Lakers vs. Nets Live Chat

Thanks for joining us, everyone.
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Thanks for having me. Lakers in 5.

Thanks so much to all, especially Amy, Dan and Andre. You were a joy. Come back soon.

Huge huge thanks to everyone. I truly enjoyed it.

Bye! Kill those deadlines!

Thanks, everyone.

Thanks Andre and Amy

Good times during a lousy game...thanks everyone!

Was fun everyone! Thanks for letting me crash! Goodnight from the east coast!!!

Thanks for inviting me to hang! It's been fun. Not the game. But this.

Lakers lose 109-98. Woof. That was ugly. Big questions postgame about Schroder, the lakers' shooting and for me, why only 15 minutes for Montrezl Harrell.

Cheers!!

Hey, look at that, they lost by only 11. #PositiveDylan

Well, Folks. Me and Dan have to get to work. Had fun. Until we meet again. Peace

Are there no adults in this room?

Quinn Cook and Alfonzo McKinnie have 25 percent of the Lakers' made threes

Nice try Dylan...No way

Not yet. But my AM will be epic! LMAO

BT, you write even less than I do

Have you BT?

Oh wait, Dylan needs 2 days to file

Have you Dylan?

Have you filed yet, Woike?

Fun fact for my SHINING fans. According to his book, his hotel room in the bubble was 237.

Fun stat: 10 teams have won a game this year making 6 or fewer 3-point shots. The Lakers have two of those wins

Love Jared Dudley

DUDLEY ON THE COURT. At least the game has a silver lining.

Interesting to see Bron and AD standing next to each other talking

I try to go to a bunch of G league games when I'm in town. It feels like Devante gets every 50/50 ball. dude plays so hard

He played so well in the Showcase if I remember (which, is the NBA event I'm going to miss most this year)

He's probably the reigning G-League MVP without his stress fracture injury. We were a completely different team without him

I was thinking about the difference between Dame and Beal today...and it's like 25 regular season wins a year

making the 2003 case for Shaq

Tell us more Dre

Dame can't even crack ASG starters...you're right...he's really ignored

Devontae Cacok entering soon! Love him that is all

making the 2006 Kobe case for MVP

love Dame

Oh, yeah, Dame is balling

should be getting more consideration than he will

One is not like all the others here.

Embiid doesn't play enough for my money

I feel bad for Dame. Hitting daggers on a nightly basis dragging that injured squad to wins.

Embiid, LeBron, Jokic?

Bron, Jokic, Steph

Bron, KD, Steph

LeBron, Embid, Jokic

new appreciation for him

Who is top 3 MVPs

i felt the same way as Bill until this year.

Says here he's not even in top three

Steph! LOL

Chiming in from the editors' room with a hot take: I watch a lot of Warriors basketball and as a true homer I like Steph for MVP. That's all.

35,000 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists

Bron still played 33 minutes, had 32 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists

LeBron James' night is over - 32 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists and 33 minutes

Well, LeBron out of game

I've always been a big Kuzma guy. He's frustrating because he's capable of so much. I'll always take guys like that and hope they figure it out over people who aren't capable. haha

Just missed an open corner 3 FYI

My heart is warmer. Thanks everyone.

How do you know that, BT?!

And Dan and Bill didn't have fingers crossed behind their backs

He's been wonderful...and he's been pretty good tonight

in a very short span, that deal went from "hey got how much?" to "they kept him for how much?"

in a very short span, that deal went from "he got how much?" to "they kept him for how much?"

Great point

This has been the best basketball Kyle Kuzma has played as a professional, this last month

LOL Amy

Before we never speak of this game again, it'd be nice to give Kuzma some genuine, unhedged compliments. People seem to never say nice things about him without their fingers crossed behind their back.

Please. Overule Klutch. LeBron is Klutch

Vogel needs to step in at some point and overrule Klutch and get LeBron out of there

What does that mean for the playoffs?

Games like this are so hard to judge. The circumstances are so strange. Is this just "one of those nights?" Did we just prove that the Nets with Harden and Kyrie are better than the Lakers with LeBron?

Good ?

Why is LeBron still playing?!

Can we get Bron and Kuz out of the game please.

Marc Gasol just dove for a loose ball (led to a LeBron 3) and it sounded like an anvil fell onto the court

I once saw a fan curse the Condor for blocking his view

cursed object

I'm a huge fan of Chuck the Condor.

Oh Helene. NO. Don't let the condor into your house.

Agree, Broderick Turner. I put on my Schröder shirt this morning before I knew he wasn't playing cause I figured he'd be integral

hey we have a READER QUESTION: how seriously are the Lakers really taking the regular season?

Dylan Hernandez wants his joke back, None None

None None They've had high points?

With no Schroder, Lakers don't have enough offense for Nets

Back to Love and Basketball None None it's been so long, but that was a high-point moment in Clippers history at the time, yes?

This one is slipping away...that's my expert analysis

Mark Price country

Joe Harris is reaching a Korver level of inevitability

I have to say you can just say the words 'Teen Wolf' and I'll laugh every time, but affectionately.

I miss the world that existed before Dylan was born.

Semi Pro underrated really funny

I loved the made-for-TV Pistol Pete movie

Hoosiers! Of course! Don't get caught watching the paint dry

Helene, I see that movie came out before I was born. Was that a silent film?

No love for Uncle Drew?

Set shots aren't fun to watch

Wow, zero love in this room for Hoosiers. Tough crowd.

No votes for The Fish that Saved Pittsburgh?

Blue Chips! Bless you, Andre

Jesus Shuttlesworth

1)Hoop Dreams...2)One on One with Robby Benson..3)Love & Basketball...4)Blue Chips

White Men can't jump

Love Haysbert in Major League too! Basketball... Blue Chips, Above the Rim, Glory Road underrated

Teen Wolf. Movies rarely get the basketball stuff right anyways, so why not go absurd.

Haysbert wasn't bad as baseball player. Ha

oooohhhhh, best basketball movies. Go!

My favorite basketball movies, in no order -- Hoop Dreams, Hoop Dreams, Hoop Dreams, BASEketball

Dennis Haysbert in his second-best role....after All-State flack

Given that my co-host is a Clipper fan, I savored that the movie gets a good dunk on them

You're in for a treat Dylan Hernandez

I loved Love & Basketball...I need to check out that podcast

Won't lie: Never seen it

Goes without saying

Aw, thanks Dan! Safe to assume everyone in here is a LOVE & BASKETBALL fan?

It's on my must-listen every week

Unspooled is such a fun show about movies, and just this week, Amy and her co-host, some Clipper fan named Paul Scheer, broke down Love & Basketball

Plug Amy's podcast

I want to quick plug Amy

Amazing story....here's a less amazing story...After that cover appeared, I ripped LeBron when his high school team played at Pauley for missing class..

That's the story how LeBron got that cover.

So Colson went out like he went in, NFG. He went with the Kid from Akron. The photo, by a similarly young and brilliant artist, Michael LeBrecht, was perfect. The story, by a twentysomething Grant Wahl, was outstanding. Colson did what all editors should do: he surprised and delighted SI's readers (with the notable exception of his super pissed-off bosses, but what were they going to do? Fire him?)

But Bill Colson, the aforementioned managing editor, had gotten the job in 1996 because of a summer trial run when he went all out on memorable covers like calling on Miami to kill its football program and getting Dennis Rodman to pose for this cover.

It was an obvious choice to be the following week's cover. SI loved, absolutely loved the Olympics and three teens rocking medals with some cover line like "Rad" or "Amplitude, Dude!" was getting 3-5 odds in Vegas. It was the obvious choice.

That LeBron cover, now very famous, was intended as a middle finger on the way out the door by Sports Illustrated's managing editor (SI's top dog) at the time. It was in the midst of the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City and snowboarding was a Thing, and it became a Bigger Thing when the U.S. men swept the halfpipe.

None None Bonus points if you can change shirts four times in the retelling

like Dan said today is 19th anniversary of his famous Chosen One cover.

Do tell boss!

yeah I have a story? bit of a long one.

I think we've lost Dylan

I think now is as good of a time as any for Chris to tell us a great LeBron story....today, Feb. 18, is the anniversary of LeBron James' first ever SI cover "The Chosen One"

Fun, except for having Dylan on. LOL

And a toast to you all for joining us this evening! Many thanks

Let's have a virtual toast for LBJ :champagne::champagne::champagne::champagne::champagne::champagne::champagne:

Getting to watch him day in and day out only makes him more impressive. Unreal.

LeBron James is the fastest ever to reach 35,000 points in the NBA (28 games ahead of KAJ, 74 faster than Karl Malone)

I agree with Dan's final five...they've all done it together under championship pressure

And on his next shot he steals missed FT rebound...give LeBron MVP right now

There's 35,000 points for LeBron James

Hahaha...I think she's in the drunk contest

Will Courtside Karen be at the terrible-idea All Star Game?

This is my down the stretch 5 if I'm coaching. Kieff, Bron, AC, KCP, Kuz. 5 guys who know how to win together.

LeBron has talked endlessly about loving having fans as an energy source.

COURTSIDE KAREN!

READER QUESTION: have any of you spoken to Lakers about what it's like to play in a building that allows fans, like Utah or Atlanta? do they feel playing in an empty Staples is a home court disadvantage?

If the Lakers come back...and it's an if.... mark down that Kuzma save, Caruso snag and KCP three

Honor coming from you sir!

You had four 3s...legend

Some quick news from Staples...Wes Matthews back to the locker room. Looked like a right leg thing of some kind

Lol I believe so! And if not, it sure did feel like it HAHA!!!

I used to play in Staples when the stands looks like it does now (the LA D-Fenders of the G-League used to play their home games at Staples when I was witht the Utah Flash), you could count the number of fans. Much more of a practice environment feel. No homecourt advantage, in fact it probably works in the opposing team favor more. Empty gym for the home team

Andre, speaking of the 3-ball, didn't you outshoot Harden in your debut?

Andre -- I wanted to get your take on this because you've played in all sorts of crazy environments. How different is it when there are fans/no fans?

Harris is 4-5. all 3s of course

Agreed on the AD take

4-5 tonight....he gets such good looks

Has Harris ever missed?

Thanks Dan! Pleasure everyone! Nets... it's no secret I love the 3-ball. Just wish it was against a different team tonight smh!

Very nice, Amy. The headband makes it a classic.

Andre, you agree on Dan Bailey's assessment of AD our vs KD out?

Also, everyone, let's say hello to Andre Ingram....Andre, what do you think of these Nets?

Oh, AD being out hurts way more. Nets have scoring for days. AD does so much for them on both sides.

To the reader....AD is a way bigger loss (at least in the short term). The best part of three stars is you can win with two stars when one is out

KCP started season strong, not can't make a shot

AC doing AC stuff at least.

READER QUESTION: AD out, KD out. A wash? or one team hurt more than the other.

My boyfriend got me into Mckenzie Caldwell-Pope's instagram. She influenced us to get matching versions of this shirt. https://www.instagram.com/p/CGAx4KiF7nl/

KCP is back..but not same player as in bubble

Snaps me right back to high school

The Lakers are 3-11 from three. Speaking of 311, Dan....Amber is a good song

Haha. Dude always bothering me too. Plas

KCP hobbled off didn't he?

Video says it's KCP birthday. A good present would be KCP making a shot

Another great halftime show is watching BT schmooze Denzel

Nose balancing is an under appreciated art.

Oh no! I hadn't heard! My mood is now quick changed to sad.

Yep See.

Yep. He and his partner were my favorites. I still don't believe how they did it.

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/*/id/22300960/golden-state-warriors-replacing-stolen-unicycle-red-panda-acrobat

Was just typing that up Bill, one half of Quick Change, David Maas died of COVID in Nov.

I think k equipment stole. but Warriors replaced it I think

I believe she did, someone took her unicycle at the airport.

didn't Red Panda get robbed -- or am I thinking of someone else?

Sad news we lost the dude who changed clothes behind a curtain

Def. Red Panda!

the legend

Red Panda!

Red Panda

The halftime acrobat who balances plates!

I was closer than Dan!

I legitimately miss halftime acts.

Helene Elliott I'll go with Laker Girls are missed, along with the Human Jukebox, free tacos, and anyone who balances things on their nose

11-1

That's my guess

They are 6-6 (because there are so few above .500 teams in the East)

6-0

Free Times Lakers championship book for whoever guesses correctly

13-4?

Your computer is always smoking because of your hot takes!

Just pulled up the handy NBA Trade Machine to cook up a Drummond trade for the Lakers and my computer just started smoking....that's how bad the options are

Anybody want to guess Nets record against teams above .500?

If you're watching at home and want to send in a question for the group here, sign up for our text group "Full-Court Text" and shoot over a Q.

https://ukobiw.net/sports/sign-up-for-full-court-text

Laker girls. Discuss.

I wonder how many minutes LeBron plays tonight?

Nights like tonight you really miss the fans...every night really

Daniel Woike Broderick Turner you see any path for Drummond out West?

Harden doesn't survive that drive if Drummond is there

Now, they'll have to find shooters, but still

So, a quick thing....did you see that last one-footed shot from THT. Plenty of upset people on the bench. That's a play where the Lakers want to see the ball swung out to the perimeter for a shooter

Broderick Turner I’d say add the Kings and Ducks but I don’t think Dylan has been to a game.

They paved paradise and put up a parking lot

None None I'm going "you don't know what you got til its gone" because the lakers are clearly missing the dude who makes their defense special.

Don't forget Lakers, Clippers, USC. UCLA...Cal State Northridge. Did I leave anybody out

I have two children to feed, Helene Elliott. As much as Dodgers, Rams and Galaxy fans would like it, I can't afford to be fired yet.

Trying to think of a song thats both high scoring and super messy

Pleeeease, Dylan!

Oh, man, I have such an inappropriate answer to None None's last question ...

(we'll give you time?)

READER QUESTION: Dan Bailey, what would be a good theme song for tonights game and why?

Quinn Cook getting playing time early for Lakers

What coach told you that, Dan? You can tell us. It's a private chat

Trey Kirby would call that the double teapot

Also, THT minored in ranching at Iowa State

Daniel Woike feels like the shooting comes back to earth, but they've got to sharpen up those closeouts

Anybody else think that with AD out, LeBron needs to actually play less minutes and preserve himself? Seeding doesn't matter, reg. season doesn't matter, with no AD Lakers aren't getting but one home series anyway, and with no fans that's not a factor..

During those Lakers' practices, the guys who weren't playing a lot of minutes would scrimmage, and he was just killing. Dominating games, hitting shots, dishing passes. And one Lakers coach leaned over to me at one point and said "That m--------- might start for us next year."

THT worked hard on his body in GLeague with South Bay Lakers and then kept working on body when NBA shut down

I have a question for that reader. Back then, did THT still rest his hands on his lower back like an old rancher surveying his cattle? I love that pose.

So, the big THT moment came in the bubble...

READER QUESTION: I watched THT play in college. Different position, different body, not a guard. Where did this transformation come from?

OK, so 1st quarter over, Lakers down 31-24. Brooklyn shooting 57.1 percent, 55.6 from three. Bench out-scoring the Lakers' bench 9-0. What's everyone think?

Can't wait to see what awesome steal THT does in the next quarter to make up for that bungled dunk

Tell that reader Lakers need Drummond....sorry BT

Drummond has better chance to get bought out than Blake

So does Blake

The Griffin talk has generated a followup question. READER QUESTION: Any chance Drummond gets bought out

Did anyone ever get to the bottom of Harden's weight loss? What do we think of the fat suit theory?

I wish Blake Griffin had stayed healthy. Alas....

Dylan ripped the Clippers for the Clipper Curse when they were UP 3-1

THT definitely knows its a national game.

Dylan with the dagger!

Damn!

I've been waiting all season for one of those giant orange coolers to come off the bench in garbage time

I

Now there's our Dylan!

If we're sharing school stories, I went to OU and would be thrilled if these rumors about Blake joining the Lakers were more than a duststorm

I think Philadelphia has the best chance, but they're an even worse shooting team than the Lakers right now. (Wow Dylan. Wow)

Philly is big. But can Steve Nash out coach Doc?

As long as Doc doesn't go up 3-1 in the series ...

I'll handle Bill's question first, as a way of me deferring to his dominance

Insults incoming!

Who's gonna beat the Nets? Doc's team?

Hey, Dan, you still haven't explained why Plaschke's destroying you in fantasy basketball.

Look at the big brain on Dylan. Dropping hoop knowledge.

Hey, World B Free went to my high school! John Salley too. And the guy who invented Starbucks.

Helene has many, many more connections to the Knicks...one giant connection!

Fom Brooklyn? Probably means you're a huge Father John Misty fan

Plaschke's on his own there. Irving and KD made of glass, and team still has to show it can play defense consistently. Of course the Nets can make the finals, but no way they're a lock.

Didn't know that. So are you a Nets fan?

In the interest of full disclosure, I am from Brooklyn. Born and raised. Way before it became trendy.

BT!

love that, if DS is out, let him cook with the 2nd unit.

Speaking of crowds, we've got Andre Ingram in here. He's played in front of crowds of all kinds of sizes. Dre, what's it like when the gym is empty?

early THT minutes.

Yes it is HOF

Oooh. A shot at Dylan!

@U1CGRR27K your are somewhat famous for the conviction behind your opinions, but was somewhat surprised nonetheless how unhesitant you were to proclaim the Nets the East finalists? Does everyone feel this way?

@U1CGRR27K you are somewhat famous for the conviction behind your opinions, but I was somewhat surprised nonetheless how unhesitant you were to proclaim the Nets the East finalists? Does everyone feel this way?

But me and Dan are PROS!

Try covering these games Dylan

Even on TV, so weird watching a game like this in front of no crowd. Feels like a scrimmage on NBA TV.

Ugh

He's pretty frank, Frank

Yes Vogel does talk that way

Following up on my question, Daniel Woike and Broderick Turner does Vogel always speak like that?

Following up on my question to Dan Bailey, Daniel Woike and Broderick Turner does Vogel always speak like that?

I did, but now that you put me on the spot. haha

Speaking of hair, has anyone read Jared Dudley's new book about life in the NBA Bubble? It's a great read, but not one mention of Rondo's brother Will, who ran the Bubble Barbershop.

Kuzma's three-point shooting is so important to this team. Even though this team has been terrible from deep (under 30 percent during their last eight games), I asked Vogel if they should be shooting even more. His answer was "Yup."

Dan Bailey, thanks so much for joining us. I just need to know....Do you have elite confidence in your decision to join us tonight?

Nice Amy

Space Jam 2 can't be any worse than Kuzma's last haircut

LOL Plaq

I’m taking Osaka.

I'm never betting against Brady again

If he keeps nailing threes, I'm all for it.

I

Dan, glad you brought up Kuzma's new do.

I know who Dylan is picking.

Big welcome to Amy and Andre -- so excited to have both of you. First question for Amy, how bad is Space Jam 2 going to be?

Starter Kuz > not starter Kuz

And who you got, Osaka or Brady?

I will be reading HOF.

To the reader's question -- James Harden isn't selfish on the court really, he's always been a willing passer. It's just that his style has always been the dominant force. On a team with KD and Kyrie, he's got to be more versatile.

Haha. No The Clippers don't need this Blake!

Just finished a column in advance of the Jennifer Brady-Naomi Osaka Australian Open final. Did I miss any foot faults by the Lakers?

Clippers need Blake more, but dude wouldn't even shake Ballmer's hand, so that's not happening

I think black uniforms are slimming

READER QUESTION: What do you think of the Harden transformation?  My respect grew for him when those 3 play together . He sacrificed the most I believe and is showing what a truly great player he is

And Blake is owed about $75 million next next two season. Would be nearly impossible. Now if he gets a buyout that's different

lol. Feels like even just a dude who can give you 6 fouls, and make guards fear that a big is lurking.

DB - you're an accomplished NBA2K GM -- how does it get done?

My man Dan

Feels like they need an athlete at the front of the rim, armchair GM style

I think we should ask Dan -- what do Lakers fans want and are they right/wrong for wanting it?

The Blake Griffin of seven or eight years ago maybe.

But he's a big Big!

He's slow. Can't dunk or defend.

I really don't see this team making a "big" trade. They already made their move -- it was for Dennis Schroder. Now the buyout market....they'll be active

Why would they want him is the better question?

A little harder question, which I toss at our Lakers insiders Daniel Woike and Broderick Turner Is there any way lakers can trade for Blake Griffin ?

No fatal flaw if AD plays...still would be nice to see them add a big...Andre Drummond anyone?

It's about marketing Bill. What can I say

I hate these blue Lakers uniforms...that's not even their colors!

The big news early here is Kyle Kuzma's haircut. The first question I want to throw out to everyone is an easy one. Does this Lakers team have a fatal flaw?

Game on. We have a lot of great questions we'll get to shortly. Ask liberally.

Kevin Harlan on the call...he's the best...a really good guy too

Ok. James Harden is defending Marc Gasol

That I'm somehow worse in fantasy basketball than in reality basketball speaks to how bad of a year I'm having.....and we're off

The Stone household is deeply steeped in the Nets.

Dan, shouldn't you refer to Plaschke as your Fantasy Basketball Daddy?

And big thanks to Brooklyn Nets insider and LA Times sports editor Chris Stone for driving this ship

Yeah Dan

We've got Lakers legend, one of the best stories in the last decade, Andre Ingram joining us. Representing the voice of Lakers' fans, I asked film critic and "Unspooled" host (one of my favorite pods) Amy Nicholson and my friend, Father John Misty drummer, Dan Bailey to join us.
 
And, we're so lucky to have so many amazing voices at the Times who have seen so much basketball. Our amazing columnists Dylan Hernandez, Helene Elliot and Bill Plaschke are here. So is the man, the myth, the legend, BT, Brad Turner

Game hasn't started yet so y'all can go on mocking Daniel Woike for his fantasy hoops skills.

Some quick intros....

Welcome again, all. We've moved to a new, improved Slack channel.

Hi, everyone. Welcome to our first ever Lakers live chat, brought to you by the Times staffers behind Full-Court Text!

Bill, we can start with the obvious question: what odds would you lay that these two teams face each other in the Finals?

We are joined by Bill Plaschke, the Times' eight-time APSE Sportswriter of the Year. He comes, as always, armed with answers and opinions. Welcome, Bill.

Have questions about the game? LeBron? AD? Kevin Durant? What it's like to tour with Father John Misty? Send them our way over on Twitter at @latimessports and the group will answer right here in the chat.

Lakers three-point favorites, up from two earlier.

Seems a little low. It's the Nets.

Over/under tonight, per William Hill Sportsbook is 230, down from 237 earlier.

Dan and I have been chatting on our virtual backstage and I'm going to go on the record and say that we have a LeBron story that will be worth the price of admission alone (and yes we realize the price of admission is free).

Dan and I have been chatting on our virtual backstage and I'm going to go on the record and say that we have a LeBron story that will be worth the price of admission alone (and yes we realize the price of admission is free).

Some notes on the chat -- The way it is like this: Make sure you’re signed up for Full-Court Text, and once you are, just reply to that number with any questions/comments and we’ll do our best to get them to our panelists – as we’ve got some fun ones. Former Lakers guard Andre Ingram can take us inside the lines. Superfans Amy Nicholson, host of one of my favorite podcasts, Unspooled, and drummer Dan Bailey, who plays with Father John Misty, will share their perspectives. And there’s the Times sports staff, with our columnists and the legendary Broderick Turner, who will all be chiming in.

If you’re eager to get more insider intel from Dan, sign up for his group chat service “Full-Court Text.” It’s a lot like this conversation but you get to join in.
Here are more details: https://ukobiw.net/sports/sign-up-for-full-court-text

And, in some breaking news, there's no Dennis Schröder tonight either , as he's a late scratch because of the NBA's COVID health and safety protocols. That could mean A LOT of different things (a positive test, an inconclusive test, possible exposure etc.) We should have more details on that later.

Hey everyone, welcome to the LA Times live chat for Nets-Lakers – a game with some of the biggest stars in the league despite some of the biggest stars in the league not playing because of injury! That’s how crazy it is that LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden are on these two rosters.

(I should add that is tonight is the one-year anniversary, to the day, of my first meeting with my co-host Daniel Woike . We had eggs in a Chicago hotel lobby bar. He complained about the editing of a long Kobe story that was running that weekend. Happy anniversary, bud.)

I'm Chris Stone, the Times executive sports editor and co-host of tonight's live chat. The regular season can be a slog and mid-February is typically as sloggy as it gets in the NBA. But this week at Staples, there's a real whiff of summer, when the games really matter. The Clips are going back-to-back with Jazz (and how many casual fans out of 100 would guess Utah has the league's best record?) and those matchups sandwich tonight's Lakers-Nets game, a potential Finals preview. We have some great guests who have plenty of knowledge and opinions to drop throughout the course of the evening, so please liberally toss your questions our way.