Lakers Lose to Indiana: Russell Westbrook Benched Late, Frank Vogel's Seat HOT, James Worthy Sad

The Lakers Lose Their 7th Straight Game. Could Russell Westbrook Lose His Starting Job?: Well, on the plus side, the Lakers' 132-111 loss to the Clippers (clean sweep by their crosstown rivals!) isn't the absolute worst of the season. For the time being, the recent debacle against the Pelicans still feels like the clubhouse leader. But it was nonetheless still a disaster. After cutting a double digit deficit down to just three points heading into halftime, on the heels of Austin Reaves throwing two fast break passes that made him look like "Hillbilly Magic," the wheels fell the hell off in the third quarter. How bad? Try "four points in the first six minutes" bad. Throw in Reggie Jackson absolutely torching the Lakers defense (and in particular, Russell Westbrook) to the tune of 36 points, eight rebounds and nine assists, Dwight Howard looking absolutely unplayable against Ivica Zubac, and LeBron James' periodic heroics ultimately going nowhere, and the Lakers find themselves in seriou by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

34 min listen

Bonus Episode! The Lakers Routed in Denver. Russell Westbrook Calls Out Team's Effort.: If Wednesday's loss to Sacramento was the worst of the season for the Lakers, and it certainly might have been, then Saturday's 133-96 blowout at the hands of the Denver Nuggets might have been the most disheartening. After a decent enough first quarter, the Lakers were throttled on both sides of the ball for the rest of the game, bleeding points defensively while being totally unable to score on the other end. Who played well? Nobody, really, and as a team they were so bad on defense it wouldn't have mattered. More importantly, perhaps, the body language looked awful. The Lakers on Saturday looked like a team that not only knew they were getting their butts kicked, but also didn't really think there was much they could do about it. They seemed to lose some confidence in themselves, and heading into a difficult stretch of schedule, that's a problem. After, Frank Vogel said some of that body language by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

21 min listen

Can Frank Vogel and Russell Westbrook Still Co-Exist On The Lakers?: If Wednesday's happenings against the Pacers at the Crypt weren't enough for you -- a big, embarrassing loss for the Lakers to a slumping Indiana team with Russell Westbrook being benched in the fourth quarter and Frank Vogel explaining why with a pretty undiplomatic single sentence followed by a report after the game from Yahoo!'s Chris Haynes that Vogel's job was safe at least for one more game -- the drama only heightened later in the evening. ESPN's Dave McMenamin reported that Vogel and the coaches staff had sign off from the front office to play Westbrook as they saw fit. That includes benching him if need be. How will Westbrook react to that news? What is up with all this leaking? How exactly do the Lakers try to get things back to "normal?" Is there even a normal at this point to get to? What does all of this say about Frank Vogel? Not just about his job security, but the guy himself? Because it's not the firs by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

37 min listen

With the NBA Trade Deadline Looming, Did the Lakers Hit Rock Bottom in Portland? What's Next for Westbrook and Vogel?: When it comes to the Lakers and feeling like their worst loss of the season is behind them, they continually become like Michael Corleone in 'The Godfather III.' "Just when I think I'm out, they pull me back in!" The latest example came Wednesday night in Portland, as the Lakers faced off in a truly must-win game against a Trail Blazers squad recently gutted by a pair of trades. But a roster half-acquainted with each other was no match for 48 minutes of incompetence on both sides of the ball and utterly listless body language from the Lakers. As such, L.A. fell 107-15, sit at four games below .500, with a lot of questions swirling around them. What does this mean for Frank Vogel's future, even short term, with the team? What does this mean for Russell Westbrook, whose recent poor play and tension with the team seems to have reached a boiling point? But as toxic as by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

32 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 Lakers Look Like Competent Team vs. Golden State, Reportedly Interested in Goran Dragic: The Lakers don't necessarily benefit from moral victories at this point, given how deep they've fallen in the standings. All the feels won't help them climb out of the hole they've dug for themselves. But what if that hole isn't really climbable? The Lakers, barring collapses from a few different teams, are very likely to finish either eighth or ninth in the West. The difference matters - needing one win in the play-in scenario vs. two - but it's going to be hard for the Lakers to jump any higher. Nor do they feel like a good bet to slide all the way to 11th. So moral victories help... if they're good for morale? And that's potentially the takeaway from a loss in San Francisco Saturday night, where the Lakers looked pretty good in the halfcourt, got good performances from Russell Westbrook and Talen Horton-Tucker, and stuck with a very good Warriors team. Had LeBron (9-27, including 1-10 in the by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

32 min listen

Lakers Lose Third Straight. Russell Westbrook: "What I’m Doing Right Now, It Ain’t Good Enough.”: On the one hand, the Lakers responded with a significantly better effort on Tuesday, in the wake of Sunday's utter debacle against New Orleans. But nonetheless, the results weren't any different. Dallas beat them, doing what 10 of their last 13 opponents have to the Lakers. LeBron played a better game, and got a little support from Carmelo Anthony, but Russell Westbrook was a disaster offensively, and Malik Monk's slump continued. Frank Vogel tried out a new starting lineup and a new rotation, but again it didn't really matter. Why? Are there any more levers to pull? Is there a combination of players the Lakers could use that would make a significant difference? Running out of time to find out, as the Lakers slip dangerously close to the 10th seed, and even the possibility of missing the play in tournament, entirely. Meanwhile, after it was over, Westbrook looked totally despondent. And wh by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

34 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

Frank Vogel Fired. Russell Westbrook And Rob Pelinka Get Defensive Lakers Exit Interviews: As was reported by ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Frank Vogel was officially fired by the Lakers on Monday, one of the many topics discussed by every member of the team (save Anthony Davis and Carmelo Anthony, who spoke on Sunday) and GM Rob Pelinka during the day's exit interviews. They talked about Vogel's dismissal, injuries, bad on-court chemistry, and Russell Westbrook. So much Russell Westbrook talk. That includes from Westbrook himself, who spoke at length and aggressively defended himself, even while acknowledging his play wasn't up to his standards. So why did things go so wrong with Russ? Was it doomed from the start? What did his interview reveal about Westbrook? The answers aren't just a matter of gossip or grist for the mill. Understanding how exactly the handling of Vogel's firing went wrong (and why Pelinka did a poor job fielding questions about it), why the roster construction didn't by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

33 min listen

The Lakers are in a Bad Mental State. Is Drama Coming? Plus, Previewing Hornets-Lakers!: Saturday's 105-90 loss to the Trail Blazers felt, frankly, like a danger point for the Lakers. The result itself was fairly predictable. The Lakers haven't been playing well, and that's before you factor the difficulty to win in Portland under the best of circumstances, much less a scenario where you're missing LeBron James, Anthony Davis (who bowed out early with a stomach ailment), plus the other absent supporting cast folks. Throw in Damian Lillard itching to bust out of a slump and the L felt inevitable. However, what makes this night potentially worrisome was the Lakers' body language during and after the game. For the most part, they played like a team that quickly assessed itself as dead men walking, so why bother competing? Players castigated themselves for a lack of effort, and it's very early in the season to see a team this dispirited, which makes it easy to wonder about what comes next. by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

41 min listen

Anthony Davis Fuels Improbable Lakers Win Over Pacers... And Snubbed for the All-Star Game?: The Lakers have lost plenty of games this season that they ought to have won. They've lost a couple of games they should have won, if not for some unfortunate calls at the end of games. What they haven't done much this year is win games they really had no business winning. Finding a way, grinding it out, and getting just enough great play in the critical moments to succeed. That's exactly what happened Thursday in Indiana, when the Lakers, down for about 46 minutes and change, pulled ahead in the end and beat the Pacers 112-111. It was a game the Lakers were outscored by 30 points on 3-pointers. They missed eight fourth quarter free throws. The defense, save the fourth quarter, was lacking. LeBron James and Anthony Davis both had decent statistical nights, but weren't exactly dominant ... until each (especially Davis) came up with huge moments at the end. And with that win, the Lakers have a ch by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

32 min listen

LeBron Looks Exhausted, Westbrook Looks Terrible as the Lakers Lose to Sacramento: Good lord, that was awful. Like, arguably the worst loss of the season for the Lakers, who have lost twice to the Thunder! By 28 to the Spurs! In three overtimes to these Kings! And so on, and so on, and so on. But given where they are in the standings and in the season, with a difficult schedule ahead, these are games the Lakers simply must win. And they were, for a while. So what went wrong? Defense, for starters. As in a total lack of it. There was no area in particular where the Kings were particularly dominant, save field goal percentage. They were over 55% on the night, which is absurd. The Lakers were slow in transition, made critical errors, and generally wet the bed on that side of the floor. One reason? LeBron looked tired. Really, really tired. And as much as he and Frank Vogel tried to talk around it after the game, it would almost be weird if he wasn't, given how much work he's done to carry by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

32 min listen

LeBron James, Austin Reaves Make Preseason Debuts, as Lakers Pick Up Win.: The Lakers got some strong frontline performances in their preseason opener Saturday against the Warriors, as D'Angelo Russell and Anthony Davis put up big numbers in short minutes. But two of the big headliners weren't in the lineup. Monday in Vegas against the Nets, LeBron James and Austin Reaves suited up for the first time this season... and looked pretty good, too! LeBron looked like he had found the bounce that had been stripped during the playoffs thanks to that foot tendon issue, going for 10/3/5 in 17 minutes. Reaves hit his first shot of the night (a triple) en route to 18 points on 5-7 shooting and 4-6 from 3. All told, the Lakers starters (which included Taurean Prince on a night where Jarred Vanderbilt was unavailable thanks to a heel injury) were a robust 13-23 from downtown. The shooting, which was good on Saturday, continued. And it was an argument for why Prince would be a good choice for that f by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

32 min listen

NBA Trade Deadline Week: How Active Should the Lakers Be?: The Lakers, fresh off their comeback win over New York Saturday night at the crypt, managed to sneak in a practice Monday afternoon in El Segundo. LeBron James, who played 40 minutes in first game back in the lineup after sitting out with knee swelling, took it easy. But he says he thinks he's no worse for wear and hopes to play Tuesday night. Carmelo Anthony won't play Tuesday, but might be back as soon as Wednesday night vs. Portland, so at the least his hamstring injury isn't seen (currently at least) as that serious. So that's all good news. Or about as good as news gets these days for the Lakers, when it comes to player health. Meanwhile, LeBron was asked about his, um, "partnership" with General Manager Rob Pelinka, and whether or not he believes the team needs to make a move before the deadline. No surprise, he punted on the question - yes, you always try to get better, but he also always expects to ride with the dudes h by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

30 min listen

Bonus Episode! The Lakers Beat Orlando, Russell Westbrook Bounces Back from Benching, Tension Lowered: For 24 minutes on Friday, it looked like the Lakers might distract from the chaos of the last few days by losing to the Orlando Magic (who have won twice this year at home... twice) and getting Frank Vogel fired. After a listless first half, though, the Lakers bounced back with a dominant final two quarters, and walked away with an easy win. It helped that they made adjustments at halftime, adding Stanley Johnson to the lineup and switching everything, which basically shut down Orlando's attack completely. It helped that Carmelo Anthony went nuts in the second half, and that LeBron James and Russell Westbrook both played well. But really, that's not what people were focused on. The story of the day, and the night, was Westbrook's reaction to getting benched down the stretch in Wednesday's loss to Indiana. The report from Woj that quoted Westbrook and got some insight into his reaction by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

15 min listen

Lonnie Walker, Patrick Beverley New Starters in Lakers Preseason Loss. Plus, Westbrook "Bad Vibes" Alert?: The Lakers are still experimenting with lineups, as the regular season draws close. Wednesday against Minnesota, Darvin Ham went small, starting Patrick Beverley and Lonnie Walker IV next to Anthony Davis, LeBron James and Russell Westbrook. No "traditional" center. So is that the five Ham will roll with on the 18th when the regular season begins? Should it be? Walker certainly did good work, scoring 12 points in 19 minutes before exiting with an ankle injury. (No word yet on how serious, though he did walk out under his own power.) Ham has a ton of options, none of them obviously the right play. So with that in mind, how does he come up with the right one? Is Walker a better option than say, Austin Reaves? Than Juan Toscano-Anderson (who was sitting with a thigh bruise)? Walker was the only member of the supporting cast who played well on Wednesday, but fans hoping to see strong by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

31 min listen

How Does the Lakers' loss to the Bucks Affect Trade Deadline Moves? (Plus, Russ Remains Unhappy.): Frank Vogel noted following Tuesday's humbling loss to the Milwaukee Bucks at home that the energy around his squad these days isn't exactly top shelf. Certainly that game didn't help. The Lakers, for all the talk of effort and energy and want and all that, were more than anything thoroughly outclassed by the defending champs, who confused them defensively and forced turnovers on the other end. Everything about the Bucks was better, showing the gap between where the Lakers are and where they need to be by the playoffs remains vast. LeBron James himself acknowledged as much when it was over. So what do the Lakers do about it? Is there a lineup choice that can help? Is there a formula they can land on, that goes beyond "Hope LeBron and Anthony Davis are so flippin' good, the rest of the stuff doesn't matter?" What abour Russell Westbrook, who struggled to the point of getting booed by the h by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

33 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

Frank Vogel Discusses Russell Westbrook's Role. Plus, Second Half Predictions for the Lakers!: The first day of the second half of the season starts Wednesday for the Lakers, who kick off their final 41 games in Sacramento against the Kings. To say the least, the first half of the year hasn't gone as anyone in or around the organization would have hoped, but that doesn't mean bad things have to happen going forward, right? It's time to make some big predictions for the second half of the year! Who is the big X-Factor? Where will the Lakers finish in the Western Conference standings? Will they advance in the playoffs? If so, how far? This plays into one more big prediction - Is this Frank Vogel's last season on the sideline for L.A.? But before all that, Frank Vogel spoke to the media after Tuesday's practice, and spent most of his time talking about Russell Westbrook. Specifically, Westbrook's complaints (delivered in relatively mild fashion, to be fair, but complaints nonetheless) tha by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

35 min listen

Without LeBron James, the Lakers Play Timberwolves Tough, But Lose 118-111.: With a full squad, coming in healthy, the Lakers still could have lost to Minnesota Thursday night. The Wolves are the top team in the Western Conference, and have only lost one time at home. The Lakers, though, aren't fully healthy. LeBron James and Gabe Vincent both missed Thursday's game with what likely amount to maintenance injuries as much as anything. Jarred Vanderbilt is still banged up, and Rui Hachimura still has to dress like Batman to get on the floor. But with all of that, or perhaps because all of that, the Lakers played one of their better road games of the season. They looked relatively unencumbered, and played hard. Minnesota was just better. But don't blame Anthony Davis, who went for 31/8/4. Taurean Prince didn't miss a shot until the fourth quarter. Austin Reaves had 20, Rui Hachimura 18, and a big fourth quarter might indicate that D'Angelo Russell could be breaking out of a horrific slump by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

34 min listen

The Lakers Escape the Play-In, Beat Golden State 103-100.: Holy ****, that was fun! The NBA got exactly what it hoped for Wednesday in the battle of LeBron James and Steph Curry. It was tight down the stretch, with stars hitting huge shots and generally helping the game meet the hype. But in the end, the Lakers won out and will advance as the Western Conference's 7-seed, facing the Phoenix Suns on Sunday. On the agenda for Thursday's show... HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky SEGMENT 1: Reaction to the win. What went wrong in the first half? What did they fix in the second? How was that game everything that gives Lakers fans hope and simultaneously scares the heck out of them, wrapped neatly into 48 minutes? SEGMENT 2: The Lakers went small in the second half, playing Andre Drummond only seven minutes and sitting Montrezl Harrell entirely. (Marc Gasol never took off his warmups.) Is this a sign of what's to come? Was Drummond really the issue? How much center can Davis play? SEGMENT by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

33 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

Frank Vogel Reportedly Out as the Lakers Finish a Disastrous 2021-2022 Season: It was, ironically, one of the most fun games the Lakers have played all season (not that there are all that many to choose from). Austin Reaves became only the fifth Lakers rookie to notch a triple double, Malik Monk popped off for 41 and Mac McClung capped things off with a double clutch reverse dunk as the Lakers beat the Denver Nuggets (a skeleton crew, but still...) Sunday. And literally as the final horn sounded, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported that Frank Vogel will be fired, as early as Monday (and really, can you wait after the Tweet comes out?). Vogel saw the Tweet before hitting the podium, and made it clear nobody from the organization has said anything to him. And it was also clear he didn't think he was being treated respectfully. All of this matters not because Vogel's firing will be a surprise - it's obviously not - but because it impacts the perception of the franchise and the search for by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

37 min listen

Will the Lakers Bring Russell Westbrook Off the Bench to Start the Season?: The preseason is over, and the Lakers at least tried to make headlines in the finale, bringing Russell Westbrook off the bench against the Kings. Unfortunately, the night turned into a dud, because Westbrook left the game in the first quarter, not all that long after checking in, with a hamstring injury and didn't return. (And no, people, he wasn't faking as a passive-aggressive way of protesting the move.) So the Lakers didn't really get to see what Westbrook on the bench looks like, or how it impacted the starters over the course of a game. Definitely a disappointment. So what happens now? The Lakers believe Westbrook could be available for Tuesday's opener in San Francisco against the Warriors. Will Darvin Ham start Westbrook? Would it be smart, if that's their inclination overall, just to get it over with? There are certainly basketball reasons that make Westbrook as a reserve seem like a quality idea, name by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

31 min listen

Did Austin Reaves Break His Slump? Plus, Christian Wood's Surpising Defense for the Lakers.: There is still a buzz around the Lakers following Wednesday's incredibly exciting 130-125 OT win over the Clippers at the Crypt. It was a game that featured big comebacks on both sides, incredible performances by each team's stars, big moments for role players, and—thankfully from the Lakers' perspective—the first real moments of productivity from Austin Reaves this season. It came after arguably his worst half of basketball as a pro, where he missed four of five shots and tied a career high with five turnovers (that's his career high for a game, not a half) and somewhat ironically, had the Lakers not been so shorthanded on the evening, missing Taurean Prince, Gabe Vincent, Rui Hachimura, Jalen Hood-Schifino and Jared Vanderbilt, there's a non-zero chance that Darvin Ham might have put Reaves on the bench. Instead, he was out there by necessity, and finally found a groove about halfway through by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

32 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

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

More Reports of Tension Between Russell Westbrook and the Lakers Raise All Sorts of Questions: Well, those 36-ish hours of basking in the glow of LeBron James' brilliance on Saturday against the Warriors was fun... but now it's back to the real world, where things just ain't much fun. New reports from Woj and Marc Stein detail conflict within the franchise over Russell Westbrook. Which, of course, isn't necessarily a new development, but one gets a sense that it's growing more magnified. Some important folks are pushing for Russ to come off the bench, with Frank Vogel apparently the biggest obstacle, for #BasketballReasons. Westbrook is apparently not paying his coach's loyalty back through receptiveness and positivity during film sessions. And all of this raises the question of why the Lakers didn't pay a few extra bucks to add Scott Brooks, who has a longstanding and strong relationship with Russ, onto Vogel's staff. Then again, how the Lakers spend their money is often reason to s by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

34 min listen

LeBron James Sends Message to Lakers: He Wants to Play for Championships... Or At Least Win Games.: The Lakers lost Wednesday in Miami, on the second night of a back-to-back. While they gave themselves a shot in the fourth, too much damage had already been done thanks to a massive amount of turnovers (26) and a massive disparity in second chance points. LeBron James played well, turnovers notwithstanding, and the Lakers got unexpected production from Juan Toscano-Anderson (back from injury) and Troy Brown Jr... but Lonnie Walker IV and Austin Reaves were both scoreless, which helps explain why the team struggled offensively. So the Lakers lost a game that, with more focus, they could have won, but at the same time, seemed like a good candidate to lose heading in, given the context. What happened after, when LeBron met the media, was much more interesting. James, asked to reflect on turning 38 later this week, and what he sees as his basketball future, made it very clear that he still b by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

35 min listen

The Lakers Lose the Season Opener to Golden State, In Ways Feeling Unsettlingly Familiar: Last season, the Lakers often lost thanks to defensive breakdowns, turnovers, bad outside shooting, a lack of support from the role guys and horrible third quarters. Wednesday in the season opener against Golden State at Chase, they lost thanks to defensive breakdowns, bad outside shooting, a lack of support from the role guys and a horrible third quarter. It was, to say the least, not a game that left Lakers fans feeling great about where this team can go. To be fair, it was a strange and challenging night. The long delay to tipoff thanks to the ring ceremony had both teams playing in mud early. Golden State is, as the ring ceremony might suggest, really freaking good. They have continuity and depth that might even eclipse last year's group. They're dominant in that building. So no shame in losing... it just didn't feel very good. So what was good? LeBron James, Anthony Davis and even Russell Wes by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

33 min listen

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Lakers Lose to Indiana: Russell Westbrook Benched Late, Frank Vogel's Seat HOT, James Worthy Sad

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