Seriously Lakers, Good Job, Good Effort

Well, Car Flag Nation, you can't say I didn't warn you. And you can't say I didn't warn the Ham. The Ham wanted his smoke, and the Ham got his smoke, and it was all pretty predictable in the end. But I can give the Lake Show this much, they at least made it competitive. Seriously Lakers, GOOD JOB, GOOD EFFORT.

See Car Flaggers, I'm not just a hater. Just because I don't have car flags affixed to my sled doesn't mean I can't be fair. The Lake Show did everything they could last night to avoid the INEVITABLE. It's just that the INEVITABLE was, well, INEVITABLE.

Yeah sure, the Lakers led for a bunch of the series. And played Denver pretty damn tough for most of the series. Just not in any of the parts that counted the most. 

In the end, Ham was always gonna ham. And Street Clothes was always gonna Street Clothes at the worst possible time. And LeBag, as amazing as he somehow still is on the floor, was always gonna LeBag it up. 

And of course, maybe more importantly than all, there was always gonna be a fall guy. And that fall guy was always gonna be the Smoked Ham. Who I guess you can now call Cooked Ham. Or Burnt Ham. Or Grilled Ham. Or Scorched Ham. Or Charred Ham.  Or Fat Ham

Basically, if you’re getting ready for work this morning, and your name is HAM, you better have that bald dome on a swivel. And look, I don’t want to pile on the man. And I don't want to take any credit from Denver. So let me give them some credit right now, starting with that cold blooded, dead eyed closer Jamal Murray.

They tried to sit this dude down last night and tell him to rest his bum calf. Denver didn't want to risk it, and it was understandable, but I respect the hell out of Jamal for refusing to take no for an answer. 

And then Murray didn't just play 41 minutes on that bum calf, he balled the hell out on that bum calf for 41 minutes. And when it came time to stick the dagger all the way in, you know this dude DID NOT FLINCH.

Not one but two daggers in this series. If Jamal Murray's not careful, he's gonna start getting prank phone calls like, yo Jamal can you hear me Jamal??? Remember when you played for the Nuggets? Did you kill the Lakers???

I’m not going to say Denver is unbeatable.  In fact, I was disappointed in the way they started and played for much of game six. But it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish.  And in the end, Denver closed like the champs they are. Jamal and the Nuggets closed like grizzled, experienced winners. And the Lake Show closed like... The Lake Show. The Lakers closed that game like they couldn't wait to get to the good part of the season. The offseason part of the season. LeBag's true specialty. 

And look, I can't say it enough, LeBron is incredible in these games, and he was again last night. He's remarkable on the court at age 39 and nobody can say otherwise. He's also undeniable that he's remarkably baggy as soon as the buzzer hits. 

First LeBag peaces out on the Nuggets right at the buzzer, no handshakes, no bro hugs, no well-done guys for kicking our asses 8 out of 9 playoff games and sending us off to Cabo the last two years in a row. In other words, no class.

And you know if there’s drama to be manufactured in the post-game, then LeBag is gonna go out of his way to manufacture some. That's how he got the gloss LeBag in the first place. You knew LeBag just couldn’t help but LeBag it up after that series. And make it all about his uncertain future rather than the very certain failure we all just watched. You just knew he was gonna do something like this.

Of course, everyone took that bait, and of course, all anyone is talking about this morning is LeCap’s future. Cue the unbelievably predictable article in The Athletic this morning, basically explaining that the Lakers are desperate to keep LeGM. So desperate that they’re even considering drafting Bronny to appease LeGM. GEE, that didn't take long.

I wonder how exactly that works, does LeGM leak this stuff directly? Or does LeGM instruct his assistant Rob Lowe Pelinka to do it? Does LeGM let the Laker brain trust know in advance that he will be using his powers as LeGM to select his own kid?

Great plan Lake Show, you’re clearly not good enough in back to back seasons, so why not go draft a player who clearly isn't good enough to play in the league? That should help. Sure, go ahead, take this opportunity to appease a dude who will be 40 years old by this time next year. What could go wrong?

Something tells me LeCap isn't going anywhere if the Lakers are so desperate to keep him that they'll even take Bronny. But the fact that I even have to utter the name Bronny this morning is just a testament to LeBag's never-ending bagginess off the court... Just as much as that series was a testament to his never-ending greatness on the court.

So rather than spend anymore time on that, let me shout out Denver one more time. My guy Michael Malone, way to coach the other dude right out of his job. Jamal Murray, way to be stone cold clutch. Joker, way to be the Joker, even if it was a bit of struggle last night.   Michael Porter Jr, way to step up and seemingly hit every single big shot Denver needed the entire series.

And I also feel like I should take this opportunity to say goodbye to the Charred Ham. I don't know how long he has left in this job. But Burnt Ham certainly seemed to know he was Burnt Ham after the game last night.

Oh you mean the Ears In-Season Tournament wasn't the ultimate prize? Because y'all hung a banner, I thought that's what that meant.

Yeah, the Ham is a goner and he knows it. And it has been a helluva two years, he's right about that. A helluva two years for underachieving. A helluva two years for getting wiped out of the playoffs by the Nuggets. And a helluva two years for LeBag absolutely LeBagging it up.  And it goes without the incredible baggery is only now beginning, and you know LeBag is going to love every last second of it, as he makes it about himself and strings everyone out as to whether or not he’s coming or going. Because when it comes to that sort of baggery, there is no debate: he's absolutely the goat when it comes to that. 

It’s been 21 seasons, can this be the last press conference of your bagginess?