Could Anthony Davis Start at Center for the Lakers? Darvin Ham Says It's Under "Heavy Consideration"

More Lakers Rotation Q's: Should Rui Start? How Much PT for Vanderbilt, Prince? Is Christie Ready?: Thursday's show centered on big questions in the Lakers rotation. How will Darvin Ham chop up the minutes at point guard between D'Angelo Russell and Gabe Vincent? Is it really possible that Anthony Davis spends more time at power forward, which would open up center minutes (while also demanding LeBron James guard small fowards, and put a real minutes crunch on some of the team's better players) for Jaxson Hayes and/or big-man-to-be-signed-later? That conversation still left one big spot on the table: the forward rotation. That includes Rui Hachimura, who many people think will start... but should that be taken as gospel? What about the usage of Taurean Prince and Jarred Vanderbilt? Could Vando get squeezed if the Lakers find themselves in more consistent need of floor spacing or scoring? How does his defensive versatility match up with Prince's? Where does Max Christie fit in? These are by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

37 min listen

Lakers at the Halfway Point: Grades for Darvin Ham, Biggest Surprise, Biggest Disappointment, and more!: The Lakers wrapped up the first half of their season Monday, losing in Denver on a night where LeBron, Anthony Davis, and so many other players were in street clothes that rookie Cole Swider was pressed into big minutes. The result was hardly a surprise. But after, Darvin Ham was asked about the first half of the season. He noted the tough start, and the fact the Lakers have lost a bunch of games they should have won. Disappointed as he clearly is to be three games under .500 at the midpoint, Ham expressed a belief that the team is trending in the right direction, and is better than the record suggests. Progress, after all, has been made under still-challenging conditions. Because a 2-10 start is a heck of a hole to put yourself in as a team. So is he right to be optimistic about the final 41 games? While all the normal caveats remain - nobody knows when Anthony Davis plays again, o by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

36 min listen

Anthony Davis Probable vs. Nets: How it Impacts LeBron, the Lakers. Plus, Westbrook for Wall Trade Rumors?: The Lakers, obviously, are at a critical juncture in their season. It's getting awful close to make-or-break time, in terms of understanding just how realistic a deep playoff run is going to be. And fundamentally, that means getting Anthony Davis back on the floor. That could happen Tuesday, as the Lakers star was upgraded to probable after nearly suiting up against the Heat on Sunday. Not only does Davis make the team better on both sides of the floor based solely on his talent - for all the talk of vaguely disappointing play from him this season, it's in the context of a guy being a top 15 player instead of a top 5 - he also allows: some pressure to come off LeBron offensively slots Westbrook into a better spot (and gives Russ another large man to pass to at the rim) helps the Lakers settle into their small-ball identity for real. ...and more. Really, there's nothing that by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

36 min listen

Darvin Ham and LeBron James Agree, Anthony Davis Should be the Focal Point on Offense: The Lakers braintrust met recently and covered a lot of ground, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo! Sports. Interestingly enough, a contract extension for LeBron James wasn't really the frontburner item. Instead, Rob Pelinka, Darvin Ham and James tried to lay out a vision for the season, and gain a common understanding of what's coming. And there was a lot discussed over an hour or so. Anthony Davis is going to be the focal point of the offense. Things will run through him, everyone agrees. So what does that mean? How will that impact LeBron's ability not just to stay healthy, but give a little more to the defensive side of things than he did last year? Haynes reports that Pelinka plans to be patient with the roster, and everyone agreed to see how things shake out before making any big moves. That's code for "Russell Westbrook is going to be here." (That's a message not just for the players, but for by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

32 min listen

Anthony Davis Dominates vs. Golden State, and Rob Pelinka Gets a Contract Extension: What a busy weekend! The Lakers broke a 9-game preseason losing streak, and while wins and losses don't necessarily matter in these games, Sunday's win over Golden State had some significant developments. First, Anthony Davis was dominant. 28 points in 21 minutes, with every facet of the game on display. Hit some threes, hit some mid-range, dominated in the paint, got to the line. And he showed some swagger. It was the type of performance the Lakers are going to need - a lot - through the season if they want to exceed expectations. Plus, Kendrick Nunn played great, Lonnie Walker IV shot the ball well and generally speaking the Lakers looked good when important players were on the floor. Meanwhile, though, the Lakers didn't play LeBron James, Russell Westbrook or Patrick Beverley, and are running out of time to develop the type of continuity in a still-complex rotation they'll need. Darvin Ham says it's by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

35 min listen

Anthony Davis Makes History, but the Lakers Lose to Suns in on Tuesday Night: Well, if you were wondering whether Anthony Davis could continue this forward momentum against better competition, following some dominant games against bad frontcourts, you got your answer Tuesday. Davis was, literally, historically good, dropping 37 points on only 17 shots, then adding 21 rebounds, five steals and five blocks. He was, it could be argued, the only reason the Lakers, who otherwise were not good offensively as a team (4-22 from 3-point range, 17 turnovers, 0 points combined from Troy Brown, Patrick Beverley, Dennis Schroder and Wenyen Gabriel), were competitive deep into the fourth quarter. And it's an indication of what it means for the Lakers when Davis plays like a guy who could be argued as one of, if not the, best player in the league vs. a more run of the mill All Star. The Lakers need more of it, and then need LeBron James to elevate once he's back on the floor, which according to Bleac by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

34 min listen

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

33 min listen

Lakers Media Day Reaction: Westbrook Not Guaranteed Starting Role, LeBron Focuses on Availability: There were, literally, dozens of questions asked and answered on Media Day for the Lakers Monday, but not surprisingly, it was the questions asked to, and asked about, guard Russell Westbrook that dominated the headlines. First, Darvin Ham made it abundantly clear that no starting role will be promised, or even assumed, for Westbrook. They have a lot of time to figure out what they're going to do, and a lot of guards to figure out how to do it with. Westbrook, Ham indicated, is just one of those options. It was a message delivered with praise, for sure (Ham continued talking about how great Westbrook has been this offseason) but delivered, nonetheless. Meanwhile, Westbrook echoed many of the comments published over the weekend by ESPN. Does he feel wanted by the org? "Doesn't matter." His job, Westbrook said, is to go be a pro and play hard, filling whatever role he's asked. And you know by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

33 min listen

Lakers Beat San Antonio as Anthony Davis Makes His Return, Rui Hachimura Makes His Debut: For all the excitement about getting Anthony Davis back in the lineup, and for putting newly acquired forward Rui Hachimura into it, there was still the grind-of-the-NBA nature of Wednesday's game. It was the second night of a back-to-back, against a lousy and slumping San Antonio team that has done precious little winning of late. It's not unusual to see teams do the bare minimum to get by, which it seemed the Lakers were willing to do in a 113-104 win that was competitive into the fourth quarter. The game was disjointed, as Darvin Ham negotiated a minutes restriction for Davis and found minutes for Hachimura. But it was easy to see the impact of both. Davis technically didn't pick up right where he left off - there was about four minutes of rusty play before he got it back into gear, finishing with 21 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks in only 26 minutes. Hachimura, who also came off the bench, by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

32 min listen

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

32 min listen

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

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

30 min listen

Will the Lakers Sign Anthony Davis to an Extension this Offseason? Plus, the Lakers-Nuggets Feud Grows!: With most of the big free agent work done, attention can turn to other important issues central to the team's future. Like what's coming for Anthony Davis. The Lakers star is eligible for a new contract extension before the season, one that could add another three years and nearly $168 million to his contract. ESPN's Dave McMenamin reports the Lakers are likely to come to some sort of arrangement with A.D. before the season starts - details TBD. Obviously those details matter, but bigger picture, it raises all kinds of questions about not only the Lakers and their future (this would be the first deal taking Davis well beyond the LeBron James Timeline, Davis will be well into his 30s, and so on) but the way contracts like this will be handled across the league. With the new CBA, will teams automatically give out these extensions/max contracts to star players? Is this something the La by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

33 min listen

The Lakers Bounce Back, Beat Portland 128-109 Behind Anthony Davis, LeBron James and Austin Reaves: The Lakers played three great quarters against Indiana Monday, before blowing a huge lead in the fourth quarter. Wednesday against Portland, they again built up a huge lead in the final period, but decided this time to finish strong. The result: a 128-109 win over Portland at the Crypt. It was a huge bounce back for the team, fueled by a strong game from LeBron James (31 points on only 18 shots), Anthony Davis (27/12 with three blocks) and Austin Reaves (22 points), who continued his strong play through November. This was exactly what the Lakers needed to restore a little confidence before heading out for the first extended road trip of the season, starting Friday in Milwaukee. Davis and James found a great formula in the fourth quarter, as well, a place where James has often been inefficient and Davis has flat disappeared. 23 points between the two (with Davis leading the way), a higher by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

31 min listen

Remove Patrick Beverley From the Lakers Starting Lineup... Plus, Other Rotation Suggestions for Darvin Ham: After the Lakers gave up a 13 point fourth quarter lead to the Celtics, this after mounting a huge comeback to overcome a 20-point deficit, coach Darvin Ham noted that one problem the team has is falling behind early. Stop doing that, and you don't need to expend the energy for furious comebacks, and maybe it'll be easier to hold leads late. Fair enough! And if that's the case, one way to solve the problem is change who starts, because the Lakers are consistently a terrible first quarter team. One of the NBA's worst. And a big issue there is Patrick Beverley. While the vet has been a positive defensively when put in the right situations, he's been a disaster on the other end, and it's dragging the team down. Especially if Ham wants to keep Dennis Schroder in the starting lineup as well. The data shows the two of them are a tragic combo for the Lakers. (Things get even worse when by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

31 min listen

Should Rob Pelinka Make a Big Deadline Trade, or Big Offseason Moves? What's Better for the Lakers?: Trade season is starting to heat up, and while the Lakers aren't currently at the center of any big rumors (no, Cam Reddish chatter doesn't count), they're generally expected to do something in one form or another before the deadline. Because, if nothing else, they're the Lakers and under a ton of pressure to at least give the appearance of trying to provide LeBron James a fighting chance to compete. This, of course, is all predicated on the idea that a) Anthony Davis will return at some point soon—Davis participated in parts of Thursday's practice and is at least trending in the right direction—and b) the Lakers are actually interested in trying to salvage this season, vs. waiting until the summer. To that end, an interesting breakdown on the merits of "Now or Later?" on the Rob Pelinka Decision Tree was posted to Hoopshype by cap guru Yossi Gozlan. He lays out the case for making a mo by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

33 min listen

Lonnie Walker IV Promising in Lakers Debut. Thomas Bryant Breaks Out. LeBron/Davis/Westbrook Sit.: As always, context matters in the preseason. The Lakers lost again Thursday, but played without LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Russell Westbrook, Kendrick Nunn, Patrick Beverley, Dennis Schröder and Troy Brown Jr.. Doesn't matter if you think this season won't be that good, if you remove those seven dudes from any game the results will be ugly. Particularly since the Wolves used their regular rotation. Still, there were highlights, including the season debut of Lonnie Walker IV and a bust out game for Thomas Bryant. Walker was given a lot of responsibility, running the offense in addition to trying to spark it, and broadly the results were positive. A couple highlight reel plays mixed in with some surprisingly good passing. He finished with three assists, but it rightly should have been much higher. This was not a Lakers squad that capitalized on every opportunity to give a teammate a dime. by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

31 min listen

How Worried Should the Lakers Be About LeBron's Minutes? Time to Move Taurean Prince to the Bench?: On the one hand, it's been incredibly fun to watch LeBron James put up the numbers he has over the last couple of weeks. The production has been impressive for any NBA player, before you get into the context of a (more or less) 39-year old in his 21st season. Once you factor that in? Wow. But at the same time, as many viewers on the YouTube channel have noted, there's a price to be paid for this type of effort, when it comes to James, and generally that price has been... well, James himself. Injury. Wear and tear. Fatigue. Eventually, the bill comes due. Of course, the Lakers were designed to take the load off James, with (in theory) added depth and higher end talent in the form of Austin Reaves and D'Angelo Russell, depth players in Rui Hachimura, Taurean Prince, Gabe Vincent and Christian Wood. But the returns on the supporting cast have been mixed. And that means the burden on LeBron by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

33 min listen

Did NBA GM's Disrespect Anthony Davis's Defense? Plus, Ham Wants Davis Taking 3-Pointers. Lots!: Ok, so the NBA's GM Survey was released Tuesday, and while this space isn't one for homerism... Anthony Davis is simply not getting the respect he deserves on the defensive end. Start scrolling through the categories, and you find that Davis is either further down the voting lists than he should be, or simply isn't included at all. And while it's understood that at different times over the course of his career he hasn't quite met the moment... did anyone watch the playoffs last season? Davis was the best defender throughout, until the Lakers were eliminated. In three series against three very different opponents, he was dominant on that side of the ball. Yet in this year's preseason GM polling, it garnered him surprisingly little love. Why, exactly? What's going on here? And while we're here, did LeBron's basketball IQ go down over the summer? Meanwhile, the Lakers took 55 3-pointers on Mon by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

32 min listen

Is Darvin Ham a Good Candidate for the Lakers Coach? Mark Jackson? Who Else? (Guest: Kevin Arnovitz): On Monday's episode, ESPN's Kevin Arnovitz broke down the bind the Lakers (with LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook), and other "mercenary" style NBA teams like the Clippers and Nets face when building a roster that tries not only to have talent but cohesion and culture. The second half of the show focuses on their coaching vacancy, which is seemingly thought of by Rob Pelinka and Jeanie Buss as too big for a first-timer like, say, former Lakers/current Bucks assistant Darvin Ham? Well, according to Arnovitz, not so much. He points to Ham as a blindingly obvious candidate for the Lakers to interview (which he actually said before news broke into the weekend that the Lakers will, in fact, talk with him). Are there other assistants out there the Lakers should be paying attention to? What about among the "retreads?" All of this points to big questions about the process we're by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

33 min listen

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

37 min listen

How Much Center Does Anthony Davis Need to Play? Plus, Low Key Concerns and Underrated Strengths for the Lakers: With rosters more or less set - though the Brooklyn Nets seem to keep finding dudes to add, somehow - and training camp still a few weeks away, it's a good time to look at where teams stand. This week, ESPN looked at some potential shortcomings for contenders that are perhaps flying under the radar. For the Lakers, it was whether Anthony Davis will embrace playing center. Obviously that's something talked about locally a ton, but it's easy to see how that could be a more granular topic for NBA fans out of market (given how much emphasis has been put on Westbrook's fit or outside shooting, for example). But it does beg the question, how much center is the right amount of center for Davis? Is it about minutes? Timing? Both? And moreover, how much of the conversation should be about the way in which Davis plays, not just the position at which he plays? How about a couple othe by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

37 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

Darvin Ham Says Russell Westbrook Will Start, Anthony Davis Is the Key, and Much, Much More: Darvin Ham is bringing a much different energy to El Segundo this season, and anyone who wants a good understanding of what it means should read the Q/A done by ESPN's Marc Spears. In it, Ham talks about his upbringing, the grind required to make the league, and then to stay there. And then to put himself on the path to being an NBA head coach, which required a long stint in the G-League. He talks about Russell Westbrook, and his expectations for him this season, which include starting (which will, surely, disappoint Lakers fans hoping to see Westbrook come off the bench). Ham talked about Anthony Davis as the key to making the Lakers go, and that the team will support him in every way possible to make it happen. And he talked about the experience he had working with Milwaukee head coach Mike Budenholzer, calling the work he does the gold standard around the league. Put it all together, and his by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

35 min listen

LeBron Tweets "Hour Glass" emoji. Who is out of time? Darvin Ham? Rob Pelinka? The Lakers?: For a while, it looked like the most important Tweet to come from a Laker Tuesday in Atlanta would be Christian Wood's, where he "lol"'d right after the Lakers announced a starting lineup that included Jaxson Hayes instead of him, filling in for Anthony Davis. After the game, Wood said it was just a wayward QT. Nothing to see here. Nobody believed him. But all of that was soon eclipsed by LeBron James, who simply sent out a near-empty hourglass. That clearly put people on notice. Was he talking about Darvin Ham, and losing patience with him? Reminding Rob Pelinka to take action, because the season is now running short and the Lakers (and LeBron himself, broadly) are nearly out of time? All of the above? It's another indication things aren't right in El Segundo, and nobody is comfortable with it. It speaks to the disconnect between the locker room and Ham, and potentially the locker room and Peli by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

34 min listen

Lakers Grind Out a Comeback Win Vs. Phoenix Suns as LeBron Plays the Entire 4th Quarter: With Devin Booker and Bradley Beal on the sidelines, the Phoenix Suns came into Thursday's game at the Crypt at a decided disadvantage. But for most of the game, the Suns were ahead. Down by 12 at the start of the fourth quarter, the Lakers had to play true shut-down defense over the final 12 minutes, outscoring the Suns 28-11 to get the win. LeBron James, whose minutes the Lakers would like very much to limit as much as possible, blew through the team's 28-32 minute target, playing the whole fourth quarter en route to 35 minutes overall. Still nothing extreme, but definitely more than they're aiming for. And on the one hand, keeping the minutes down did allow the Lakers to use him more liberally down the stretch. Although you could also argue that the light minutes were a reason they were down 12. Either way, LeBron was excellent down the stretch. Anthony Davis, meanwhile, clearly figured out what by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

33 min listen

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

33 min listen

Darvin Ham's Vision for Anthony Davis and the Defense. Plus, DeRozan Keeps Talking About the Lakers!: The Lakers need to improve their defense in a big way, after last season's disaster, and that starts with Anthony Davis. On the one hand, Darvin Ham can use him in multiple ways, because he's extremely versatile on that side of the floor. Ideally, Ham's mission is to figure out a way to deploy Davis in a way that a) maximizes Davis, b) maximizes the Lakers' defense, and c) avoids overextending Davis to the point he risks injury. Because if he gets hurt, the whole thing falls apart. Unfortunately, those are not necessarily three easy things to align. So what's the best way to handle things? How much better is the supporting cast around Davis this year, compared to last? Because the answer to that question has a real impact on what Ham can do with AD (and LeBron, and Pat Beverley for that matter). It's an example of the challenge Ham faces this year, trying to figure out how to get the m by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

31 min listen

Lakers Score Win over Grizzlies Behind LeBron, Westbrook, Schröder. Plus, Anthony Davis Back Soon?: Say what you want about the Lakers this season, about Darvin Ham's coaching, about Westbrook's efficiency, LeBron's 3-point shooting or anything else - they do not quit on games, even after a series of heartbreaking and often frustrating losses. Friday at home against Memphis, winners of 11 straight games, that resolve was on full display. Because there were multiple opportunities for the Lakers to pat themselves on the back for a good effort and go ahead and fold up for the night, but they didn't. Memphis couldn't put the Lakers away, and in the end Dennis Schröder came up with a massive steal, bucket and free throw to give the Lakers a lead in the final moments. And they held on! This was a huge game not just in the standings, but also for morale, especially because it comes the same night there was positive news about Anthony Davis reported by multiple outlets. Davis, it appears, coul by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

18 min listen

Darvin Ham Confirms Taurean Prince Will Start ... at Least Until Jarred Vanderbilt Returns???: The Lakers kick off the regular season Tuesday in Denver, and after a strong training camp have very few questions of significance still in need of an answer. Over the weekend, Darvin Ham said that Taurean Prince would start against the Nuggets at small forward. He did leave the door open to a dinged up Jarred Vanderbilt, however, to re-enter the starting lineup once he's recovered from the heel injury that has cost him most of training camp. But while for many teams, "Who is in the starting lineup?" feels like a doozy of an unanswered question, on this squad, less so. The Prince lineups have been great in the preseason. Plenty of early evidence they work well. The Vanderbilt lineups helped the Lakers to the Western Conference Finals last season. Two good options, it seems. Most of the bench questions feel pretty minor. It's easy to see how someone like Gabe Vincent fits in, even while he's m by Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

31 min listen

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Could Anthony Davis Start at Center for the Lakers? Darvin Ham Says It's Under "Heavy Consideration"

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