As you said yesterday, um, this could be very good.

This will be very good for LeBron James and the Lakers because Stephen A.

Every season.

Remember Game one against the Clippers last year.

Remember those early season struggles in Miami and then later?

Cleveland?

Every year, LeBron James, who's in the finals every season, has to figure out how to lead a group of guys to the Promised Land.

And early in the season, he needs to figure out what everyone can do, how he can bring them along, how he can build them up, who he can rely on, how he can build up the guys he can't rely on and put them in positions like a coach on the floor, where he will be able to rely on them and they'll come through with Anthony Davis.

That really masks a lot of things.

If you have LeBron and a D that will mask a lot of things on any team, what's gonna have to happen now is Kuzma and others had to step up yesterday.

Is guys on the team role players will be given responsibility that they simply wouldn't have if a D s in the lineup and not just one or two games, even a but for many games while A D is resting and recovering and that will build the team up so that when a D comes back, they arm or equipped to deal with the playoffs than they would have been otherwise.

I think this will turn out to be a good thing for the Lakers.

Provided a d comes back.

Well, I get to provide.

I get the caveat there.

I would tell you, I don't think there's gonna be a good thing at all.

I think the Lakers right now, um uh, I think their championship aspirations of compromise Let me be very, very clear.

There is no way in hell Los Angeles Lakers winning the championship without Anthony Davis, and I'm talking about Anthony Davis at 100%.

I think that Ty Lue is doing an exceptional job with the Los Angeles Clippers and is to be commended for it.

I think Quin Snyder in those boys in Utah have been sensational.

We can't ignore them.

I think the Denver Nuggets.

They tend to come on strong as the season progresses, and I'm certainly not going to rule out Dame Dollar and the Portland Trail Blazers without Anthony Davis.

The Lakers air going home early.

They'll make the playoffs.

But they're going home.

They're not going to the championship.

Okay, let me put that out there first.

Secondly, and more importantly, here's why.

It's a bad thing because LeBron is 36 he's not getting any younger.

And the reality of the situation is that he's gonna be out there on the court, trying to carry a load and having to carry a heavy load than he had anticipated.

Now, as he equipped to deal with it for a season.

Sure, but who knows what kind of told that's ultimately going to take on him and his body moving forward?

Because if I'm the Los Angeles Lakers, Max Kellerman, I leave Anthony Davis out at least a month.

Here's where I get scared.

I'm hearing the same language that was used when Kevin Durant got it.

When we talk about cash, I'm hearing the same language.

I'm hearing the same like it sounds fairly similar, And so for me, when I listen to that and I hear that I know Anthony Davis hears it.

And so Alright, how all out are you going to go when you're absolutely, positively petrified?

You might tear your Achilles because if he tears his Achilles, he's out for next season.

He's out for next season, not just this year.

He's out for next season as well, with LeBron being 37 years of age.

So to me, if there's any way that I can do this, if you if you wanna tell me Max if Anthony Davis sits out for the rest of the season, he'll be fine.

Moving forward.

I would sit Anthony Davis out for the rest of the year seriously, just to make sure he's ready for the last two years.

Ah, LeBron James career.

That's how I view it.

I don't know whether it's going.

Stephen let one year, but I'm saying I would just sit up there.

I wouldn't take any chances with Anthony Davis because Anthony Davis is tied to LeBron and listen.

LeBron's interests are not necessarily aligned with the Lakers Lakers a long term because they want Anthony Davis here for years to come long after LeBron is gone.

In the case of LeBron, you're 36 years old.

Is your 18 year in the league.

You ain't taking anything for granted.

You're trying to win now.

So it's not necessarily aligned his interest with that of the Lakers, even though they both the line when it comes to Anthony Davis.

If I'm the Lakers, I it's not even I'm already got that chip.

I'm already back to relevancy.

I'm the reigning champion.

I don't even playing Davis.

My might not play for the rest of the year.

Maybe, but they're saying 2 to 3 weeks and let's say if he's gone for the season, of course, the Lakers have finished.

They're not gonna win a championship without a D in this roster, right?

But let's say it's 2 to 3 weeks, but instead of that, they double it.

It's 4 to 6 weeks just to be careful, which I think the chief and he comes back.

Okay, then you have guys on this roster like Taylan Horton Tucker, remember what he was doing in the preseason?

You have guys like Caruso who played beyond where people thought they could play KCP, etcetera, etcetera.

The point is, if if LeBron is ableto build those guys up and find dimensions in their game that they're not normally called upon to put forth and gets that group of guys going when a D comes back, it will be more likely, not less, that the Lakers repeat.

Okay, Charlie, we're gonna end this segment this way, Max.

Let allow me to end the segment this way.

If Anthony Davis is any less than 85% there is no way in hell the Lakers are winning the championship.

I promise you that.

Now you can debate whether they come out of the West or not, and I don't think they'll do that.

But they damn sure ain't beating the Brooklyn Nets, who I believe is going to the Finals.

They ain't be in Brooklyn with that offensive firepower.

Unless Anthony Davis is that at least 85% LeBron's, that and everybody else that 100% there is no way way.

Just let me be very clear about that.

Let me very clear.

I'm looking towards the future because this season to me, the way Anthony Davis is looking right now, that calf, which could be an Achilles.

I got news for you, you know, championship of part of the equation.

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