2021-22 Season Predictions: Will LeBron James and the Lakers Win an NBA Championship?

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

Why LeBron James Needs to Play Better... and Why That's Bad for the Lakers: Last week, Anthony Davis was a big topic of conversation. Namely, how the Lakers star, despite some perfectly good early season production, needed to play better for the Lakers to get where they want to go. Well, the same is true of LeBron James. It starts on the defensive side of things, where James admitted following Friday's loss to the Clippers that he wasn't good enough, particularly in some of the moments where he was playing center. For those lineups to work—and they need to work—James has to be far more precise, and do less freelancing. But broadly, his performance Friday was indicative of the season as a whole. James hasn't been bad, but for a variety of reasons hasn't played at the MVP level of a year ago, before he was injured. That's the James the Lakers need. Maybe even a little better. And given the amount of work he now has to do defensively (along with Davis) because of the roster turnover, it's by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

33 min listen

How Does Anthony Davis' Injury Impact The Lakers Moving Forward? Will Rob Pelinka Make a Trade?: Monday night in Phoenix, the Lakers were without Anthony Davis, LeBron James, Austin Reaves and Russell Westbrook. Sure, Patrick Beverley and Wenyen Gabriel were back in the lineup, but that wasn't nearly enough and predictably, the Lakers lost big to the Suns. It was in many ways a scheduled loss, and it seems Darvin Ham might have had his eye on keeping James healty heading into Wednesday's game against Sacramento, and then Friday's very winnable game against the Hornets. Why does all of this matter? Because the Lakers can justify thinking that they're too far behind to make real noise in the West, especially with Davis set to miss a lot of time. But they can also justify thinking that, based on recent results, if they can hang in there long enough while Davis is hurt, the Lakers can play with anyone. So do they make a trade? Do they hold off until the offseason, and try to build then? Wh by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

33 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

Is It a Given The Lakers Should Offer LeBron James a Contract Extension? Plus, more on Westbrook's Take on Media/Fans: Nothing is easy about this season for the Lakers, and nothing will be easy about this offseason for them, either. Tons of huge decisions to be made. Now, that includes the future of LeBron James. Not just from the POV of what James wants, but also whether the Lakers would be wise to commit to a core comprised of James and Anthony Davis, since now neither guy can be considered reliable from a health/availability standpoint. Then again, what exactly are the alternatives? Trading James? Trading James and AD? Letting LeBron walk? The team is in a tight spot, because doing better than that core will be hard, but it's reasonable to ask now if that core is enough to win more titles without a stronger supporting cast... something the Lakers don't have much ability to build. On the other hand, there may not be a team in the league with more obstacles in front of them for a tota by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

32 min listen

Lakers lose to Nets, LeBron James Has a Foot Issue, Fans are Losing Patience.: The Lakers are faced with a genuine Catch-22. They may not be able to make the playoffs without pushing Anthony Davis and LeBron James past safe limits of physical output, but if the org pushes them past those limits either or both are likely to get hurt, in which case they'll miss the playoffs. This was the issue facing the Lakers Monday in Brooklyn, where both James and Davis sat the front end of a back-to-back following Saturday's epic OT loss to Boston. The hope was that maintenance was the driving force behind keeping both in street clothes, and in the case of Davis it probably was. But Monday we learned that LeBron is battling a foot problem that put a fresh spin on his absence. And Lakers coach Darvin Ham wouldn't say if James will play tonight against the Knicks at the Garden. He said they didn't want to get ahead of themselves. That's not going to make Lakers fans feel better! Because if there's no by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

33 min listen

The Lakers Defeat the Spurs, Huge Nights From Russell Westbrook, Anthony Davis. Guest: Mo Dakhil: No LeBron James, no problem? Well, that would be the hyperbolic retelling of the Lakers' 125-121 OT win over the Spurs. James, who's nursing a sore ankle from a collision during Sunday's game against the Spurs, was definitely missed during the overtime victory, which to put it kindly, wasn't always pretty. But for a team still figuring itself out and missing a large chunk of the roster, beggars can't be choosers. You take what you can get. Plus, there were huge positives, mostly notably the performances from Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook, who put the "super" and "star" in "superstar." Arguably AD's best game this season (35/17/4/4 blocks) and absolutely the high water mark from Westbrook (33/10/8/3 steals, only three turnovers), it was a reminder of why elite talent matters, as well as a promising sign of how Russ can fit in with his new team. So how did this win happen, and what d by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

34 min listen

LeBron James Suspended for One Game, and Vegas Gives Bad Odds On Frank Vogel's Job Security: It wasn't exactly a surprise, but the NBA handed down some discipline to LeBron James and the Lakers following Sunday's brawl in Detroit. One game for James as punishment for a reckless and dangerous fist/elbow to the face of Pistons center Isaiah Stewart (who got two games for going bat-bleep crazy in the aftermath, trucking nearly every member of the Pistons staff trying to hold him back). One more game without James, at this point, isn't going to define the season, but does gin up questions about the team's character, and how they think of themselves. They came into the season with the belief they're an elite, title caliber squad. Everyone, players and coaches alike, needs to adjust to the reality of what this team is right now. And what they are is not all that good. If Sunday's fight is going to be the type of turning point the players said it could be, the Lakers need a change of mindset, by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

34 min listen

Grading the Lakers' Offseason: Was Westbrook the Right Move? Guest, SI's Michael Pina: The Lakers took a massive swing this offseason, reconstructing what was already considered a championship roster around a trade for Russell Westbrook, adding to LeBron James and Anthony Davis and giving the Lakers a genuine Big Three. As has been discussed, the move comes with great potential benefits, but also plenty of potential problems. Nobody believes the Lakers won't be good - excellent if everyone is healthy - but was the Westbrook move really the best solution to last year's problems? Michael Pina, the outstanding NBA writer for Sports Illustrated, doesn't think so. In his evaluation of the Lakers' offseason, he expressed real concerns about the fit, and wondered whether the Lakers might have better off with something more simple (the potential Buddy Hield deal, for example). And if you don't like the Westbrook deal, it's hard to love everything that came after, even if the Lakers spent what by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

43 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

How Much Will Austin Reaves Cost The Lakers in Free Agency? Can Anthony Davis Consistently Dominate?: The Lakers are hanging on the fringes of the Western Conference Play-In race (the top 6, at this point, is a real stretch). They've been doing it without LeBron James, who remains sidelined with a bum foot. Before Sunday's game, Darvin Ham said that the team expects James will be available before the end of the regular season. Yahoo's Chris Haynes reports that while it's certainly a possibility James could return, if he does, he won't be 100%. Or really anywhere close. So what exactly would the Lakers be getting with a diminished-but-available LeBron James? Is that guy enough to help fuel that miracle playoff run that some kiiiiiiinda refuse to rule out, just because he's LeBron James, has won a title with A.D., and the West just isn't that dominant this year? Is he enough to help get the Lakers through a play-in game or two? Most fans, right now at least, would take the latter and cro by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

35 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

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

Is Anthony Davis Ready to be the Lakers' Best Player, Even When LeBron Return?: For the last two seasons, pundits, team officials and Lakers players alike have all agreed that the key to the team's success is Anthony Davis. He needs to be their most dominant player on a night in, night out basis. The difference between All Star AD and MVP caliber AD is the thing that can elevate the Lakers more than any other personnel move that's available to them. The last three games for the Lakers, all wins, have shown what that looks like, as Davis has thrashed the competition. But that's without LeBron James in the lineup, and against subpar competition. So what has to happen for this version of Davis to be the one the Lakers see even when James is back? When the schedule toughens up, and teams game play for even more heavily than they already do? Is it James that has to change? He's been the team's leading scorer in fourth quarters every year they've played together, including the 2020 title yea by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

30 min listen

Will (and Should) LeBron James and Anthony Davis Have Their Jerseys Retired by the Lakers?: Tuesday was a good night for the Lakers in the standings, and for the Lakers celebrating history. They got a big win over the Grizzlies and also celebrated the retirement of Pau Gasol's #16. For the first time in a long time, it seems, the Lakers managed to combine a great night for pageantry with a great night for basketball. And it got a whole lot of people thinking, what about Anthony Davis and LeBron James? Should those two eventually have their jerseys retired? One of those people putting it out for discussion was Davis himself, who noted how much he'd like to be part of that incredible lineage of Lakers bigs that hover over the floor. Mikan, Wilt, Kareem, Shaq, Pau... Davis would like to be next. He's unquestionably a Hall of Fame player, even if he hung 'em up today. But would he be in the Lakers Hall of Fame, so to speak? It seems he'd have some work to do. Yes, there's a title, but has by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

33 min listen

Can the Lakers Make a Trade to Help LeBron? And what's LeBron's Trade Value, if he Requests One?: Reports currently forecast Anthony Davis will be sidelined through mid-January... at the earliest. So maybe that's the next 10 or so games, maybe 15, if we're all being reasonably optimistic, based on current information. Where will the Lakers be when he returns? How much time would they have to integrate new parts, even if the team actually made a deal? Does the record even matter, or has the braintrust already made up its mind, short of some sort of miracle development on the trade market? And now that LeBron James has made it abundantly clear he wants/expects to play meaningful basketball games, the kind occurring in playoff series, in his final seasons, how does that factor in? Do the Lakers need to consider LeBron's comments as February's trade deadline approaches? Is there even a meaningful deal out there to make? Are the Lakers more frightened of making a deal or standing pat? How m by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

32 min listen

How Kawhi Leonard's ACL Injury Impacts the Lakers Next Season... Plus, NBA Draft Scouting Report: Florida's Tre Mann: The Lakers have the 22nd pick in this year's NBA Draft, and names of potential draftees are flying around. We've discussed the priorities for the Lakers heading in - shooting, playmaking, and perhaps most important, the ability to contribute quickly - and begin our scouting reports talking Florida guard Tre Mann with Brandon Olsen, host of Locked on Gators and Whole Nine Sports. Could Mann, who played two years with the Gators, improved considerably between years 1 and 2, and even grew a few inches, be a good fit in purple and gold? Olsen breaks down his strengths and weaknesses. From there, the other shoe we've all been waiting for finally dropped on the Clippers. Kawhi Leonard is out for at least six months following surgery to repair a partially torn ACL. Likely, the absence could be closer to nine or even 12 months, meaning there's an real chance Leonard misses mos by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

32 min listen

What Do the Lakers Owe LeBron James? Is Rob Pelinka Not Keeping Promises?: The 2022-23 Lakers are in deep trouble, but are also, by all indications, in a holding pattern when it comes to making deals to try and rescue this season. As they head into Tuesday's tilt with Orlando seven games under .500 and staring down a long stretch without Anthony Davis, the prospect of another disaster of a season has people asking whether the Lakers are wasting the best/rest of LeBron James's career. What do they owe him? Did Rob Pelinka really make a commitment ahead of training camp to do anything to try and win while he's here? How big a commitment did James make to the Lakers, really? Yes, he signed an extension, but just for a year, plus an option. It's not like he created some sort of blood pact with the team. But all of this begs more questions. Are the Lakers correct in holding tight, even if it makes them look bad in the reflection of their own history, with Team James, and in some media circl by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

33 min listen

Are LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook Ready for the Regular Season?: The Lakers' preseason is officially in the books after a 116-112 loss to the Sacramento Kings, the sixth loss in as many tries before the real games begin. (ALL HAIL 0-6!!!) But that last go-around wasn't entirely negative. To begin, this was arguably the best individual game each for LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook, and without question their best as a trio. For that matter, DeAndre Jordan (in by far his best showing as a Laker), Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard, and Austin Reaves all enjoyed some nice moments. On balance, it was the best the Lakers have looked, period. That said, as one might expect after a loss, it also wasn't all peaches and cream, especially on the defensive end, where the Lakers remain somewhere between "inconsistent" and "a flat out mess." Plus, the health of several important players is still unknown, and the already low continuity from last year has been exacer by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

42 min listen

Lakers Fall Apart Against the Hawks, and LeBron's Return from Knee Swelling Remains Unknown.: The Lakers concluded their six game road trip, and keeping with the theme of this season, things didn't shake out as hoped. A double digit lead against the Atlanta Hawks wasn't protected, resulting in a 129-121 loss. Malik Monk put up a monster 33 points. Anthony Davis continued his strong stretch of games with 27 points, five rebounds, four assists and a few strong plays defensively. Russell Westbrook had 20 points, twelve assists and just four turnovers. But the supporting cast was pretty quiet (as it's often been of late), the team defense was an absolute mess, and most importantly, LeBron James' absence was strongly felt, especially down the stretch when the Lakers struggled to execute their offense. The word on LeBron's knee is, for the time being, just general swelling, and hopefully he'll be available for Wednesday's exceptionally important game against the Blazers. But yet another stin by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

32 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

Will Darvin Ham's Inexperience Prevent the Lakers From Making the Play-in?: The Lakers, according to the fine folks at Tankathon (and by other measurements as well) have the league's easiest schedule down the stretch. That includes tonight's game against a hobbled New Orleans squad, and Wednesday against the Rockets, who are awful. They see the Bulls twice, get a beat up Dallas team, the Suns (at least once) without Kevin Durant and the Magic. By the time the schedule grants two games against Utah, the Jazz may or may not still be playing for a playoff berth. (Of course, they're saying the same thing about the Lakers on Locked On Jazz.) So the idea they could be playing significant games down the stretch, even understanding that LeBron is going to miss a huge chunk of time, isn't at all far-fetched. Not given how the Lakers have played since the NBA's trade deadline, Sunday's loss notwithstanding. To get there, they need top shelf performances from Anthony Davis, and on days where he's 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

How Vulnerable Is Golden State in Game 5? Should the Lakers Conserve Energy, Prioritize Game 6?: The Lakers have a 3-1 lead over Golden State in this Western Conference Semi-Final. They won the regular season series 3-1. So at this point, it's fair to say they understand how to play against the Warriors, and are a really bad matchup for them in the same way the Clippers are a bad matchup for the Lakers. That said, the Warriors will be playing for their season tonight in San Francisco, and depending on who you listen to, potentially even the opportunity to extend this group's window into next year. Golden State has a lot of decisions to make, after all. And they'll be playing in front of their home fans, in a building where they played extremely well all year long, despite major injury problems. So how hard should the Lakers push to try and win on Wednesday, especially if it means they could compromise the amount of energy guys like LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Austin Reaves (showing by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

33 min listen

NBA GM Poll Reflects Anthony Davis's Reputation Dropping Around the NBA. (LeBron Still Respected!): Every year, NBA.com produces the GM poll, asking execs around the league all sorts of questions about players, teams, coaches and beyond. In most years, the Lakers and Lakers players are well represented, given their high profile, high expectations, star power and so on. This year, however, when it comes to the Lakers the results are notable mostly because the Lakers are an afterthought. LeBron James pops up in a couple of categories, Darvin Ham in another. The Lakers are expected to finish around 8th in the conference, which makes sense and certainly isn't unfair. Most notable, though, is the near-total absence of Anthony Davis, who doesn't get mentioned among the best defensive players, centers, power forwards, MVP candidates and so on and so on and so on. One place he does pop up? Breakout candidate, a place usually reserved for much younger players. In total, it shows the massive rep by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

32 min listen

Can the Lakers Really Lighten LeBron's Load? Plus, Horry says the Lakers Should Retire Coop's Jersey.: On Tuesday's show, we talked about Austin Reaves, his great run to this point with Team USA in the World Cup, and how he might be a catalyst for helping lighten the load on LeBron James this season, something the Lakers have been trying to do for a couple seasons now. One viewer of the show wondered if that's possible, saying in his mind, LeBron wouldn't let that happen. But is that really the issue? Dig into the numbers, and it's clear the team hasn't had any success lowering his burden, even last season after the deadline and the Lakers had a better roster. Why? Well, in part because on offense at least, deemphasizing LeBron is a questionable hoops choice. Is he old? Yes. But he's also still elite, and better at _____ offensively that pretty much anyone the Lakers are going to use (particularly in the role of an orchestrator). Plus, with superstars, it's often the teammates who do t by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

33 min listen

What is D'Angelo' Russell's Fit With the Lakers, LeBron, Anthony Davis? What about Beasley and Vanderbilt?: The return of D'Angelo Russell to Los Angeles might not move the needle on a national level like, say, Kevin Durant being traded to Phoenix. But that doesn't mean it's not a super-intriguing hoops story. In his first go with the Lakers, an immature Russell was sent out to make room for a different point guard the franchise hoped would be the player to lead them back to glory in Lonzo Ball. It didn't happen. After leaving L.A., Russell thrived, making an All-Star team with the Nets and settling into that fringe All-Star space that can be extremely valuable for teams. But he's an unrestricted free agent this offseason. Could Russell, still only 26 years old, be someone the Lakers want to keep for a few years? Would they let him go again? So much depends on that fit with LeBron James and Anthony Davis, and how Russell performs over the next 23 games. What kind of player did the Lake by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

35 min listen

How Will LeBron James' Return Impact a Red-Hot Anthony Davis? Plus, Patrick Beverley suspended!: The Lakers kick off a critical back-to-back Friday in San Antonio, and presumably LeBron James will be on the floor, hopefully for both ends. In his absence, the Lakers have found a little rhythm offensively (albeit against weaker competition) and Anthony Davis has gone bananas, in terms of his overall production. So the question for the team becomes figuring out ways to keep Davis in the space he's in with James back on the floor. Because the overall numbers for LeBron this year, offensively speaking, aren't great. His rating isn't high, relative to teammates. The team has performed better in his absence, with a lot more efficiency. Is that all on James? No, but his personal numbers speak to that type of inefficiency, as well. And overall, the all just seems to have been a lot less sticky over the last week-plus. Players are moving more, and are being rewarded for it. In a perfect world, a by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

33 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

Time for Lakers to Bench Malik Beasley? Plus, Anthony Davis May Not play the Final Back-to-Back: The Lakers catch a break tonight against Phoenix, as the Suns will be missing both Kevin Durant (expected) and center DeAndre Ayton, who (when KD isn't playing) is Phoenix's second-best player after Devin Booker. (Due respect to Chris Paul.) So a must-win game for the Lakers (aren't they all, now?) is much more winnable. It's also an opportunity for Anthony Davis to do more damage, because at the least he will not have the same level of defensive responsibility guarding Jock Landale and Bismack Biyombo. So we'll see how that goes. Meanwhile, how Davis performs isn't the only issue facing the Lakers right now, particularly in the starting lineup. Malik Beasley has essentially been in a slump since joining the team (a couple good games notwithstanding) and the low shooting percentage is putting a strain on the productivity of the starting five, which already carries Jarred Vanderbilt, an inco by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

34 min listen

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2021-22 Season Predictions: Will LeBron James and the Lakers Win an NBA Championship?

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