[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
[SPEAKER_00]: All right, welcome everybody to the Lakers Legacy podcast where when one bull dog goes out, mark a smart, one thigh bull dog comes in.
[SPEAKER_00]: and jumps the passing lane for his fifth steal of the game and a beautiful pick six down the other end of the court.
[SPEAKER_00]: Matisse Thibel, we got him folks, my guy, more like my T's Thibel.
[SPEAKER_00]: If you know anything about anything about this YouTube channel, Matisse has been like my number one trade target, my number one free agent target, you name it for the past two years for the Lakers.
[SPEAKER_00]: Hell, I created a whole ass player video breakdown on Matisse, a full 12 minute player breakdown video detailing his entire career arc last year.
[SPEAKER_00]: And for the Lakers to sign him to a veteran minimum contract, full circle we out here at last.
[SPEAKER_00]: Jonathan Hernandez of the Lakers Legacy podcast, welcome to this in prompt to raw reaction, instant reaction, video to the Lakers signing Matisse Diable to a one year $3.3 million contract.
[SPEAKER_00]: This is essentially the veteran minimum contract.
[SPEAKER_00]: There's a lot of poetry and motion going on here outside of the fact that I have been clamoring for Matisse the last two and a
[SPEAKER_00]: Back in 2023, summer of 2023, the Dallas Maverick's actually tended a restricted free agency offer to Matisse Thibel of three years, $33 million.
[SPEAKER_00]: The Blazers ended up matching that offer sheet and Luca was never able to pair up with Matisse.
[SPEAKER_00]: But clearly, even back then, the Dallas Maverick saw the vision of wanting this physical bulldog of a defender next to Luca Donchich.
[SPEAKER_00]: Now, it's probably a good thing that Luke and Matisse didn't pair up then because over the next two or three seasons after that first year with the Blazers, Matisse ended up being horribly injury prone.
[SPEAKER_00]: But regardless, clean slate, new year, new season, new team, Luke of finally gets to play with Matisse thibyl crossing my fingers that he doesn't get injured between now and training camp, because anything can happen.
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, a lot of my stocheness is obviously coming from my two or three years of thirsting after this dude, the way that some of you thirst after Jonathan Kominga, I was hot on Matisse Thibols.
[SPEAKER_00]: heels in pursuit, I guess.
[SPEAKER_00]: So if I seem a little bit more lit than usual, it's because of that, but I know somebody in the comments is gonna be like, hey, relax.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's Matisse Diable, he's only played 45 games.
[SPEAKER_00]: Like, the butt actually guy is definitely gonna pop hit in here any second now.
[SPEAKER_00]: So that guy, I'd say, don't yuck my yum, don't yuck our yum, because the lakers are actually building
[SPEAKER_00]: something great here, something good here, something great here.
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't know, our defensive, fortifications around Luca are starting to take shape.
[SPEAKER_00]: And this is without Jonathan Kominga.
[SPEAKER_00]: And at this point, we'll get into it.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm not sure if I want Jonathan Kominga, because the lakers are also starting to build out their culture, their basketball IQ.
[SPEAKER_00]: And Matisse Thible, Quentin Grimes, JJ Reddick, I mean, these types of guys, they fit a certain type of no frills, no BS, put your head down and work.
[SPEAKER_00]: Very intellectual, highly insightful players that I don't, I mean, I don't want to knock Johnathan coming up, but I just don't think Johnathan coming up fits.
[SPEAKER_00]: The culture that the lakers are trying to build on and off the court.
[SPEAKER_00]: On the court, he does fit on paper,
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't know.
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't want to talk about John with the Kominga really.
[SPEAKER_00]: I want to focus on Matisse Thibel.
[SPEAKER_00]: Let's get into Matisse's player breakdown.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'll look at the, I'll pull up the Lakers Depth Chart.
[SPEAKER_00]: We'll go through his specs of note over the last few seasons.
[SPEAKER_00]: And yeah, we'll go from there.
[SPEAKER_00]: So Matisse Thibel, first off, before we get into his specs,
[SPEAKER_00]: Alright, if you guys attended my live last night, you would know that I pulled this chart up almost preemptively, assuming that Matis Thibau would be part of the team.
[SPEAKER_00]: Apparently today people had issue with me putting Luca Donchitch at the small forward position.
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't care guys, put them at the shooting guard position.
[SPEAKER_00]: If you want, put them at the power for position.
[SPEAKER_00]: These are just placeholders.
[SPEAKER_00]: And last year, Luca Donchich played small forward because Marcus Martin Austin reads, ran the back court in that initial starting lineup.
[SPEAKER_00]: Regardless.
[SPEAKER_00]: Here's where the Lakers stand, and I've also gone ahead and because I think this is gonna happen eventually, right?
[SPEAKER_00]: Currently, the Lakers hold 16 players on real NBA contracts on their roster.
[SPEAKER_00]: Obviously, you're only allowed 15 guys on standard contracts.
[SPEAKER_00]: The Lakers also have all three of their two way spots failed.
[SPEAKER_00]: I believe that Peter's suitors, two way contract will be going to Arthur Kaluma soon.
[SPEAKER_00]: I've already gone ahead and made that change.
[SPEAKER_00]: In this roster chart, again, I didn't have time to update this, but in this current roster depth chart, I've made a couple of moves.
[SPEAKER_00]: One, I've moved out Jaden Hardy, and I've also moved out Dalton Connect.
[SPEAKER_00]: Maybe for a second, maybe in the same deal.
[SPEAKER_00]: And so by doing that, we actually opened up two roster spots.
[SPEAKER_00]: One from a T-styable, and then one for, as you'll see, I gave Chris
[SPEAKER_00]: likely the liquors will use that extra roster spot for another backup big man, whether that's trading for a guy like Jericho Sims or a power forward, right?
[SPEAKER_00]: Because right now, they don't have their Jonathan Kominga yet.
[SPEAKER_00]: So I for right now just chose to give the extra roster spot to Chris Minion.
[SPEAKER_00]: And then, given the fact that that opens up another two-way spot, I decided to give that extra two-way spot, Chris Minion's vacant spot to Greyham, E.K., the six foot nine with a seven-foot five-plus-wing span center from the Golden State Warriors Summer League team.
[SPEAKER_00]: Regardless, we're not here to talk about Greyham, E.K., or Chris Minion, all this to say, this is what the main lakeers roster depth chart currently looks like with Matisse Thibel in fold.
[SPEAKER_00]: You could essentially
[SPEAKER_00]: in the shooting guard spot, the small forward spot.
[SPEAKER_00]: I guess in some senses, if you squint hard enough, you could put him at the power forward position, but yeah, this is where we stand Austin Reeves, Quentin Grimes, Luca Donchich, Sandra O'Mamu, Walker Kessler, Colin Sexton, Matisse Stibel, Zayir Williams, Jake LaRavia, Jared Vanderbilt, Kavon Looney, those are the 10 or 11 players I expect to be in the initial rotation.
[SPEAKER_00]: from the get-go.
[SPEAKER_00]: Now, I do want to know that, I mean, I know I just brushed past the issue that the lakers have 16 guys on the roster.
[SPEAKER_00]: You've probably heard it by now, but during the off season up until training camp, teams are allowed to hold up to...
[SPEAKER_00]: 21 players.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's not 20 actually.
[SPEAKER_00]: That number changed in the new CBA when they started allowing three two-way spots.
[SPEAKER_00]: So the Lakers and any other NBA team from now until a training camp can hold up to 21 players on their roster, which includes their three two-way spots, meaning they can hold up to 18 standard deals on their roster.
[SPEAKER_00]: Right now the Lakers have 16 guys.
[SPEAKER_00]: So what that means is, between now and training camp, they just need to wave one standard contract on their squad in order to nicely fit Matisse stable into one of those slots.
[SPEAKER_00]: What they're going to do from here, we don't know.
[SPEAKER_00]: I want to focus on my T-styable in this live stream, but just wanted to clear the air on that.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yes, the Lakers currently have more than the 15-man roster spot, 15-man roster that then allows you to have, but that's okay because again.
[SPEAKER_00]: in the offices and you can carry 21 players, 18 standard deals, the ligars are currently at 16.
[SPEAKER_00]: So that's why it's allowed.
[SPEAKER_00]: So yeah, right now, I mean, you could do a lot of things with the current starting lineup.
[SPEAKER_00]: Obviously, the ligars aren't done.
[SPEAKER_00]: I think they're going to, right now, it doesn't seem like the Jonathan Kominga thing is going to happen.
[SPEAKER_00]: It doesn't seem like the ligars are too keen on bringing him in.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm also not too keen as well.
[SPEAKER_00]: a power forward that fits more of JJ Reddick's vision for basketball, but also just the way he thinks how they are, how they would fit culture-wise in the locker room.
[SPEAKER_00]: I would try and find someone like that, someone like Cam Johnson out of the Denver Nuggets, because the Nuggets do need to clear some roster space or some
[SPEAKER_00]: roster cap space in order to, you know, sign Peyton Watson.
[SPEAKER_00]: And it's not cap space really.
[SPEAKER_00]: They need to clear some money so that they're not in the luxury tax like crazy.
[SPEAKER_00]: So anyways, the the liquor's roster is clearly not done.
[SPEAKER_00]: But as it stands right now, if you want to finagle who might start, you could do several different things like you could technically,
[SPEAKER_00]: Start Matisse Thibel at the small four position and put Luke at the four and then Walker Kessler at center.
[SPEAKER_00]: So then you'd have Austin Reeves Matisse Thibel, or sorry, Austin Reeves Quentin Grimes, Matisse Thibel, Luke Adonchich, and Walker Kessler as you're starting lineup, and that wouldn't be a bad starting lineup, actually.
[SPEAKER_00]: I would actually like that.
[SPEAKER_00]: We'll see, it depends on Matisse Diables health and all of those things.
[SPEAKER_00]: But anyways, I don't want to focus too much on this roster depth chart.
[SPEAKER_00]: I do want to talk about Matisse Diable.
[SPEAKER_00]: So before we get into my T-styable specs, if I could please ask you guys to like this video, comment down below, mash the hype button.
[SPEAKER_00]: And most importantly, hit subscribe.
[SPEAKER_00]: I would greatly appreciate it.
[SPEAKER_00]: I am currently at 8,291 subscribers.
[SPEAKER_00]: So if you guys could help me out and get me to,
[SPEAKER_00]: 8,300 subscribers by the time this live stream ends, that would be amazing and I would greatly appreciate it.
[SPEAKER_00]: So please do me that favor, hit the subscribe button if you're watching this on X, take the moment to open up your YouTube app, look for Lakers Legacy, and hit subscribe.
[SPEAKER_00]: But yeah, with that said, let's get into Mathea Stibles game, some of his accolades, some of his
[SPEAKER_00]: former number 20 pick of the Philadelphia 76ers back in 2019.
[SPEAKER_00]: He is 29 years old, so he's actually under 30, which kind of sounds crazy.
[SPEAKER_00]: I thought he was a little bit older, but he's only 29 years old, so he's a young veteran.
[SPEAKER_00]: He is six foot five, but he does have a seven foot wing span.
[SPEAKER_00]: The amount of players that have seven foot wing spans, or near seven foot wing spans on the Lakers, is actually incredible and very exciting.
[SPEAKER_00]: And that's not just talking about, you know, Walker Kessler.
[SPEAKER_00]: So, let's see, it's the eyeball, six foot five with a very nice seven foot wing span.
[SPEAKER_00]: Good weight to him.
[SPEAKER_00]: This is 202 pounds.
[SPEAKER_00]: I feel like he's more 210 to 15.
[SPEAKER_00]: He's rock solid,
[SPEAKER_00]: Um, already seven years in the NBA, last season with the Portland Trailblazers, he was banged up.
[SPEAKER_00]: towards the beginning of the season.
[SPEAKER_00]: I think he played at the beginning and then he got Nick neck injuries and was out for a majority of it.
[SPEAKER_00]: Anyways, he played 30 games last season and averaged 5.8 points, two rebounds, one assist, two steals, that's the, that's the stat line to circle in red.
[SPEAKER_00]: Pen, two steals per game, half a block, that's another stat to take note of because there are not a lot of six, five combo guard slash wings
[SPEAKER_00]: Sorry, who average two steels per game and half a block per game and he did that in just 16 minutes.
[SPEAKER_00]: You two steels per game in 16 minutes That's bonkers.
[SPEAKER_00]: He shot 43.3% from the field, but then here's the other set of note for Matti style 39.8% from three knocking down I believe 1.23 is a game
[SPEAKER_00]: very good shooting percentage from its he's actually very solid volume for him as well 1.23 made per game and this is coming after a season in which he shot 43% from three knocking down 1.43 is made per game.
[SPEAKER_00]: Now he only played 15 games last season but still this upward trajectory from his 3-point shooting has been a thing for the last three or four years, you know,
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, 39.8% from three knocking down 1.23 is a game.
[SPEAKER_00]: Very good progression from three point land.
[SPEAKER_00]: So really quickly, I do want to... Let's look at some interesting acclades, okay?
[SPEAKER_00]: So this is from Stat Muse, Matisse Diable.
[SPEAKER_00]: He is first in Steele's per minute, among active players.
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, you just saw 16 minutes and he was already averaging two Steele's per game.
[SPEAKER_00]: He is first in Steele's per game among active bench players.
[SPEAKER_00]: He is fifth in steals per game among active players and third in fourth quarter steals since 2020 or I guess in the 2020s over the last six years he is third all time in the NBA in fourth quarter steals just to show you the type of swiping acumen this dude has as a defensive playmaker
[SPEAKER_00]: The amount of shots that he blocks, it kind of puts Matiz Thibo in rarefied defensive air.
[SPEAKER_00]: So let me show you really quickly what I'm talking about.
[SPEAKER_00]: So last season in the NBA, again, I know it's a small sample size.
[SPEAKER_00]: He'll only play 30 games, but 30 games is a good sample size.
[SPEAKER_00]: And the other thing is, we'll get into Matti Stibel's stats, because Matti Stibel and his career has averages of 1.6 deals per game and 0.8 blocks per game.
[SPEAKER_00]: For a 65 player, I don't think you guys understand.
[SPEAKER_00]: Those are insane, Alex Carruso type averages.
[SPEAKER_00]: I think even better than Alex Carruso.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's his career averages, okay?
[SPEAKER_00]: So what he did last season in 30 games is not an outlier because it's a small sample size.
[SPEAKER_00]: Regardless, last season,
[SPEAKER_00]: through 30 games, we went through it, right?
[SPEAKER_00]: Two blocks per game, I mean, sorry, two steals per game, half a block per game, 1.23 pointers made on 39.8% from three.
[SPEAKER_00]: He is the only player out of the top 10 of steals per game leaders, who has that exact stat line of at least two steals, half a block, 1.23 is shooting 39% or better.
[SPEAKER_00]: Kevin Porter Jr. randomly had two plus deals half a block, shot 1.23, but only shot 32.2% from 3.
[SPEAKER_00]: So, Matisse Thibel.
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, I will say that again.
[SPEAKER_00]: out of the top 10 leaders in Steel's per game last season.
[SPEAKER_00]: Mattis Thibau was the only player with this combination of stats.
[SPEAKER_00]: Two plus deals, half a block per game, knocking down 1.23.
[SPEAKER_00]: One of two players to do that, and then when you put in the 3.3% of 39.8% he's the only one who's shooting this swell from three, swiping this many balls, and swatting that many shots into the stands.
[SPEAKER_00]: which just kind of shows you.
[SPEAKER_00]: Now it used to be the case that Matisse Thibel, you could only look at the bracket of Steel's per game and Blocks per game.
[SPEAKER_00]: But the fact that he's turned himself into a more than serviceable three-point shooter who's actually hitting at a very good percentage, now you can widen that scope and be like, okay, they're actually not a lot of players who can get two Steel's per game, half a Blocks per game, not down a three for you and then shoot 39 plus percent from three.
[SPEAKER_00]: Can he do this over an 82 game span?
[SPEAKER_00]: Can he even play 82 games is the bigger question, right?
[SPEAKER_00]: But just looking at what he was able to do last season is kind of crazy.
[SPEAKER_00]: And then if you want to look at what he did this season prior, now obviously the season prior.
[SPEAKER_00]: It was just 15 games, right?
[SPEAKER_00]: But the same through line continues like he was second and steals per game in those 15 games.
[SPEAKER_00]: 2.2 he averaged 0.6 blocks shot his highest volume from 3.0 and 1.43 pointers made and shot a career high 43.8% from 3.
[SPEAKER_00]: Outside of Dyson Daniels, he's the only player in this list to average.
[SPEAKER_00]: 2 plus deals per game, half a block per game, and knock down 1.1 plus 3s.
[SPEAKER_00]: If you add in the 3 point percentage, then he's the only one with this stat line again.
[SPEAKER_00]: So kind of crazy numbers from Matisse Thibel and at the very least, if you want to knock him for not having played as many games, it's just like
[SPEAKER_00]: Okay, so he's done it over what 45 games over the last two seasons, having this two steals half a block, 1.33 pointers made above 40% from three stat line, those are that's a very encouraging trajectory and then I will bring this up.
[SPEAKER_00]: So, Matisse Thibel, these are his career numbers.
[SPEAKER_00]: 1.6 deals 0.8 blocks.
[SPEAKER_00]: He is the only guard if you can call him a guard.
[SPEAKER_00]: He is the only guard slash wing at six five and under since the 2019-20 season to average these stats.
[SPEAKER_00]: six, five, seven foot wingspan.
[SPEAKER_00]: Only guy, not even Alex Caruso.
[SPEAKER_00]: These are career stats, okay?
[SPEAKER_00]: So just let that sink in for a bit and then remind yourself that in his sophomore season and his third season, Matisse Diable got
[SPEAKER_00]: All NBA's second team defensive honors, all defensive NBA's second team honors both those years after his rookie season.
[SPEAKER_00]: His sophomore season alone, he was already on the second team defensive defensive second team of the NBA and then he followed that up the next year by being on the team again and he actually got both those seasons.
[SPEAKER_00]: He actually got some defensive player of the year votes.
[SPEAKER_00]: I think it was only one his second year and maybe like two the next year, but just to show you the
[SPEAKER_00]: the defensive pedigree in acumen that this guy is bringing to the table.
[SPEAKER_00]: I know there's a lot of ifs with his health, a lot of butts and all this stuff, but those same ifs and butts came with Marcus smart when he joined us last season and Marcus smart, even though he was still a little bit banged up and he needed a little bit of time before the playoffs to rest up.
[SPEAKER_00]: Marcus smart ended up having his healthiest season over the last three years.
[SPEAKER_00]: And so crossing fingers that that same
[SPEAKER_00]: Whenever he plays, my God, it's like your eyes are popping out of their sockets looking at some of these numbers.
[SPEAKER_00]: And then when you combine that with just watching him play on tape when you just watch the film, this dude is such a dynamic defender.
[SPEAKER_00]: And it's crazy because you rarely see the advanced analytics and the tape line up as well as they do with Matisse.
[SPEAKER_00]: And so, and then when you
[SPEAKER_00]: out on an island point of attack guy.
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, he can do this stuff, right?
[SPEAKER_00]: But Matisse is best served.
[SPEAKER_00]: as a free safety chaos agent within a well-connected defensive scheme, like the one J.J. Redick likes to play where you're playing two, three zone, three, two zone, you're modifying it up a little bit.
[SPEAKER_00]: You're playing drop, you're modifying that zone within a possession.
[SPEAKER_00]: Having guys like Matisse Thibel who can kind of just all utility do everything for you.
[SPEAKER_00]: And when you have multiple guys like that, when you include a guy like Quentin Grimes, and then if your anchor is Walker Kester behind them, the Lakers are going to be a very good defensive team, and we're going to get into sort of, you know, what that looks like in a second.
[SPEAKER_00]: So, anyways, that Matisse Leibel, he's amazing defensively, he's elite defensively.
[SPEAKER_00]: Let's really quickly take a look at his career stats.
[SPEAKER_00]: All right, I do want to point out one thing, by the way, and let me just drink a swing of water.
[SPEAKER_00]: So prior to these last two seasons, we're he only played 30 games and then 15 games.
[SPEAKER_00]: Matisse Thibel had actually been somewhat of an Iron Man.
[SPEAKER_00]: And I know people get kind of confused by this.
[SPEAKER_00]: But in 2022, 23, he was traded from Philly to Portland.
[SPEAKER_00]: And so what that's about reference in a lot of these sites do is they break those up and it ends up looking like he played to see that though he ends up looking like he played two seasons.
[SPEAKER_00]: So in 2022, 23, you see Philadelphia 49 games.
[SPEAKER_00]: Some people might glance at that and be like, oh, you only played 49 games.
[SPEAKER_00]: And then you only played 22 games the next season.
[SPEAKER_00]: In 2223, he actually played his most amount of games in the NBA, 71 games.
[SPEAKER_00]: So again, if you take out the last two seasons with Portland and I know you can't take that out because it's his most recent indication of his health maybe deteriorating.
[SPEAKER_00]: But I think it's at least encouraging to note and I do want, again, I do want to correct people who make glance at his box score and see 49 in 22 and tack that onto his last two years and be like, this guy has just been injury,
[SPEAKER_00]: not true.
[SPEAKER_00]: If you take out the last two seasons, Matisse Fibel in every single season that he's been in the NBA has actually played 65 plus games.
[SPEAKER_00]: 65 games is rookie year, 65 games is sophomore season, 66 games his third year, 71 games in 2022, 23 same year that the Dallas Mavericks or I guess
[SPEAKER_00]: The season right before the Dallas Mavericks tried to sign him to that restricted reagent offer, and then in 2023-24 with the Portland Trail Blazers, he played 65 games.
[SPEAKER_00]: So the Blazers got one pretty healthy season with Matisse Thibau.
[SPEAKER_00]: And if you take a look at, you know, where how he started to progress 3-point shooting wise, towards the tail end of the 2022-23 season,
[SPEAKER_00]: In 22 games of Portland, he shot 38.8% from 3 knocking down 1.53's per game.
[SPEAKER_00]: So it was already trending in the right way for him shooting-wise.
[SPEAKER_00]: And then that next season when he played 65 games, he shot nearly 35% from 3 knocking down 1.23's a game.
[SPEAKER_00]: So even if you want to poo poo his 3 point shooting the last two years because he
[SPEAKER_00]: you just have to look at what he was doing prior to even those last two seasons to see this dude was on the upward trend shooting wise and he's not another vando because he can literally knock down threes and was a legitimate 39.8% three point shooter 40% three point shooter the last two seasons do 45 games.
[SPEAKER_00]: This is something that Jared Vanderbilt has never done and so
[SPEAKER_00]: The other thing that I like about Macy's thigh bow that maybe doesn't show up as much because he can't create his own shot is the fact that he's a very athletic player, you know, I I don't know if he still has the same explosiveness, but when you watch him jump passing lanes and when you when you watch some of his tape from even just last season with the Portland Trailblazer play, put it up Portland Trailblazers he still has that quick burst speed to jump passing lanes and take it down the other end of the floor.
[SPEAKER_00]: And so I have always been enamored with Matisse Thibols motor and his physicality, but then when you combine that with, you know, the surprising first step speed and quit.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's like quick twitch reaction timing, smarts, but also he has the athleticism to back all those things up.
[SPEAKER_00]: And so it really boils down to hoping that Matisse Thibol can stay healthy and
[SPEAKER_00]: Hopefully, yeah, I don't know.
[SPEAKER_00]: Hopefully he's got in the injury riddled seasons out of his way, and it's encouraging to note that he was able to finish last season off healthy.
[SPEAKER_00]: 30 games, I think a majority of those came towards the tail end of the season.
[SPEAKER_00]: And so, very excited for this signing.
[SPEAKER_00]: Now to close this show, let's just really talk about what the Lakers have built here.
[SPEAKER_00]: And if you join my live last night, you'll kind of know where I'm going here, because
[SPEAKER_00]: The Lakers have a good defensive team.
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't know how else to cut it.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm not sugar coating things.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm not trying to be rose colored purple and gold colored glasses on you right now.
[SPEAKER_00]: Like the Lakers have a good defensive team.
[SPEAKER_00]: And again, I think too often we very myopically
[SPEAKER_00]: evaluate defense and whether it's him is going to be good defensively based off of how many point of attack defenders do you have how many Marcus smart like players do you have if you don't have those then you don't have a good defense but I think what we have to realize is especially with jay redic and the his ability to sort of drum up and create
[SPEAKER_00]: these defensive schemes that, you know, other playoff teams have actually mimicked, because they worked so well, whether it's like trapping Shay Gilegis Alexander, trapping Anthony Edwards, the zone that we've been playing.
[SPEAKER_00]: And the type of zone that JJ Reddick likes to play, it's not like a passive zone.
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, it's a very engaged and locked in type of zone where every guy sort of is understanding how
[SPEAKER_00]: The flow and motion goes, you know, it's like an amoeba sort of defense where what if one action happens and one guy rotates the other guy knows exactly where to be the other guy knows exactly how where to come in and help, you know, so it's like and sometimes they're even trapping, you know, so it's not like a stagnant zone that remains okay we're playing two, three so those two guys you're always going to be up there and maybe sometimes sliding down it's like
[SPEAKER_00]: There's a value ability to the type of zones that JJ Reddick has been able to that has wanted us to play and been able to play and been quite effective at it's just that he needs more of the horses to see the full extent of that in play and I think right now with Walker Kessler, Quentin Grimes, Matisse Thibel, Ziya Williams,
[SPEAKER_00]: Hell, even a guy like Colin Sexton, like he's not a good defender, but if you can reign in his energy and his activity, in a particular defensive scheme, even he can be of help, because I never question Colin Sexton's, you know, want and will.
[SPEAKER_00]: And then when you look at the guys that we still have left over, even though you're probably putting Jared Vanderbilt into this trade machine and that, I mean, I know I am.
[SPEAKER_00]: And maybe even Jake LaRavia, if nothing happens to them and the guys that we send out are Dalton Connect in Jaden Hardy, which is what I prefer.
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't even put Jaden Hardy in the in-section.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's how much I don't view him as part of this team.
[SPEAKER_00]: But even if Jake LaRavia and Jared Vanderbilt are still on this team,
[SPEAKER_00]: Those are very good defenders who know how to play in J. J. critics, even have proven in the past to be, you know, really good defensively.
[SPEAKER_00]: Jared Vanderbilt really good with Darwin Hammond, those drop schemes, you know, with an anchor big, like Anthony Davis, and now we have Walker Kessler in there.
[SPEAKER_00]: And I do think that Jared Vanderbilt played with Walker Kessler for a little bit if I'm not mistaken.
[SPEAKER_00]: But anyways, I bring
[SPEAKER_00]: Yes, we lost Mark is smart who in this chart I have graded out as a very good to elite defender maybe you want to call him elite, but I can see the lake is line of thinking with regards to saying he's going to be 33 next year and maybe we got lucky that he was able to play as many games as he did so that's why I kind of put him in the very good.
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, tier, not going to quibble if you want to call him elite.
[SPEAKER_00]: The only real elite defender that we lost last season was Marcus Smart.
[SPEAKER_00]: And it's going to be a wash because we brought in Walker Kessler.
[SPEAKER_00]: And if anything, that's not a wash. Walker Kessler is just a more pivotal defensive piece than Marcus Smart.
[SPEAKER_00]: We lost the Andre Aitzen, he was good for us defensively in spurts, but not as consistent as we want it and not as consistent against multiple types of teams.
[SPEAKER_00]: Walker Kester is kind of more, you know, plug and play amongst all types of.
[SPEAKER_00]: teams, whereas DeAndre 18 is more situational, right?
[SPEAKER_00]: Jackson Hayes pretty good defensively as well, but by all means, not you can still play him off the court.
[SPEAKER_00]: LeBron James, we know the issue with LeBron.
[SPEAKER_00]: If it's if we're getting Houston rockets round one LeBron, then yes, he's like a very good to elite defender.
[SPEAKER_00]: But during the regular season, that's not the LeBron you're getting.
[SPEAKER_00]: And if anything, he is
[SPEAKER_00]: almost directly hurting your defense if he's not running back.
[SPEAKER_00]: What the Lakers have done instead is they've got in a bunch of young players who are versatile on defense and who in a vacuum if you just isolate them out you wouldn't say any of these players are as good as Marcus Smart.
[SPEAKER_00]: except for Matisse Thibel.
[SPEAKER_00]: And we just brought him in.
[SPEAKER_00]: If there's one player who you can say, I don't see any guy who replace Marcus Mark this season.
[SPEAKER_00]: Well, now we have that guy.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's literally Matisse Thibel.
[SPEAKER_00]: He is a better version of Marcus smart by pure fact that he's younger.
[SPEAKER_00]: Now, again, if he's able to have the type of healthy season that Marcus smart had last season, then,
[SPEAKER_00]: Then we can say for sure, the Lakers did a great job replacing Marcus Mart with someone younger, someone who could potentially grow with the team, someone who's very aligned in his vision and the way that he views basketball, the way that he talks basketball with JJ Reddick.
[SPEAKER_00]: They've been, he's been on JJ Reddick's podcast before.
[SPEAKER_00]: I think they may have played on the sixers for one season.
[SPEAKER_00]: I think regardless, JJ Reddick has a relationship with Matisse, he has a relationship with
[SPEAKER_00]: You factor in Ziya Williams.
[SPEAKER_00]: I haven't even talked about, which is crazy.
[SPEAKER_00]: I haven't even talked about a do-thero, Cam Carr, Brooney James, Chris Manion.
[SPEAKER_00]: Like, if we can even just get some of these guys reps and I don't know.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's gonna be a fun season.
[SPEAKER_00]: The guys that I just mentioned just showed us what
[SPEAKER_00]: a microcosm of what the parent team could look like with regards to our summer league team and how balls to the wall, they sort of played on defense, Chris Manio and a new fero camp car like we can see the fully realized version of that on the parent team and then some of these guys that Chris Manio should be playing with Matisse Thibel and Quentin Grimes and Walker Kessler.
[SPEAKER_00]: Can you imagine these guys funneling their the ball handler towards Walker
[SPEAKER_00]: like it's it's going to be mayhem folks like we have a much better defensive team.
[SPEAKER_00]: Then what we did last season and yet we were still a pretty good defensive team last season towards the second half when the bronze started trying and in the playoffs.
[SPEAKER_00]: But now we have the youth we have the young legs to keep this going to sustain this a little bit and I'm so excited that Matisse Thibel even if he like let's say he gets banged up again.
[SPEAKER_00]: Matisse Thibel is going to be
[SPEAKER_00]: training, Chris Minion, being a very insightful whisper in Ziya Williams' ear.
[SPEAKER_00]: Maybe even helping guys like Colin Sexton out who have trouble with their positioning on defense or just being physical enough, et cetera, et cetera, you know?
[SPEAKER_00]: And yeah, so I don't know.
[SPEAKER_00]: There's a lot of versatility that I see on this team.
[SPEAKER_00]: And this is, again, with the team not fully done, right?
[SPEAKER_00]: I think the Lakers still want to.
[SPEAKER_00]: I think the Lakers still want to get a power forward.
[SPEAKER_00]: I think the Lakers still want to get a backup center.
[SPEAKER_00]: But at this point, I would almost maybe prioritize backup center a little bit more
[SPEAKER_00]: And hopefully he's an athletic, lob threat, but an athletic, lob threat who can also play defense.
[SPEAKER_00]: You guys know that I've said it before.
[SPEAKER_00]: I think the Lakers should be trying to get Jericho Sims out of the box.
[SPEAKER_00]: That would be my preferred target.
[SPEAKER_00]: And in some senses, I know that people don't want to hear this, but if the Lakers also want to get a powerful word, you could do a two for one, kill two birds with one stone and trade for Calcusma and Jericho Sims.
[SPEAKER_00]: Maybe you even get an asset in return,
[SPEAKER_00]: Dando and, I don't know, connect in a second.
[SPEAKER_00]: Anyways, that's not my preferred target.
[SPEAKER_00]: I just mean that, or that's not my preferred trade package, but if they were looking to consolidate that's something that they could do, but I would be trying to get Jericho Sims, I would be trying to get Jalen Smith out of the Chicago Bulls.
[SPEAKER_00]: Hell, at this point, get GoGoBatodze, like put him and Luca on a Zoom, hash things out about their moms, whatever,
[SPEAKER_00]: Zire Williams in the regular seasons, Mac, Luke, a donchish in the neck, and it seems like they're gonna be fine.
[SPEAKER_00]: Goga just said some things about his mom and Luke has said things about his mom.
[SPEAKER_00]: So I think, so anyways,
[SPEAKER_00]: I would be looking for guys like that, goga, Jericho Sims, power forwards, we've kind of gone through it before, you know, yeah, Obi-Toppin, Camp Johnson, I'm, I, if, if we can get a, I don't think we can get an asset from Denver, but if we can offload Jared Vanderbilt,
[SPEAKER_00]: and maybe Dalton Connect and bring in a guy who I know for sure is synced up with JJ Reddick, another JJ type guy in Cam Johnson.
[SPEAKER_00]: I would love that.
[SPEAKER_00]: And while I know that Cam Johnson isn't exactly like he's not like a rabid lockdown defender within a scheme,
[SPEAKER_00]: You're adding another six foot seven, six foot eight guy who can, you know, in his best days shoot the lights out, but has length as well.
[SPEAKER_00]: And when he was with the Phoenix Suns, he was sort of he's kind of like a Quentin Grimes positional defensive scheme defender.
[SPEAKER_00]: who's at the very least, you know, is smart, you know, he's going to rotate to the right positions and has length.
[SPEAKER_00]: And you know that JJ Reddick will play him because he can space the floor.
[SPEAKER_00]: So that's kind of why I'm on the cam Johnson train right now.
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't know if it's going to happen or not, but the Jonathan coming to think to me again, it just seems like I get it.
[SPEAKER_00]: He's fun.
[SPEAKER_00]: He's explosive.
[SPEAKER_00]: He would add to our sort of like Tasmanian double athletic chaos.
[SPEAKER_00]: Like I could see it.
[SPEAKER_00]: But if I'm thinking about what we're trying to build here, I just can already see Jonathan coming up complaining about his role, like two months in, you know?
[SPEAKER_00]: And then we're gonna have him on like a $17 million per year contract for three years.
[SPEAKER_00]: I would rather, now that I know that we've locked at Matisse Diple, I would try and find a power forward that's more aligned with.
[SPEAKER_00]: I think the culture that the Lakers are trying to build, more aligned with,
[SPEAKER_00]: understanding that his role can fluctuate because what the hell happens?
[SPEAKER_00]: What if a do-fiero really is ready to make that leap?
[SPEAKER_00]: And then John the Kominga is standing there in front of him and we're like, I don't know, I kind of want to see Thero play more, you know, because he at his ceiling is our better version of Jonathan Kominga, given his playmaking skills, you know?
[SPEAKER_00]: So I think that's what the leaders are going to do next.
[SPEAKER_00]: They're going to obviously try and get their
[SPEAKER_00]: Get a power for it.
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't know if it's going to be a starting power for it or what, but yes, PJ Washington, Obi top in Cal Kuzma, Walker Kessler, behind Walker Kessler, you're looking at guys like Jericho Sims, go go betad Zay Jalen Smith.
[SPEAKER_00]: Let me see if I actually have, let me see if I can pull up a previous chart of mine, the PJ Washington stuff, I'm not.
[SPEAKER_00]: not sure if we can actually get that guy.
[SPEAKER_00]: But I think at this point given that the lakers have kind of gone all in, I would definitely that's definitely someone that I would try and prioritize for sure.
[SPEAKER_00]: All right, so some of this list doesn't apply, right?
[SPEAKER_00]: It's like Peyton Watson on Realistic.
[SPEAKER_00]: PJ Washington, yes, Aaron Niesmith on Realistic.
[SPEAKER_00]: Herb Jones, probably on Realistic.
[SPEAKER_00]: Cam Johnson, the most realistic.
[SPEAKER_00]: Aaron Gordon, we would need to cobble up a lot of salary.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's unrealistic, logistically.
[SPEAKER_00]: Obi-toppin makes sense if the Pacers are willing to get off of him.
[SPEAKER_00]: So that's, Obi-toppin is someone that I would definitely
[SPEAKER_00]: more malleable version of Jonathan Kominga, who I know won't be a diva.
[SPEAKER_00]: The only problem with OB top in is he was injured last season with like a foot stress reaction.
[SPEAKER_00]: And you know, those types of injuries are tough to sort of evaluate.
[SPEAKER_00]: And so maybe you don't want to necessarily play with that, but I mean, OB top and would be, I think one of my preferred targets as well.
[SPEAKER_00]: And then,
[SPEAKER_00]: If you're looking for younger guys, honestly, I think the lake is should be continuing to look on the younger and at the spectrum.
[SPEAKER_00]: If you're looking at younger guys, Tristan de Silva.
[SPEAKER_00]: Jaris Walker.
[SPEAKER_00]: These are guys who are going to need to come to extension agreements with their teams.
[SPEAKER_00]: Jaris Walker is, I think, highly getable.
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't know what it's going to, I think it's going to take the really package to get him three seconds.
[SPEAKER_00]: But if you believe in his defense and you've got this like bully ball sort of like six foot seven small four power forward, I would take a chance on Jaris Walker.
[SPEAKER_00]: Jalen Williams, probably unrealistic now that the Oklahoma City Thunder have jettisoned Lou Dort.
[SPEAKER_00]: Gigi Jackson, I would love, but I think given what the lakers are trying to do right now.
[SPEAKER_00]: Maybe he's too untrained and raw still, but there's an option.
[SPEAKER_00]: Obviously, people have been throwing out Spencer Jones.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm not sure how we would get Spencer Jones to be honest because the Denver nuggets need to clear money, actually.
[SPEAKER_00]: And so if anything, they just probably won't bring back Spencer Jones just renounce him making an unrestricted free agent and then the makers would only really have the veteran minimum exception to give him.
[SPEAKER_00]: So if he's willing to take that with us instead of the Denver nuggets like I'd be down, but that's kind of why it's like not that realistic.
[SPEAKER_00]: But the guys on like the
[SPEAKER_00]: Tristan de Silva for obvious reasons, because I think he's ready to play now out of anybody on this list.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm just not sure if the Orlando magic would be willing to give him up.
[SPEAKER_00]: So there are there's that list.
[SPEAKER_00]: Okay.
[SPEAKER_00]: The bottom barrel options.
[SPEAKER_00]: You know what?
[SPEAKER_00]: At this point, I'm going to convince myself to try and go and get Roy Sonio from the Charlotte Hornets.
[SPEAKER_00]: I know he's 33 years old, but his game is kind of ages well, and I think Roy Sonia would actually be the type of player that JJ Reddick would play because he can knock down three as like nobody's business.
[SPEAKER_00]: He's a good defender.
[SPEAKER_00]: He can play make a little bit.
[SPEAKER_00]: Very versatile player.
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't know.
[SPEAKER_00]: I would try and get Roy Sonia from the Charlotte Hornets.
[SPEAKER_00]: He's on for $10.8 million this year, and then $11.6 million next year.
[SPEAKER_00]: So it's gonna be expiring that you can trade next year.
[SPEAKER_00]: DeAndre Hunter is obviously there.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm not that in thus with DeAndre, but I'm sure he's very getable from the Sacramento Kings.
[SPEAKER_00]: If they're willing to take, I would only do a DeAndre Hunter deal if they were willing to take on Jared Vanderbilt's contract and we only have to give them like a second or two.
[SPEAKER_00]: It would take, in order to get Hunter,
[SPEAKER_00]: We need to take Jared Vanderbilt's contract plus Dalton Connect because, you know, you add either 7.5 or 8.8 million dollars on top of any contract going out on our end, if they're under 29 million dollars, like we can take back more salary.
[SPEAKER_00]: I've seen differing numbers from 7.5, we can take back or 8.8.
[SPEAKER_00]: So within that range, we can take back more salary.
[SPEAKER_00]: Jeremy Grant is not going to be an option.
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't think because he makes too much money.
[SPEAKER_00]: We would have to cobble up too much salary in order to get him.
[SPEAKER_00]: And I don't think he's the type of player that we remember from his days with the Denver nuggets being that 3nd guy.
[SPEAKER_00]: So anyways, those are the bottom barrel options.
[SPEAKER_00]: I think back a big man wise.
[SPEAKER_00]: Like, kind of the names that I've already thrown out.
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't know if I have the graphic on hand.
[SPEAKER_00]: Obviously some of these guys have been signed or some of these guys have obviously signed with the Lakers and Kibon Looney's case, but this is an old graphic that I'm throwing up here.
[SPEAKER_00]: Nick Richards is still a free agent.
[SPEAKER_00]: I think most bombets signed with the Utah Jazz, which is funny.
[SPEAKER_00]: Drew U-Bans is still out there.
[SPEAKER_00]: Kelly Olenic, I mean, maybe I don't wanna go down the Kelly Olenic route.
[SPEAKER_00]: Dwight Powell, Lucas O'Powl, Jonas, obviously a signing overseas, come on with us already.
[SPEAKER_00]: Um, honestly, oh, Marriott Sevin.
[SPEAKER_00]: I would look at your Omerins over some of the guys that have been tossed around.
[SPEAKER_00]: He's only 28 years old.
[SPEAKER_00]: Obviously, you guys know my dream target, and this would be a Lakers Legacy offseason for the ages, like a Lakers Legacy Wet Dream offseason, and if we're able to sign Kai Jones, or if we decide to sign Kai Jones, like that is the type of, you know, forget Jonathan Kominga, you want your area lab threat, sign Kai Jones, you know, he's playing overseas, sign him,
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm not sure if Charles Bassie resigned with the spurs or if he signed somebody else, but obviously this graphic is kind of old, but these are the back of big men options that I would look at if I'm the lakers to fill out their roster.
[SPEAKER_00]: But yes, Kevon Looney is already with us.
[SPEAKER_00]: I just want to remind people that this graphic is two weeks old.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm just bringing it up so that you guys don't have to look at my face by itself.
[SPEAKER_00]: And I talk through stuff.
[SPEAKER_00]: So,
[SPEAKER_00]: Anyways, with that said, I think that'll do it for the show.
[SPEAKER_00]: Very happy about the Matis Thibosigning.
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, this guy, hopefully he's healthy, even if he's not healthy, I think he's going to do a lot for the Lakers locker room culture.
[SPEAKER_00]: He's going to do a lot for guys that Chris Manjone.
[SPEAKER_00]: Quentin Grimes, Jake LaRavia, just teaching them the ins and outs and the tricks of the trade being a an all-defensive type of player and one who again, not many players, he is the only player six five and under to average 1.6 deals per game and half a block per game since 2019-20, the only player.
[SPEAKER_00]: And it's not just the stats as well.
[SPEAKER_00]: You just watch him play on the court.
[SPEAKER_00]: If you watch the film, this dude's motor never stops running.
[SPEAKER_00]: I can't wait to see Matisse Thibel and Chris Manion out there at the same time, wreaking havoc.
[SPEAKER_00]: So very happy about this signing.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's just a veteran minimum signing, but I'm happy for more reasons than one because this again is a guy that I've been
[SPEAKER_00]: trying to get the Lakers to come around to over the last.
[SPEAKER_00]: two and a half years and it only took Luca Donchich for them to finally, you know, get him.
[SPEAKER_00]: And I think JJ Reddick had a large part in securing Matisse Thibel as well.
[SPEAKER_00]: And the reason why we can get Matisse Thibel at the veteran minimum is because he's been injured the last two seasons.
[SPEAKER_00]: So hopefully third times the charm with regards to Matisse actually being a lot of bit more healthy than he has been.
[SPEAKER_00]: But again, you take these two seasons out from his career list and his
[SPEAKER_00]: five seasons, Matisse had played 65 plus games in each of those seasons.
[SPEAKER_00]: So he does have a good track record of being healthy apart from these last two.
[SPEAKER_00]: All right, with that said, if I could please ask you guys to once one more time, like this video, comment down below and most importantly hit subscribe.
[SPEAKER_00]: I would greatly appreciate it.
[SPEAKER_00]: We are, yeah, help me out, hit the subscribe button
[SPEAKER_00]: live during my workday.
[SPEAKER_00]: I do have to get back to work, but I appreciate you guys for hopping on.
[SPEAKER_00]: This has been Jonathan Hernandez of the Lakers Legacy podcast, and I will catch you guys next time.
[SPEAKER_00]: Peace.