How Concerning Is LeBron's Ankle Injury and the Lakers' Defense? How Effective is Anthony Davis's Jumper?

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 Lose Their Fourth Straight This Preseason: 9 More Turnovers for Russell Westbrook But Anthony Davis Looks Good: Another day, another Lakers preseason loss. This time, it was 123-94 spanking at the hands of the Phoenix Suns, a continuation of a themes seen since training camp opened. The Lakers were shorthanded (Trevor Ariza, Talen Horton-Tucker and Malik Monk are injured, while LeBron James opted not to suit up), and the play on both sides of the ball was, shall we say, erratic. And the final score reflected a general lack of cohesion. Not that there were no positives to speak of. Anthony Davis played his best game of the preseason, and seems to be rounding steadily into form, whether in terms of his offensive aggression or his defensive impact. Carmelo Anthony connected on five three-pointers. And Kent Bazemore was a quintessential "three-and-D" player (particularly the "D" part, where he was quite disruptive to Phoenix's schemes). As raggedy as the game was, those three s by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

38 min listen

LeBron James Dominates Again as the Lakers Beat Orlando Magic: The wins against bad teams don't tend to impress, but given where the Lakers are in the standings and in their schedule, you can make a solid argument that games against OKC (Friday) and Orlando (Sunday) are the most important ones they play. Because as the schedule tightens up - and it will - some losses are going to come. The Lakers simply can't let games against terrible opposition get away from them. They took care of business Friday, and did it again Sunday, knocking off the Magic 106-94 at Staples. Once again, Anthony Davis was on the sidelines with a bum knee. Once again, LeBron James set a tone for the team and led them to victory. 30 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists, three blocked shots. James was big on both sides of the ball, and after the game his high end play was the topic of conversation. First, as a sign he's getting healthier, but also prompting the totally legitimate question of whether or not this sort of by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

31 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

Lakers Lose to the Suns, and Should the NBA Pause the Season?: The Lakers were shorthanded entering Tuesday's game against the Phoenix Suns, arguably the best team in the NBA. L.A. has had zero continuity all season long, the Suns as much as any team in the league. The Lakers have a roster that is, to be sure, kinda weird. Phoenix has one of the most well-constructed groups you'll find. No surprise then that after a slow first half where they couldn't hit the broad side of a barn, the Suns used the final two quarters to pull away from the home team, beating the Lakers at Staples, 108-90. LeBron James played very well, Russell Westbrook did too (until some late turnovers, at least), illustrating how little margin for error the Lakers have right now. How they navigate games, particularly against good teams, is going to be tricky. On a positive note, the Lakers got a good performance from Trevor Ariza in his second game of the year, hitting all three of his triples and playing his typical by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

33 min listen

The Lakers Grind Out a Win, But Are Still Waiting On LeBron James (Plus, Why the Play-In Is Awesome): It was not a pretty win, but it counts. And the value for the Lakers in their 101-99 overtime win over the Knicks at Staples Center isn't just limited to keeping themselves alive in the race to stay out of the NBA's play-in tournament. This was a game that continued to reveal the team's character. New York steadfastly refused to let Anthony Davis beat them, and despite missing every ball handling guard and wing on the team save Talen Horton-Tucker (Alex Caruso left the game with a foot injury), the Lakers managed to find enough production from the supporting cast to win. And they played suffocating defense in the second half. That helped. HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky SEGMENT 1: Reviewing the game. It's another example of why this team is likable. They just don't quit on games, or mail things in. It wasn't easy, but the Lakers stuck it out under tough circumstances for an importa by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

30 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

How Big Lineups Affect Russell Westbrook *AND* Anthony Davis. Plus, What Happened to Kent Bazemore?: The Lakers may not have played Thursday, but that doesn't keep the news cycle from churning. The team, no shock given happenings since the start of training camp, yet another injury. This time, it's Austin Reaves who joins the walking wounded. The hamstring that kept him out of Wednesday's game called "minor" by Frank Vogel will now keep him out at least a couple weeks. Frank, you lied to us! So that's bad news... but it wouldn't be nearly as bad as more bad reports around LeBron James. Fortunately, reporting from ESPN this week indicates that abdominal injury isn't likely worse than initially presented by the team. Whew! So with all the housekeeping out of the way, more attention can be given to Kent Bazemore, who is quietly suffering through one of the uglier early season slumps for any Laker to this point. His 3-point percentage this month? 10. 10! That's really bad! And not surpri by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

30 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

LeBron James Injured as the Lakers Lose to the Clippers, Fall to 2-9: Last season, the Lakers needed 63 games to fall seven games below .500. This year? 11. And in the fourth quarter of Wednesday's 114-101 loss to the Clippers, LeBron James was forced to the locker room with a groin injury. He said after it wasn't as bad as the one that cost him a huge chunk of his first season in Los Angeles (the Christmas Day Slip vs. Golden State), but that doesn't mean it's all good. James hopes to be able to play Friday vs. Sacramento. Seems unlikely now, but even if he can, the wear and tear is starting to pile up on James, who needs to be monumentally productive for the Lakers to have a chance to compete and get back in the playoff race at some point this season. That's not a good combination. So what do the Lakers do? Can they protect the health of their best player while still winning enough games for that health to matter? The Lakers are shorthanded, without Lonnie Walker IV (ill), Dennis Sch by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

33 min listen

Anthony Davis Delivers MVP-Caliber Performance as the Lakers Get a Critical Win Over Golden State: Without LeBron James in the lineup, the Lakers (on most nights at least) will need Anthony Davis to provide 48 minutes of MVP caliber basketball to give themselves a good chance to win. Friday against Minnesota, he delivered most of that, but not quite all. Make no mistake - Davis was LA's best player, by far. But he couldn't quite deliver perfection to elevate a bad night from the supporting cast. Sunday against Golden State, Davis was everything he could be for the Lakers, and while for a stretch it looked like he might be again let down by his teammates, this time they came through. Whether a big first half from Jarred Vanderbilt, a big fourth quarter from Dennis Schroder, or excellent efforts throughout by Troy Brown Jr. and Austin Reaves, the Lakers role players stepped up and provided great backup for Davis, and as a result, the Lakers picked up a must-have on Sunday. With the win, by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

34 min listen

LeBron James and Russell Westbrook Lead the Lakers Past Boston: Is This the "Signature" Win LA Needs?: The struggle has been real for the Lakers this season. Not enough wins, period, but virtually nothing against any of the NBA's decent-or-better squads. The closest thing LA had to a signature win going into Tuesday's matchup with the Celtics at Staples was one over Miami... who was missing Jimmy Butler for most of the contest. But Boston came in playing well, with an offense that was clicking big time, and after a hot start from Jayson Tatum, the Lakers shut the visitors down, rolling to a 117-102 win. There was a lot going on - LA's Big Three all showed up. LeBron James set a tone early and finished with 30 points. Russell Westbrook, who has been the best and most consistent Laker over the last couple weeks, was again excellent, with 25 points and 11 assists against only four turnovers. Anthony Davis had 17 points, but was active inside, led the Lakers with 16 rebounds and had two bl 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 Scores 43 Points as the Lakers Beat Hornets, but Russell Westbrook Injured.: The Lakers needed a win in Charlotte to finish out the road trip, and they got it. 121-115 over the (very, very bad) Hornets, behind yet another MVP-caliber performance from LeBron James, whose hot streak is rolling on unabated. 43 points, 11 rebounds, six assists. 16-26 from the floor, including 0-5 from 3-point range, giving an idea of just how strong James was from inside the arc (and at the rim, particularly). Over the team's last 10 games, James is averaging 33.4 points on 58 percent shooting. He's certainly keeping the Lakers afloat without Anthony Davis... ...but how long exactly can James keep this going, at this level? Are the minutes unsustainable (up around 40 in the last two, close to 37 overall over the last month)? One wrinkle - Russell Westbrook left Monday's game with a foot injury, and his status going forward isn't known. While the Lakers have had some problems getting those two by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

35 min listen

No LeBron James, No Anthony Davis, No Win for the Lakers vs. Toronto Raptors: The Lakers were missing LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Patrick Beverley and Wenyen Gabriel Wednesday in Toronto. Juan Toscano-Anderson, who started the game after barely hitting the court for most of the season, turned an ankle. So it's no surprise the Lakers found themselves down by 20 (give or take) relatively quickly, and for most of the game before ultimately losing by 13, 126-113. They didn't do anything wrong, really, and there were again some highlights (16 points for Thomas Bryant on only five FGAs, for example), but in the end, what happened was exactly what most people would have expected. So the Lakers are again four games under .500, looking at a gimpy LeBron, an under-the-weather A.D., an already-out Gabriel... is there a risk of losing the momentum they built up after winning eight of ten? Is there extra pressure to push through, trying to capitalize on the positive momentum they created, and got by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

30 min listen

Why Has the Lakers' Offense Been So Bad? Can They Turn it Around Tonight vs. Phoenix Suns?: The Lakers are going to be shorthanded tonight in Phoenix against the Suns, the question is just by how much. Jared Vanderbilt and Gabe Vincent are out. Anthony Davis and Jaxson Hayes are questionable. Meanwhile, Phoenix might have their Big Three on the floor together for the first time this season, if Devin Booker can return to the lineup (it's a possibility) and Bradley Beal, who made his season debut on Wednesday, doesn't suffer a setback. So winning tonight could be a tall order. But at the very least, the Lakers need to bring much more energy and effort than they did Wednesday in Houston. That, at least, is something they can control. Meanwhile, the numbers offensively for the Lakers are genuinely awful. Like, basically across the board. They're the worst 3-point shooting team in the NBA, thanks in large part to poor work to this point from LeBron James, D'Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves. by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

33 min listen

The Lakers Find New Lows On Offense, Losing Their 11th Straight Road Game: The Lakers are a bad team when everything is going well. When they're not, as has been the case in the opening quarters of the last three games including Wednesday's loss to Minnesota, it's hard even to call them an NBA team. Los Angeles missed all 10 of its three-point attempts in the first quarter, Wednesday. Against the Raptors Monday night, they were 0-12 in the opening quarter. All told, they're 1-33 from beyond the arc in the opening 12 minutes over their last three games. In related news, the Lakers have been down big in all three. So what gives? Is it just more cosmic comedy to find ways to lose that seem to defy statistical possibilities? The cold spell is taking a major dent out of the team's confidence, even if (as was the case Wednesday) the Lakers don't pack it in. Morale, understandably, is obviously very low. Meanwhile, opposing teams are taking great joy in beating them down, though perhaps none by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

35 min listen

LeBron James Has Tendon Injury in Right Foot, Lakers will Re-Evaluate him in Three Weeks: News earlier in the week had LeBron James missing time, and being re-evaluated in two weeks. Times have changed, and not for the good. Reports on Thursday provided a little clarity into his injury. Turns out it's a tendon problem in his right foot (ouch!) and the Lakers will take another peek under the hood in three weeks. So let's say for a moment that he's cleared and good to go on evaluation day (which, to be honest, seems unlikely), it would mean the Lakers would be without James for another 10 games. They only have 20 left, so realistically the hope is LeBron could return with about five or six left to play. So the big question at that point: Will those games, however many there are, have any meaning? Well, it won't be easy, but assuming D'Angelo Russell, who won't play Friday against Minnesota but hopefully won't miss too much time after that, gets back in the lineup a look at the schedule s by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

33 min listen

Lakers Lose By 44 to Sixers, An Angry LeBron Says "A Lot" Must Change Going Forward: LeBron James became the NBA's all time leader in minutes played on Monday in Philadelphia, combining regular season and postseason floor time. Never in those 66K+ minutes has LeBron had 48 where he lost by more than the 44 points the Lakers lost by to the Sixers. It was, by amount, the fourth largest loss margin the franchise has ever suffered. And again, the franchise has played many, many games of basketball over the decades. It was, in short, a monumental disaster, on the heels of arguably the best game the Lakers have played all year, beating the Cavs in Cleveland on Saturday. So what needs to change going forward? "A lot," James said after the game. He didn't elaborate as to what, even asked a few times. But on a night like Monday, there are plenty of things to point to. Defensive coverages? The Lakers absorbed a 3-point barrage and seemed slow to adjust. They had bad possessions and untimely turn by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

33 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

Anthony Davis Explains His Injury... But Not When He'll Return. Can LeBron Keep the Lakers Going?: The Lakers had a busy weekend. LeBron James celebrated his 38th birthday in Atlanta by burying the Hawks in an avalanche of high end, classic James performance. 47 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists, on 18-27 from the floor. LeBron, who had a slow-by-his-standards start to the season, is now putting up numbers eerily similar to his career stats. He is, in short, balling at a very high level, particularly over the last 10 games. But can he continue at that level in a January where the Lakers need to start making moves in the Western Conference to insert themselves back into the playoff race out West? Particularly when, as we learned before the game, Anthony Davis is still a giant question mark. Davis spoke to the media in Atlanta, and broke down his breakdown. There's a stress injury in the foot and a bone spur in the ankle. The pain is starting to dissipate, but hasn't gone away complet by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

35 min listen

Without LeBron, Davis or Reaves, the Lakers, led by D'Angelo Russell, Get Preseason Win Over Kings.: Normally, when Anthony Davis and LeBron James don't play in a preseason game, it's easy to shrug your shoulders and basically ignore anything that happens over 48 minutes of ball. When those guys are missing, plus Austin Reaves and Jarred Vanderbilt, the temptation is to completely discount the game. But for the Lakers, who are surely expecting James and Davis to miss a relevant chunk of games (some of which might come at the same time) it's actually really important to get a feel for how competitive they can be while those guys are on the sidelines. The hope was with improved depth and more firepower, the Lakers would be better suited to withstand those non-star games than they were last year. And if Wednesday's win over the Kings in Anaheim was any indication, the plan seems to have worked. D'Angelo Russell, Gabe Vincent, Taurean Prince and Rui Hachimura all cracked double figures in by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

31 min listen

Anthony Davis Dominates, but LeBron James Sits with a Knee Injury as the Lakers Lose In Philly: The Lakers just can't keep the band together. Two nights after the team's Big Three of LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook FINALLY got on the floor together after six-ish weeks of waiting, the grand experiment was again put on hold Thursday in Philly. LeBron James woke up with a sore left knee and couldn't suit up against the Sixers. Anthony Davis played, and played perhaps his best game of the year, but it wasn't enough to overcome a solid Philly squad. In part because the supporting cast just didn't show up. Davis and Russell Westbrook did their part, but literally nobody else showed up for L.A. in any meaningful way. For the Lakers to win, that needed to happen. It didn't. So once again they dip below the .500 mark, with a tough game Friday in Charlotte and another in Atlanta Sunday morning to cap off the road trip. There is much to unpack, starting with the distressing noti by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

32 min listen

Austin Reaves's Career Night Vs. Orlando (35/6/6), Saves the Lakers Season (For Now, at Least): After dropping a game against the Rockets and then suffering a crushing buzzer beater Friday against the Mavericks, the Lakers are basically all out of hall passes. With 11 games to go, if they want to give themselves a shot at the playoffs, they can't afford more than a couple losses. And for one of those to come at home against Orlando? Can't have it. Austin Reaves made sure the Lakers went home with a W. Career game, 35 points, six rebounds, six assists, and 18 trips to the free throw line. He was incredible, and easily the best player on the floor for either team. And the Lakers, who got better performances from D'Angelo Russell (18 points, 4/8 from downtown) and Troy Brown Jr. (4/8 from 3), needed every ounce of production Reaves was able to provide because the Lakers still haven't figured out how to spring Anthony Davis loose offensively now that teams are giving him so much extra atte by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

34 min listen

Russell Westbrook Shines, but the Lakers Lose in New York. Plus... Did Frank Vogel Throw Some Shade at Rob Pelinka?: The Lakers dropped another game Tuesday in New York. As they did Sunday in Detroit, they fell down big (this time by 25) and as it was in Detroit, they tried hard to climb out of the hole. But while the Pistons ultimately acquiesced, the Knicks did enough in the fourth quarter to hold on. The Lakers were betrayed by the defense early (36 points allowed in the first quarter) and the offense late (19 fourth quarter points) in a way that felt like a microcosm of the season as a whole. Still guys missing (most notably the suspended LeBron James), other guys not right (Anthony Davis had the flu, messing with Frank Vogel's already strained rotations) and they couldn't seem to get everything working at the same time for 48 minutes. Meanwhile, Russell Westbrook was a bright spot, going for 31/13/10, with a pair of steals and three triples. He hit eight of his nine free throws. 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

Anthony Davis Just Keeps Dominating as the Lakers Win Third Straight Game: On the one hand, the Lakers have won three games in a row. On the other, they're 5-10. So which is the thing that indicates what the Lakers are? Anthony Davis is trying to provide an answer. He was, again, huge on Sunday as the Lakers beat San Antonio in a genuine blowout, 123-92. A.D. put his imprint on the game early, with 18 points in the first quarter, en route to 30 (on a night where he sat most of the fourth). This, plus 18 rebounds, three steals and a block. This is the Anthony Davis who gets imaginations going. The one the Lakers need if they're going to have a prayer of making noise this season. Cynics might note that these last three games have come against horrible teams with bad frontcourts (the Spurs on Sunday were missing Jakob Poeltl, who is a very good defensive center). Does that diminish what Davis is doing? No, and the hope is it helps AD gain the muscle memory to keep it going when LeBron Jam by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

34 min listen

Previewing Lakers vs. Grizzlies. Ja Morant or LeBron James? Jaren Jackson Jr. or Anthony Davis?: The Lakers are in a real, live playoff series for the first time in a couple of seasons, and it should be a barnburner! It's the Memphis Grizzlies, who have played quite well all season, save a mid-season lull. It's an intriguing matchup, to say the least. LeBron James and Anthony Davis as established stars, meeting Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr., who are ready to emerge in the next generation of the NBA elite. But what else is going on, here? How are the Grizzlies going to match up against LeBron and A.D.? Is Dillon Brooks the key to the series? What about the Lakers role players? How much will L.A.'s perimeter shooting impact what we're going to see. Can Austin Reaves, Malik Beasley and the rest hit enough shots to force Memphis to play things straight defensively? The ability of either team to do damage in transition could be a huge factor, as neither team is exactly elegant in the half by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

44 min listen

Lakers Beat Knicks: LeBron, Anthony Davis are Rising, Russell Westbrook Benched Again: The Lakers refuse to pick a lane. They're often terrible to the point of generating genuine disgust from the fan base, and then have third quarters like the one against New York on Saturday, where they blitzed the Knicks and Malik Monk outscored the visitors by himself. In those moments, they prod (sucker?) Lakers fans into believing again. So what are they? Because they're not an ordinary .500 team, that's for sure. LeBron came back strong on Saturday, proving again that he's simply indispensable to the Lakers, no matter how hard they try to fix that problem. Anthony Davis was again remarkable, dominating on both sides of the ball as he continues his strong play since returning from injury. The problem? The third star. Russell Westbrook was benched by Frank Vogel for the OT, as much because of his defense than his offense. So what is Westbrook actually capable of on that end? Is he just not willing by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

34 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

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How Concerning Is LeBron's Ankle Injury and the Lakers' Defense? How Effective is Anthony Davis's Jumper?

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