Speaker A
Rockets avoided being swept and being the first playoff team eliminated last night as they beat the Lakers 115 to 96.
Stephen A. and Perk discuss the Rockets' playoff survival, Lakers' must-win game 5, and Kevin Durant's leadership and possible disconnect with the Rockets.
Key Takeaways
- Rockets remain alive in playoffs with strong team scoring.
- Lakers face elimination and must win game 5 to avoid series collapse.
- Kevin Durant's leadership and connection with the Rockets is questioned.
- LeBron James exemplifies leadership through consistent presence and influence.
- Talent alone is insufficient; leadership and team unity are critical for playoff success.
Summary
- The Houston Rockets avoided being swept by beating the Lakers 115-96, with all five starters scoring 16+ points.
- LeBron James had a poor playoff game with only 10 points and 8 turnovers, matching a rare playoff turnover record.
- Game 5 is a must-win for the Lakers to avoid the series extending and Kevin Durant returning to impact the Rockets' confidence.
- Discussion on Kevin Durant's possible disconnect from the Rockets, highlighted by Amen Thompson's comments and KD's absence from the bench in game 3.
- Perk compares KD's leadership role to that of KG during injury, emphasizing the importance of veteran presence on the bench.
- Stephen A. highlights KD's sensitivity and questions his leadership compared to LeBron's consistent presence and influence.
- KD is recognized as one of the greatest scorers and players but has faced criticism for lacking leadership and team galvanization.
- The panel reflects on KD's career across teams, noting his skill but questioning his impact in leading teams deep into playoffs.
- They contrast KD's role in Golden State, where leadership was shared, with his other teams where they fell short.
- The conversation underscores the importance of intangible leadership qualities beyond just talent in playoff success.
Full Transcript — Download SRT & Markdown
Speaker A
All five Rockets starters scored 16 or more points, LeBron had one of his worst playoff games of recent memory, finishing with just 10 points on only two made field goals.
Speaker A
LeBron also had eight turnovers for the second straight game.
Speaker A
Joining Joel Embiid and Magic Johnson as the only players with eight or more turnovers in consecutive playoff games in the last 45 years.
Speaker A
So now, is there any concern for anyone on the Lakers blowing a three-nothing lead, Perk?
Speaker B
Uh no, it's not, but I'm gonna say this, Shay.
Speaker B
Game five is a must-win for the Lakers, I know that much, they better get it done in game five, which I believe they will.
Speaker B
Because if it's prolonged past that, then we're gonna be having a different conversation.
Speaker B
But game five on Wednesday is a must-win for LeBron and the Los Angeles Lakers.
Speaker B
Because you don't want to have this series extended and all of a sudden Kevin Durant comes back and all of a sudden the Rockets and their their confidence continue to grow and all of a sudden we could be seeing something that we've never witnessed in the history of the NBA.
Speaker B
So again, me knowing LeBron, he's gonna come with a level of focus, those role players are gonna play better at home, but they're in a must-win situation game five, they better close it out in LA.
Speaker C
I agree with you, they definitely, definitely need to.
Speaker C
Um, no, no, there's no doubt about it.
Speaker C
I'm still waiting to see if KG's gonna show up in this series.
Speaker C
Um, definitely seeing that, but I I I have no doubt that LeBron James.
Speaker C
I I said KD, I said I'm still waiting to see if he's gonna show up in the series, meaning Houston.
Speaker C
But I I have no doubt that LeBron James is going to show up.
Speaker C
And I definitely think it's a must-win, I agree with Big Perk about that.
Speaker C
Lakers can't afford to lose this game, Houston win two in a row.
Speaker C
Things getting very interesting going back to Houston for game six, no doubt.
Speaker A
Speaking of Kevin Durant, let's transition now to the Rocket side of things.
Speaker A
Where before the game, our Dave McMenamin reported that Amen Thompson had no idea how KD was feeling, which could imply that KD may have been doing his rehab away from the team.
Speaker A
Or perhaps the team hadn't been checking on him, Kevin Durant was not on the bench if you remember in game three on Friday.
Speaker A
He was on the bench last night though in game four.
Speaker A
So now the question becomes, is Kevin Durant maybe disconnected from the Rockets?
Speaker A
Perk, what do you think?
Speaker B
Hell yeah, it's a disconnect.
Speaker B
But but then uh Amen Thompson defense, he's not supposed to know what's going on with Kevin Durant.
Speaker B
Because he's in the middle of the playoffs.
Speaker B
He got to worry about winning a game four.
Speaker B
Right, but when you think about how up and down they they've been all season long.
Speaker B
When you think about the quote unquote allegations of the burner account with Kevin Durant doing All-Star weekend.
Speaker B
That was being exposed, when you think about, you know, uh Alperen Sengun and Kevin Durant not being able to be on the same page.
Speaker B
It's things that have transpired throughout the course of this season that gives me reason to believe that this team is not on the same page.
Speaker B
Okay, and when you think about, when you look at a game three, an important game three.
Speaker B
It ain't that much treatment in the damn world that you can't come sit your behind on the bench.
Speaker B
And be a leader and support your teammates throughout the time when you know you're in a must-win situation.
Speaker B
I had a situation like this that happened with KG.
Speaker B
KG used to sit in the back in 2008, 2009 when he was dealing with his knee injury, we in the middle of a heated series with the Chicago Bulls in the first round against Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah and them.
Speaker B
And then Doc went in the back and he he went he sent somebody in the back and told KG, I need you on the bench.
Speaker B
I need you being an extension of me and and and rooting on your teammates, I need you to be a voice in the huddle.
Speaker B
It is vital for a veteran, a two-time NBA champion, Finals MVP to be on the bench rooting and cheering and encouraging his young guys while he can't be on the floor to help him.
Speaker C
No disagreement there.
Speaker C
We agree.
Speaker C
But it's a little bit deeper than that for me.
Speaker C
Big Perk, we all know how sensitive KD can be.
Speaker C
We've all experienced it.
Speaker C
You understand?
Speaker C
I have, you have, others.
Speaker C
No doubt about it.
Speaker C
Kevin Durant is one of the greatest players to have ever played the game of basketball.
Speaker C
He is a champion two times over.
Speaker C
He is a two-time Finals MVP.
Speaker C
He is one of the top three greatest scorers in the history of basketball.
Speaker C
That's how gifted he is.
Speaker C
And he will, he's Olympic gold medalist and the whole bit.
Speaker C
One of the most storied careers you will ever see.
Speaker C
At some point in time, we need to talk about him like that.
Speaker C
And you know how he would help?
Speaker C
If he acted like he cared.
Speaker C
When you bring up the fact that he's not on the bench for game three.
Speaker C
Well, who's on the basketball court at age 41 in his 23rd year?
Speaker C
Do you remember, Big Perk, that there was a time where there was a debate.
Speaker C
Who's the greatest player in the game?
Speaker C
Is it KD or is it LeBron?
Speaker C
Years ago, we were having that discussion.
Speaker C
And the reason why universally it was recognized as being LeBron, it's not because of skill.
Speaker C
It's because of leadership.
Speaker C
Because somehow, some way, whether he's hurt, he's not playing or he is playing, you always see LeBron on that bench.
Speaker C
Whether he's injured or not, he's always the marquee.
Speaker C
And somehow, some way, in some fashion, he's answering the call.
Speaker C
Meaning the magnetic attention that is brought to him, he didn't shy away from it, he embraced it.
Speaker C
And you're looking for something like that from KD because you want the comparisons to be validated and justified.
Speaker C
There is no question that as a talent, KD's talent is comparable to anybody in the history of the game.
Speaker C
He belongs in a conversation on the elite level of the Hall of Fame.
Speaker C
There's no shade or disrespect that deserves to go his way in terms of his skill set.
Speaker C
But on far too many occasions, when he's been sensitive and and and we've gotten on him for being sensitive.
Speaker C
What were we attacking him about?
Speaker C
It wasn't his game.
Speaker C
It wasn't his skill set.
Speaker C
It wasn't his commitment to greatness on the basketball court.
Speaker C
We were talking about those intangibles that lend itself towards being the leader that he needs to be to galvanize inferior players that wear the same uniform as him to uplift them in the best possible fashion.
Speaker C
We questioned that about him.
Speaker C
And he got defensive about that in the past.
Speaker C
It happened in Phoenix.
Speaker C
It happened in OKC.
Speaker C
Didn't happen in Golden State because it didn't need to because you had Steph Curry there.
Speaker C
And that wasn't his role.
Speaker C
It happened in Brooklyn too.
Speaker C
We've always had these questions.
Speaker C
And so here we are, I've seen him on the court.
Speaker C
I've seen him imploring guys to do better.
Speaker C
I've seen him cheering them on.
Speaker C
I've seen him doing the things that he's supposed to do.
Speaker C
I'm not implying that he hasn't done that in Houston.
Speaker C
I'm saying game three, unfortunately, reminded others of what he hadn't done or wasn't perceived as doing for years and years and years throughout his career.
Speaker C
Which is what separates him from being in the conversation with the other dudes.
Speaker C
Because ultimately we have to look at your resume and we have to sit up there and say, outside of being in Golden State where you were clearly the best player, but you were not necessarily the leader.
Speaker C
That was Steph and Draymond.
Speaker C
The fact of the matter is everywhere else you've been, they've come up short.
Speaker C
And since you've departed from Brooklyn years ago, what have you really, really done?
Speaker C
In Brooklyn, other than the time when Kyrie and James Harden, Kyrie was out, James Harden was playing hurt.
Speaker C
And you almost beat Milwaukee.
Speaker C
What have you done?
Speaker C
We're looking at that and we're asking those questions because one of the greatest players we have ever seen is consistently home too damn early.
Speaker C
And it doesn't seem to bother him.
Speaker C
Nearly as much as we believe it should.
Speaker C
Period.
Speaker B
So, so, so, SA, sometimes I think I forget and the people forget.
Speaker B
That I shared four four and a half years in a locker room with Kevin Durant.
Speaker B
Okay?
Speaker B
And the reason that I call him out so much about being a leader.
Speaker B
Is because I know he has it in him.
Speaker B
I witnessed him do it.
Speaker B
I watched him his the his MVP season when Russell Westbrook went out, I watched him elevate his game and elevate his leadership.
Speaker B
I watched him empower Serge Ibaka where Serge Ibaka missed being an All-Star by one vote, that year I believe he was averaging 17, 18 points, a career high.
Speaker B
I watched him up my offensive game from five points to about 10 to 11 points.
Speaker B
Because Kevin Durant was running the point forward and getting his buckets.
Speaker B
And and and putting guys in position to be successful.
Speaker B
So when I call him out, it's not because I'm picking on KD or that I got beef with KD.
Speaker B
I got real genuine love for Kevin Durant.
Speaker B
My family has real genuine love for Kevin Durant.
Speaker B
But when I call him out, it's because I know he has it in him.
Speaker B
But he has to want to do it and at this point.
Speaker B
You talking about a guy that's I believe 37 years of age.
Speaker B
I just don't believe he want to do it no more.
Speaker B
And he didn't took like 10 steps backwards when it comes from a leadership standpoint.
Speaker C
Shay, he could be a little bit sensitive at time.
Speaker C
But KD's good people and he's a superstar player.
Speaker C
He's a really good dude and he's doing a lot of great things for himself, his business and all of that stuff off the court.
Speaker C
We just know that no matter how great he has been and what he has done, we know he could be even greater at times.
Speaker C
And and and we're looking for it.
Speaker C
It's just that simple.
Speaker C
He's going to be sensitive to it and that's his right.
Speaker C
But you know, we ain't got nothing but respect for him because he's one of the all-time greats.
Speaker A
It's such a shame with this Rockets team.
Speaker A
Such high expectations, you had the Fred VanVleet injury so early on.
Speaker A
And then they were so heavily favored in this match up.
Speaker A
The unexpected injuries now to Kevin Durant.
Speaker C
That's organization.
Speaker C
That's their fault.
Speaker A
100%.
Speaker C
They were supposed to go get a point guard.
Speaker C
That's on them.
Topics:Kevin DurantHouston RocketsLos Angeles LakersLeBron JamesNBA playoffsStephen A. SmithBig PerkNBA leadershipKevin Durant leadershipNBA analysis
