Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers - Austin Reaves Returns in Lakers Win! Plus, Harden, Garland, JJ Traded, Giannis Next?

Starting point is 00:00:00 Lakers fans are hoping for a deal before Thursday's deadline, but reinforcements still look like a long shot. Is the return of Austin Reeves the only good news fans will get this week? We'll tell you next. You are Locked on Lakers. Your daily Los Angeles Lakers podcast, part of the Lockedon Podcast Network, your team every day. Thanks to everybody for making Lockdown Lakers first listen to every day Monday through Friday, no matter how or where you get your podcast, whether that's Spotify. Maybe you're an Apple guy.

Starting point is 00:00:37 I'm an Apple guy. Maybe you're one of the 37,000 plus subscribers to Locked on Lakers, the YouTube channel. No matter how you get this show, you are part of making the Lockdowne podcast network, the number one sports podcast network, and this or any other known universe. I'm Brian Kaminetsky with Andy Kaminetsky, oh, about 20 years covering the Lakers for ESPN, for the LA Times, for the athletic and deadline time. Andy is always one of the most exciting for fans. Ooh, big names flying around.

Starting point is 00:01:09 Some big rumors, a new player that is rumored to be on the market that may be a great fit for a Luca Donchich-led team. We will explain that before the end of it all. But first, we are going to let you know about Austin Reeves and his return to the lineup, a big Lakers win on Tuesday night, kind of a laffer, if you will, not much of resistance put up by the Brooklyn Nets. Today's episode is brought to you by Fanduel. It's the last call for football on Fandual. If you're a new customer bet just $500 and bonus bets if you win.

Starting point is 00:01:46 Andy, it's not that they played the Nets necessarily that makes this a big win. It's what they did to the Nets. And more importantly, who was part of it that made Tuesday's Laffer, cruise control victory over Brooklyn a big deal? Yeah, the score 125-109 doesn't really demonstrate or reflect how much the Lakers controlled this game. The Lakers were up 28 in the fourth quarter when LeBron was subbed out and JJ started to put in some of the reserves. They were up 24, I believe, when it was basically the beginning of garbage time with six minutes left.

Starting point is 00:02:34 Luca did not play in the fourth quarter. They were up 30-ish at certain points in this game. They completely controlled it. To your point, though, the big story was Austin Reeves coming back, 15 points, four rebounds, two steals and an assist. He looked, as JJ said afterwards, like Austin Reeves. His shot was not there. Three of nine from the field, one of five from behind the arc. That felt more like rust and timing, but from just a pure first.

Starting point is 00:03:04 physical standpoint. He looked like Austin, and the biggest reflection of this was he got to the line 10 times in 21 minutes off the bench. I can already hear the other 29 fan bases around the league, bitching upon the return of Austin Reeves, Lakers free throws, all that stuff. It's a new reality kids get used to it. But Austin, it was apropos. The first, like the first real possession he had handling the ball. He ended up getting to the line with a little bit under two seconds left in the first quarter. And it just sort of set the tone for Austin feeling his way back into this game. But there was definitely an energy and a juice that the team felt, including a sequence where there was a loose ball

Starting point is 00:03:55 and a turnover for the nets. I believe actually, Austin bodied the turnover into happening. I can't remember who the ball handler was, but LeBron picked up the loose ball, hit it ahead to Austin, who rather than go for a layup, threw the ball off the backboard

Starting point is 00:04:13 for LeBron and a dunk. We later learned that does not count, at least in Brooklyn's house, with their local scorekeeper as an assist. It was nothing. It wasn't assist. It wasn't a shot. It wasn't a rebound.

Starting point is 00:04:28 It wasn't anything. It was as if the play didn't happen. They didn't count that as two points for LeBron? They counted as two points for LeBron, but it didn't count as a shot. If it wasn't a pass, then it was a shot. It wasn't like the status. No, I think they would count it as an unassisted field goal for LeBron as opposed to an assist. Well, no.

Starting point is 00:04:47 You would think if they didn't mark it as an assist. We don't have to get too deep into it. I was like, If it's not a basket, you would have thought it would have counted as a shot for Reeves if he throws it off the backboard and they're not considering it a pass. But anyway, the point is, it just sort of disappeared into the statistical ether of the building. Right, that's my point. And so I think, you know, the free throws to me were the thing that really stuck out because like you say, as much as people like to complain about these sorts of things, the Lakers offense. is predicated on that type of on free throws.

Starting point is 00:05:30 You know, it's Luca getting the line. It is Austin getting to the line. It is to a lesser extent now. LeBron getting to the line. And when you take Austin away, those six or seven or eight or nine or ten or sometimes more trips to the line are sorely missed. The Lakers are not a team when they don't pray.

Starting point is 00:05:53 Brooklyn that generates a lot of easy points. They don't always turn defense. They're supposed to, but they don't. They don't. You know, the nets are, that's really bad, really, really bad. But, you know, and the Lakers jumped on them early, capitalized on mistakes, all that stuff. But, you know, what they need to be able to do is draw fouls,

Starting point is 00:06:22 get to the line, control things in the half court, run when they can. And Austin is just a huge, huge part of that aspect of their attack. And then you also add in when things are going better, obviously the timing's coming back. He will be a major outlet for three-point shooting and all these other things. I understand that Austin Reeves is not going to solve their defensive problems. but what he is going to do that I do think will help their defense once he gets his sea legs back is make their offense better. And this is a team that needs a variety of ways to try to help that help that along,

Starting point is 00:07:07 help the defense along. And one of them is through a more functional offense with better shooting, with fewer transition opportunities, because the Lakers are scoring from the free throw line rather than open play. All this stuff can theoretically make a big difference. It was also interesting, Andy, this was the moment that got a lot of people reading the tea leaves.

Starting point is 00:07:31 Austin didn't start. He was on a minute's restriction. They brought him off the bench. But he did start the third quarter with the Lakers up about 11 billion points. The explanation from J.J. Reddick was that, Austin entered, you know, started the second half in place of Jake Laravia, who started the game, both because they were worried the game would finish as a blowout and Austin wouldn't get the minutes that they wanted to give him. But also Jake played a lot of minutes against Washington and they wanted to make sure he had enough juice left in the tank to finish this game because they figured they'd need him on the full.

Starting point is 00:08:17 floor at the end of it. Mostly, I think J.J. was trying to avoid saying, yeah, this is probably going to be our starting lineup going forward. Well, he also, to be totally honest, I think J.J. gave away his hand when he also said that he was trying to maintain as much of a normal rotation as possible, ergo any changes you would make in-game with that goal of trying to maintain as normal a rotation as possible, it would seem to me that if you are taking a look at Austin with that group of LeBron, Luca, Aiton, Smart, i.e., the group everybody is expecting to start once Austin is actually back in his normal spot starting, it stands to reason to me that this is just getting ahead of that because you could have, point of fact, played Austin

Starting point is 00:09:15 in garbage time minutes if you wanted to. You absolutely could have. The minutes are the minutes. You could have played Austin 21 minutes regardless of how you slice them up. Well, right. But I mean, I think, you know, I do understand the idea that you would want his minutes to be with other players that he would normally play with him. I just, I mean, there's, there's, you could have gotten those.

Starting point is 00:09:40 The point being he was, I mean, it's possible. Absolutely. You could have gotten the majority of his 21, minutes, 16 or 17 of them with the normal rotation players. It would have been, right. The back end would have been. It's just, I mean, but it's JJ saying too much than realizing he said too much and trying to cover it, which is a habit JJ often does.

Starting point is 00:10:01 Because unless it really makes no sense what he was doing, unless he's planning on going with that starting five, I guess unless we see him experiment with a group of LeBron, Luca, Austin, La Ravia and Aten for long extended minutes, then I guess I would take JJ at his word. Right. After the break, that's really essentially what I'm getting out. There are only two combinations here that are viable. It's either going to be smart as the fifth starter or it's going to be La Ravia as the fifth starter. So we'll break down a little bit of what we expect to see and which lineup we think is better.

Starting point is 00:10:41 Then, Andy, we will tell you whether or not there are more signs. that maybe the Lakers actually are waiting for Janus. That's next. Locked on Lakers is brought to you by Fanduel. It is finally settled. The last team standing in the NFL, we know the matchup. It's the Patriots versus the Seahawks. Super Bowl 60.

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Starting point is 00:12:31 So again, you can talk to me, you can talk to Andy, answer questions, get access to the national hosts, all that good stuff. You also get ad-free versions of the show. And if you sign up by the deadline, which is Thursday, February 5th, you can use the code deadline to get your first month free. Tap the link in the show notes to learn more. or you can go and check it out at locked on lakers. Supercast.com. All right. So you got two choices.

Starting point is 00:12:59 It's either going to be smart or it's going to be La Ravia. There are people, I still think, who are living in the fantasy realm that believe that somehow Austin Reeves is going to come off the bench because that's what they feel would be the best thing. Even if you're right, you fan out there who thinks Austin Reeves should come off the bench. It's not going to happen.

Starting point is 00:13:23 Reeves is going to start. I think he should. But to me it makes the most sense to use the lineup that you and I have been asking for since the preseason. When everybody is healthy, they finally are. Marcus Smart with the big three and DeAndre Ate. Yeah, I think it makes the most sense. It gives them obviously not a perfect defense. but I think having smart in there rather than La Ravia gives them more options in particular in the areas that they're the weakest and that frankly, Jake is not going to do as much help with point guards, quicker guards, quicker wings, stuff like that.

Starting point is 00:14:03 You know, in a lot of ways, smart is not perfect either, but we're talking about the best of imperfect options. So I would be pretty surprised if it's not Marcus. I know there have been people wondering whether or not JJ would revert to what they think is form for JJ and then put Rui back in the starting lineup, go with the all offense look. I do not think it's going to happen both because it's a bad basketball decision, but also it would be a bizarre decision to do that now. You've had this whole time to put Rui back in the starting lineup. If you weren't going to do it by now, I don't see any reason why his return to the starting lineup hinged upon Austin's return. That makes no sense at all.

Starting point is 00:14:48 I would imagine again, I think it's going to be the look that we saw opening the second half of this game. And JJ just didn't want to tip his hand. But like I said, I think he also said too much and kind of revealed his hand whether he wanted to or not. The other interesting thing to me too. Yeah, it would just been easier. Like the most plausible part of that was we just wanted to make sure Austin got his minutes.

Starting point is 00:15:12 And with the blowout, we weren't sure, you know, the score of the game, we were sure should have stopped talking there. I agree with you. If you wanted the mystery to. It is funny, though, JJ, and this just shows he's been coaching longer. He understands the optics in the game a little bit better as a coach. Remember, during his first season, he announced his starting lineup right off the bat like it was no big deal. really to discuss and he tried to maintain that this stuff isn't a big deal anyway. You know, players don't really even care that much. This is a media creation, which everybody knows his

Starting point is 00:15:47 horse bleep and JJ knows that because he played in the league. Now he's starting to become secretive like a veteran coach. In a lot of ways, this shows JJ's learning. The other thing, though, I think about as interesting before we get to the trade stuff is what happens to the overall rotation as Austin starts being able to get closer to his season average, which is around 35 minutes per game. And I was taking a look at some of the minute allocations while he's been out. During that time, Gabe Vincent's been averaging 17.3 minutes per game,

Starting point is 00:16:22 which interestingly, and I'll get to why, is lower than his season average of 194. Jake 30.6, which is a few minutes higher than 27.3 on the season. Marcus Smart basically the same as his season average. a minute higher. Vando basically the same as his minutes average, a little bit higher. So thinking about this, you can take a few minutes from Luca and LeBron each just to ease their load, like three or four from Jake LaRavia, maybe even more, just to get to his season average. And frankly, this is more than Jake has ever really played in a season.

Starting point is 00:16:57 A few more off, Mark is smart for practical reasons. There's always concern about injuries, maybe a few from Vando, just he functions in some ways like a and also 20 is basically, which is what he's been playing. I think basically the max they want to play him anyway. But the most effective, and I would even argue mandatory way of getting Austin back to his minutes, is taking Gabe Vincent out of the rotation, like out entirely. Unless you want to play a 10-man rotation or 9 and a half or remove Vando because JJ is choosing Gabe over Vando, which is frankly insane, there's no other way to do this.

Starting point is 00:17:36 other than taking Gabe out of the rotation. My guess has always been that once guys are available, genuinely everybody who is a backcourt ball handler type is available. And for the Lakers, that's Reeves and Smart and then LeBron and Luca, that would be the sort of the litmus test for, you know, Gabe Vincent as you know he's

Starting point is 00:18:10 JJ's Torrean Prince you know to you know they just plays him because he feels like he needs to play like you know Gabe played 16 minutes against the Nets he didn't score he took three shots for what it's worth

Starting point is 00:18:26 he was a minus 9 he played a lot of minutes some of the minutes late later in the game you know in the second half the net's technically won the second half by three but the game was put away so early, there was no real threat here. The Lakers won the first quarter by 18,

Starting point is 00:18:42 won the second quarter by seven more, it looks like. So I'm sorry, did I say 18? I meant 28 in the first quarter. 45, 23. Somebody can do the math for me. Maybe that is 18. But the point is they were way at halftime.

Starting point is 00:18:59 Yeah, I did really bad math a few days ago. It's your turn now. It is. No. But I mean, at least I know that seven of 20 is not 20%. But bad mouth, bad mouth, baby. I don't think he's not going to play. He'll pop in here and there.

Starting point is 00:19:18 But I do agree with you. They need to, they need the defensive energy and the versatility that Vanderbilt provides, even with some of his shortcomings. And you can't even say, even be like his shortcomings as an offensive player they're not really much more pronounced than gables exactly other than are they really other than for spacing they're really no different than Gabe vincent and it it's you know defensively it's just a night and day difference if for no other

Starting point is 00:19:53 just based on Vanderbilt's size before you get to some of his skills and the energy and all that rebounding. Rebounding ended. So we'll see. You know, it's going to take two or three or four games, I think, before Austin is fully integrated and playing the, you know, the 36, 30, you know, 35 minutes you would expect. Turning to the. Real quick, that's, it is telling.

Starting point is 00:20:16 I think that Gabe, his minutes actually went down during this period without Austin. Like that in and of itself is telling. Maybe he won't even be on the team. Other guys. Well, we'll see. Yeah. I mean, the trade deadline, the movement really started in earnest on Tuesday. The huge move of the day was the James Hardin move with Cleveland.

Starting point is 00:20:42 The clippers send him to Cleveland for Darius Garland and a second round pick. The news that essentially broke that it might happen a night ago at this time when we were recording live on Monday. That's when that news was breaking that it would even happen. and that was followed with Nikola Vucevic. He was traded to the Celtics. I'm missing one. Jaron Jackson, Jr. John Jackson Jr.

Starting point is 00:21:12 John Jackson Jr. to Utah for three first rounders and other players going back and forth. That's a big one for Lakers fans because it probably means if there was any chance of Walker Kessler, could be on the market. He probably will not be in this off-season, assuming the plan for the jazz is as many people are reporting it, which is a front line of Markinen, Jaron Jackson, Jr., and Walker Kessler,

Starting point is 00:21:42 which does sound difficult to score against. Well, unless you go up Markinen. Right, but also with, you know, Keante George, who I believe is 6-8. He's a big guy as one of your guards. These deals influence a lot of what is going on, not just because of Janus and Mark Stein had some reporting about him, but also for another name that popped up on the trade radar that could very well keep the Lakers holding on to their assets until the summer.

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Starting point is 00:24:34 That's code L-O-C-K-E-D-O-N for $20 off. Download the GameTime app today. And remember, it's gametime.com. So it's lying season. For lack of a better term, Andy, there is, two different lying seasons. They're both around trades. And there's the deadline time and then free agency time.

Starting point is 00:25:08 All kinds of lying going on in both. So depending on who you believe, the Milwaukee Bucks are actually inclined to hold on to Janus and see if they get a Cooper flag-style miracle at the draft lottery. Where, you know, fortune favors the bold, Brian. Right. the bold who do nothing. At least in this case,

Starting point is 00:25:33 they'd be making an active choice to roll the dice. Or they're like this close to consummating a trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves to send him there. So there's all kinds of different scenarios that are that are kind of rattling around with Janus. But in terms of the Lakers, it's being reported by Mark Stein and Jake Fisher that the Lakers, could be very much in the Yannis sweepstakes if the bucks hold on to them. Or at the very least that the Lakers believe

Starting point is 00:26:08 that they could be in the Yonis sweepstakes, or at the very least the Lakers want you to believe, or that somebody wants you to believe that the Lakers will be involved, whether that's the Lakers or somebody else to try to get another team to sweeten their offer. So I think it is certainly possible that given their limited options, the Lakers will hold that if it's a 5% chance,

Starting point is 00:26:39 a 10% chance, a 12% chance, whatever it is, that the very least, since they probably can't do a whole lot of exciting stuff anyway, they may very well just keep themselves live in the Janus Derby, at least until he's actually dealt. A lot of this, the devil's in the details. Like in terms of keeping yourself live for the honest sweepstakes, what are you passing up on? Like if you're not passing up on in their minds any real opportunities, they may define real opportunities differently than I do. But if you're not passing up on anything that feels like tangibly good for the team, like a tangibly smart move, then sure, you can hang in there waiting for the Yannis sweepstakes.

Starting point is 00:27:33 By that same logic, so is every other team that does nothing at the deadline. Well, sure. They are also technically waiting. The Lakers have zero shot. They can't formulate a Yonis trade now. In theory, they could do one this. No, I get that. I get that.

Starting point is 00:27:52 The difference is at right around the draft, they have three potential firsts that they could use as, part of a deal for Janus as opposed to only having one now and Austin Reeves that I guess they would need to sign over or trade over and then the box would have to tie him up and keep him chained until he gave a blood oath to sign an extension with the box or re-up with them or whatever like they're I just like I said I do not I've said this many times leading up to where we are now, I do not want them passing up on legitimate opportunities to try to build a team around Luca, like the pieces of a legitimate supporting cast around Luca in order to leave

Starting point is 00:28:40 themselves open for a 10% chance of getting Janus, which also is a 90% chance of not. That's true. But that was the premise of the setup there was that, you know, the belief. you know, the idea that you probably can't do a lot substantive anyway. The names that are kind of popping around with exception, which we'll get to in just a second, are basically what they have been. It is, you know, Andrew Wiggins.

Starting point is 00:29:08 You know, guys like that, the Lakers maybe would have interest in, but like, do you want to be in the Andrew Wiggins business for next year? You know, is that where you would spend your money, so to speak? You know, the Utah Jazz, for example, would have had about close to $50 million in cap space, they made their big free agent signing on Tuesday. They acquired Jaron Jackson Jr. Which makes sense because they don't ever get free agents.

Starting point is 00:29:38 Right. And so now they're not going to have cap space, but they already essentially made their free agent play. If the Lakers had something like that, it would be, I think, a different story. But the names haven't really changed. The exception to that is, And this is both a maybe for now, but much more likely for the summertime.

Starting point is 00:29:59 Jared Allen reportedly is being shopped by Cleveland. And this is something we can talk about, certainly as the week goes on. That is a very intriguing name, a guy who cost about, I think, a little over $30 million once his new contract kicks in. As a, I believe he's about 20 right now. I believe he's got a new contract coming. It would be about 30. That's a guy that in terms of,

Starting point is 00:30:30 hmm, if we needed to wait for the summertime, I'd be inclined to say that might be worth a shot because if I could spend a first rounder now on Nick Claxton or wait and maybe spend a little bit more but get access to, you know, a potential Jared Allen trade, that to me is worth it. Because if I acquire Claxton at the deadline,

Starting point is 00:30:53 and let's say I can make that happen. I'm not going to have enough stuff likely to get Jared Allen and probably or the need for it. You'd have to spend that money or those assets somewhere else. I think Jared Allen as a partner for Luca would be fantastic. Yeah. I mean, he is in a lot of ways, I think he's a better version in certain respects than Nick Claxton.

Starting point is 00:31:17 I don't know if he has all of the defensive versatility of Claxton, but I think he is a better, I think he's a better overall rim protector, better overall rebounder. He's been more of an offensive force. He's a significantly better player. Right. In my mind.

Starting point is 00:31:32 Well, I think he's better. You said, though, it would only cost you a little bit more. It actually would cost you a lot more. It would cost you by the end of his contract about $10 million more. No, I'm not talking money. I'm talking stuff. I think it takes more stuff to get Alan. Well, I mean, if you're going to.

Starting point is 00:31:48 Yeah, I guess. I mean, yeah, it probably would cost you more, although maybe not. Because I, well, I was going to say maybe not because if Cleveland's looking to do this, first and foremost, what they're looking to do is get off Jaron Allen's money. So it may not cost you necessarily. I thought you meant more in salary. It may not actually cost you that much more in terms of what you give up. The reason I say that is because I think the competition for somebody like him,

Starting point is 00:32:18 Alan makes, you know, at $30 million at his production is pretty reasonable. And he's a pretty good. It may be, but I don't know how many teams. I don't know how many teams around the league actually need a center. Maybe not. But, well, then that's even more reason, I think, you know, if you can't swing it now, but Alan doesn't get traded and you think that market will be there. Like, those are the type of names where you look at and say,

Starting point is 00:32:42 that's not really even compromising. The money is reasonable. a player of his caliber, that's about the money that you would expect to pay. The fit is quite good. The age timeline matches up. He and Luke are basically the same age. All of that kind of makes sense. So that type of keeping your powder dry makes sense to me because you're not just,

Starting point is 00:33:10 it's not just about maybe we can get a crack at this superstar. it's maybe we can get a crack at this supporting player that would fill a massive need on the team. I would be happy with either, or at least I can see the upside to getting both of those guys. With Jared Allen, and to be clear, this concern doesn't exist for Nick Claxing because I'm pretty sure he's never been to the playoffs.

Starting point is 00:33:35 With Jared Allen, though, there is concern that he has not performed well in the playoffs, that he is a playoff shrinker. And that's something that I do think needs to be concerned. considered because he would be your center of the foreseeable future. That being said, though, Jared Allen is a very good player. And if you got him during this offseason, that would be great. Frankly, if you think he's available in the off season, you might as well try to get him now.

Starting point is 00:34:00 I would look to be aggressive to get him now as opposed to you're wearing a lot of the Yonis piece of this. Because guess what? You could flip him for Yonis. If I could get. Or whatever. Right. If I could get Alan today. I do it today.

Starting point is 00:34:16 I don't know if that is a choice. A, because I don't know if Cleveland's moving that fast yet. Also, I don't know if essentially a first and a bunch of expiring contracts would be enough to get it done. Like the one, of course, the Lakers could offer. Cleveland might hold out hope for that. I mostly mention it as an indication of how markets, do flip, they change. Utah went from a major player to at least currently a team that won't be

Starting point is 00:34:53 with a center in Walker Kessler that teams were going to try to poach and now probably is going to stay in Utah, at least again, you know, what we're looking at right now on paper. I never bought the Walker Kessler thing to begin with. I didn't either, but as he would have been one of the, you know, somebody with, you know, 10 teams across the league with a lot of cap space. Somebody could have thrown a lot of money at Walker Kessler and at least made Utah's life harder. So these markets shift,

Starting point is 00:35:24 and that's both good for the Lakers and it's bad for the Lakers because Rob Polinka sure does love waiting to see what's behind door number two. I mean, I don't love the waiting to see what's behind door number two if there's always a bunch of doors just because... There's always another door. You can lead to an activity.

Starting point is 00:35:45 I've also talking about the lack of imagination towards doing this to star effery. Also, too, if I'm really being honest, I am not wild about the idea of Janus' next contract that will be, I believe, like in the 60-ish or so million-dollar range when he's getting hurt a lot. Like, I don't really want to sign up for those Janus years. Like, I understand that if they work out,

Starting point is 00:36:09 they're going to work out awesome. but he is trending towards a direction where they may not work out that well at all. Health-wise, for sure. His performance has been phenomenal, but health is- It doesn't matter if he ain't on the court. That is true. All right, so we will be obviously checking on what goes on Wednesday, ahead of the Thursday deadline, have a full show,

Starting point is 00:36:30 update you with any information as the day goes along with short shows and updates and check out the YouTube channel, check out the Discord channel. Locked on Lakers on YouTube is we're going to hang out with over 30, 7,000 subscribers. We'll see everyone tomorrow.

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