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Chapter 1: What led to the Lakers' playoff struggles against the Rockets?
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Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fans, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes.
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A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what y'all say. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor IV.
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Chapter 2: Why are the Lakers unable to finish games despite having star players?
You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it.
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Thanks on a Thursday for making us part of your day. Well, they took a 3-0 series lead. Lakers coaching was excellent.
Chapter 3: What impact does Austin Reaves' return have on the Lakers' performance?
J.J. Redick devised a plan. LeBron's the point guard. But it is the NBA and it's the playoffs. Eventually, no matter how great this scheme, how intentional and efficient your offense, how ageless LeBron is, you got to hit some three-point shots. Lakers shot 26% from beyond the arc. LeBron's missed his last nine three-pointers in the series. And Luke Kennard has dried up.
Redick and LeBron are smart. I loved the game plan, the wisdom, the experience. But sometimes in the playoffs, you just need a dude to rise above the schemes. I mean, Cade Cunningham last night, 45 points, Pistons win. Lakers, you can see it now. They miss Luka. They need easy baskets. They're not getting easy baskets.
Lucas sometimes can drive you crazy on the defensive end, spends too much time barking at the officials, but he's an all-timer and he gets you easy baskets. The play can break down, he'll get you an easy basket. They can double team or trap him, he'll get you an easy basket. You just need a guy to bend the defense, rise above the schemes.
Chapter 4: How did George Pickens' franchise tag affect the Cowboys' strategy?
Because one thing that was very clear, and it's becoming increasingly clear in this series, The Rockets are much younger and much more athletic, especially on the perimeter. So LeBron's doing everything he can. He is squeezing every last ounce of offense he can out of this roster. But, I mean, Austin Reeves comes back last night. Austin Reeves, he's not ready to go.
I mean, he struggled from the field. Of course he did. I thought he played actually pretty well, all things considered. But he admitted after, like, I'm not. You can do all you want at practice. You can work as hard as you want. It's not a game. There's no Luka. I mean, Luke Kennard at some point, it was going to regress to the mean a little bit here.
It reminds me a little bit like the Niners the last couple of times they played the Seahawks this past year. Eventually, Kyle Shanahan's schemes and brilliance hit a ceiling. The Seattle Seahawks were deeper and more athletic and younger. And so now the problem for the Lakers now is they only get one day off. And the Lakers starting lineup is the oldest in the playoffs, 32.
Chapter 5: What insights did Rachel Nichols provide about the Knicks vs. Hawks matchup?
And the Rockets' starting lineup is the youngest in the playoffs, and now they're going back home. I mean, you got Reed Shepard played great late, 21 years old. Jabari Smith, great game, 22 years old. Amin Thompson, 23 years old. Shen Goon, 23 years old. So the youngest starting five is facing the oldest starting five, and now it's one day's rest, and there's no Luka.
So Kevin Durant, there's no proof in this series they're better with him. The pace is faster without him. There is now proof after last night the Lakers need Luka. And we've said this before. You know, I mean, nobody questions how smart J.J. Ruddick is or LeBron James, and they devised a great game plan. But eventually, athleticism and youth, it feels like it's wearing the Lakers down.
In the last two games... Houston, and without Kevin Durant, they're not a great shooting team. Last two games, they shot 38% from three. The Lakers have shot 18%. That's legs. I mean, that's Luke Kennard. That's LeBron.
Chapter 6: How do injuries impact the Lakers' playoff chances?
Austin Reeves, not quite in great game shape. Lakers look tired. Now they only get one day's rest. They made mistakes down the stretch. I mean, hey, listen. Lakers came roaring back. You know, nine minutes to go, you're like, game over. Second half, game over. Lakers came roaring back. They hit shots, but they just don't have a lot left in the tank.
And here was LeBron and the Rockets coach after.
I mean, Reese Shepard made a pull-up jumper to put him up five. We come down, I turn the ball over, put him up seven. They're just, you know, bang, bang plays. Try to flush this one. Obviously, we've got to learn from our mistakes. I think we made some mistakes tonight, too many unforced mistakes. You know, so we've got to be better on Friday.
Performances by everybody, you know, across the board. And you're starting this really young lineup and they are somewhat battle tested now.
Chapter 7: What are the implications of the Lakers' aging roster on their future?
Like I said, it wasn't grow up to that extent because of age or whatever. It's just so growth in certain moments and progress in certain moments.
And obviously in the game situation where you turn the ball over twice and foul a shooter and some of those things, you want to show growth. And I think we did that tonight when they trapped late, handled it with poise, got the shots we wanted and, you know, made our free throws. Here's what's really interesting.
There's three teams in the West that have drafted very well, and they've got great futures. You know two of them. Oklahoma City, San Antonio. The third is Houston. So they brought in Kevin Durant, right? The sage wisdom. Here's what's fascinating. Regular season and this series. The Rockets are plus 3.9 net rating with KD, almost plus 8 without KD.
So whereas the Lakers now, because of their age and not hitting on a bunch of draft picks, they need easy baskets. Kevin Durant provides that for Houston. They don't need it. They have so much athleticism, so much more perimeter athleticism, so much more energy and youth. The old Sage and KD, it's showing here. Rockets don't need him.
Chapter 8: How does the current NBA playoff landscape affect the Lakers' strategy?
Rockets are better when he's not on the floor. He's almost getting in the way. The Lakers wish that was a problem right now with Luka. It's not. They miss him. The old roster misses their young star, Luka. The young roster clearly does not miss their old star in KD. Speaking of stars, the star in the NFL, the Dallas Cowboys.
So they have signed George Pickens, their moody wide receiver, to a franchise tag. Pickens is not happy. He probably doesn't report to camps. The Cowboys have said, we're not trading him, so he's going to make a lot of money for a year. He wants a long contract, but because of his moods, he's not getting one.
And I've always said about wide receivers, expensive wide receivers are like convertible sports cars. They look great in the driveway. You feel cool having one, but inclement weather, late fall, early winter, You know, taking the kids to school, groceries, no bueno. So George Pickens is sort of falling into a trap, the delusional Diva wide receiver trap.
I thought we were almost out of that cycle. Last year, the 12 highest paid wide receivers in the NFL won exactly zero playoff games, and only three of them made the playoffs. And I'm counting Brandon Ayuk as one of them, and he didn't play. Expensive wide receivers remain the convertible sports car. Cool to have one. Fun to drive. Briefly, not for everyday use.
Quarterback, left tackle, pass rusher. That's where I'm spending my money. That's the heart and lungs. Do whatever you have to do to protect them. ESPN came out with a study last year, last 20 years. What was the one position in the NFL draft first round with the most busts? Wide receiver. I've said this before. Expensive wide receivers are a bad investment. Wide receivers aren't.
They're like convertible sports cars. They're a bad investment. You need a car. You don't necessarily need a convertible sports car unless maybe you live in Miami. And so be very careful. I would pay JSN, not just because he's good, but because he's a grown-up. I would have paid Larry Fitzgerald to the last day he wanted to play. But the Chiefs got rid of Tyreek Hill, two Super Bowls.
Seahawks got rid of DK Metcalf, Super Bowl. Moody receivers are not a great long-term investment. So I think Dallas offering a franchise tag is the smart play here. But just know, George Pickens isn't happy. So Stephen Jones is going to come out and make sure he says all the right things as he did yesterday. I think Dak played under two tags. D-Law played under a couple of tags.
Tony Pollard played under a tag. So, you know, it happens. At the same time, you know, we just want to make sure it's the right thing. And, you know, we have nothing but respect. And we love George and want him here. And it's real important for us. I think George wants to be here. He does. He just wants five years, not a franchise tag. Now, when you franchise tag, you can trade him.
And I would trade him in a heartbeat if I felt there was discontent that was getting out of the way on the Cowboys offense. This Dallas team now is about two things. The young ascending O-line and the older about to get expensive D-line. That's what this team is about. Plus Dak. It's not about a wide receiver, not even C.D. Lamb.
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