AD, Coach Ham, Reaves x James Worthy On Lakers Trades | Lakers/Bucks Postgame | Feb 9, 2023

Hello and welcome to AXSportsNet. Lakers driven by Southern California Honda dealers Chris McGee, Dee Fish, Derek Fisher, big game James Worthy, Mike Bresnahan, Mike Trudell will be handling and Allie Clifton will be handling the post-game duties down at Crypto.com Arena. Guys, the trade deadline happened at noon today. The Lakers saw five players go. Also no LeBron James in this game due to the ankle. So short-handed Lakers battled against this Milwaukee Bucks team that is red hot. But in the end, just too much Bucks, too much Giannis. And let's start with that big third quarter, James. We said it at halftime. We knew that that was going to be a quarter that the Lakers maybe had to hang in and win if they had a chance to win this game, especially after the Bucks came out and kind of had a cold shooting first half. But 38 to 23 Bucks, they also used a 23 to 8 run in that span to kind of open up the game a little bit. Yeah, I mean, we talked about the Bucks not shooting the ball, you know, as well as they wanted to. And the first had to put up a lot of threes. I think they shot a total of 47. James had mentioned Giannis Middleton, Drew Holliday. Drew Holliday and Giannis were, you know, 26 points combined in that big third quarter fish. Yeah, I mean, I don't think we're shocked by the final score of the game that the Bucks won, you know, considering, you know, the guys that were out for the Lakers tonight, LeBron injuries, trade deadline, etc. But, you know, I thought the Lakers did some good things throughout the course of the game. You know, the Bucks shot a lot of threes, not a great percentage. I thought the Lakers, you know, fought hard as best they could tonight. But the Bucks, you could tell they have been off a few days. They've been in L.A. first half. They were just kind of floating around. And then the third quarter, they decided, you know, let's go ahead and show that we're the better team tonight. We plan to win this game. So the final score isn't, you know, shocking. It's why a lot of people feel like this Bucks team is a legit championship contender. And then they added Jay Crowder to the mix. And that's a guy that defensively, they feel like can give them some things that P.J. Tucker gave them when they won the title in 2021. So overall, I thought the Lakers fought hard. Austin Reeves, really good. You know, let's take some positives out of this. Austin Reeves looked good tonight. Dennis Schroeder looked good tonight. A.D. got in foul trouble, but he did some good things, dominated the glass as best he could. So like we've been saying for a few years now, it really comes down to the Lakers' health. You know, LeBron getting back out there, A.D. staying healthy and then getting these new guys acclimated. Yeah, Perez, the Bucks have won nine in a row, 38-17. Giannis, another big game, 38-10-6. What do you think of this Bucks team right now? On a day where everyone was making moves, kind of the Bucks are feeling pretty good about where they are. They're in a very good place, especially with Brooklyn caving in over the last few days. I mean, that team is out. They're not a threat anymore in the East. So it feels like a two-horse race in the East, Boston and Milwaukee. And yeah, there's just so much traffic this time of year, especially for the Lakers. Very active. They traded five guys. They have five guys coming in, but it's like a purgatory. Those five guys not allowed to play until they're eligible, which means passing physicals, signing paperwork and that type of thing. Lakers just got caught shorthanded. That's all. Big game. You see the landscape and everyone talking about MVP and, you know, Giannis is just still that dude, even though, you know, Jokic puts up the numbers, Jason Tatum's having a great year, but then you look and it's just Giannis is still that guy, right? I mean, it's the way he plays. He's done it before, you know, and he never changes his, you know, the way he flows and plays his game. He's attack mode. He's very physical. The referees have accepted his style of game. He's worked hard on, you know, going through the hole, getting fouls and yeah, he's hard to deal with. MVP's, you know, he's right there at the top when it comes to, you know, nominations. The coaching staff's going to have another tough job of saying how to play these chess pieces and move them in the right places to be as effective as you can, but I don't think it'll take a long time considering, you know, these guys know how to play the game and I think they'll adjust pretty quickly. We just saw the standings for the Lakers' next three games before the break. You got Portland, you got Golden State, both those on the road. You got New Orleans. All three of those teams right now would be in the play-in tournament. These are games the Lakers have to win. These are teams they're going to have to pass in the standings to get into that playoff hunt. Three of those teams are between seven and ten, right? Yeah. I mean, that's crazy. One of the other quick points too, I mean, other than D'Angelo Russell, it is hard to quantify how the spotlight hits you differently when you put this uniform on. And that's the part that, like, guys figuring out where they fit in, it's the scrutiny of, like, at shoot-arounds after practice. Like, there's a national media presence. Yeah. There's a higher number of media people asking questions, poking, digging, trying to figure things out, and that just kind of increases the anxiety and the tension that sometimes makes it hard for guys to settle in. So, if D'Angelo has the advantage in that regard, but, you know, Malik adjusting, Mo Bamba adjusting, Jared Vanderbilt adjusting to that level of, like, everybody watching your every move, that can be different. Rumor had it, even though you had three championships, when you came back to the Lakers, you were nervous to shoot around with Brez hanging out under the basketball. Were you looking at me? I already had my arm, and I was used to it. I was good. VT and Brez hanging out over there, right? Those were my guys. I was good. You guys were champions. I mean, you guys, it was funny covering you because so many times, like, Powell, Lamar, you, Kobe, I mean, we'd say, oh, my God, they lost two in a row. The world is falling apart. It's not the same feeling with this team. You know, we're talking about a 13th in the West. There is a lot of poking and prodding already going on. Now, the Lakers need to kind of turn that around. Yeah, you guys bring up great points. So, these next three games against three teams ahead of them in standings, a lot to look forward to, hopefully, but should be fun. Jarvin, if we could just zoom out a second, just what did you see from certain individuals tonight, whether it's Dennis or Austin or, you know, guys that could factor in in different ways as you figure out what, in theory, would be a new rotation at the next game, and how are you, how are you kind of gauging how you're going to approach that as you move forward here? You know, we'll look at the film and, you know, start the process of getting our new guys acclimated in the morning, but I saw what I've always seen in the guys you mentioned, Austin, Dennis, you know, just competitive, competitive spirit and, you know, kept themselves in the game until the very end, and then, you know, it's disappointing. Again, take a L, but I'm totally proud of the way we competed, you know, being a little shorthanded. I'm totally proud of the way we competed, and we'll figure it out. You know, we have a lot of serviceable players, and it's a good problem to have, having a lot of good players that you can plug in, but we'll figure it out. My staff and I will figure it out. Staying kind of big picture and not even asking you to name the starting five. You'll be proud of me, but I assume you have some vision of what it's going to be, and how do you come upon that, if it involves any of the new pieces, how do you decide, having not had them on the court? Just looking at the unique styles of play that each individual brings and try to create some sort of balance. You don't want too many carbon copies of the same type player, so you try to balance it out with some offense, some defense, some shooting, some rebounding, and definitely some defense, man, first and foremost. But, you know, we see different pieces that we may be able to plug in and have that create that balance, not just within the starting lineup, but within the whole rotation, entire rotation. It'll be a fun job, a fun task to mix and match, you know, the guys we have already with some of the new guys that we've acquired. The Miami game comes to mind as another sort of, you know, LeBron game, Dennis, a standout in that one, Dennis, you know, leading you in points tonight. Why is Dennis so good at these games? I mean, when you put him in a position where, you know, he can lead the charge, he can set the tone, you know, we saw it all summer with his national team. He thrives in those positions and, you know, whoever's suiting up with him, he wants to put us in a position where we can win, you know, regardless of who's in, who's out. As long as he's playing, he's going to give it his all. So, you just saw that tonight. That was on full display. You know, again, he's not afraid of elite competition. He's not afraid of, you know, the waning moments of a game, a big-time in-the-game finisher. This is just who he is. That's the blood that runs through his veins, man. He's a big-time player. Darvin, I'll be more courageous than Dave. Who's going to start? San Francisco? I'll be just as courageous and tell you, not now. No comment. Thank you, Dan. As you guys try to get AD back to kind of full AD, what do you think? Is it just a matter of time for him? Legs? What are you seeing from him right now? Just rhythm, man. You know, just touch, rhythm, you know, reconfiguring those spots where, you know, where he's really effective at. And make no mistake about it, that's a hell of a team across the hall over there. You know, they're who they are for a reason. That's a well-oiled machine and, you know, top five defensive team in the league. So, tonight, you know, it was having Brooke out there, Giannis, you know, aggressive Drew, Wesley. I mean, they've got guys that can really lock down the fan and also help defend at an elite level. But, you know, still, he walks out 23-16. So, it's just a matter of him. You know, I thought he had some unforced turnovers and that's just a matter of him continuing the process of getting into a rhythm. All right, 23-16 for AD in the loss. Let's go inside the Laker locker room. He's with Ali. AD, from start to finish with this one, a great first defensive half, obviously, for you guys as a team. Managed to tie it there late in the second as well. How would you just kind of assess start to finish? Competed. Tough third quarter defensively. We gave up 38 points in the third quarter, which was ultimately the X factor in the game. You know, made a run in the fourth to get back. But, you know, guys competed, you know, shorthanded. All the new acquisitions are getting ready for, I think, Saturday. But, you know, I think our guys competed, you know, played well on both ends of the floor. Had some miscues that they capitalized on. But, for the most part, I think we did a really good job. You mentioned the new acquisitions, I guess, starting there. Just how excited are you to welcome him into the club? And then, obviously, that urgency to win, making him as comfortable as possible? Yeah, I'm going to try to get some things in with him tomorrow. You know, D'Lo is, you know, D'Lo, able to score the basketball. Playmake, Malik, Sniper. And then, Vando, the lead officer, rebounder. Another wing big that we added. And also defend multiple positions. Mo, we got Mo, right? Make sure nothing happened while the game was going on. Someone passed you a study sheet. Yeah, I didn't see him, so I didn't. Vehicle structure, floor. Also, you know, shot blocker, rim protector. So, you know, just trying to get these guys acclimated pretty quickly. Excited to make a run. AD, you want to go back a little bit Tuesday? No. No? You don't want to talk about that? No. Y'all, come on now. I mean, people want to... No, you don't? No. Y'all know me and Braun's relationship. Y'all know me and Braun's relationship. No, but I mean, I don't think that. I was just wondering what you... It's nothing. I'm sad about the game. I mean, we're losing to Oklahoma City, starting a game we needed. And I was pissed off that we were losing. It's that simple. I mean, it's nothing had to do with Braun. He knows that. I mean, everybody else outside looking in, that's their opinion, but I was pissed off that we were losing the game. AD, talk specifically about what some of the different guys can do, but sort of in a more big picture sense. Do you think that a reset for this room is good? Can it be a positive as you guys hit the stretch of new energy, some new bodies, new faces? I just got to put everything together. Obviously, we know we have on paper. Got to put it to the floor. We're behind the eight ball, so we got to deal with some urgency. I know these guys coming in are ready to get going. And tonight, all these guys were just saying they're ready to play. So Saturday will be our first game together. And we're just trying to chip away at it before All-Star. We got three more, four games, three games. Try to go 3-0. And then you get a break and get other guys back. And everybody get a break and let their bodies heal. And then come back and make another push. What's the message when guys come into this room, they see yourself, they see LeBron, and there's maybe a sense of deference and stuff like that. But I'm guessing you don't want these guys to defer when they get here. You want them to be aggressive. We need them to be who they are. I mean, we need Malik coming in and shooting the ball, D-load, scoring, playmaking. Vandal doing what he's doing, defensive end, offensive rebounds, most stretching the floor, rim protecting. And we don't need anyone to be something they're not or coming in and LeBron, AD, whoever. We need them to come in and be who they are. And do you think these moves will fill some much-needed holes when you guys are making the push for the playoffs? I don't know. We haven't played a game together, practiced, nothing. So I'm not sure. Like I say, on paper, we look complete. Shooting, playmaking, scoring, added a little bit more experience. So we'll see. But like I say, we look good on paper. Since you came here in 19, the constant for the franchise has been you and LeBron, and you've had a ton of teammates. And having been through all that, is there anything that you've learned that will help to fast-track this process, knowing that basically you have two or three weeks to get this thing right before you probably run out of time? Yeah. I think the biggest thing is going to be me and LeBron. LeBron was already talking to D'Lo and Malik about some of the things, how we play. Obviously, D'Lo's IQ is high, so they can pick up on things quickly. Like I say, I hate to say it's going to take time, but we don't have time. But that goes back to these guys not deferring. These guys coming in, being aggressive, being who they are. I think me and LeBron are able to adjust as well to be successful. We don't want these guys coming in and not being who they are, the reason why we got them. I think just me and LeBron just having that leadership role of letting these guys know, be yourself, and we can figure the rest out as we go. Last two. What was your reaction to seeing Austin isoed against Giannis and crossing him over? I don't really remember the part of Giannis. Second quarter? Oh, no, wait, wait, yeah. On the bench. He's back. Austin has been a key piece for us this season. When he went out, obviously, it was quarter ball, play-make, toughness, defense, and we missed it. Now he's back. He thinks he's on a minute restriction, but he's getting his legs back under him, getting his rhythm back in. Show tonight. The more games he plays, the better he's going to feel. It's a regular play for Austin. Russ, obviously, had his highs and lows here. What was your reaction to seeing him be dealt? Dealt? Russ. Oh, be dealt. Oh, they said be dealt. I think, like you said before, it's a business. I was in a situation in New Orleans, fans and organization, everything. I just tried to talk to him. We had a conversation today. I'm not sure what we talked about, but I feel like he's in a good place mentally. It can weigh on someone when you feel like the world is on your shoulders. From a playing standpoint, from a media standpoint, fans, everything. I'm not sure what's going to happen with him, get balled out or what or anything, but I think he's in a good place and he's ready to get back to being Russ. Leaving everything behind that he had to deal with the past couple years, whether it's with the fans, media, whatever. People know, overall, Russ is a really good dude. I've been knowing Russ since I got in the league. We had the same agent before. Him and him got really close. Outside of all the basketball stuff or what people say about him on the floor and everything, he's a really good dude. The perception on him is he's not and he's this and that, but I think he's going to be fine. A lot to unpack there. He was talking about Russ. They had a conversation today. I do want to focus on A.D. We're going to get into the trades a little later on, but 23 and 16, James, you heard Dartmouth Ham talk about it as well, still trying to find and get that rhythm that he had, obviously, before the injury. A.D. is vital to the success going forward, regardless of how LeBron plays. They're going to need A.D. to really anchor on both ends. Personally, I like to see him get deeper in the post more often, but they did run some baseline picks for him to get open over there a couple of times. We'll see. Like you said, when they get everybody there, playing together, healthy, get a few games under their belt together, these last three games are critical. We need to get two of them, in my opinion. Yeah. One of the things that's really tough for a player of A.D.'s caliber during the course of a season, coming back from injury, is they just don't practice enough. And for a guy that's the number one option, a featured player, different than when Austin Reeves comes back, or Lonnie Walker the fourth, or other guys that come back from injuries, they can find little pockets throughout the course of the game to have impact. But guys like Anthony Davis have to impact the game every possession. And that's hard to stay on top of when you're not practicing, you're not scrimmaging, you're not playing five-on-five, you're not getting those bumps and bruises and pushes, get knocked down, have to get back up. And you see that at times in the game where the energy just isn't there. It almost looks like you can be lethargic just because you haven't really practiced what you need to be able to do in the game. Especially when you take LeBron off the floor, you take Russ off the floor, and you actually need more output from A.D. So it'll take him some time. The best thing that can happen for A.D. is all of these guys to get out on the court, so that he can work his way back fully with the support and the ads of LeBron, Malik, D'Angelo, guys that can give the Lakers some punch. Let's talk D'Angelo Russell and how you think he fits with this team, especially offensively. We know what he can do in the half court. Yeah, I mean, I think having players that fit well next to Hall of Fame players. I think D'Angelo's game fits many rosters in this league and specifically fits this one well. And you can use D'Angelo's ability to catch and shoot the basketball off the ball, on the wing, in the corners. You can use that there, but you also can initiate a lot of offense with D'Angelo. And being able to move him around that way offensively, I think that's going to be really key. Whereas throughout this season so far, trying to find where does Russ fit, where does Pat Bair fit, where does Dennis fit next to LeBron and AD without a guy that is a 40% three-point shooter, basically that makes a difference. Yeah, he's about almost 18 a game, James, and shooting a career-best 39% from three. Is he the number three on this team in your eyes coming in? Is that the expectation? I hate to try to anticipate, but he definitely could fill that role. And that's going to be a challenge for the coaching staff. But when you look at the prototype of player, he fits that mold. And I think on both ends, he could benefit the team with an extra dimension to play. Lakers have two glaring needs before the trade deadline, three-point shooting and defense. Defense, they got Mo Bamba, one of the better shot blockers in the league, kind of fell out of the rotation because of a lot of other shot blockers in Orlando. As far as shooting though, Lakers did a lot by picking up Malik Beasley and D'Angelo Russell. Like D. Fish said, eager to see how he fits in around two very good players. I think he's going to get some pretty good looks, looks that, you know, Russell in particular, Russell Westbrook in particular was not able to nail down consistently this season. Yeah. We talked about Russ yesterday and of course, excuse me, you heard AD talking about him and saying, Hey, you know, not only was he my teammate, but he's, but he's also a good friend of the guy that I'm close to in this league. And he's a really good dude. That's what he kept saying. And just that, you know, he, he sympathizes with kind of his situation in LA. It didn't go as planned, uh, D fish, but definitely at least from all of us, we, we, we wish Russ. Well, I mean, something that always sticks with me. Russ said recently was, Hey, I bought in, I did everything when I, you know, I was supposed to do, I did my job. I came here, I played hard and he was, he was, he was available and he was always there. Right. Yeah. I mean, I think, you know, Russell, this is, this would be, I want to say it's fourth or 15 and you know, the last five to seven years. Austin Reeves scored 18 points in 25 minutes off the bench. He's speaking with Mike. Well, Austin, after the last game tonight, you know, looked like yourself again, assuming you felt that way. What, uh, how do you, how do you get to that point after being out with the hamstring and how does that make you feel as you approach the next couple of games, which are going to be different, right. In terms of all the guys you have coming in and figuring out what the lineups are. Yeah. I mean, it feels good. Um, I obviously wish we, we won, um, but you know, it was, I was out for, I think a little over a month. So your wind goes a little bit, um, your legs go. So, you know, it was nice to, you know, get out there in the OKC game and kind of get that first, you know, wind kind of out of the way in the first couple of minutes. And then tonight I just felt like it was another game. Uh, and I felt like I, you know, on wind as well. Um, and I felt like we played really good basketball as well. Not sure if you've had conversations with the coaches yet, right. About kind of what the plan might be in your role, starting off the bench, Russell comes in, Beasley comes in, Bev goes out, Russ goes out, but just different, right there. How do you see that? And then how do you try to focus on that as to what, to the best of your ability? Yeah. I mean, I haven't, you know, had in-depth conversations with, uh, the coaching staff on, you know, what, you know, my role or anybody else's role looks like going forward. But, uh, one thing I know for certain, we're super excited. The guys that we got, uh, we feel like everybody can, you know, kind of bring a different, um, aspect to the game and kind of fill some, uh, holes that we had these first, well, however many games we're playing. So we're super excited about that. Just for me is, it's kind of been the same thing since I started. I mean, um, just do what, do what I can do to help the team be successful. I mean, if coach asked me to do one thing, that's what I'll do. If it's others, I'll do the same thing, but I feel like we got a group of guys that's just like that. So, uh, we're excited to get them, uh, you know, acclimated to what we got. Just a quick one for me, the crossover on Giannis is what, what did you see where, at what point did you decide to go to that move? Uh, and you know, what'd you think of the, how it worked out? Uh, it was just a basketball instinct. Uh, honestly, I seen him in front of me and I was waiting for 80 to come set a screen, but, uh, he kind of stopped for a second and then I was like, well, I gotta, I gotta make a play somehow. So, um, good move. It worked and it was layup. Hey Austin, um, looked like there was a different vibe out there. I don't know if it was because of the trade deadline or not, but now that the deadline is passed and you guys know that you're going to be here, um, just how much is that like a weight lifted off your shoulders or how, how does that feel? Uh, you know, it's, it's kind of tough to explain. Um, not that, you know, it's really much different, but like you said, it's after that it's, you know, you got to have what you have. Um, and I agree. I felt like, you know, we caught a good vibe out there, you know, playing the right way, doing the right things. And the energy was good as well. So, you know, we just look to continue to do those things, but I was super excited with what we, what we did the night, how we competed.