LeBron James and Anthony Davis Hope to Return Friday Night. Plus, Could Quin Snyder Replace Frank Vogel?

Can the Lakers Get Value in a Russell Westbrook Deal? (Guest: Jovan Buha, Part II): In Part I of our conversation with Jovan Buha of The Athletic, we covered the LeBron James and Anthony Davis core, how viable it is, and what the Lakers might do to improve the supporting cast around them this summer. Central to that is the future of Russell Westbrook. Part II starts there. First and foremost, Jovan doesn't think the Lakers can bring Westbrook back, at least in a basketball playing capacity. If he's on the roster, the Lakers pay him to stay away. So that leaves a trade. What is realistic? Could the Lakers get Indiana to trade Malcolm Brogdon and Buddy Hield to LA? Would that cost them both of their available first round picks? Would that be worth it? What about the head coach? Whatever identity the team forges moving forward will come, at least in part, from the influence of the guy on the sidelines. Could the Lakers land a big fish like Nick Nurse? What about Quin Snyder or Doc Rivers by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

31 min listen

Can the Lakers Take Control of the Series With a Game 2 Win in Memphis? Guest: Howard Beck!!!: The Lakers stole Game 1 in Memphis, beating a Grizzlies team that lost six times at home all year. They go into tonight's Game 2 not only with confidence, but also the knowledge that Memphis star Ja Morant might not play, or could be limited at the least, thanks to a hand injury. If the Lakers can take Game 2, they put a stranglehold on the series as it moves back to LA for Game 3 this weekend. So can they do it? Do Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura have another great game in them? Is it going to be a LeBron James-driven event? Can Anthony Davis repeat his defensive performance of Game 1, and lead the team on the other end, as well? These are just some of the questions we dive into with the great Howard Beck, who is joining the network through the playoffs to provide analysis, and has been a longtime friend of our show. We get into surprises from Game 1, what is sustainable and not, and how all by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

38 min listen

Will the Lakers Make the Play-In Tournament? How Much Will Anthony Davis Help?: The Los Angeles Lakers have 10 games remaining. Seven are against teams with winning records, two are against the New Orleans Pelicans, who are vying to host a potential play-in game against the purple and gold, and the last is against the Thunder... who have beaten the Lakers TWICE this season. They'll head into Wednesday's game with Philly holding a three game lead on San Antonio, and a slightly larger gap over the Portland TrailBlazers, and neither of those teams is working all that hard to get in. So assuming they can qualify, how many games will Anthony Davis need to be a factor for them, and potentially help the Lakers get into, and be competitive in, a first round series against Phoenix? He didn't require much ramp up time after returning from a long absence earlier this season. To say the least, the Lakers have been discombobulated all year long, with players in and out of the lineup. How discombobu by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

33 min listen

How a Lack of Young Talent Clouds the Present and Future for the Lakers. Plus, Misunderstanding Their Own History!: The Lakers are in a precarious spot right now. For the time being, even with LeBron James and Anthony Davis as a foundation, they don't look particularly built to win now. But in the meantime, any future without those two seems equally problematic, and to illustrate the the latter issue, the Kamenetzkys dug into ESPN's new list of Top 25 players under 25, based on future potential (Insider account required). Seventeen of the 30 NBA teams had at one player on that list. Of the remaining 13 teams without one, another six were currently in the playoffs. And that leaves seven teams, including the Lakers, in neither category. And when you look at the company they're keeping, it'll likely give fans serious pause. Talen Horton-Tucker and Austin Reaves have shown some promise, but neither have come close to belonging on this type of list. And while the Lakers have excelled at fin by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

34 min listen

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

31 min listen

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

Kings-Lakers Preview: A Must-Win Game To Avoid Play-In. Plus Gabe Vincent Back in March?: The Lakers may not have been playing truly inspired basketball, the kind that gets fans and media fired up and primed for the postseason, but they have, save that putrid stretch following the In-Season Tournament, won more than they've lost. Now, coming off a very impressive home win over the conference-leading Oklahoma City Thunder, the Lakers face another test against a playoff-caliber team. But this time, the Sacramento Kings come in weaker than LA, having been in a weeks long semi-slump that has dropped them into the back half of the playoff bracket, only 1.5 games ahead of the Lakers. This is a big opportunity for the Lakers to gain ground on a vulnerable squad, and give themselves a shot to hold the tiebreaker over the Kings, which could obviously come in handy by the end of the year. Lose, and that goes out the window (Sacramento won the first two games of the season series, with both g by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

34 min listen

Can The Timberwolves Teach the Lakers About a Rebuild, and Does Vogel *Deserve* to be Fired?: Wednesday's game in Minnesota drives home how different things are for the Lakers now, relative to expectations. One team is 10 games under .500, one team is 10 games over. And neither is the one anyone would have picked in the preseason. So why has it finally clicked for the Wolves this season? What does their success say about the path available to the Lakers were they to, as some fans have suggested, "Blow it up," this summer? If the Lakers can somehow get the ship back to neutral in terms of draft capital, would you feel comfortable they could make the right picks? Many strong responses to Tuesday's show about complaints LeBron is "stat-padding" as the Lakers appear to be playing out the string before inevitable disappointment in the play-in. They show, more than anything, that the equity James has as a star in LA is different than others who have come before him. Then it's on to the Twitt by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

32 min listen

Talen Horton-Tucker Drops 40, and Laker Fans Are Making a Bad Comparison between LeBron and Kobe.: LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Russell Westbrook and Carmelo Anthony all sat out of the Lakers' loss to the Warriors up in San Francisco,. So how are fans reacting to the stars sitting out? Some, at least, are bringing up comparisons to Kobe Bryant, and suggesting that LeBron is sitting at a time when Kobe would have played. Meanwhile, Talen Horton-Tucker went off for a career high 40 points against Golden State. On the one hand, that's awesome! 40 is a lot, and good for him. It certainly can't hurt to do a little image rehab in a season that has, overall, been a real disappointment for THT. But do nights like this one actually add any clarity to his future? As trade bait, or in a (hopefully) revamped Lakers rotation? Finally, if the Lakers are going to fix what ails them, it will need to start with everyone understanding their role in how the franchise has arrived at this point. Players, m by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

33 min listen

Lakers Lose to Raptors, fall 10 Games Under .500, Is LeBron James now just "stat padding?": Sunday, the Lakers played one of their worst opening quarters of the season, giving up 48 points to the Suns in Phoenix. Monday, they followed that up with arguably their worst offensive quarter, scoring only 12 points at home vs. Toronto. Not surprisingly, the Lakers lost both games. But it's a reminder that for all the attention given the team's flagging, sagging defense, the offense is statistically worse. And that was the side of the ball they were aiming to fix last summer. A quick glance at the lineups for each team shows the problem. The Lakers face a huge talent gap against virtually every team they play while Anthony Davis is in street clothes. Meanwhile, not only does Toronto have more good players than L.A., they have more athletes. Even the Lakers' younger legs don't have the hop and length of the Raps. How they fix, or don't, problems with the roster could have a big impact on the w by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

32 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

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

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

33 min listen

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

31 min listen

LeBron James is Putting More Pressure on the Front Office as the Lakers Win More Games: The Lakers have won five straight at a time when the rest of the conference is slumping. The Suns and Clippers have both lost six straight. The Jazz are sliding, the Blazers with them. as a result, the Lakers aren't just in contact with the play-in, they're creeping up on the real live playoff teams. Just a couple games back of the five spot. That's a ton of unexpected progress at a time when, with Anthony Davis (and more!) on the sidelines, the Lakers just weren't thought of as a competitive team. Yet here we are! And with that, LeBron James is cranking up the heat on the team's front office to kick it into high gear and make some trades to help improve the roster. Not later, not next season, now. In a walk-and-talk following Saturday's win over Sacramento with The Athletic's Sam Amick, LeBron said without saying that he thinks the front office should make a move. Sunday on Twitter, he tried to dia by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

35 min listen

LeBron Doubtful for Tonight's Game vs. Bucks... and Can the Lakers Catch the Suns?: The Lakers kick off a six game road trip tonight in Milwaukee. Normally this sort of thing would be looked on with some bit of dread, especially given that the Lakers have been a horrible road team all season. And certainly Monday's game against the Bucks will be a major challenge, especially in light of LeBron James being downgraded to doubtful ahead of the contest thanks to the same ankle that's kept him on the injury report all year. Hopefully he/the Lakers are just picking one day for LBJ to rest in the space of a back to back... but there's really know way to know until Wednesday when the Lakers arrive in Memphis. But as for this one, yes, the Lakers beat the Bucks recently, but Milwaukee has played better of late, and is unquestionably a contender in the East. This would be a losable game with or without James. But hey, maybe the Lakers surprise shorthanded. Wouldn't be the first time, this se by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

35 min listen

Kyle Kuzma, Talen Horton-Tucker, the 22nd pick and... ??? Assessing the Lakers' trade chips: Silly season is here! On Tuesday, NBA Twitter was made crazy by a fairly implausible trade rumor generated by a fake version of a somewhat shaky aggregator site. BUT WHO CARES! This stuff is fun! So after debating whether Kemba Walker (the subject of the aforementioned fake rumor) is a good fit for the Lakers, we break down what the Lakers have to offer in trades. And, using the guys on the block for the Indiana Pacers as a stable metric, try to figure out what caliber player those assets might attract. How much can Lakers fans really expect in the trade market this offseason? What factors will be critical in determining whether a trade could be made, even beyond the typical salary stuff? After, Game 1 of the NBA Finals, the Suns have a 1-0 lead. What went right for Phoenix? What can the Bucks feel good about? And what did Game 1 drive home about stuff the Lakers were missing this season? HOS by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

32 min listen

Is It Possible LeBron James Wouldn't Sign an Extension With the Lakers?: LeBron James has spent a great deal of his time in Los Angeles fighting significant injuries. He's been told to stay off that bad ankle this spring/summer for at least a month, probably more. So with all that in mind, and his advancing age and tremendous NBA mileage, it's at least worth contemplating the risks of offering him a $90-plus million extension this summer. But this week, Sam Amick of The Athletic wrote an interesting story that asks the other side of the same question: Would LeBron automatically accept an offer from the Lakers (as everyone assumes the organization will do)? What are the reasons LeBron might turn them down? What might have changed about his perception of the franchise? Is it really any different now than it was when he signed with them originally? When he signed his first extension with the team? Finally, everyone (James included) poked fun at the Timberwolves for, let's call it an extre by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

33 min listen

Lakers Sign Lonnie Walker, Damian Jones, Juan Toscano-Anderson and Troy Brown, Plus New Kyrie Irving Rumors!: NBA free agency kicked off Thursday afternoon, and the Lakers didn't let limited resources keep them on the sidelines. They signed a center (Damian Jones) and two forwards (Juan Toscano-Anderson and Troy Brown Jr.) to veteran's minimum contracts, and used their taxpayer midlevel exception, worth about $6.5 million, on former Spurs guard Lonnie Walker IV. On the one hand, the Lakers broke from last year's free agent trends in significant ways. First, they went much, much younger. The oldest of the quartet is Toscano-Anderson, at 29. On the other, the Lakers didn't pick up any of the shooting they banked last season. Or at least they thought they banked, in hindsight. All told, it reminds Lakers fans of the bind the team is in, trying to make impactful improvements to the roster. (It also reminds Lakers fans of who put the Lakers in this box to begin with... namely, the Lakers.) by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

37 min listen

Why Darvin Ham Should Coach the Lakers, and Is a Kyrie Irving/Russell Westbrook Trade Worth the Risk?: The Lakers are down to Terry Stotts, Kenny Atkinson and Darvin Ham. One will be the next head coach. So after a series of scouting reports breaking down each guy, who ought to be the hire? The answer is Ham, but why? And what about the other guys? Would either constitute a real mistake? Meanwhile, if Rob Pelinka can't do serious work improving the roster, does it even matter who coaches the Lakers next season? Speaking of new talent, the relationship between, um, "mercurial" point guard Kyrie Irving and the Brooklyn Nets has soured, with the Nets reportedly unwilling to give Irving the long-term extension everyone expected. (Not surprising, given how the last couple seasons have gone.) If he leaves Brooklyn, the oddsmakers think the Lakers are a relatively probable landing spot. Is this a good idea? How deep into the Kyrie Irving Business should the Lakers get, even if it means gettin by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

34 min listen

The Lakers Face Long Odds to Make the Playoffs, Plus, Mo Bamba Scouting Report!: Following the All-Star Game, LeBron James framed the last 23 games of the 2022-23 season as being as critical as any regular season games he's had in his very, very long career. That's a lot of games, and plenty of important ones. But with the Lakers once again on the outside looking in when it comes to the playoff/play-in race, he's absolutely correct that they need to hit the ground running hard to even have a chance down the stretch. It can't be a step forward and a step back, two steps forward one step back and so on. The Lakers need to pile up some wins, starting Thursday against the Warriors. It's a tall order to jump over multiple teams, and one the mathematicians don't think the Lakers can do. Whether looking at Basketball Reference, FiveThirtyEight or any other purveyor of analytical projections, the odds favor the Lakers landing outside the top 10 when the season is all said and done. And it make by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

33 min listen

LeBron Reportedly Likes Mark Jackson as a New Coach. Would the Lakers Hire him?: As we all settle into the Lakers' offseason, big questions - and there are many - rumors and reports are already circulating about the direction the team might go in replacing Frank Vogel. One nugget reported by Sam Amick at The Athletic? LeBron James would be interested in the Lakers hiring former Warriors/current ESPN broadcaster Mark Jackson. Now, this is highly unikely (Jackson was a rumored candidate after the Lakers canned Luke Walton, and even when the Cavs fired David Blatt), but the concept raises interesting questions about how the Lakers need to approach the coaching search. Because while Jackson is hardly the perfect candidate, that guy doesn't exist. It's very unlikely the Lakers will have access to the creme de la creme of uber-elite coaching options. So they need to be very clear on what they want, why, and who can deliver on their top priorities. From there, they have to match that coach wi by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

33 min listen

Is Trading LeBron James an Option? Plus Adrian Griffin Enters the Lakers Coaching Search: ESPN's Stephen A. Smith on Wednesday said the Lakers should trade LeBron James, since Russell Westbrook and Anthony Davis torched their value, and there's no other way to improve... but is it even possible to create a deal that would make sense for both sides? Meanwhile, The Lakers coaching search has added Toronto assistant Adrian Griffin. Solid resume, though he's not even on the board when it comes to the oddsmakers forecasting who might get the job. The longest longshot? James as player-coach! Assuming he's not traded, of course. Finally, LeBron expressed his disgust at the voting for Most Improved Player, which went to Memphis guard Ja Morant. Not because he thinks Ja isn't good, but because he thinks he was too good already to even have been considered. So is he right? LeBron's problem with the voting gets to a bigger issue: Save maybe Rookie of the Year and 6th Man of the Year, does anybody by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

32 min listen

How Does Jarred Vanderbilt's Injury Change the Lakers' Rotation, and Plans at the Trade Deadline?: It's a very, very busy week in the NBA with the trade deadline coming up on the 8th. And, of course, that means the Lakers tied to any available player on the market, because that's how this works. But while before the chatter was built mostly around Atlanta guard Dejounte Murray, the Lakers now have to fill a massive hole left by the injury to Jarred Vanderbilt. The Lakers now have a gaping hole to fill, in addition to any improvements they want to make in the backcourt, or anywhere else. And the stuff they have available doesn't change. It's one pick, it's D'Angelo Russell, it's (maybe) Rui Hachimura and an injured Gabe Vincent, plus whatever appeal guys like Max Christie and Jalen Hood-Schifino might have. So which holes do they try to fill? Do they keep more assets for this summer, roll the dice on this year and hope for the best? It's not an easy time to be Rob Pelinka. Meanwhile, on by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

35 min listen

Should the Lakers Trade Russell Westbrook (and stuff)for Rudy Gobert? Plus, LeBron James as NBA Owner?: On Thursday's show, it was time to review some of the street free agents the Lakers have brought into the building to get a look, and see if they'd be a fit somewhere on the roster for next season. Friday, it's a deeper look into the challenge of improving the team via free agency. Jovan Buha at The Athletic has a list of potential free agents, along with needs. But how many of the players who could make an impact would actually be available? Is it more important to find a player at a different position, or retain Malik Monk? And how about this for a hypothetical: Russell Westbrook (and likely some stuff) for Utah's Rudy Gobert, who has been the subject of trade rumors this week. Likely Utah feels they could do better (can't blame them) but are there any reasons the Lakers, or Lakers fans, would hesitate to add The Stifle Tower, who has DPOY potential on a yearly basis, but also has by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

33 min listen

LeBron James Pledges Never to Miss the Playoffs Again! Plus, Russell Westbrook Scenarios!: He's on vacation, but LeBron James, serial watcher of basketball, is still glued to a television watching the NBA Playoffs play out without him, doesn't like it, and Tweeted that never again will he miss the playoffs. But while James didn't mention the specific team he'll be with, he presumably meant "with the Lakers. But all jokes(?) aside, it's a reminder of how much distance the Lakers have to travel before contention, even on the fringes, is a legit possibility. So with that in mind, is it an opportunity for the team to enter next season with a little more humility? Talk about building to something, and maybe turn down the heat on the season at the start? Because they'll definitely be sporting a brand new roster, and Lord knows a little time under the radar could be helpful. From there, a comment left on the Locked On Lakers YouTube page provided the inspiration for an entire show on Friday. by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

32 min listen

The Lakers Have Won Five of Six, Face (and Scout?) Myles Turner, Buddy Hield Monday Night: The Lakers were once 2-10. Today, after winning five of six, they'll enter Monday's game against Indiana (one of only six home games between now and early January) with a 7-11 record. Still not good, but trending in the right direction. And most of that progress has happened without a full roster available to them. So now that Anthony Davis and LeBron James are both expected to play against the Pacers, can the Lakers continue their momentum? How much of that upturn was legitimate, anyway, and not a product of a (finally) softening schedule? We'll all find out soon enough, but at the least, the Lakers were due to some positive move to the mean. They weren't, for example, going to shoot 20 percent from 3-point range all year. Over their last 10? About 35 percent. Not great, but not catastrophically damaging to the offense, either. The Lakers were always better than a team paced to win 12 games all by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

30 min listen

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

35 min listen

Monday vs. Knicks Begins Critical, Difficult Stretch for Lakers. Plus, Is Backup Center a Problem?: The Lakers are 15-11. That's the good news. The bad? That record is only good enough for 8th in the Western Conference, and after a 1-2 trip through Texas, which included one game in Dallas against a Kyrie Irving-less Mavs team, then consecutive games in San Antonio, the Lakers now have a very difficult stretch of schedule in front of them. Four of their next five games are against teams above .500, including two against Minnesota and Oklahoma City, the top two teams in the Western Conference. The Lakers get Boston on Christmas, and have more tough games to follow. If, as Darvin Ham has suggested, the Lakers are feeling a little bit of post-IST fatigue, they need to get past it fast, because there's just no time for slumps in the West. Not for teams with aspirations of finishing in the top half of the playoff bracket. Meanwhile, did the trip through Texas reveal a shortcoming in the Lake by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

30 min listen

Are LeBron James and Anthony Davis Still a Championship Core? Guest: Jovan Buha, The Athletic (Part I): The Lakers have a lot of work to do this offseason, but one of the more foundational bits of business is figuring out what they still have in their star core. After two years of injuries scuttling seasons, is the core of LeBron James and Anthony Davis still one that can be reliably championship caliber? If the Lakers are nervous about the pairing, what exactly can they do to move on? Can they have Lebron but not necessarily go all in to win with him? This is the starting point of a two-part conversation with The Athletic's Jovan Buha, It kicks off answering the "What do they have?" question regarding James and Davis, and from there moves into "What can they get to make things better?" Should re-signing Malik Monk really be the team's top priority? Are there more pressing needs, even if Monk represents their most positive contributor from this season who isn't under contract? What els by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

34 min listen

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LeBron James and Anthony Davis Hope to Return Friday Night. Plus, Could Quin Snyder Replace Frank Vogel?

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