Tag: channing frye

Former NBA player identifies team he would want Bronny James to join

NBA analyst Channing Frye thinks one NBA team could really help Bronny James evolve.

Turner Sports NBA analyst Channing Frye joined the Dan Patrick Show before the NBA draft. He discussed why, if Bronny James was his son, he’d want him to be drafted by Gregg Popovich and the San Antonio Spurs to play with Victor Wembanyama.

There is plenty of speculation surrounding Bronny James before the NBA draft, but the likely outcome is that he will go to the Los Angeles Lakers. It is probable that he will go to the Lakers at pick No. 55, but there is also a chance he could go undrafted and will then sign a two-way contract with the Lakers. If the Lakers do not take Bronny at No. 55, the Dallas Mavericks could take Bronny a few picks later at the very end of the draft. Do the Lakers want to bring Bronny into the fold so much that they will use their 55th pick on LeBron James’ son, or will the Lakers bank on Bronny being undrafted and therefore being able to sign a contract right after the draft ends? We’re all about to find out.

Here’s more from Channing Frye, below:

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Channing Frye blames Anthony Davis for Lakers’ problems

Former NBA big man Channing Frye thinks one man is mostly to blame for all that has gone wrong with the Lakers.

The Los Angeles Lakers are 0-5 after losing to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday, and there is no shortage of blame.

According to various people, the Lakers are struggling because (take your pick) Russell Westbrook is still on the team, the roster is poorly constructed, LeBron James and Anthony Davis don’t have enough offensive support around them, James is too old, James doesn’t care about winning anymore and only cares about his own stats, etc.

There is also a contingent of fans and observers who think Davis has caused a good chunk of the Lakers’ problems. They cite his tendency to get injured and what they see as declining performance over the last two years.

Former NBA big man Channing Frye seems to be in that camp.

Via Lakers Daily:

“Frye began by claiming that Anthony Davis needs to shoulder some of the blame for the team’s struggles.

“‘This is not about LeBron,’ Frye began. ‘This is not about Russ. This is about A.D. This is 92% about A.D. He’s the youngest. He has the ability to play three different positions. … A.D., for the last two or three years, might be the worst jump shooter in the NBA.’

“The 39-year-old definitely has a point. Since the start of the 2020-21 campaign, Davis is shooting 22.7% from beyond the arc.

“Frye continued by saying that James is the only Lakers player that shouldn’t be on the trading block.

“‘Other than LeBron, everyone is on the block,’ he said. ‘It’s just the honest truth. … Take Bron and A.D. off the team, and just put Russ on that team. How many games does this team win? 30? This is a awful team.’

“The University of Arizona product went on to argue that Davis is no longer the player he once was when the Lakers won the title back in 2020.

“A.D. won a championship, give him kudos,’ he said. ‘After that championship, he has not shown any traits that he can replicate that (elite level of play).’

“Frye then delved into the mental and physical issues Davis is currently. He concluded by arguing that the core issue is that James, Davis and Westbrook simply don’t go together. It’s something that many Lakers fans have come to accept.

“‘They don’t work together,’ he said. ‘It’s pizza, sushi and chicken shawarma.'”

Some Lakers fans have wanted Davis traded for the reasons Frye outlined. However, the chances of that happening anytime soon are about as high as a snowstorm hitting Los Angeles this winter.

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The big man is averaging 24 points, 9.5 rebounds, 2.8 steals and 2.3 blocked shots while shooting 52.7% from the field so far this season.

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Channing Frye proposes steep trade for CJ McCollum to Celtics

Former Portland Trail Blazer Channing Frye proposed a pricy trade for former teammate CJ McCollum to the Celtics in a recent podcast.

If the Boston Celtics had an interest in trying to trade for Portland Trail Blazer veteran guard C.J. McCollum, it may have waned a bit after hearing what former teammate Channing Frye believes it would take to get him in green and white.

To be very clear — it does not seem that the Portland guard is on the market, but rather that the topic came up in a recent episode of the “Talkin’ Blazers” podcast, of which Frye is a co-cost.

For teams that would like to add the veteran sharpshooter’s services, the price would evidently be a steep one — to the point it would make little sense for a contending team like Boston to go after if Frye’s assessment were accurate.

“If you want CJ McCollum and somebody, you’d have to give me Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart,” explained Frye on the podcast. “That’s what I see CJ’s value as.”

He would go on to suggest perhaps a deal built around Gordon Hayward and Smart could also work.

On paper, the math for the Brown-Smart deal makes sense financially, but it’s arguable Brown alone is worth more as a player, and when you add in Smart’s value deal it becomes a non-starter.

However, while the financials of a Smart-Hayward deal don’t add up, throwing in a year of Trevor Ariza as a backup wing if the Indiana native were definitely leaving at the end of the season and there were no better deal to be had at least has a leg to stand on.

If you view it as an upgrade from Smart alone with McCollum as the focal point, it’s a definsible move, even if one that isn’t going to happen, and that at least we would pass on.

Smart may still have heat-check games and other creases to his game still in need of ironing out, but he’s matured mightily as a player, becoming a threat on both ends earning several million below his market value.

And while McCollum is a steadier source of offense, what you gain there you lose on defense, making the Blazers guard hard to fit next to starting point guard Kemba Walker.

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LaVar Ball explains origins of Lonzo Ball’s jumper, why he never changed it

In a podcast appearance on Road Trippin’, LaVar Ball explained the origins of Lonzo Ball’s unorthodox jump shot.

Among the many things Lonzo Ball is known for, his jumper is likely the most recognizable aspect of him and his game. Though he’s made changes to it this season that has led to huge dividends, it’s still a remarkably unique shot that immediately made him stand out.

Considering how much boasting LaVar Ball has done about his sons, it is surprising that he allowed his eldest son to progress as far as he did with a jumper that was so unorthodox. That was the very topic of conversation in LaVar’s recent appearance on the Road Trippin’ podcast with Richard Jefferson, Channing Frye and Allie Cliffton.

Jefferson brought up Lonzo’s awkward jumper that eventually had to be changed and asked why LaVar allowed him to play with it for so long, which led to an interesting explanation.

“Lonzo started on the right side and then somehow he started doing the stepback and it went to the left and he was knocking that stepback down. So he’s doing this on the left side and he’s being productive. My thing is this. Do you want a guy who has perfect form and missing every shot or do you want a guy who is shooting raggedy as hell but makes shots. Here’s the thing I always told my boys: Perfect your shot. Your shot is the best shot however you perfect your shot. If you’re doing it with the repetitions and that thing is successful going in, leave it at that. Lonzo put it back on the other side and now he’s making some other shots. But as for the reason, if you have somebody believe in you and you shoot a certain way man and that ball going in, they’re not going to say nothing.”

LaVar does make a fair point in that not all jumpers must look the same. Simply watching a quarter or even a few minutes of an NBA basketball game will confirm that.

However, there is a large gap between relatively subtle differences in jumpers in the NBA and the jumper Lonzo entered with. Similarly, the jumper LaMelo is going to enter the league with will also need changes to it in order for him to become a consistent shooter from range.

The shots are almost certainly a byproduct of LaVar forcing his kids to shoot from long range at a young age before they were physically strong enough. Both had elongated motions that worked more as slingshot motions than jumpers.

Regardless, for all the positives Ball did for his sons in getting them to the league, it came at the price of both Lonzo and LaMelo needing to change a fundamental part of their game.

NBA twitter is roasting Channing Frye for his hot take on Michael Jordan

Channing Frye says NBA players wouldn’t want to play with Michael Jordan in 2020.

ESPN’s documentary series “The Last Dance” has captivated sports fans in recent weeks, and has (unfortunately) reignited all the dormant Michael Jordan arguments on daytime sports television. With very few other sports to watch, analysts and fans really have had nothing better to do than argue about Jordan’s legacy over the last month – but former NBA sharpshooter Channing Frye may have dropped the hottest Jordan take of all.

It should be noted that Frye, who retired in 2019, is very much a LeBron James guy. He arrived in Cleveland in 2016, the year LeBron James carried the Cavs to the Finals and overturned a 3-1 deficit against the Warriors. In any and all GOAT debates, Frye is going to understandably back the guy who got him a ring. Frye is also from Phoenix, and says he wasn’t a Jordan fan growing up.

Even so, this take is hot. On his podcast “Talkin’ Blazers with Channing Frye,” Frye said that Jordan really only had one job for the Bulls which was to score. If Jordan were in his prime today, Frye believes that many players wouldn’t want to play with him.

“So, like, Jordan is amazing, and this is not an argument to say he’s lesser, it’s just my opinion. So I think Jordan’s job on that team was the score, right? He had one of the first teams with two what we call tweeners, Dennis Rodman and Scottie Pippen. Right. Dennis Rodman and Scottie Pippen, and we can throw in Toni Kukoc, we can throw in Ron [Harper], who does not get enough credit… 

He only had really one job, and that was to just score. And he did that at an amazing, amazing rate. But I don’t feel like his way of winning then would translate to what it is now. Guys wouldn’t want to play with him.

I think you have to adjust and adapt, and to say, ‘Jordan would average 50.’ No he wouldn’t. No he wouldn’t. Everyone would double-team him.”

Frye spent 14 years in the NBA and played for six different franchises. He had hundreds of teammates. He knows the NBA better than most ever will, and it’s safe to say he has a better understanding of the average NBA psyche than most analysts and fans. He might be right that players might shy away from playing alongside MJ! After all, we’ve heard those same takes about players allegedly not wanting to play with LeBron. Still, unsurprisingly, fans were outraged by his take.

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LeBron says that ESPN can’t fire Richard Jefferson because ‘you’re my friend’

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James delivered a light flex during his appearance on the Road Trippin’ podcast on Wednesday.

Just in case it wasn’t clear, even in the era of a global pandemic, the James Family moves in different ways than the rest of us. LeBron asserted such ability to move during an appearance on the Road Trippin’ podcast from his sports media company UNINTERRUPTED featuring Channing Frye, Richard Jefferson, and Allie Clifton that aired on Thursday.

During the conversation, everyone started letting their hair down, especially due to the fact that everyone has been in lockdown over the last couple of weeks in order to flatten the widespread of the coronavirus. And in the midst of that, Richard Jefferson was vulnerable about saying things that could cause him to leave ESPN, which LeBron assured wouldn’t happen because he’s LeBron’s friend. Watch to the end of the clip below.

LeBron has never shied away from his role as a boss or a godfather in the world. In fact, Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Godfather” remains one of his favorite movies and he also likes to study the families that have run the country. That may prove to be a proper method of study amidst the times of coronavirus.

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LeBron James believes body was rounding ‘third base’ before shutdown

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James said that his body is feeling confused after preparing all year for the playoffs before the hiatus.

Aside from an Instagram Live appearance last week, we haven’t heard much from LeBron James about how he is holding up during the NBA’s current hiatus, which has no immediate end in sight. It’s easy to forget that only a few days before the NBA shut down, LeBron and the Lakers had just capped off their best weekend of the season, including a home win against the league-leading Milwaukee Bucks and their first win of the season against the L.A. Clippers. It appeared they were rounding into form and that they had a legitimate shot at catching the Bucks for the best record in the league. All of that has been paused, which created confusion for LeBron’s body.

Although James has been solid for much of the season, he trains his body to start peaking close to playoff time and we were only about a month from the postseason. That led to LeBron’s body not knowing how to react, which he told Allie Clifton, Richard Jefferson and Channing Frye of the Road Trippin’ Podcast from LeBron’s UNINTERRUPTED.

LeBron has often pushed back on the notion that he should rest more often, noting that his body feels better when he does play. How he is feeling during this hiatus seems to support that theory, although many have always had their own ideas on how LeBron should maximize himself. However, it’s clear that LeBron and the rest of the NBA don’t have a very clear idea on how to proceed during a time where they’d usually be preparing for the playoffs.

Also, it will lead to more important questions about when the NBA is able to come back, how much time players will need to get back into form after being stuck in quarantine.

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LeBron appearing on next episode of Road Trippin’ with Richard Jefferson, Channing Frye and Allie Clifton

LeBron James will appear on next episode of Road Trippin’ with Richard Jefferson, Channing Frye and Allie Clifton according to a post he shared on Instagram.

According to a social media post that LeBron James shared on Wednesday, he will be appearing on the next episode of Road Trippin‘ with Richard Jefferson, Channing Frye and Allie Clifton. James shared a zoom meeting image with his two former Cleveland Cavaliers teammates and Clifton, who covered the Cavs championship team for Fox Sports Ohio before moving on to cover the Los Angeles Lakers.

During an appearance on the podcast with RJ and company in March of 2017, LeBron discussed crying while watching “The Lion King.” He also discussed the episode of “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” when Will Smith’s father arrives to take part in his son’s life but then leaves as another show that’s made him cry. James then adds–“real men cry.”

“Another episode of @roadtrippin coming to y’all tomorrow with me!” LeBron wrote on Instagram alongside the zoom meeting image with the Road Trippin’ crew. “Who???? Me, the guy on the bottom left. Oh yeah I remember him now! Hahaha!!!

“@richardajefferson @channingfrye You 2 suck and get on my nerves and that’s why I love y’all! 🤣❤️🙏🏾. @al.clifton without you on this nothing would have got done! Thanks for being the ⚓️holding it down! 💪🏾. Stay tune. 👑

 

 

During another appearance, this time in December of 2017, LeBron was a guest along with Dwyane Wade. The Hall of Fame PB&J duo were both members of the Cavs at the time. Wade and James shared a number of epic vacation stories during the episode. There’s a good chance LeBron will have a few more stories to tell during his next appearance on the Uninterrupted network he owns with Maverick Carter.

To explore more episodes in the podcast library for Road Trippin’ click here. You can also find any of the Uninterrupted content here.

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