James Worthy, Austin Reaves, Dennis Schroder React To GM1 vs Warriors | Game Analysis | May 2, 2023

This video is sponsored by LeBron and Anthony Davis Merch Collection. Get now on 5% discount for a limited time. Link in description. We are coming at you with Laker postgame. Lakers going to Golden State. They win a thriller in game one, guys. Really a tale of two styles. The Warriors shot 53 threes. They made 21 of them. They had 13 of them at half. They were plus 45 from three. But the Lakers stayed true to their plan. AD absolutely dominant. 54 points in the paint. 25 of 29 from the free throw line. And big game. I'll start with you. Defense was the story. No doubt. And I think defense will remain not letting them get off to quick starts. That, to me, set the pace. Schroeder came in off the bench. And Vanderbilt will start the two on Curry. And after that, anything that got past them, AD was right there to help. And I thought the defense set the tone. Offensively, they executed well. Offensive rebounds for AD. I just thought it was a well-balanced attack. Yeah, and this was a great win to get, you know, when you are facing a team that is coming off of a seven-game series. Mentally, emotionally, they're drained. And then to have to turn the page quickly to get ready for tonight, really difficult to do. And so the Lakers, to your point, styles make fights. And the paint points and the free throws offset the three-point line. And I think that's a trend that the Lakers need to stick with throughout this series. Even when they're making some threes, don't necessarily fall in love with that being the way to make the Warriors pay in terms of trying to slow the Lakers down. And, Brez, I want to take you somewhere else. End of the game, we're talking 5-56. Lakers built up a 14-point lead. Four minutes later, Brez, they're on a 14-0 run up at Golden State. The place is going crazy, and it's tied. But the Lakers didn't break. They didn't fold. Came up with a bucket and started defending, rebounding, and got themselves a win. Yeah, and who got that bucket? D'Angelo Russell. Very calmly in the paint. Kind of one of those leaners, bank shot. So we've seen him do so often down the left side. Give him a lot of credit. And then what else happened? Steph Curry had a runner blocked by A.D. Poole tried to come with another runner, next possession. Wasn't blocked by A.D., but A.D. really affected that shot. This Laker defense is starting to remind me a little bit of three years ago with A.D. being the obvious carryover. I mean, this makes sense. He's effective against Memphis. All the team did was drive the entire game, attack the basket. The Warriors shot a lot of threes, but any time they tried to drive, I feel like A.D. was there to either block it or make them think twice about it. Brezza, I feel like we spent a lot of time on Monday's show in the podcast talking about what other guys needed to step up. You expect your stars to play like that on the big stage in a game one. And, of course, A.D. delivered, Braun delivered. But Dennis and Vando, Jared Vanderbilt, the way they did it on the defensive end, and Dennis did it with his offense as well. He was, what, 8 for 8 from the – no, 9 for 10 from the free throw line. He finished with 19 points, but also came up with some big-time plays on that end. And Vando was fantastic defensively, chasing Steph Curry all over the place. Do you know what Shooter's last two games against Memphis looked like? Zero points and two points. I mean, he was almost an afterthought in that offense. For him to come out tonight and get 19 points, huge, huge play by him. Really impressed by what Jared Vanderbilt did. Steph Curry looked exhausted towards the end of that game. Hey, Steph did what he had to do, got his team back in it. Vanderbilt really made him work hard, James. Yeah, I mean, they did what they were supposed to do as far as making Golden State work, knowing that they had just come off of a series with not a lot of rest. On the other hand, the Lakers had a lot of rest. They also had, you know, Vanderbilt had two block shots. That one shot on Looney towards the end of the game, I believe, was big. So, yeah, a continuation of that. If they can wear them down, we're playing every other night now. So, if they can continue to apply that pressure, and hopefully in the fourth quarter, you know, they'll be able to use that defense. Yeah, I mean, this type of win, I think it continues to show why the pieces fit together well. You know, when Braz mentioned the way Dennis's stats looked in the Memphis series, the way D'Angelo's stats looked in the first three games of the Memphis series before knocking some shots down, they're capable scorers, guys that are capable of doing things. But it really seems like where many of these guys are in their careers, they're more concerned with the winning part than necessarily trying to stand out individually. And that's what makes for a great team. And so that's why I think they're finding their best basketball at the right time because this is Dennis's second go around. He could care less about his stats. He wants to win as a Laker. D'Angelo's second time around. He wants to just win as a Laker. I think you understand now when you wear the purple and gold, that's really what cements your place here in L.A., is by winning. And it seems like all the guys are bought into that concept. All right, let's go back to San Francisco. LeBron is with Mike Trudell. All right, LeBron, game one win on the road. Golden State has been fantastic in this building since 2015. You know that better than most. What did it take tonight? Just got to maintain focus, be able to withstand their runs. And they made a huge run at the end of that game being down 10. But we got stops, made some free throws, got the most important stops and was able to close out. But they ain't going to stop. They ain't going to stop, but we got to be even better in game two. Yeah, they were up 14 and they got it down to as low as three. You've been in those situations before when the momentum shifts. What is the key? What do you tell your guys? You got to be able to maintain focus and keep your composure. They're the defending champions. They've won four championships in the last, what, 10 years for a reason. Actually, more than that, less than 10 years. So you got to hold your composure with this team. They drive you crazy, and it's the team that can hold their composure after a run like that or they make up two threes or Steph come up with a barrage of threes, a clay pool. You got to be able to still maintain focus. So we got to be a lot better. They did convert a lot of threes, as you would expect, A.D. defensively, you defensively. But how about Vanderbilt on Steph, the job he did tonight? Vandy was great, and we needed every second that he played on the floor. Delo was great as well, A.R. Dennis was phenomenal. Everybody that gave us minutes was great tonight. But we need to be greater. We need to be greater for game two. Last one for you. What is the key? You said it's one at a time. You got to get to four. One doesn't do that much good. You got to get all the way to four, right? Rest. That's the key right now, rest. Every other day. The team that plays like Roadrunner. So we got to get rest. Appreciate it. Most games with 30 points, 20 rebounds, and five assists in Lakers playoff history, Elgin Baylor did it three times. Shaq did it twice. Wilt once. And now Anthony Davis joins that club. Also had the five assists, the four blocks. Brez talked about how many shots he affected. And you talk a lot about that as well. It was a special performance from Anthony Davis, and they needed every single second of it. And, guys, he played 44 minutes. When Anthony Davis arrived here, you know, one of his main major goals was he wanted to be, you know, Defensive Player of the Year. AD seems like he's had a breakthrough of recognizing what his strengths are, and they are many. But then knowing how to control the game by staying out of foul trouble, knowing how to help and get back, knowing, you know, when to help out a teammate, blocking at the rim. He's playing really a smart defensive game, and he's dominating. And so I love seeing that. I see a different switch. He's always been a great player, but I see a different switch now. He's elevated to another level. And right now, man, he's playing the best, I think, in the playoffs right now with what he's doing on both ends. And he'll need to maintain that. I mean, as LeBron mentioned in his postgame sound, they'll have to be better in game two to have a chance to win that game than they were tonight even though they won. Maybe it doesn't look like 30 and 23, but the impact on the game that you must have when you are arguably the best player in the series, that's what he has to continue to channel. And so what he did tonight, more than capable. We almost expect this from Anthony Davis, which is why sometimes people are disappointed when they don't see it. But now it's how do I put that back on the floor Tuesday night to give the team a chance to win? I'm going to propose a new award, the DPOYP, Defensive Player of the Year in the playoffs. Because AD for sure would be winning that right now. He had 26 blocked shots in that first series against Memphis. Obviously that went six games. Pick it up right where he left off tonight. I mean, I can't give this guy enough credit. And the Lakers are a different team even when he goes off the court. You said he played 44 minutes tonight, Keith? Yeah, 44. It's nervous time sometimes when he's off that court. So I think he might have to get used to playing 40-plus minutes. Hopefully not 44 every night. Especially keep in mind this series is every other day. There is no rest for either team. There's no three days between games, four days between games. It's two days every other day. So AD's got to get his rest where he can because he is absolutely going to be necessary in this series. Dennis, just the defensive game plan coming in. Vanderbilt spent a lot of time on staff, and so did you. I just kind of wondered how you guys were able to make it difficult on him until that final push. I mean, they still, I think, took 40, 50 threes. Our game plan was to get them off the three-point line. So, I mean, we highly contested them, so that was good. But in the first half they had 12 threes already, so we got to be better there. But I'm glad we won this game. And JV did a great job. You know, me, we just tried to make it as hard as possible for him. I mean, he's the best, greatest shooter of all time. And we just, you know, tried to be urgent there. Golden State was something like 19-2 in this building in game one since 2015. What is the kind of meaning, and that was in the past now, but the meaning for you guys coming in and getting a game one victory coming out of the last series? I mean, game one is always important, especially on their home floor. We wanted to be, you know, 100% locked in, try to get that one. And, yeah, I mean, everybody did a great job just competing, being urgent, following the game plan. AD big time with 30 and 20. So, yeah, I'm glad we won the game. You were able to find some pockets of score in the first half, kind of get going there. What were you seeing with the way they were defending you, and how much were you playing with AD and what he was doing inside? Yeah, I mean, first series was in. I mean, my Achilles was still bothering me. At the end of the day, I still got to be aggressive to help Brian and AD if I'm on the floor. Of course, defensively, I try to be, you know, aggressive and try to make it as hard as possible. Offensively, I got to push the pace a little bit more and be aggressive. So I found some opportunities in the first half. You had a strip of staff near half court, and then you took it down the other end. Was that from what you were noticing in the moment, or did that come from film study and studying tendencies? Not really. The last year I got like that probably was in Germany. I used to be aggressive there, but I got to do it a little bit more. I've seen an opportunity there and went for it. Yeah, I mean, good. How exhausting is it to score? What's that? How exhausting is it? You're scoring, rebounding, making a few throws, chasing Steph around, taking Jordan around. How do you feel right now? I mean, whatever it takes to win. But it's really, really, really hard. I mean, Steph is probably the most or the best conditioning-wise in sports because he's running around for 23 seconds and still taking a shot. So just to be by him when he catches it makes it really, really tough. Might got to get an IV tonight. You have to make good offensive players work on defense. And I think the Lakers may not be saying that, but they were intentional at times throughout the course of their game where they could find opportunities to make Steph work defensively. They put him in the pick-and-roll. If they got a switch, they would post LeBron or post the guy that he was guarding. And that also takes a little bit of energy out. I wish some of my coaches would have done more of that instead of me having to always guard the guys that was going to get 30 attempts. But you brought up a great point, James, and you can jump in too. But there's that fine line of you need to be physical with him, but you cannot foul him a lot and put him on the line. You have to know the situations. You have to know how the game's officiated. But you have to play a style that makes him a little uncomfortable. Yeah, I mean, effort is only half of the job. I mean, how you use your effort and when you use it. When do you take something away? When do you pressure up and get physical? And Schroeder's one of the best and has been at doing that to a lot of guards. You know, Schroeder thinks he's one of the top guards in the league as well. And you have to have that attitude. And on defense, I bet you if you go around and ask, you know, a lot of the guards in the league who's tough, they're going to bring up Schroeder. He reminds me a little bit of Michael Cooper, you know, a guy that picks you up full court every single time, plays hard but knows how to use his smarts. And not just, you know, the energy's there, but he really picks and choose when he can, you know, affect the player, turn him another way, and, you know, like he got that steal on Steph. You know, he's been pressuring him the whole game, setting him up maybe for that one play, smart defensive player. I'm not sure there's a guy in the playoffs. I'm sure someone might correct me out there that's making that kind of money and has that kind of an impact on a team that's left. He makes, what, $2 million? And he has the trust of the coaches and the team. He's in at the end of the game because he's going to hit free throws and he's going to defend the best perimeter player. It's pretty cool. All right, back to Mike. He's with Austin Reeves. Austin, you knew this was going to be tough. Pretty steady build in the second half, building that 14-point lead. Obviously, you needed all of it. What was that crunch time like as you guys were trying to hold them off? Obviously, we didn't make too many shots down the stretch, but, you know, we got stops when we needed stops. And, hey, a win is a win. The job that you had, you know, just defending Clay and running all over the court and still having legs for offense, what's the different challenge in this series than from the Memphis series? Like you said, you know, Steph and Clay, Dave and JP, they never stop moving. They're always going, going, going. So, you know, just getting rest, you know, as much treatment, feeling as good as you can because, I mean, someone's got to run out there and chase them around and try to make it difficult for them. You know, kind of a different challenge, right, with Memphis getting hit a lot, it seems like, just real physical and this one maybe not hit as much but running. So is it a lot on the legs either way basically at this point? Yeah, I think so. I mean, even Bane last series, he comes off a lot of down screens, you know, double screens, ball screens. So it's kind of similar in that sense. But, yeah, I mean, you know, we're athletes and, you know, we train to, you know, go through this. And just the level of importance for you guys getting this win like you did last series to take home court? Yeah, I mean, it's huge, you know, coming out, you know, winning game one, you know, taking home court. But like we said after the game, you know, the job's not finished. You know, we come back, you know, whatever day it is, Thursday, and, you know, we come back to try to win that one. Keep the same mindset. It's not the first one to win one game, it's the first four. So we've got to keep a good mindset going forward and stay locked in. Good game, jumping in there. I mean, yeah, you can't say too much more than that. I mean, he's recognized where he is now in his career, you know, getting a chance to come back to L.A., a much more mature player. I understand he has to have an impact. You can't not be a, you know, a player that's not contributing. So my hat's off to him, mature. I think he's just an excessive offensive player. Fish, how much pressure is he able to take off of LeBron in terms of just the ball handling duties and the ability to get A.D. the ball and get into some actions, like you said, put Steph into the pick and roll? Yeah, no, that's vital for almost every team in the league now to have multiple ball handlers, decision makers. I think D'Angelo's strength and gift with this particular group, like the guys next to top 75 guys have to be a little bit irrational in their confidence at times, too, so that they're not afraid when the game is tied to go get a bucket. When you're open, hit a shot. But be willing to take on whatever questions or scrutiny that comes with that. And I think that's what really gives D'Angelo that smooth kind of flow to his game. He's a confident dude, and he's not afraid of the moment. Yeah, good point.