Ep. 657: All The Difference(s). (4 REASONS Why the Lakers are Set-Up for a DEEPER Playoff Run.

0:00If you're a podcast host, listen up this ones for you. My name is Ally Jackson. I'm the host of Finding Mr. Height, a dating and relationship podcast that I've been doing for four years now, sharing my positive and practical approach to dating that's built on my own life experience. And I wanted to share another experience that I've had, my secret behind monetizing my show. It's called Red Circle. And I was just telling my colleague about how much I love their platform with Red Circle, not only am I getting a seamless hosting experience, but I also love the support I receive in AdSales. It's not just typical AdSales either. It's targeted opportunities based on my show and my life. And the platform is super simple. You just set your preferences and Red Circle matches you with sponsors that align with your show. You can vet every opportunity and their platform gives you great analytics. More recently too, my Red Circle team has brought me opportunities outside of my podcast on social media to really augment the podcast partnerships, bring them full circle. I just can't recommend them enough. If you want to give it a try, go to redcircle.com to get your free trial. That's redcircle.com for a free trial. You know what I realized? The hardest part about building a website

1:01isn't making it look good. It's getting what's in my head onto the page. But I've been playing with the new Wix Harmony editor and I'm impressed. You can literally just tell it what you want or if you're picky like me, jump in and move things around yourself. The nice part is you can hop between AI and hands-on editing so you end up with a site that actually looks the way you pictured it. Try it out for free at Wix.com slash Harmony. All right, welcome everybody to the Lakers Legacy podcast

2:07where RIP and condolences to all the dookies all around the world for the pure madness that was their march. Particularly Lakers dookies like JJ Reddick and Luke Connard, what an ending and what a loss to Dan Hurley and the Yukon Huskies. But you know what, something tells me that Reddick and Connard will get over their Alma Mater's tragic last second loss because they frankly got bigger fish to fry after maddenessing their own march this past month with the Lakers by going 13 and 2 in their last 15 games. And now the playoffs await in just two weeks. I'm your host Jonathan Hernandez and your Los Angeles Lakers are now 48 and 26. 22 games above 500 with just eight games left to go till the start of their official road to number 18. And though Luca Doncic will be missing the next game due to suspension, the vibes are still higher

3:10than they've ever been and the team looks more locked in than ever. And in today's episode, we are going to go over concrete reasons why this year's Lakers team will have a different, more positive fate than last year's team. And while some of the reasons may seem obvious, I just wanted to make sure to run through this exercise so that we could clearly lay everything out on the table and clearly articulate why I don't think we as Lakers fans should be walking into this year's playoffs with too much lingering PTSD from last season. So I've got about four reasons that I want to go over with you guys today. But before we get to that, if I could please ask you guys to like this video, comment down below and most importantly hit subscribe. I would greatly appreciate it. Also, please consider becoming a member to this Lakers Legacy YouTube channel where you will get access to my members' exclusive videos including some nitty gritty cap space stuff as well.

4:10All right, with that said, let's get into my four reasons why this year's Lakers are different. Different than last year's Lakers and why I think they will have a better fairing in the playoffs and make it past at least the first round. All right, so let's get into those four reasons right now and let's start with number one, the Lakers Western Conference Competition this year. Now obviously the same teams exist in the West, but I think things have changed in certain respects and I actually think if you dissect each and every team in the Western Conference this year, I think the Lakers Western Conference Competition has actually gotten weaker. So let's kind of run through some of the Lakers' potential opponents in the first round and even the second round. Let's start with the Houston Rockets. The Rockets particularly recently have been an absolute mess. The vibes unlike the Lakers have never been more sour. They just suffered that crazy over time loss

5:12where they had a double digit lead and still lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves, I believe. They seem absolutely screwed without a true point guard. They have missed Fred Van Vleet the entire year, reached shepherd while he has been good and they have been relatively good when he has started is still not a veteran point guard that you need to take that team over the top. Kevin Durant has been overtaxed and you almost start to wonder whether the Dylan Brooks KD swap was worth it for the culture and vibes alone. This season the Lakers are two and one versus the Houston Rockets and obviously the last two games being those back-to-back games in Houston where the Rockets just could not figure out the Lakers trapping zone defense on Kevin Durant and for the first time in the last few seasons the Lakers looked like the more physical and athletic team all because the Rockets had no true offensive cohesion cohesion and offensive creation.

6:14So number one, I think the Rockets are weaker and if the Lakers face off against the Rockets I don't think the Lakers should be too scared. Now let's move on to the Denver Nuggets. I know we always get a lot of PTSD with this one, which makes sense. They have terrorized us for multiple seasons when we had Anthony Davis but I do think we have to sort of separate ourselves from the AD era, which is crazy and hard to do because last season we still had AD for the first half of the year but the Denver Nuggets, while I don't necessarily think that they got weaker per se I do think that our matchup with the Nuggets since Luca has joined the team has been pretty vastly different because the Luka Lakers, whenever we face Yokeach and the Nuggets the Luka Lakers are a different beast and with Luca in tow it's almost like we have a Yokeach of our own but at the wing position to throw at Denver and all of a sudden the Nuggets have this crazy riddle

7:17that they have to solve on our end. And so far since the Luka don't should trade the Lakers are four and two in their last six games versus Denver and Luca himself is four and one. The only other Lakers loss was that one on the road when both brawn and Luca sat last season and if you remember Austin and Dalton and randomly shake Milton band it together and almost beat the Nuggets themselves, short-handed and that was the game where Austin and DK I think both put up 30 plus points but anyways the Lakers are four and two in their last six games versus Denver Luca himself is four and one and so this year I'm a little bit more confident in a Denver Nuggets matchup in the first round even though again it still does strike fear into my heart for obvious reasons but I think once we get over sort of like the initial PTSD and shock I think Lakers fans will come to realize that I don't know with Luca Donchich

8:18this might be a matchup we actually want especially if we take into account the last few games where we have looked like the more rabid and athletic team against the Nuggets and have looked more offensively cohesive than them as well all right so that's the Denver Nuggets that's the Houston Rockets next up let's talk about the Minnesota Timberwolves kind of like the Rockets I feel like they've been a very lost and messy team this year that's been searching for their own identity Mike Connellese a year older they have really missed Nikhil Alexander Walker Anthony Edwards in this latter stretch of the season has been pretty banged up Luca Donchich is actually 4 and 0 versus the Wolves in the regular season since he's joined the Lakers and this year the Lakers swept their season series with the Wolves 3 and 0 and while I know we lost to the Wolves in the playoffs one for last season we do have to remember that one the Wolves had Nikhil Alexander Walker

9:20two, Luca wasn't as healthy and well conditioned as he was now I mean that we were still talking about you know Luca making his way back from his injury and honestly he was not in shape and then on top of that Luca was had a stomach virus he was throwing up at half time in game three so who knows how that series would have gone if the Lakers hadn't dropped game three and had a truly healthy Luca because LeBron was going off in that game and then on top of all of that Austin Reeves was also super banged up in that playoff series we just didn't find out about his what he was dealing with footwise after that series had already concluded and so this season the Timber Wolves I don't know obviously there will be PTSD from having to face them again just because of how last year's series ended but I don't think Lakers fans should be that afraid either because one, we have swept and owned the Timber Wolves this season

10:20and two, there are very tangible reasons why the Timber Wolves have struggled and I think those reasons will persist if we face them in the first round in the playoffs and then if the Lakers are able to make it to the second round which I anticipate they will based off of the reasons that I just laid out in the second round the Lakers will likely face off against the San Antonio Spurs and while Wemba Nyama is obviously the alien monster that we all fear if there was ever any year to beat Wemba before he absolutely goes Super Saiyan it's this year, his first year in the playoffs because I think we can take advantage of the Spurs Ronis, their youth, their inexperience they are a very green team despite having guys like Deer and Fox and Harrison Barnes they have a young head coach and so yeah, even though the Spurs clearly have more talent they have more athleticism, they have more youth than the Lakers team and it's always a possibility that Wemba Nyama

11:22just goes destroyer of all worlds and it won't matter but I think when it comes to the tactical schema things and when JJ Reddick has time to read out a seven game series and you've got Luca LeBron AR on our side I just think the Lakers have a pretty good shot in the second round to potentially surpass the Spurs at least for this year just because it'll be their first outing in the playoffs so yeah, that's my reasoning for why I think the Lakers will have a more fruitful time in the playoffs and at least make it past the first round and even the second round if they face a team like the Spurs now if we face the Oklahoma City Thunder then yeah, you know, at that point that's when I think the our momentum stops because to me, okay, C seems inevitable and I don't think we have a good shot against them for all the obvious reasons this season we are 0 and 2 against the Thunder

12:23and yeah, right now they just seem insurmountable with their stable of athletes my only hope is that Luca a year or two ago literally had the keys and the equation to beat this team during his finals run with the Dallas Mavericks and I know he had a different team around him back then and the Oklahoma City Thunder were a little different as well because they hadn't yet gotten Isaiah Hardenstein but Luca knows what it feels like to beat this OKC Thunder team so at least he doesn't have the trauma of having lost two, you know, this seemingly invincible team and that was actually the season before they became champions but anyways, the West competition is weaker that's reason number one for why I think the Lakers have a good shot to rewrite their history this season all right, let's talk about reason number two the Lakers big three stars aligning I think each and every one of our stars have their own sort of individual agendas going on

13:25but they all seem to sort of coalesce with one another to hopefully snowball the Lakers into just this wave of momentum that catches fire and sparks a great run for the Lakers I mean, Luca Doncic, what more can you say about this guy? He is having a generational run in the last 15 games 13 and 2 record, Luca's averaging 37.2 points per game 8.2 rebounds per game 7.1 assists per game leading the Lakers in steals 2.3 steals per game he's first in points, fourth in assists, first in steals in the NBA during that time span he has been on a generational tear that not many people have ever seen if at all he's putting up numbers that this Lakers franchise has never seen numbers Kobe has never even produced so I mean, we all know that the revenge bod, revenge tour, Luca it hit a rough patch in the middle there where he got a little bit banged up during the winter seasons

14:27but he's come back better than ever in the new year and it doesn't look like anything or anyone is gonna slow him down so there's Luca Doncic, the obvious one we move on to Austin Reeves who somehow has surpassed what he did last season at least in the regular season he bulked up over the offseason focused on getting stronger being able to finish through contact and now he's putting up the most efficient season for a guard in Lakers history and as far as his career if you look at Austin Reeves entire career Austin actually has the highest career true shooting percentage by a guard in NBA history with a 63% true shooting percentage and this year Austin's averaging 23.6 points 4.7 rebounds, 5.5 assists on 49% from the field, 36% from three super efficient numbers and he has once again made another leap into all star consideration territory and for Austin himself I know he wants to prove the doubters wrong with regards to his playoff troubles

15:28with physicality and length and he wants to prove that the reason why he faltered against the wolves last season was because he had a foot injury that he was dealing with so Austin has a lot to prove he's got a chip on his shoulder and for himself he's even made another growth jump from last season when I thought 25 for Austin was as good as it got. Now we move on to LeBron James, the goat 41 years old who's doing unprecedented things at 41 and is literally breaking new records every time he steps out onto the court and even just takes one dribble and now we've got a LeBron who's bought into a supporting role as the third guy and is willing to lift up and prop up Luca and Austin and it just so happens LeBron is doing what LeBron normally does at this time of the year and locking in at both ends I mean this is the perfect combination of things that could have happened for each of our individual big three

16:29but all of their individual agendas and all of their individual chips on their shoulders they are aligning in such a way that I mean you see it on the court you see it off the court with the advanced net rating numbers you see it off the court with regards to their chemistry the big three has never looked this good and these three players in their own lanes but also in their corresponding lanes together I mean it just feels like we're on a very good trajectory of positive momentum with our big three and they've all individually improved throughout the course of this season in their own ways and yeah I don't know I'd be afraid to face this big three heading into the playoffs and you know for LeBron the other thing working for LeBron in LeBron's favor is the last stand protocol this could literally be and might be his last playoff run as a Laker how does LeBron want to go out

17:30you know I know he's gonna go I know he's gonna want to go down swinging so I am very excited to see what bought in LeBron as the supporting cast player as the prime dream on green slash Aaron Gordon slash Andre E. Godala third guy looks like in the playoffs because it could be a special farewell tour for LeBron as it pertains to donning the purple and gold in the playoffs and so I'll be grabbing my popcorn and chomp in a way as I watch LeBron James potential final run as a Laker so reason number two why I think things will be different the big three look different and it's a good different and you know you all you only need to point to Luca our north star to sort of understand why we should all feel hopeful about this potential playoff run that we're about to go on not potential playoff run but this potential run we're about to go on potential contending run so those are my first two reasons

18:32why I think things will be different this year but before we get into my last two reasons I first want to talk to you guys about today's sponsor underdog fantasy the tournament is back and boy is it back the upsets are inevitable and boy did we see some upsets made you want to Dan Hurley your lunch or dinner all over the floor out of shock and fear and just pure madness but all that to say underdog is the best place to get in on all the action playing on underdog is easy just pick whether your favorite players will go higher or lower on stats like points rebounds steals and more get your picks right and you could win up to five thousand times your cash this week on underdog I am looking at tomorrow's game or today's game depending on when you listen to this between the Lakers and the Washington Wizards Luca will be out so I'm going to look at Lebron's points if it's hovering at around 20 to 21 I will take the higher and I'll also look at Austin's assists

19:33if it's at around five I'll take the higher both of them should pick up the usage slack in Luca's absence and that's my rationale for those two picks so what are you waiting for? download the app today and use promo code legacy to score $50 in bonus entries when you play your first five dollars that's promo code legacy underdog make picks when money must be 18 plus 19 plus an Alabama Nebraska 19 plus in Colorado for some games 21 plus in Arizona Massachusetts and Virginia and present in a state where underdog fantasy operates terms apply concerned with your play call 1 800 my reset or 1 800 gambler or visit www dot NCP gambling dot org Arizona 1 800 next step 1 800 639 8783 or text next step 2 5 3 3 4 2 New York call the 24 7 hope line at 1 8 7 7 8 hope and why or text hope and why 4 6 7 3 6

20:349 underdog fantasy all right let's pitch it to a couple more sponsors and when we return let's get into my final two reasons for why I think this season will be different for the Lakers after I transition from the military I joined the CIA now I conduct strategic operations intelligence activities globally as a director of operations officer keep serving our nation is it CIA dot gov slash careers to apply study show that 100% of everybody in the world wants to curl up indoors and do nothing because it's so darn cold out there that's why many people are turning to bombas whose pillowy plush slippers and war marina will socks have been said to be the most comfortable in the history of feed bombas products have been found to boost coziness play up to 1 million percent OK enough fake statistics 網民台灣篇 ปонฝ created a product that's not only about making it a real suicide time but could bomb a socks and slippers really be the cure go to baubans dot com slash audio and his code audio for 20% off your first purchase that's B the O måBS dot com and use code audio. Studies show that 100% of everybody in the world

21:36wants to curl up indoors and do nothing because it's so darn cold out there that's why many people are turning to bombas whose pillowy plush slippers and War Marina will socks have been said to be the most comfortable in the history of feed. Bombas products have been found to enough fake statistics, but could Bomba Sox and Slippers really be the cure? Go to Bomba's dot com slash audio and use code audio for 20% off your first purchase. That's B-O-M-B-A-S dot com and use code audio. Alright, so we are back. Let's get into my last two reasons for why I think the Lakers season will be different. Sorry, my voice just cracked. Just to recap, number one, weaker Western Conference, number two, Luca and the big three stars aligning. Let's move on to number three and let's talk about better depth and supporting cast on the Lakers end. So I think this one is pretty obvious, but let's just run through the Lakers roster and compare it to what we had last season and let me actually bring up last year's playoff

22:36roster. So let me just really quickly do a rundown of who we had last season. Obviously we had Luca, we had Dorian Finney Smith, Jordan Goodwin, Rui Hachimura, Jackson Hayes, LeBron James, Bronnie James, Maxi Cleaver, although he only played in that final game for like five minutes, Dalton Connect, Alex Len, who could forget Alex Len, shake Milton, Marquif Morris, Austin Reeves, Jared Vanderbilt and Gabe Vincent. And so that was our final roster heading into the playoffs last season and actually the last game against the wolves, like I think only eight guys played because players like Jackson Hayes and Jared Vanderbilt were not even in the rotation anymore and Reddit was only using a few guys. So this season in contrast, let's just start with the big man first with regards to our supporting cast. Last year, we literally only had Jackson Hayes and Alex Len. And Reddit ended up abandoning Hayes very early in that Minnesota game.

23:41Obviously Hayes is culpable for why Reddit had to abandon him, but I just felt like Reddit gave up on him too early and evidence by the fact that Reddit actually apologized to Hayes after how that series went and apologized to him in the off season. So number one, last season, we only had Jackson Hayes as our viable big man. This season, even if we still only had Jackson Hayes, I think Hayes has actually improved in a lot of ways that he was deficient in to close that series against the wolves. So Hayes has improved. He's booked up. He's blocking shots left and right in the last week or so. And I think he's prepared for whatever is going to come his way this playoffs with regards to he understands the physicality in the playoffs now and I think he'll be ready. So Hayes is already just going to be better in and of himself. And then on top of that, Hayes will be slotted correctly as the back of big man because

24:44this season, we've got Deandre Aitin or shall I say Deandre Capella, who now looks super locked in for this stretch run. And so we've got a legitimate starting center ahead of Jackson Hayes, who's still doing the rebounding stuff, still blocking shots here and there, but giving the Lakers a different look offensively as a pick and roll partner and someone who actually screens better than Jackson Hayes. And so now we've got two viable options at center. And then on top of that, we even have a third option in a semi-healthier Maxi Cleba. He has been dealing with this back thing the last two weeks or so, but it does seem like he's at the very least healthier than last year's version when he was only able to play in the last game for five minutes in a last case scenario break, last in case of emergency desperation situation for JJ Reddick. Cleba has actually played rotation minutes for us throughout the season. And so if his number is called upon again, I think Cleba will be ready.

25:48And so yeah, our front court in general is just so much more formidable. That should be our number one thing that we cling on to with regards to us having a way better supporting cast. After our front court, then you look at a guy like the Marcus smart, the Marcus smart X factor because obviously we lost during Fanny Smith. But in his stead, I feel like Marcus smart has sort of filled the DFS role. Hopefully he's smaller, but in my opinion, Marcus smart is like the smaller, but stronger and more offensively versatile version version of DFS. And again, I don't need to belabor the point with Marcus smart. Everything he's done for the Lakers, changing our culture, but continuing to scrap on the floor, hit his threes in timely situations and also play make for us. These are things that Dory and Fanny Smith can't do with regards to the playmaking and sort of offensive creation, even though smart has been sort of erratic throughout the season. The only thing with smart is whether his body can hold up, but I think that's why he's

26:52been resting the last couple of games. So anyways, we've got the Marcus smart X factor. And then on top of Marcus smart, I just feel like in general, collectively, we've got off of the bench more goons and more firepower last season off the bench. We had guys like Jordan Goodwin, Gabe Vincent, and Jared Vanderbilt. This year we have goons and buckets, Jake LaRavia. There's another goon. We've got a healthier Vando, whether or not reddit wants to deploy him. We'll see, but there's another goon. We've got Hayes and Cleba, two goons who have been playing pretty well in different sections of the season. And then we've got really hot, she more coming off the bench now. And he's been a little bit up and down, but I feel like he settled into his role as that bucket getter and spacer off the bench. And in some games, he still closes because the Lakers need that small ball five look. And they need Ruiz, you know, physicality and length at the four or five.

27:56And then on top of that, we got a guy like Luke Canard who sort of knits everything offensively together. I mean, you just compare, compare and contrast goodwin, Gabe and Vando to LaRavia, Vando, Hayes and Cleba, Rui and now Canard. And it's pretty much no contest. The Lakers supporting cast and depth is just way more reliable, way more versatile. And now again, it'll just rest on JJ reddit to actually maximize those players, utilize them in the right lineups and trust these guys. I don't think he's going to play all of these players, but I think from one series to the next, certain guys will have better matchups. And it's going to be up to JJ reddit to understand, do I use Vando in this series? Do I use Vando in this game at all? Is Canard going to be eaten alive defensively and physicality wise in this series? Can LaRavia stick it if his three point shot is hasn't rounded the corner yet? So it'll be up to JJ reddit to sort of be the alchemist here.

28:58But with regards to having better pieces to sort of utilize than last season, I mean, JJ reddit won't have that excuse this year. Because again, we're slotting guys down who we had to rely on as starters last season in terms of Jackson Hayes and Rui Hachimura and now they're coming off of the bench. So way better supporting cast and depth. I don't think I need a belabor at that point from the front court to the Marcus Martx factor to the overall collective depth of the bench and overall collective better defense as well. All right. So that is my third reason why just to recap everything. Again, number one, weaker Western conference, number two, Luca and the big three stars aligning, number three depth and supporting cast or better depth and supporting cast. Now we're down to my last reason, number four. And let's talk about continuity, cohesion and vibes. So this reason is a little bit more ethereal and intangible.

30:00But I do think this stuff matters for playoff runs, championship runs. If you want to do anything special, your group sort of has to be special, not only on the court, but off the court. And I think this year we've had just speaking to the continuity part first. This year, this group has been with each other. A large majority of this group, Sans gave Vincent, has been with each other from the start since training camp, since working with each other in the off season. We've got a full year of continuity, cohesion and vibes with much of these players. Last season, we had a Ragtag group coming out of a very shocking trade that nobody was really able to catch their bearings with even after it was done. And so that group was put together midway in such a shocking fashion, admittedly so from Lucas end as well. This year, we got a fresh start. We had these guys, we started the season together from the jump and we banded together

31:06through all of the injuries, through all of the up and downs, through the December portions of the season when everybody was talking about the Lakers, just being paper tigers who can't beat good teams. And then now they've come out of that, like pretty much beating everybody, the bad teams, the good teams, they've been rolling one of the hottest teams in the NBA. These players and this group have gone through that journey and that process together. And I think that experience with one another means a lot. It means something to a playoff run and knowing that you can get down in a series, you can get down in a game. But as you have all season, you can fight back because this group has been a very resilient group, especially when you consider all of the in and outs that have happened with regards to the injuries and how many guys have had to step up for one another. I mean, we've got two games this season when Nick Smith, Jr., a two way guy had to come in and save the day for the Lakers. And so I think the belief and the fight for one another is there with this team.

32:08And also they just have a better understanding of one another. If you want to talk about the actual basketball play and again, as I mentioned at the top, the vibes have never been higher, winning cures a lot of ills. But when look at when you when you have a superstar like Luca Donchitch, a generational star, that the belief has never been higher for the Lakers. And you can see it being exuded. You can see that confidence exuded from all of the role players. It's a huge trickle down effect. And when you look at again, I'm going to go back to the stars, but you have a generational young star in Luca Donchitch. You've got a goat going down swinging. You've got a scrappy rising star in Austin Reeves who went undrafted just so he could steer his way to the Lakers. When you have that as your big three and your leading core, it's easy for everybody to band together. But also I just think naturally this group and you've seen it after every single one of their game winners, it's not really something you can put a finger on.

33:10But this group just vibes together so well. Their chemistry reminds me so much of the 2020 Lakers championship season, whether it's Luca Donchitch, you know, having these little squabbles, playful squabbles with Austin Reeves. And then when Rui Hachimura, LeBron James, continuing to prop up Luca Donchitch, continuing to prop up Austin Reeves, having him on his podcast, the way that they have all sort of galvanized around Luca's greatness and galvanized around all of these crazy game winners, I don't know. I think this is a very special group, regardless of whether or not they win the championship. Again, I think their experience with one another, their continuity on and off the court, I think they can squeeze out one or two more wins off of that alone, off of vibes alone. Because these are these are generational vibes that the team is currently running on. And when you can actually pair that with the good basketball play that they have been playing

34:17in the last one and a half months or so, that's when you kind of get that lightning in a bottle sort of moment that advanced net ratings and analytics can't really quantify. And so, yeah, those are my four reasons why I think this year will be different for the Lakers. One, weaker Western conference, two Luca Donchitch and the big three stars lining, three better depth and supporting cast and four lit vibes, baby. How do you like that analysis? I guess bonus reason. I'd say JJ Reddick, you know, I think he'll, I think he kind of lost it last season in the playoffs versus the Timberwolves. He kind of panicked whether it was giving up on Hayes too soon and abandoning him too soon or playing his starters. The final 24 minutes of a game on the road and not giving them arrest and wearing them out. I believe that was a game for I feel like JJ Reddick's a coach who really internalizes from his mistakes and really learns from them. I think he really digs down deep to understand how and why he failed and tries to make sure he

35:21course corrects in the most productive way possible. And I think we've seen that throughout the course of this season. This season, I feel like he has made far more adept in game adjustments. He's adapted better within games to what the other team is doing much better. And at times, we've been the team dictating the course of how the flow of a game is going rather than the other way around from the late game ATOs to the late game execution and the Lakers being like one of the best. If not the best clutch time teams in the NBA all season to the growing cohesiveness on the defensive end of the floor, the purposeful zone trapped man on Malgomations, I think JJ Reddick has relied on his big man a lot more and not solely gone to small ball spacing lineups. Reddick's obviously still has a lot to learn. But I mean, a second season on the job, 50 plus wins. And you have to give JJ Reddick a lot of credit for sort of generaling this team along this entire season when things could have easily

36:24fallen apart during that December stretch. So yeah, anyways, I will leave it right there. Those are my four reasons why I think things will be different for the Lakers in a very positive way this season. What are your guys' four reasons? How far do you think the Lakers can make it in the playoffs? Let me know in the comments below. And please remember to like this video, comment down below, and most importantly hit subscribe. If you're listening to this on Apple Podcast or Spotify, please remember to hit me up with a five star rating and review. I would greatly appreciate it. And also consider becoming a member to the Lakers Legacy YouTube channel. But with that said, thank you for listening. Thank you for watching. Go Lakers. Go go. This has been Jonathan Hernandez of the Lakers Legacy podcast. And I will catch you guys next time. Peace.

37:29If you're a podcast host, listen up this ones for you. My name is Ally Jackson. I'm the host of Finding Mr. Height, a dating and relationship podcast that I've been doing for four years now, sharing my positive and practical approach to dating that's built on my own life experience. And I wanted to share another experience that I've had my secret behind monetizing my show. It's called Red Circle. And I was just telling my colleague about how much I love their platform with Red Circle, not only am I getting a seamless hosting experience, but I also love the support I receive in ad sales. It's not just typical ad sales either. It's targeted opportunities based on my show and my life. And the platform is super simple. You just set your preferences and Red Circle matches you with sponsors that align with your show. You can vet every opportunity and their platform gives you great analytics. More recently too, my Red Circle team has brought me opportunities outside of my podcast on social media to really augment the podcast partnerships. Bring them full circle. I just can't recommend them enough. If you want to give it a try, go to redcircle.com to get your free trial.

38:32That's redcircle.com for a free trial. Studies show that 100% of everybody in the world wants to curl up indoors and do nothing because it's so darn cold out there. That's why many people are turning to bombas, whose pillowy plush slippers and warm arena wool socks have been said to be the most comfortable in the history of feed. Bombas products have been found to boost cosiness by up to 1 million percent. Okay enough fake statistics, but could bomba socks and slippers really be the cure? Go to bombas.com slash audio and use code audio for 20% off your first purchase. That's B-O-M-B-A-S dot com and use code audio.