without the ball was obviously a very very significant thing.
The man has always been in shape.
So when he talks about one's conditioning, it's not like we can look at him and call him out for anything.
We certainly can't do that. That's number one. Number two.
And the Lakers talk about improving their roster, understand that they don't have a boatload of things to work with. You got some players, the Austin Reeves, the Ruy hotchamor Is, the Jared Vanderbilts of the world that gave vincents of the world. All of them are hovering around anywhere from eleven to thirteen million in salary. Here's the problem with an Austin Reeves that's making about thirteen million. If you move him, how much equitable compensation are you getting in return? He's established himself as a Bona five number.
Three option for the Los Angeles Lake. He's averaged about twenty points game this year.
He's improved vastly, and if you're gonna move him, okay, what kind of equitable conversation are you gonna get in return for his services? Because at thirteen million dollars, again, the salaries don't necessarily match.
He's grossly underpaid.
So because he's grossly underpaid, you know, it's one of those situations where if you move him, you're gonna get short changed on the return. I don't know about that, but the biggest thing it brings me to is wondering having me wondering about Lebron James. If Lebron James has to come back for his twenty third season, which everybody in their grandmama.
Believes he will. I think a legitimate question to be asked is what is he playing for?
Do y'all understand that? Says Lebron James has arrived in Los Angeles, they missed the playoffs. They won a championship in the Bubble, but then they spent the next three years or four years or so either missing the playoffs or getting bounced in the first round, and at least once they were swept. Since twenty twenty, okay, Lebron James has gone to the Western Conference finals. Darvin Ham's first year, all right, But other than that, he's been home.
In the first round or before then.
So you look at the Los Angeles Lakers right now, you look at the rest of the Western Conference ladies and gentlemen.
Okay, So he's not going anywhere.
Houston's not going anywhere, Minnesota's not going anywhere.
Dallas is not going anywhere.
I gave you four teams right there, and we don't even have to count on the others. We's denver gonna fade. Your kitchen still around. Jamal Murray is still there. Aaron Gordon Is still there, Michael Porter Jr.
Is still there. Where they going?
That's five teams. Clippers, Lakers had their way with them during the regular season. The Clippers are the ones still playing, going up, going for a game seven tomorrow night in Denver in the first ride of the players, while the Lakers are already home and five five?
What's up with them? So I gave you six teams right there, six teams.
If you're Lebron James, at some point in time, it's appropriate and fair to ask what is he playing for?
Because are the Lakers gonna win? Okay? So he's the one with the assets. Houston is the one with the assets.
Minnesota got ant Man and some defensive wizards around them. Dallas Kyrie eventually will return, Anthony Davis, Daniel Gafford, Derek Lively. They ain't gone away. I'm just saying we got to pay attention to these things. You're talking about five to six different teams for you can think about the Lakers. Lebron James is still an all world player. He's still one of the greatest, there is no question in that. But if conditioning is an issue with Luca and the ability of the Lakers front office to do something to improve the roster or all high question marks. Where does that leave Lebron James. Is he really playing to win, meaning does he believe that he can win with him? Is he playing because he just doesn't feel like relocating. Is he playing so his other.
Son could come into the NBA?
These are the questions that people are asking, and I think they're legitimate because right now, with the Lakers going home in the first round, it's almost so you can't even take their regular season effort seriously anymore. You gotta wait until the postseason when teams have the opportunity to plan and plot against them in the Best of seventh series. Can't ignore it. I certainly am not, and I don't think the rest of you can either. The situation is what it is, and there is absolutely positively nowhere around to By the way, as an aside to the people of Dallas, can we take the heat off of Nico Harrison just to touch because you talk about somebody that doesn't look too bad today, it's Nico Harrison.
Because when you look at Luka Doncic, and you look at.
The way everybody from Julius Randall to Mike Conley Jr. Or an ant man to a Jada McDaniels. When you see the way everybody was blown right by him. He is a defensive liability and offensively because they pressured him ninety four feet for most of the game.
Come fourth quarter time, he didn't have the legs. Is he going to dedicate himself.
Is he going to recognize that he's the new face of the franchise for the Los Angeles Lakers. Is he going to understand the reporters of making sure he's in peak condition so he could maximize his talents?
Because I got news for you.
As great as Luca is, and we all know he's great, you know somebody else who's having just as big of an impact as Luca is his former sub Jayalen Brunson, who by the way, helped Luca carry the Dallas Mavericks to a Western Conference finals.
About three years back.
That same Jayleen Brunson, who the Dallas Mavericks didn't want to get fifty three million too, and the Knicks ended up giving him over one hundred and four million dollars too before signing them to a new contract where he sacrificed one hundred million dollars which he could have signed.
Had he waited an extra year.
Just to ensure that the New York Knicks got their boy, Michel Bridges, his former boy at Villanova, to come play with him with the New York Knicks.
Jaylen Brunson did that.
That same Jalen Brunson has carried the Knicks to a second consecutive berth into the Eastern Conference Semifinals courtesy of a one sixteen, one to thirteen victory over Detroit in Game six last night in Detroit. Jalen Brunton, as I told you, was the star, dropping forty points in the business, including a late three pointer with four seconds left in the game to seal the victory.
So I'm looking at a Jalen.
Brunson and I'm saying to myself, this is what he brings to the table. There's no doubt about that. Michael Bridges showed up in the open court. When you let the brother flourish, what does he do? He gets it done. He gets it done. Annanobe can't say enough about the defense that he put on Cane, cutting him, held him like thirty two percent shooting for the series.
Carl Anthony Towns not impressed with his offensive output. We need more, but we'll see what he does defensively. We'll see.
So that's just where I'm at with it. I look at the New York Nicks. I'm very, very proud that they pulled this out. That they got out of the first round, no doubt about that. They advanced to the Eastern Conference second round. However, will they'll be playing against the Boston Celtics. All right, And I'll get to all of that.
Some other time.
For now, for this moment, however, I'm gonna get to somebody you all seem the love because he's got some things that he wants to say, He's got some things that he wants to add, wants to bring to the table. I can't imagine what he is, but you know what, It's Friday. I'm in a good mood. I don't mind letting my nephew come on the show. That's right, nephew, Josh joining me now to break it all down. Here is what's up?
Josh?
How are you? Man?
You see me? I'm in full seligatory.
Mo are you are you sitting? Are you sitting at my desk?
This is not your desk anymore? This is our desk. So it's funny. Once again, you're letting your friends off the hook. So so JJ Reddick is just allowed to, like you said, he must be talking about Luka Doncik, isn't he.
So that's one of that's one of the things he's that's one of the people he's talking about.
Oh, well, well, Luka Doncik is so out of shape that JJ JJ decided to play him the most minutes on the team. He averages the most points on the team, second in assists, no first, first and assists and second and rebounds.
Well, first of all, you're missing a point just because he played them, because Luke is one of your best players and you have to play him. And JJ Reddick clearly showed that he wasn't willing to use his bitch is he lost complete faith in all of them. He's just saying what you have to do because of how much you needed. He wasn't saying he wasn't saying that the man is out of shape, he's a bum. He's saying that you've got to be in championship.
Shape to win a championship. Oh and that's that's actually factually correct.
What would J Reddick know about that?
Well, JJ Reddy didn't win a championship because he was never a star player the cat, but he was always in shape and he was always considered one of.
The best shooters in basketball.
And by the way, I'm not letting I'm not letting them off the hook, because listen, he should have found a way to use his bench. How you gonna go a whole second half gate there and not use your bench once?
That's egregious. You gotta use your bench.
Or not use the center. You want to use the center, you can't stop.
Nobody had one.
He doesn't really have one. I mean, Jackson Hayes wasn't the answer. What are you gonna do, Josh's.
You played the tallest player you the coach?
No, no, no, no, no. There's plenty of tall players that were scrubs. There's plenty of tall players that weren't active enough, that didn't handle their business the way.
That you were like to You can't go by that.
Just because you tall don't mean you automatically get asserted into the lineup. I mean, listen, you're trying to tell me there ain't nobody on Golden State that was taller than Draymond Green.
But for the longest time.
They put Draymond Green out there and ask him to embrace the challenges going up against bigger dudes simply because you didn't have guys that were confident knew how to playing.
New the system.
Does Rudy Gobert look like Hakeem olajah on if you have somebody out there with some hype twelve.
If they if they can't play, if they can't play, yes, because Rudy Gobert is like, what three four time Defensive Player of the Year. But also, you know what a lot of putbacks and whatever you listen, the Lakers could have got. They could have consummated the Mark Williams deal with Charlotte. They didn't do that, Okay, talking about he failed some physical or whatever. They got to go out and get it big. We know they were too small, so they didn't have the personnel, the.
Team, the teammates that they did have. Though you're not gonna play Jared Vanderbilt.
I thought so.
I mean, big Perk made that, and I think you gotta throw If you can throw out Dory and Finney Smith, and you could throw out Ruy hot.
Chimore, you could throw Jared out there. I think that I think the.
Problem is is that Minnesota plays defense so well you need it as much offensive firepower as you could possibly muster. Jared Vanderbilt doesn't have to be guarded, and that puts Minnesota at that puts the Lakers that have decided disadvantage when they're on offense.
So I feel like the guy that was doing the most work on the team is taking the most heat. Even you just saying that Nico is not looking so bad to that you still gave it way Luca Danci for for for Anthony Davis, You're still getting bad.
Well, that remains to be seen. Don't what what what if Dallas makes the finals next year?
What if Dallas makes the finals? You got Dallas?
You don't think hold it, you don't think they have a chance? No, And do you know that? Do you know? Do you think he got a chance?
Okay? See yeah, yes, do.
You see do you did you realize that not only did Dallas bounce them out in the playoffs last year, but did you know that in the two meetings that Dallas had this year without Luca they beat Okay?
See yeah, that's that's that's that's okay. See, maybe they match up well with them, but I don't think they match up with well with with with enough teams in the West Dallas to make it to the finals, to make it through everybody.
All right, let me let me switch to the Knicks real quick. I know you were excited about them. I see you draft out and you better have paid for that ship yourself.
You bet not a charge to my car. I'm kick your ass. I'll telling you that right now. You bet not. But let me ask you this question. Were you surprised that Knicks won? Last name?
Surprised? No?
Yeah, okay, all right? Do you believe do you are you ready for this? Do you believe that Jalen Brunson is the greatest Nick ever?
Oh?
You wasn't here last year. I changed his name to MJ. I call him Michael Jalen Brunson. I even put his head on the little Dunk emblem. And because the stats that that show that you know, he's he's he's right, he's right on that level of Michael Jordan. Like you know, he may just be missing the Scottie pipp and Phil Jackson or put together, but he might go.
With your ignorance, you always crossing the damn line you're always going a little bit too far. Most forty point series clinching wins on road in the NBA history, Michael Jordan had four. Okay, he has two. Congratulations with that, we understand that you. D Wade's up there, Charles Barkley's up there, Giannis is up there, or whatever. Stop with the stop with the Jordan comparitives.
No, no, I can I can? I can I do what you do?
Go ahead?
How long? How long has you? How long was Jordan in the league.
Jordan was in the Leaf for fifteen years total, thirteen in Chicago.
So Jalen Brunson is about half that and he's half his you know, forty point game situation.
So he's on the trajectory.
Now I'm not talking about his size and his overall game. He can't. He couldn't defend like Jordan.
Jordan's a non time All NBA defensive player, ten times scoring champions. It's not just stop it, don't don't don't display. Let me not show you how ignorant you are today. But let me ask you this, what do you think the Knicks are gonna do against the Boston Celtics.
Well, we gotta take you one game at the time.
Break by break, we're gonna we're gonna break even in Boston and then we're gonna break even in New York.
It's step by step. We gotta go seven games.
You gotta make it nasty and yeah, yeah, you gotta fight, and you gotta stay out.
The garden bad.
So I have to stay out the garden.
Yeah you're not.
You only show when when we you know, when we at the brink of winning a series or something like that.
You don't be there through the wars and stuff.
Uh. First of all, I've gone there during the regular season. I was on TV.
I did a countdown from the Garden for Crying Out Lot and I flew from LA to do the show from the Garden. That's number one. And that was the game they got blown out. That game by Boston didn't even make it a competition. But I was there when they when they beat Philadelphia last year in the playoffs.
Okay, I was there. I was there this.
Season for a few game games when they want as well. Don't don't put that on me, but I will say this, I think the Knicks are gonna lose this series in five.
First time.
I'm hopeful, but I think they're gonna fir.
First of all, you're talking to me. So when you mentioned in them games that you went to, I know it is for work. You don't go there because you want to. People like me pay our hard earned money to go. You got a free money.
You just lied. You just lied.
First of all, you're hard earned money, harder money. Which one is it you either stealing from me you understead of.
Saying because that's what you do. You take take my card and you talk.
You you build tickets, and then you let me know that you built the tickets. You just said that last week. So which one is it? Is it your hard earned money or is it you saying I used your card.
I'm speaking for the masses I spent it. It's your money that gets me into the next game. But I'm talking about for the most part, the people in there spend their hard earned money. You get to come in for free, and you barely do. You only come when we win it. We don't like it. Talk about the Lakers. You want to be where as warm. You're not from there, You're from here.
See me, I spent you just this first time you wore that.
This is the first time you wore that, So I've got when I think about the Knicks, you don't know any better because you're a young whipper snapper.
You're two damn young to appreciate it.
But Bernard King, I know you heard that name before, Patrick Ewen, Walt Clyde Fraser, earl of promo role, people like that. You know, Carmelo Anthony, I would tell you that, you know, you got to put Walt Clyde Fraser because that's a that's a that's a guy that delivered the championship. Obviously it was several decades before you even born. But bottom line is that's what happened. Uh, that's the champion. Carmelo Anthony wanted that smoke. He was, He was damn good. But Jalen Brunson is next level. Ewing is there too, but Ewen was obviously continues to get smacked down by Jordan.
No shame in that.
But I think what I hold against you and is how he got outplayed against the Keey of Dream of Logoa in the finals when the New York Knicks had a chance and they weren't and Jordan.
Wasn't there in their way.
Then he letther keep getting his way I can't, you know, I gotta look at that.
So so what are he's saying that, who's who's the best nick ever?
But I did hear that conversation.
I got I would go to I would go with Clyde Frasier. That's what I'm gonna go with. That's right, That's what I'm gonna go with. That's what I'm gonna go with. A champion, A champion, That's what I'm gonna go with. But let me ask you this, man, uh before I let you get on out of here, what's this about? You had about some goat list or whatever?
What's all your mind? What's that about?
Oh?
Like I got like a goat list, like it's a new one because we argue about Lebron and Jordan a lot, but it's people like ant Man that is like, he's on the trajectory he's been on Minnesota.
He's the number one pick.
Every year he gets better, every year he goes further, and it's like, at what point do we start to like put them people in there? And Jokic three m VP's already got a chair, Joannis your MVP's defensive.
Place he is.
We gotta start a new h flux you weighting lists. You like to call it fluid, I'm gonna call it flush. You and my words bigger than yours. And yeah, I think we should.
A huh longer word, but go ahead.
Yeah, I think it's something that we can get into after every game. It can change up depending on what I feel like shade is on it.
In other words, you.
Want to have a goat discussion, but you want it to be something that changes after every damn game.
Yeah, because that's what the goat. That's what the goat is.
This whole Michael Jordan, this whole Michael Jordan stuff.
Y'all. Don't let go. Y'all, don't let go nothing. You could come in.
Because we don't want to let go of facts. We want to let go facts, the fact. We don't want to let go of fact. Josh, have you ever seen Michael.
Jordan play Yeah, I'm you know on thirty six. Yes, I've seen Michael Jordan play I'm just not moved.
I was moving at the time.
Did you say you said you're not moved? I was?
I was? I was.
Now I know that y'all only show us the makes what about the missus?
He didn't win sixth straight finals.
Yeah, he just he won three.
He three pedd twice and the two years that he didn't win was because he retired.
No, No, he lost to Orlando. I was there for that.
Excuse me, excuse me.
He lost in ninety He lost in ninety four, right, and then ninety five he came back with seventeen games left in the regular season after playing baseball.
I was because he gopped the double nickel on the Knicks that year before the playoffs. You forgot about that, didn't you.
That's right.
Be quiet, say goodbye to the audience, and that your uncle Steve just had to school you and your nob theself.
About the fifty five point game. It's not enough nickel Lebron twenty eighth straight.
Goodbye, Josh, ladies and gentlemen. He has to go. I've got work to do.
He