This is an IHeart podcast.

You're tuned in to Heat Check with Trista Crick.

On this episode of the Heat Check, it's a special bonus episode with Steve Ashburner,

who is the senior writer for NBA.com.

He has also been in the business a very long time.

He's a savant when it comes to the league.

He covers a ton of ground in this interview

from the changes in Atlanta and Dallas

to now the LeBron James Liss Lakers

and their chances for just making it into the playoffs.

Really great interview conducted on my show, BitMGM Tonight.

Let's get into it. Nick, drop that generic ass beat.

All right, so we start this interview out with the breaking news about LeBron James and his ankle injury or his foot injury or whatever it is.

Steve breaks down that before we pivot into a discussion about the pelicans.

He's so knowledgeable, guys.

So listen in.

Yeah, hi, guys.

Thanks for having me on.

If it truly is several weeks, and if that's not just throwing the marker out there to give him an opportunity to look like Willis Reed from back in the day and coming back when he's least expected, if it's legit, then it's going to be very difficult for the Lakers to climb up into serious playoff contention.

Now, I'm not going to say they can't snag a

play-in spot, you know, to get, I mean, they're only, what, a couple of games behind if that

from the temp seed, but to think that they can, with the new personnel and with LeBron

...