Sliwa: Lakers Don't Have Enough To Win The NBA Finals This Season

How are you Alan? I'm good J.R. Thanks for having me on brother. How are you doing? I'm absolutely well man.

I'm kicking it the best way possible. Question for you. After what we saw last night, aberration? We've seen this Lakers team play some defense but last night an anomaly, no? I think what you just said about you're obviously not going to depend on holding the team to 85 every night. It's the lowest point total Minnesota's had all season long. They had a couple 90s but they've never had I think only four times all season they were even held under 100.

So significant to obviously be at 85. But I still think the Lakers should get credit for that. You know I think they made proper adjustments. I think they really really took Minnesota out of their game. Shot about half the amount of three pointers that Minnesota took in game one. That's not because Minnesota all of a sudden got shy of taking threes. It's because you know the Lakers understood watching guys like Nas Reed just completely dominating game one. Let's try to get these guys off the three-point line.

Let's make them drive. Let's make them at least hesitate or have to dribble the ball a couple of times. Come inside that three-point arc and part of this give the Lakers credit.

You could also say that Minnesota only shot 20% from the three-point line but a combination I think of the two. Luka Doncic. We know how dynamic and amazing of an offensive player that he is. We saw what he did last year for the Mavericks. Maybe the Mavericks didn't see it. How has he kind of fit in now in the playoffs? It's been two games.

It's a little bit different of intensity. It seemed like he had to figure things out from game one to game two. I think if you look at the way the Lakers finished the regular season, the last five games he had for the Lakers, I mean he was pulling up numbers, real numbers.

The numbers that make everybody think like you just mentioned. You mentioned the Dallas Mavericks. This may go down as one of the worst trades in NBA history. It was those type of numbers that we're accustomed to seeing from Luka. I think the transition from regular season to the postseason has been kind of seamless for him. The only area of his game that we didn't like in game one is he only had one assist.

But getting buckets and kind of finding ways to be efficient, he's still doing that. Yesterday was, Luka I think accounted for, if you count the nine assists he had and the 31 points he had, Lakers only scored 94 total. You're talking about him equating to about 55% of the Lakers offense.

That's Luka Doncic. And that's still with obviously some other players contributing. I think his transition to the playoffs is seamless. And this is also a player that's also been to the conference finals with the Dallas Mavericks, has been to the NBA finals with the Dallas Mavericks. So he's also a player that just has a ton of experience in big time games. We know he has plenty of experience in big time games. He's paired up there with Lebron James.

Allen Sleevers here with us on the JR Sportbreeze show Coast to Coast. When you think about things past Luka and then Lebron, we know they tried to make that trade for Mark Williams earlier in the season. Right after Luka trade and then they rejected it due to his physical.

And we got Jackson Hayes who's barely playing here in this series. Ultimately, they knew they needed a big. We all know they needed a big. Do they have enough depth and size to really win a championship this year? Yeah. You know, it's funny. I just find it really tough right now to even think that far.

And maybe that is part of the hesitation of saying, yes, they have enough. And I say that because here they are in a one one series tie against Minnesota, a team that was the number six seed. And probably I'm imagining this is going to be a long series. OK, let's say you got past this series. Is it Golden State that's coming up next?

Is it OK? See after that, is it Boston probably waiting in the NBA finals? The path the Lakers got to take to win an NBA championship with an imperfect roster. I think we all agree with that. And I think like you mentioned, this isn't the team that's had Luke on the roster for two years and they've just been building around him.

They are kind of putting these pieces together. I know it's not ideal. And ultimately, if that doesn't equate getting to the NBA finals, I think it's understandable.

I think would be more surprised that they're there than they're not. Allen Slee, we're here with us on the JR sport reshow on the Infinity Sports Network, thinking about what we might see or what we can expect the rest of this series. We know what Minnesota does.

We know what the Lakers do. Should we expect this to go? I don't want to say all 12 rounds. Are we getting six or seven games out of this? I think I had picked Lakers in six before the series started and I think game three is going to be very indicative.

I think to answer your question, yes, I think this is a dogfight. I think this is a six games at the minimum. And don't be surprised if it goes seven, if it's back at crypto with one game to decide who moves to the second round. These teams are look, they're evenly matched where the Lakers have more star power than the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Timberwolves have much more depth than the Lakers do.

They could depend on eight guys. I think stylistically the way Minnesota plays, there's definitely a let's muddy the water. Let's try to play physical. I think the Lakers showed yesterday we could play that style. So I think there's a lot of talent on both sides. I think Chris Finch and JJ Reddick, two good coaches in the NBA rolling up their sleeve and it feels like this is one of the better first round matchups in the NBA and I think this one goes at least six. Alan, you mentioned the coaching.

You have Finch. It's good to see him able to walk on two legs this postseason. And then we have JJ Reddick who's ultimately still a novice here, especially as it relates to the postseason. How night and day is it from what the Lakers went through with Darvin Ham versus what they have with Reddick now? Yeah, you know, without trying to, I think there are certain strengths that Darvin Ham had, but clearly JJ Reddick has put his imprint on this team and on this roster. He's got, I think, a unique balance with a relationship with the players, a little bit of, you know, a little bit of a screw little loose at times where he just can't handle his emotions, which to be honest with you, I kind of like. And then I think schematically and X's and O's guys that that I think is only going to flourish more and more with more years to come.

So I do think it's a difference. I do think the way his style is compared to Darvin Ham, wildly different. And I think that impact is going to show as we, you know, obviously go a little bit further in the playoffs. I will tell you this for him never having coached in the postseason before I didn't even it really didn't even kind of I didn't really feel like that was going to be an issue, which is a compliment to JJ Reddick, which shows that no, no, I already think this guy is going to be prepared for the playoffs. Allen Slee, we're here with us, host of the Slee was show on YouTube covers all things Los Angeles Lakers.

Austin Reeves is certainly I don't want to say, well, he has taken a leap here. People still can't believe the Dallas Mavericks and say, hey, if you want you want Luca, you got to give up this guy. What does he meant for the team and how much room is there for him to continue to grow? Well, it's, you know, it's interesting because I think that's what makes the Lakers such an interesting team and I think he's played did not play a good game one. I thought yesterday he played a better game, even though we shot over six from the three point line shot 50% from the field seven to 14 had 15 points, maybe 16 points had five assists had five rebounds. And I think what we know what I like about Austin Reeves, and this is going to be such a key piece for the Lakers in this playoff run however long it goes, you kind of know what Luca is LeBron is going to do his thing. If Austin Reeves has some of the nights that he had most of the Lakers season where he's around 25 and 619 five and six something along those lines. I don't know how many teams have a third player that can do that, have a third player that could be that dangerous and can all by the way, get to the free throw line draw fouls facilitate a little bit for other guys. He's a big piece, no question about it, he's a big piece, how much better can you get, I think for him.

There's a little bit of. We talked about hey is LeBron and Luca going to be able to play together, I think for Austin Reeves it's more just knowing when to be more aggressive knowing sometimes when to kind of all right I take a little bit of a step back, maybe sometimes he takes too much of a step back. But I think his, you know, obviously his value for the Lakers is only going to grow. Oh, absolutely.

Absolutely. I know you don't want to look too far ahead. What do you realistically think this team is going to do here this postseason. Well, I think, you know, I definitely expect them to get out of the first round.

I think that's kind of got to be your minimum here. If you're a number three seed I know a lot of teams were close to each other and everything else Lakers ended up with 50 wins on the season. You definitely got to get out of the first round. What's the second round matchup look like because if you're telling me it's the Lakers and the Golden State Warriors. Maybe that's a coin flip series even though I've given the edge to the Lakers. If it's Lakers and the Rockets. I get that the rockets are number two seed I think that series would be incredibly tough for the Lakers but I'd still pick them there.

I would say if I had to kind of just guess it. If they got to the Western Conference Finals, I really actually believe that you're kind of playing with house money after that now a lot of people don't want to hear that and there's a well Lakers win championships and and only championships. We'll see how far they can go but I think if they were able to accomplish that this year, knowing that a whole new chapter with Luca starting I think they're obviously going in the right direction. Hey, how about this final question for you Alan win lose or draw for the Los Angeles Lakers this season. What are some of the possibilities of what they can do in the offseason to improve what do they look like from a cat perspective?

How are they and where they getting a big man from in depth? What do you think they they have obviously Luca opens up and widens the gap for LeBron. Now to be shocked if we get the LeBron go away retire. That's certainly not happening. I think at minimum for the next couple of years. What are the Lakers going to look like in the offseason?

Everybody's always expecting a big splash. Well expect this expect that they'll have flexibility. You know what you mentioned about how did Dallas not get more or how did they not get that second first round pick from the Lakers? You mentioned Mark Williams earlier which means that Lakers still have that first rounder plus a piece like Dalton connect you got expiring contracts. Next year will be an expiring contract as in they'll still be under contract next year but you know obviously moving forward.

Those contracts are really hot tomorrow. Gabe Vincent Maxi Kleba they got players that also I think have some value in the league and also will be on expiring contracts which usually have value across the NBA. I think the Lakers listen what don't count them out of other players saying hey, I want to play with Luca. I want to play with LeBron. I want to play that Lakers brand so I could get more visibility and more marketing and advertising. I think Polanco's put himself in an unbelievable position this summer and I think it's an attractive place to be. It's not just like let me just make this point real quick. There are a lot of good players that play for the Dallas Mavericks that are part of that championship run.

Yeah. P.J. Washington and Gafford and Lively these guys just can't they're just not going to be the same player without Luca Doncic. So I think there's a lot of players around the league saying I could heighten my profile by playing with Luca and playing with the Lakers and that's part of the strength that this franchise has right now. Coming into the offseason.

Hey without a shadow of a doubt the Los Angeles Lakers always a massive destination. Hey Alan I still can't believe this. Hickey and I discussed it yesterday. I can't believe Bryce is getting ready to go to Arizona and there's a possibility that at this time next year we may be talking about this dude in the draft. Isn't that crazy? LeBron's kids just grew up like that? Yeah. You know and I actually thought to be honest with you I thought the brawny thing was going to be more of a distraction. I thought you know what are they doing here.

Where is this franchise going to be honest with you. It really wasn't like that. Yeah OK. He played in a few Laker games towards the end. I didn't think it was a big deal.

I didn't think it was an issue and you know like you said about Bryce you're right. Man Braun is he's made it happen not only on the floor but obviously leading his fam as well and it's just it's pretty amazing what he's accomplished. And who knows what he accomplishes the moment he decides that he's no longer playing in the NBA. We know that he's still going to be very very involved. Oh very very much so. Absolutely amazing.

Lakers always one of the biggest stories in the NBA whether they're winning whether they're losing good to see them on the winning side now also with Luca into the future. Hey Alan please fill us in where can people follow you your work the sleep with show on YouTube tell us. Well I appreciate that. If you go on YouTube and just type in Alan Sliwa or type in hoop stock my channel will come up. I go live Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. and then I do a postgame show after every Lakers game as well. Hey Alan we appreciate the time I hope you got a whole lot more post games for the next several months OK. I appreciate you. Thank you man.