But you don't want to hear all of this talk about LeBron James and his minutes tell us why is unnecessary noise, Stephen.

They talk about.

I'll go back to a phrase from the last few years.

Fake news.

This is what the greatest players do.

They play as many minutes when they're 34 5 and six and seven years old, as they did when they were twenties.

Michael Jordan, Kobe.

Kobe played 38 minutes per game the year he tore his Achilles, and then he played 35 minutes a game the year after he came back.

Karl Malone, you will.

Wilt Chamberlain did.

And 36 years old.

He played 43 minutes tonight.

LeBron spoke to this very eloquently.

Stephen A.

It's a non story.

He is not begged off a minute that he's not going to the greatest.

Players play lots of minutes, and LeBron is certainly in that group.

I certainly support him is I'd like to add this before I ask you my next question.

A man is in his 18th year at age 36 he's the one that has a Mr Game.

But there's a whole bunch of stars around the league that have been Mr Games.

Maybe somebody should speak to their conditioning experts and what have you and leave LeBron alone?

Let me get to you about the Utah Jazz real quick.

How legitimate do you believe they are as a threat in the Western Conference based on what you've seen this season?

Well, listen, Stephen A.

We're not going to see the Lakers at full strength tonight.

If we did see that Utah would need to get this win if they can't beat the Lakers without Anthony Davis, how they're gonna beat them if Anthony Davis is healthier back in the lineup, So Utah, the pressures on them to show what they're made of to themselves.

I mean, not to the people on the outside, but to themselves and the rest of the league.

The Utah Jazz at home need to win this game.

I think they're neck and neck.

It's a push to me with Brooklyn.

I mean, we're not gonna be able to tell it tonight.

If Utah Yes, with I know you've already anointed them.

In the words of the late, great Dennis Green.

You crown Brooklyn already because that's what you New Yorkers and you East Coast people dio.

I'm not crowning him.

Let him earn it even though Stephen A.

I got him one.

A.

It's Utah and Brooklyn, Brooklyn and Utah as we go into tonight's action.

Somehow I bet if this was just the Chicago Bulls, you would have crowned up.

But I'm gonna let you go on that one.

I'm gonna let you slide.

I'll get back to you later, Mike Wilbon.

By the way, the schedule for the second half of the NBA season was released earlier today.

It will start on March 10th after the All Star break.

The Lakers and Nets are the only two teams with at least 20 national games in the second half.

The regular season is scheduled to end on May 16.

We now welcome in the ultimate inside our very own Adrian Wojnarowski to the show, which our teams and players around the league, reacting to the second half schedule release Stephen A.

There.

There's not a lot of joy looking at this schedule.

Remember, The All Star break is really short for players.

They gotta be back in market two days before they play their first game eso team.

Like Washington, they finished March 4th.

They've got to be in Memphis on March 8th.

Uh, teams feel like it's just one long season.

It's really not a break.

And then teams like San Antonio in Memphis who had a lot of games postponed in the first half.

They're gonna have to play 40 games in 68 days.

Uh, travel is gonna be more haphazard.

Uh, never really two days off every other day or a significant number of back to backs.

I think for a lot of teams, you talk to them coaches, players, front office.

Uh, this is going to be not just a physical but mental grueling.

It's gonna take a toll on players azi.

They continue toe, have to be in quarantine and having to deal with covert issues.

Uh, this is gonna be a real challenge, as if this hasn't been in.

This is a global pandemic, and everything that's already happened hasn't been enough.

If there ends up being more teams that aren't able to play watch games, do the covert.

19.

How would lead handled the seeding of the playoffs?

Tell me that.

Yeah.

They're not gonna push back, uh, the end date of the regular season.

They're gonna keep it on schedule.

It'll be by win percentage.

And if their arm or outbreaks or losses of games, they might not be able tohave every team play 72 games.

Uh, they're prepared for that possibility.

Adrian Wojnarowski, the ultimate MBA inside.

Appreciate your buddy, as always.

Thanks a lot.

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