NBA GM Survey: Love for LeBron, Anthony Davis Snubbed... Plus, Pau Gasol retires

LeBron is the King of NBA 2K22 and Jeanie Buss Hates the NBA's Play-in Tournament!: Few topics generate more controversy among NBA players than their 2K rating, so it's no shock that Wednesday's release of the new NBA 2K22 numbers had a bunch of ballers up in arms. Even as high a rating as 96 (out of 100) feels like a slight if you're LeBron James. On the plus side, it also made him the #1 ranked player, just edging out fellow 96-ers Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokoumnpo and Steph Curry! Oh, the grudges that will be launched (and relaunched)! In the meantime, feels like a weird thing to say, but LeBron remaining the best in a video game heading into year 19 is a pretty amazing achievement, even if he'd take issue with the metrics creating the score. Speaking of formats, Lakers owner Jeanie Buss revealed in an interview with The Athletic that she's not a fan of the play-in tournament, both because she doesn't think it's fair to seven and eight seeds who could lose a postseason berth, but by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

35 min listen

The Bulls Slow Anthony Davis and Torch the Lakers' Defense. Could Frank Vogel's Seat Get Hot?: Through 14 games, the 2021-22 season for the Lakers had been a struggle, filled with injuries, frustration and inconsistency. But there had been at least some signs, here and there, that things might be improving. Anthony Davis has been pretty excellent throughout. Russell Westbrook has been growing incrementally better, some intermittent Westbrookian hiccups notwithstanding. LeBron James should be returning soon. So with all that, the Lakers took the floor Monday against the Chicago Bulls in something of a test game, as they head out Tuesday to start their first real road trip of the season. They failed. Badly. Chicago outplayed L.A. in every meaningful facet, reminding everyone that this Lakers group is a very long way from true title contention. How they navigate the path towards that elite level remains to be seen, but it'll be one with a lot more tension and speculation than anything th by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

32 min listen

LeBron James Hasn't Signaled About a Contract Extension, and Anthony Davis is Shooting Again!: Anthony Davis was back at the facility Tuesday, working with the famous/infamous "Lethal Shooter," a somewhat controversial shooting coach who has worked with a bunch of NBA players, including some current Lakers. So you now have a fairly comical situation where fans were upset that he hadn't been shooting, and now are upset at who he's shooting with. And meanwhile, LeBron James, famous for subtweeting teammates on a variety of issues, has spent the week posting to social media all kinds of excited motivational messages about next season, including workout videos. So is A.D.'s public return to the gym a response to LeBron's social posts? Probably not! But that folks are asking the question reflects the levels of angst people feel about the team and Davis in particular after a first round playoff exit was followed by the tire fire of the 2021-22 season. More potential angst comes from James an by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

31 min listen

Is Montrezl Harrell Leaving the Lakers Rotation?: Anthony Davis has been back for two games, and the statistics haven't been good. At what point might Lakers fans get concerned? How much time does Davis need to reach peak playoff form? What about the center rotation? Has Frank Vogel decided to make changes, in the wake of some disappointing play from Montrezl Harrell, who was a DNP-CD Saturday in Dallas? Finally, Lakers governor Jeanie Buss revealed her list of the most important Lakers of all time, including Kobe and Magic, Kareem, LeBron and Phil Jackson. But who are the least important players to wear the purple and gold? Hosts: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky Segment 1: Anthony Davis was 5-19 in his second game back from injury. Was there improvement the numbers didn't show? Segment 2: Montrezl Harrell was a DNP-CD Saturday in Dallas. Is Frank Vogel ready to shake up his center rotation? Segment 3: Jeanie Buss revealed her list of the five most important players in Lakers history. W by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

36 min listen

Is LeBron James Almost Back? Is Frank Vogel the Lakers' Biggest Offseason Priority?: ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reports that LeBron James is getting close to a return from his high ankle sprain, maybe hitting the court sometime this week. How quickly can James get his feet under him, and what does his return mean for guys like Dennis Schröder, who have thrived in outsized roles in his absence? Meanwhile, Woj also reports the Lakers will spend the summer putting together a contract extension for Frank Vogel. What has made Vogel, at best the team's third choice a couple summers ago, such a success? Finally, what's remarkable about the sale of a LeBron James rookie card for $5.2 million isn't the $5.2 million... HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky SEGMENT 1: James is (almost) back. After Monday's game, Anthony Davis and Vogel spoke about the need for players like Schröder to stay aggressive once he's back, continuing to guide the offense and punish opponents when the opportunities present. by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

29 min listen

Seriously... Is Anthony Davis playing more Center? Plus, ESPN's Experts on the Lakers and LeBron!: "Anthony Davis at center" has been perhaps the biggest talking point for the Lakers over the last two seasons. Despite the way AD thrives in the middle, and the way the team follows suit with him at 5, he has famously preferred to spend the majority of his minutes at power forward. However, there have been signs an increased willingness to put his preferences aside for the bigger picture, the most recent coming via report from The Athletic's Bill Oram. What would it mean for the Lakers if this really is the case next season? In the meantime, you know the season is close, because ESPN cranking out expert panel polls around 2021-22 season predictions. Inevitably, the Lakers and various members of the team popped up, with high showings in categories as wide-ranging as "Team Turnaround," "Team Turmoil," and "Most Likely to win the West." On the surface, these results may feel incongruent. by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

36 min listen

Do Lakers Fans Want LeBron, Anthony Davis to Play In 2024 Olympics? We asked. You Answered.: Next summer, LeBron James will have finished his 21st season, and will be pushing 40 years old. Anthony Davis will be a year older, and even in his early 30s, no less injury prone than he is today, at the very least. They will, hopefully, both be coming off a long, long playoff run. Ideally, one ending in a parade. So the notion they'd turn around and play for Team USA in the Paris Olympics in 2024 right after that might give some Lakers fans pause. Or maybe not. Turns out, at least based on some relatively unscientific polling of Lakers fans, a majority want to see both guys repping the red, white and blue next summer. Whatever the reason, from the enjoyment and pride of seeing the best play for Team USA to the story it would be for LeBron to get one more Olympic gold to the cool factor for many fans of watching players from their franchise play internationally, the fear of injury or fatigue s by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

31 min listen

LeBron James is Hurting. Anthony Davis is Healing. The Lakers are Reeling.: Monday, Frank Vogel all but said LeBron James won't play Tuesday night thanks to the bum ankle he turned Sunday in New Orleans. Anthony Davis, however, practiced and while he (like James) is listed as doubtful for tonight in Dallas, there's a chance he'll be back on the floor perhaps as early as Thursday (in Utah) or Friday (at home vs. the Pellies). But as this season moves relentlessly to what seems like an inevitably disappointing conclusion, it's worth asking how much it's worth getting either back on the floor. Does LeBron risk using up whatever physical juice he has left in a way that could impact next season, too? Could he be compounding injuries in a way that might carry forward? Does Davis have important reasons to play, even if it ultimately doesn't amount to much for the Lakers as a group? And why should anyone on this team get to avoid the public embarrassment of losing in the play-in? Plus... Vogel by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

33 min listen

Are the Lakers Ready to Fire Frank Vogel?: On Tuesday's show, we noted how Monday's win over Utah was arguably the most impressive of the season for the Lakers. For Frank Vogel, it might have been the most important, too. Tuesday, multiple basketball insiders reported that the Lakers were on the verge of firing their head coach, if the Lakers would have been blown out by the Jazz in similar fashion to their previous three games. Instead, he is reportedly being evaluated "game to game." Like, double secret probation! Except it's not a secret, anymore. Sooooooo much to discuss. Would firing Vogel solve the problems the Lakers are looking to solve? Could they find someone better, this deep into the season? Is better even the point, or is the goal more to light a fire under the team? They wouldn't let Kurt Rambis take the interim role, would they? Would they? How much blame does Vogel deserve for everything that's happened this year? How does it reflect on the Lakers to let Vogel go m by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

34 min listen

Westbrook For 6th Man of the Year? Could LeBron Enter the MVP Race? Plus, Lakers Trade Targets!: Our friends at Betonline have put out a fresh set of odds for postseason awards, as teams near the halfway point of the NBA season (it's coming quickly, folks). What's interesting about the Lakers in this area is, primarily, that so few Lakers are even mentioned. Guys like Anthony Davis, who had briefly put themselves on the board for MVP and Defensive Player of the Year, are now off it. Only Russell Westbrook remains, and not only is he a betting favorite for Sixth Man of the Year, he's the betting favorite. Should he be? It's certainly a strange year for 6MOY, without a ton of obvious candidates on really strong teams. And certainly Westbrook has made a good pitch, and has a compelling narrative (and we can tell you, narrative is a huge factor in media-driven awards). But would someone like Jordan Poole (Golden State) or Malcolm Brogdon (Boston) be more worthy? Will the same media priming by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

31 min listen

What is a Realistic Timeline for LeBron James to Return? Plus, the Lakers Retire Pau Gasol's #16!: Of late, The Athletic's Shams Charania hasn't exactly been the bearer of good news for Lakers fans. And Monday, talking with FanDuelTV, wasn't much different. Charania noted that while the Lakers are going to re-evaluate LeBron James after three weeks, there is certainly some belief that the actual length of LeBron's absence could extend past that mark. Well past it, potentially, calling into serious question just how much regular season action James might get before a (hypothetical) play-in matchup. Or whether the Lakers can hang on long enough to even make those last few games meaningful. And what exactly will be the considerations the Lakers and LeBron make when deciding whether LeBron can/should return to action? It's all very speculative and super-unpleasant for the Lakers, and puts that much more pressure on Anthony Davis to elevate the team, D'Angelo Russell to get back on the floo by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

36 min listen

LeBron Leads Early All-Star Voting, Talks About Media Accountability: The first release of All-Star voting is always a fun day in the NBA, especially for two guys who are not at all precious about who gets in or who might not (like say the hosts of this show). So seeing Carmelo Anthony cracking the top 10 among Western Conference forwards despite not playing at an All Star level? Whatever! If that's what the fans want, all good. Frankly, it's disappointing to see that Lakers fans couldn't give Austin Reaves the Alex Caruso treatment, and push him into the Top 10 among W.C. guards. Bigger Issue: Russell Westbrook (due to play) and Anthony Davis (due to availability) may not be on the team. And for a squad built around All Stars, that helps explain why the Lakers have been mired around .500 all year. From there, Frank Vogel and Dwight Howard talked about sacrifice as more guys come back to the roster. There will be guys currently playing significant roles who will have to sit as Kendrick by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

34 min listen

Is LeBron James Playing in the 2024 Olympics? Anthony Davis, Too? Is That a Good Idea?: Team USA suffered some real embarrassment in the World Cup, finishing without a medal of any color following the loss to Canada in the bronze medal game over the weekend. And when Team USA loses with less than its best, typically that's the bat signal for the Avengers to assemble and start getting ready for the next big tournament. In this case, it's the biggest tourney of all - the 2024 Paris Olympics, and the Avengers, led by LeBron James, have reportedly responded. That's LeBron, Steph, KD, AD, Draymond... even CP3 was noted in the report (as if he has any business playing on a team like that at this point in his career). Fortunately, other players like Devin Booker, De'Aaron Fox and Jayson Tatum are also included in the group, keeping it from going full into a hoops version of The Expendables, but it's still an older group. But more importantly for Lakers fans, do you want LeBron playing in this by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

32 min listen

2021-22 Season Predictions: Will LeBron James and the Lakers Win an NBA Championship?: IT BEGINS TODAY! The Lakers kick off the 2021-22 NBA season, against the Golden State Warriors. So what's going to happen this year? It's time to make some big predictions. But first, a little more housekeeping as the Lakers finalized their roster. They returned another familiar face to El Segundo, claiming Avery Bradley off waivers after the veteran guard was cut by Golden State at the end of the preseason. Bradley will provide a little bit of depth as the Lakers recover from injury, and in theory at least could help bolster a backcourt short on defenders. Then again, there's no guarantee he'll be on the team in six weeks. Why did they go this direction, when help on the wings remains a much more pressing need from a roster construction perspective? Then, Frank Vogel talked about keeping LeBron James's minutes around 34 a game. Same with Russell Westbrook and Anthony Davis. Is that too many? Just by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

37 min listen

The Lakers Most Likely to Win MVP and Other Fun Futures Bets... Plus, Klutch Gets Sued: Vegas doesn't know everything, but they're a pretty good barometer of the landscape at any given time, and the folks at Betonline have numbers out on the 2021-22 season. Not surprisingly, the Lakers and Brooklyn Nets are prohibitive favorites to win the title. Like, way out ahead of the rest of the pack. Maybe the over/under on wins might feel a little low (52.5), but when you consider the potential for injury, the premium on rest, the idea the Lakers may not go full throttle for seeding, and some early growing pains given the total roster overhaul... maybe not? But the most interesting stuff is in the futures bets. What are the early odds on Frank Vogel's Coach of the Year candidacy? Did they get stronger or weaker following the Westbrook deal? What about LeBron for MVP? Might it be wise to lay down a couple bucks on James, given where he stands on the list? (Spoiler alert: Yes.) What about Anthon by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

31 min listen

Will the Lakers extend Frank Vogel's contract? Plus, the center rotation!: With all the hoopla and shiny objects providing constant distractions during trade SZN and free agency SZN, it became easy to forget the Lakers still haven't worked out an extension for head coach Frank Vogel. Given that he led the team to a title two seasons ago... what's up with that? The Kamenetzkys discuss a recent article from The Athletic's Bill Oram detailing the coach's current lame duck status, then offer some thoughts on the potential reasons for the delay. Obviously, it could be nothing more than delayed housekeeping, with other issues (the Russell Westbrook trade, filling out a new roster) reasonably taking a higher priority. But is this possibly indicative of a lacking commitment to Vogel? After all, he wasn't even close to the team's first choice during the hiring search, and if you're into dot connecting and narrative following, new lead assistant coach David Fizdale is a respected, experienced pr by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

37 min listen

Will the Lakers' New Offense Work? Should Kent Bazemore Start? (LeBron James, Anthony Davis Will Help Decide.): With the regular season about 24 hours from launching, there's been a lot of talk about the Lakers' 0-6 preseason, what could be the explanation(s), and whether those goose eggs even matter. (Plus, how best to go about actually winning some games once they count.) As far as explanations go, it's worth noting the Lakers aren't just fitting together a ton of new faces. They're doing so while implementing an offense that even holdovers LeBron James and Anthony Davis don't entirely know yet. Frank Vogel described it as "intelligent movement through randomness," a very Radiohead-esque way of saying there will be a lot of motion and cutting. Does it make sense to add "learn a different way of playing" to the plate of a roster that's already lacking continuity? In the Kamenetzkys' estimation, it certainly could. As far as winning games goes, who starts will obviously play a role in by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

37 min listen

Should LeBron James Go for a Scoring Title? Plus, Frank Vogel Criticizes the Roster Construction: We're about 24 hours out from the Lakers being eliminated from the postseason, and already the finger pointing, explicit and implied, has started. Frank Vogel talked to Bill Oram at The Athletic about the problems with the roster, and how they undercut the team's ability to play defense. In a report from Eric Pincus, the front office seemed to be blaming injuries and LeBron James pushing the Westbrook deal. Oh, and LeBron might be gunning for a scoring title that will annoy the heck out of a decent chunk of the fan base. But aside from that, the (might as well be) offseason is off to a great start. For fans hoping to see some accountability, there's still time! Lots of it, really! (But it's understandable if you're a little nervous.) HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky SEGMENT 1: LeBron might go for a scoring title, after missing two critical games with an ankle injury. How will fans react by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

34 min listen

Kobe Bryant Enters the Hall of Fame: Thoughts on a Legendary Lakers Career: There's been a lot of talk of late about Lakers glory, and their iconic players. After several months of waiting, the franchise unveiled the 2020 championship banner Wednesday night, which capped a strange title run, and 2021 hasn't gotten any less weird. It joins 16 other banners, several of which are connected to Jerry West, who just voiced deep offense to being omitted from Jeanie Buss' recent (and totally offhand) list of the top 5 Most Important Lakers of all-time. While he absolutely should be on such a list, his outrage feels, frankly, a little much. From there, talk of Kobe Bryant's posthumous Hall of Fame induction, which will take place over the weekend. This will undoubtedly be a bittersweet moment for Bryant's family, peers and basketball fans. We recount our 10 seasons covering Kobe, and what made him so endlessly fascinating. Hosts: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky SEGMENT 1: The Lakers dropped their 1 by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

34 min listen

Darvin Ham Will Be Introduced as Lakers Head Coach on Monday. What Do You Want to Hear?: Three-plus years ago, the Lakers introduced Frank Vogel as head coach in a press conference where he was an afterthought, thanks to a missed postseason, Magic Johnson's abrupt departure, Luke Walton's firing, coaching search shenanigans, and more. Later today (Monday), Darvin Ham will be introduced to replace Vogel, and while the team is hardly in a perfect place, there should be at least less overall angst. That should help make the day one of greater optimism, where Ham will have the opportunity to really make an impression on the city and his future players. What should Lakers fans want to hear from Ham? What are the most interesting questions that could be asked in order to get a feel for who he might become as head coach. And once everyone is done with Darvin, what questions are there for Rob Pelinka, who still hasn't spent a ton of time addressing Lakers media (and by extension, Lakers fans)? by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

31 min listen

LeBron Says He Wants to Retire (many years from now) as a Laker! Plus, the Lakers' Draft Needs.: As part of his Space Jam promotional tour, LeBron James appeared on the "Smartless" podcast with Will Arnett, Jason Bateman and Sean Hayes, and among many subjects, touched on his basketball future. In a nutshell, he wants to play another several years, and all of them in a Laker uniform. What's crazy is how absolutely sane the notion of him playing well into his forties feels. LeBron also talked about his future in Hollywood, and what he could have in common with Denzel Washington, Liam Neeson and The Rock. From there, the Kamenetzkys break down what type of player the Lakers should target with the 22nd pick, assuming they keep it. Should they target a high ceiling, or a high floor? What skills should they covet? Is it even possible to find a multifaceted player late in the first round? Finally, Team USA lost what is ultimately an insignificant game against Nigeria, but basketball fans are by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

31 min listen

LeBron James and the Lakers face a must-win Game 5 Tuesday in Phoenix: The Lakers' season won't literally end if the Lakers lose Game 5 of the opening round series against the Suns, but with a 3-2 deficit and Anthony Davis' status still perhaps uncertain, their lives will be made considerably more difficult. Given the increasing likelihood that AD will be out with a strained groin, the expectation is that LeBron James will have one of his classic nuclear playoff performances to carry the day. What are the approaches and lineups to best allow that to happen? Does it require a role for Talen-Horton Tucker? Marc Gasol starting ahead of Andre Drummond? Just someone who can make multiple three-pointers in the same game? The Kamenetzkys each name a player that absolutely has to step up. Also, Brian offers a theory about why Davis' absence could create a potential advantage. Hosts: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky SEGMENT 1: LeBron has a history of coming up big in critical moments, and this Game by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

39 min listen

Rich Paul Lowers the Temperature Around LeBron James and the Lakers, Plus, Second Half Keys!: So the first day of the rest of their lives starts today! Or at the least, the rest of the Lakers season. Thursday in El Segundo, Frank Vogel was honest about how high the Lakers could reasonably rise in the standings, and focused more on the level of play. Whatever their peak is, can it be reached by playoff time? And speaking of the playoffs, is there a real chance of advancing to the 8 spot? To the 7 seed? How real is the danger of dropping out of the top 10, entirely? The answer is in the schedule, because the Lakers will spend the next month facing teams they're chasing (like the Clippers, for example) and teams chasing them (New Orleans and San Antonio, to name two). Additionally, they play a lot on road, where they've ... not done well. So a lot of scenarios are still live! Fun! Finally, after some serious heat over the All-Star break around LeBron James and his relationship with the La by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

33 min listen

LeBron James Exits Covid Protocols! Frank Vogel Takes Control! Plus, Previewing Lakers vs. Clippers...: Well, we learned what LeBron James found fishy! It was Tuesday's positive COVID-19 test, which entered him into the NBA's health and safety protocols and forced him to miss that night's game against the Kings. Considering Anthony Davis said LeBron told him he felt asymptomatic, it makes sense that The King thought his results might be a little wonky. And Thursday, the league announced LeBron had returned two negative PCR tests, and it cleared him to play. Obviously, great news for a Lakers squad trying to build momentum, and also find their best floor combinations and rotations. (Speaking of which, Frank Vogel after during Thursday's practice - before the announcement about LeBron - that Dwight Howard, on the heels of a strong performance Tuesday against the Kings, would start tonight's game against the Clippers. Whether that changes with LeBron available remains to be seen, but eith by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

34 min listen

LeBron James Gives an Injury Update (Sort of), D'Angelo Russell Opens Up about his Lakers Future: Updates about LeBron James and his injured foot have come out in drips and drabs, and have almost always been couched in very vague language that promises nothing and leaves only a sort of broad, general impression about what might maybe happen, perhaps with a week left in the season or maybe four days or possibly eight or maybe none. Point being, nobody has been saying anything even a little bit definitive. But perhaps it's still been too definitive for James, who put out his own update on social media, which let folks know what he's been up to and also did the SMH at "sources" out there. Granted, LeBron's update was equally fuzzy as anything else that's been reported, and didn't even really refute anything. So what was the point of putting it out there? Time to read some tea leaves! From there, the length of James's absence, combined with the quality of play from Austin Reaves, has some by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

32 min listen

LeBron James Confirms He's Not Retiring (SHOCKER!!!) and Darvin Ham Has Words For Mike Malone: It's official. During Wednesday's ESPY Awards, LeBron James confirmed he's not retiring and will return to the Lakers. You may go on living the lives you were already engaged in with no change whatsoever. But all jokes aside, while the news wasn't necessarily even news by this point, there was some interesting psychology with LeBron's theatricality, as well as what we suspect was actually going on in his head when he floated the idea of hanging up his sneaks for good. In the meantime, Darvin Ham is nothing if not confident. So when visiting the #thisleague UNCUT podcast with Chris Haynes and Marc Stein, maybe it shouldn't be surprising that Ham had some spicy moments. Those 10 teams that passed him up and hired other guys? They "****ed up, royally," he said. Denver coach Mike Malone, who (along with his team) spent an unusual amount of post-title time talking about beating the Lakers? Ham hea by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

30 min listen

What do Lakers Fans Want in the NBA Finals? (and Did the 2019 Raptors Give the Lakers a Blueprint for Anthony Davis?): The NBA Finals are here... have Lakers fans checked out? We fire up the Twitter polling machine to find out. For those fans who are still engaged, what are the best stories? Is it possible to root for a team with Jae Crowder on it? Why does Chris Paul make it so hard to be happy for his success? The Bucks have some guys, too. Jrue Holiday is one of the best guys the league has to offer. So is Khris Middleton. And what if the Bucks win... and Giannis barely plays? Lord help us all. From there, we open the mailbag. A great question from listener/viewer Jim Joes: " What's up fellas, my first question is.... Should the Lakers do what the Raptors did in 2019 this upcoming season where they started Marc against big 5's and they started small with (Pascal) Siakam at the 5 this season instead of just playing A.D. at the 5 to end the 1st and sometimes 4th quarters." The answer by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

34 min listen

The Lakers are Officially Eliminated From Playoff Contention. So What Comes Next?: We all knew it was coming, but still, it's surreal to think that after Tuesday's 121-110 loss to the Suns in Phoenix that the Lakers, who came into the season with so much hype and equal amounts of hope, won't even be in the NBA's play-in tournament. They were officially eliminated from contention. The collapse has been stunning and total, and came pretty quickly considering the Lakers were a 24-24 squad late in January. Things didn't look good them, but this end point didn't seem like a real possibility, either. So Frank Vogel looked like a guy who knows his time with the team is running short, which makes sense given the team's success, his relative performance, and the total lack of faith shown in him by the organization coming into the year. What remains to be seen, however, is how much the front office will think of Vogel as a scapegoat, lessening their own culpability. How much did the unending pre by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

32 min listen

The Effect of LeBron's Impending Return, Frank Vogel's Job Security and The Lakers' Best Lineups.: LeBron James is officially listed as questionable for tonight's game in Boston against the Celtics, and ESPN's Dave McMenamin has reported that sources close to the situation peg him as "50/50." It's hard to feel completely confident about LeBron's availability today, given his recently slower recoveries from injuries, and the general malaise created this season by poor health, but there's little doubt his presence alone should help get the Lakers headed in a better direction. (Although frankly, if the team plays like they did against Milwaukee on the rest of this road trip, even without LeBron, they should win some games.) And the timing of LeBron's return matters. Not just for the team, but quite possibly for Frank Vogel's job security. The franchise didn't offer him much in the way of a commitment with a one-year extension, and should this turbulent start to the season continue, it's e by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

34 min listen

The "Russell Westbrook Experience" - How It Impacts LeBron James, Anthony Davis and the Lakers: So 11 games in, Lakers fans (and Lakers coaches, Lakers players and Lakers management) are learning a lot about what it means to be a team featuring Russell Westbrook. The extremes are striking, particularly now while he's not playing particularly well in the aggregate. Is it something people were totally prepared for? How is it impacting the way the Lakers play? And perhaps most importantly, when it's all said and done, how does Westbrook's presence impact the effectiveness of LeBron James and Anthony Davis as a pairing? Because for the last two seasons, there has been an assumption that the combination of Davis and James, if healthy and playing at their top level, automatically makes the Lakers strong title contenders, almost independent of what surrounds them. Given LeBron's new struggles with health, is that still true? And critically, does the addition of Westbrook enhance that partner by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

36 min listen

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NBA GM Survey: Love for LeBron, Anthony Davis Snubbed... Plus, Pau Gasol retires

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