Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers - How Does LeBron's Return to the Lineup Impact Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves?

Starting point is 00:00:00 Hey, everyone, welcome to Lockdown Lakers for Thursday. Brian Komeneski, Andy Kaminetsky, LeBron James is back. What does that mean going forward for the rotation and for the big three, especially? That's next. You are Locked on Lakers. Your daily Los Angeles Lakers podcast, part of the Locked on Podcasts Network, your team every day. Thanks to everybody for making Locked on Lakers first listen to every day Monday through Friday,

Starting point is 00:00:34 no matter how or where you get your podcasts some people are doing it on spotify andy many people through the apple family of podcast products some people andy are watching it on a youtube 37 000 subscribers to the channel but no matter how you are doing it you are part of making the locked on podcast network the number one podcast network in this or any other universe that we that we know about in all the ones that we don't we're just assuming that there isn't one out there that's It's bigger than this one. And of course, Locked off. I think if there's life out there, Brian, they're listening to this podcast.

Starting point is 00:01:08 Lakers are a global brand, baby. They're an intergalactic global brand. Stop selling as short. That's true. And a certain percentage of our traffic does come from Alpha Centauri or other places like that. LeBron James, Andy, is back and it is going to have an impact. The first day was a strong one for LeBron and the Lakers. They pull away from the Utah Jazz on Tuesday night.

Starting point is 00:01:39 That way they win that one pretty comfortably. But they got to figure out how exactly they're going to maximize the opportunity in front of them with the collection of talent. Genuinely, a big three now with the ascension of Austin Reeves. There's going to be some adjustments that need to be made, some getting used to time over the next. a couple of weeks, but the Lakers, what can they do to make this thing work as seamlessly as possible? We'll get into that in just a moment. After we let you know, today's episode is brought to you by Fandual. Right now, new customers can bet just $5.

Starting point is 00:02:14 And if you bet wins, you get 300 in bonus bets to use across the app. So head to fanduel.com to get started. And so, like, you know, Dave McMedman, our former colleague at ESPN, laid out some of these questions. Former colleague, we're still over it. ESPN. Well, I went with like ESPN, the typey writing parts. Sure. Okay. You know, as opposed to just radio.

Starting point is 00:02:37 But, you know, he laid out some of these questions, whether you're talking about, you know, what's the impact on Austin Reeves and Luca together? Like, you know, what happens to the rest of the rotation? Who else needs to, who will benefit perhaps the most in the rotation for LeBron's return? I mean, to me, the most pressing question, first and foremost, is how those three play together and the effectiveness. LeBron's usage rate in the first game was unsustainably low. It was in Jake LaRavia territory. He took seven shots, which is basically the fewest of any game he's played that didn't involve him getting ejected. And so like that's not going to last.

Starting point is 00:03:31 But some semblance of balance is going to be achieved. I have some thoughts on like kind of what this is going to look like going forward or broadly where these guys are going to slot in. But I'm curious what you think after kind of a game and looking at numbers and all that kind of stuff. It's interesting that 13.5 usage rate obviously is going to be higher. I don't think it's going to be as high. as, you know, peak LeBron years or even peak LeBron 20, 2024, 2025, with a full season of Luca, Austin Reeves' ascension, DeAndre Aiton's presence, you know, the center of, you know, his scoring ability, stuff like that. All of that is going to affect everybody, including

Starting point is 00:04:17 LeBron. But one of the things that jumped out at me was 13.5 is obviously quite low for LeBron's usage, but he still managed a 54-5 assist ratio, which was the highest on the team by far in this game. And when you think about it, that low of a usage for that high of an assist ratio, in other words, he was responsible for 54.5% of the assists on the team that night, that's damn near mathematically impossible. Like, that is really difficult to even rouse. your head around making that happen. The point being, I think it's indicative of the way LeBron already knows because he's he's such, he's such a high basketball, high basketball IQ player and has seen so much and obviously was paying attention to what was happening while he was out.

Starting point is 00:05:17 He's been devising ways that he can work with these other guys, his synergy with D'Andreight and Jake Loravid, despite never having played. with him before. You saw in the fourth quarter, he was instrumental in getting those guys shots. So I think you're going to see combinations of like what we saw in the fourth quarter where it was LeBron show, other times where LeBron is kind of second-ish in command behind Luca when it comes to generating offense. And it's going to be more than along for the ride, but he's not can be the primary guy orchestrating. And I think between Luca and Austin and LeBron, the fact that all three of them can play

Starting point is 00:05:59 off and off ball and they can all shoot, and I think they all have a vested interest for different reasons to make this work, I think it will take some figuring out. But I don't expect it to become something that becomes problematic for the team over the course of the season. I to some agree, and it's not you. The framing of like is this like the making it work and all this other kind of stuff. Like I just I don't, there's zero reason that it will be that that it won't work like in the sense of like they just can't give or take it of like I don't that's just that to me

Starting point is 00:06:45 seems like such a. basically zero possibility that they, you know, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the,

Starting point is 00:06:58 it's somehow they're resisting what needs to be done. I just don't buy the, or there's only one basketball. That's right. I don't buy the, I don't buy the premise. And it's partially because I think there is a, a very clear kind of flow to this.

Starting point is 00:07:13 And in broad terms, it looks like this to me. you know when luka is on the floor Luca is the center of the offense that is how it's going to be Luca's going to have the ball in his hands more often than either you know Reeves or LeBron he's going to be the initial point of attack

Starting point is 00:07:36 far more than either one of those guys it's not going to be a lot of my turn your turn if it's Luca is going to be the orchestrator of that stuff when Luca isn't on the floor, I think most of the time you will see LeBron on when Luca isn't. I don't think, I think that is how a lot of those minutes will go. And part of that is the design of you spend, you know, LeBron comes off the floor, usually what is like six minute mark or something like that? That's pretty standard.

Starting point is 00:08:09 So he sits and you deal with Luca Dantzich for a quarter. everybody runs their second units out there, and now your second unit has to go play against LeBron. You're going to see a lot. That's in part how he's going to be able to run up assist numbers and all these other stuff because Lakers' second units are going to be up against other teams while LeBron's out there.

Starting point is 00:08:37 So I think that becomes, quote, unquote, traditional LeBron. And then I think Austin Reeves threw it. out all of this is going to not be relieved entirely of his playmaking duties, but a lot of that is going to be secondary to what he needs to do. And the primary function for Austin Reeves, who had one assist on Tuesday, is score. So if you have Austin Reeves on your fantasy basketball team, you expect the scoring numbers are going to stay high. I think his percentages actually could go up.

Starting point is 00:09:18 His assist numbers are going to go down because a lot of those are going to go to LeBron. But that's going to be better for, we can talk about this more after the break. I think this is better for Reeves because generating both of those things for him, to create for other people, he's got to get into the paint.

Starting point is 00:09:36 He's got to do all the dribbling. It is physically very demanding. on Reeves. And we saw what happened when he got banged up going into the playoffs last year. We saw that. It's going to be better for LeBron because he's 40. 41 in a month. I don't think I need to explain why this lightning of a burden helps.

Starting point is 00:09:57 And ultimately, I think it's going to be better for Luca. And we'll get into all these things next. Locked on Lakers is brought to you by Quo. And let's talking about something that every business owner knows too well. missed calls. When a customer tries to reach you, you can't get through, that is money slipping through your fingers. Quo, spelled QUO, is the smarter way to run your business communication, so you never miss an opportunity. Quo is the number one business phone system built for 2025, not in 1995. It's simple, modern, and design to help you communicate faster, look more

Starting point is 00:10:37 professional, and stay connected whenever you're working, wherever you're working. Your whole team can share one number and collaborate on calls and texts like a shared inbox, which means your customers get their help faster. It makes small businesses feel big and big businesses feel efficient. It's no wonder over 90,000 businesses are already using Quo. Try Quo for free at Quo.com.com slash locked on MBA. That's QUO.com slash locked on MBA. And yes, this is important.

Starting point is 00:11:09 You can even keep your existing number. Quo, no missed calls, no missed customers. Locked on Liggers is also brought to by Ruggiet. Let's be real. Making excuses doesn't solve anything. We've heard them all before. It's stress. I'm tired.

Starting point is 00:11:23 It happens to everyone sometimes. But when it comes to performance, sometimes your body just needs a little extra support. That's where Ruggiet comes in. Ruggiat.com offers fast acting doctor prescribed treatments for ED. Designed to help you stop making excuses and start making moves. Ruggiet makes it easy to get started. You just connect with a board certified doctor,

Starting point is 00:11:41 100% online with no awkward waiting rooms, no in-person appointments, and it prescribed your treatment ships discreetly straight to your door. The process is fast, simple, and private. It's all handled by real doctors. It's about confidence, connection, and getting back to the moments that matter. So visit rougiette.com, R-U-G-I-E-T-com, slash locked-in MBA for 15% off your first order. That's R-U-G-I-E-T-com slash locked-in MBA. And don't forget to use our code locked-in-M-B-A so they know that we sent you, Rougiette. Stop making your excuses and start making moves. So, you know, there will be obviously some nuance here as they go forward.

Starting point is 00:12:24 And, you know, the coaching staff, I think, plays a huge role in the, in ultimately how effective the Lakers starting lineup is, you know, this big three with DeAndre Aiton, obviously, is a fourth starter. And then I think at some point they'll make a change in the starting lineup. But if it's Rui Hachamara, then it's Rui Hachamora. At least on the offensive end, which is where we're focusing on literally right this moment, the coaching staff is going to do a better job this year, I think, than last year, of devising ways to have action that actually involves all three of them.

Starting point is 00:13:08 So you have maybe LeBron set up, and I think it'll be more often than not, when they're all together, LeBron set up away from the ball, but moving and forcing the defense to move with him. He is still LeBron James. He is still going to attract eyeballs. And if you're... As well, he should. As well, he should.

Starting point is 00:13:32 Again, second team all NBA last year, sixth in MVP voting. Anybody on any other team who was sixth in MVP voting is going to get the attention of the defense. It's just rare that, you know, the guy who was sixth in MVP voting is on the same team as a guy who is currently like tied for second in MVP voting. So, you know, the Lakers have this advantage built in. And ultimately, when they can start to create actions where you have to take a little bit of your eye off of Luca because you need to know where LeBron is, that creates huge pressure. on an opposing defense. And the same thing comes with Reeves, when he's got the ball.

Starting point is 00:14:20 I think you'll see more pick and roll actions that involve all three of those guys in one form or another in different combinations. But ultimately, Luke is going to dominate when he's there, when he's not, LeBron, and Austin's going to be scoring at all times. Yeah, I think you're going to see, like you talked about those type of pick and roll actions. I think you're also going to see sets where you've got LeBron or Luca operating out of the post because both of them can do it. You can move a lot of players and bodies around them. Right.

Starting point is 00:14:53 What I think is extremely important, though, is the synergy of getting all these guys on the same page in part because it'll make the offense run smoother. But also, I think the less freelancing that goes on between three guys who are all kids. capable of running an offense themselves, if need be, the more they are all independently left to their own devices, I think the more messy this stuff can get, even acknowledging like there's an improvisational element to everything they're going to be doing. I think that, like, it was interesting. Obviously last season was put together on the fly, Luca was coming off an injury. There's a lot of different caveats. But the three of them together, Luca Austin and LeBron as a three-man lineup, they were a slightly negative net rating.

Starting point is 00:15:47 And it, I don't think speaks at all to like a capped ceiling for what they can do together. And there's more to it than just the three of them. But the point being, what we saw last year, especially with what often felt like very unorganized, few play calls, a lot of freelance, led to. the worst version of the three of them. And to me, it feels like the more, the more structure you put the three of them in, in particular guys like LeBron and Luca,

Starting point is 00:16:22 who can do anything. And you build that foundation together and like a roadmap. And then say, if you guys want to veer a little bit off the road, once everybody knows what they're supposed to be doing, fine. But I think it really does become important that you don't ultimately, frankly, waste the talents of those three guys. And again, in particular, LeBron and Luca,

Starting point is 00:16:48 with a lot of guys just dribbling until they see what they want or just kind of meandering. And we've seen a tendency of this Laker offense the last few years. It's a lot of meandering, a lot of time frittering away on the shot clock before you even start running your offense. It's not a good way to run your offense, period. But it's especially a waste when you've got to. got so much potential to work with.

Starting point is 00:17:12 Well, I think even understanding like when they're not running, when they're not running down the floor and calling a play, there's still structure. There's still supposed to be rules that they're following. And you know, that, that, you know, how they're going to read what they're going to read on the floor. You know, you have your starting sort of starting set that they're in, you know, whatever. And, and what is supposed to happen.

Starting point is 00:17:40 out of that. Like there is an element of improvisation, but you know, you've mentioned this before. Improvisation is not made up on the spot. It's rehearsed. And so, I mean, this is where this, you know, this stretch of extra practice that they're getting is important. Like they're going to get more time when the flea. Did not get any of this in training camp, like not because LeBron wasn't there. And so you, these practices. days to build that just the little bit of the repetition, all that kind of stuff. But LeBron made the point. And he's exactly right.

Starting point is 00:18:20 Like I don't understand, and this is LeBron paraphrasing LeBron. Like I don't understand why people think that I can't play in the way that we're going to need. It is kind of, I guess, just sort of a roar shock test on what you feel about LeBron that you just assume. that LeBron, even after all we saw last year, all we've seen with him trying desperately to give, you know, agency to Anthony Davis, and then to clearly giving it to Luca and giving it to Austin. And like, all these,

Starting point is 00:18:56 the idea that he's going to somehow like, oh, wait a minute, like too much attention is going to, no, he can do whatever he is asked to do. And I think the Lakers are going to use him as a weapon, to help them get out and transition a little better, rebound and go. They are heading in the last night's game, they were ranked 27th in fast break points.

Starting point is 00:19:19 Like that has to be higher. Like that has to be better because it's something that this team on paper can do very well. They've got guys who can run the floor. They've got guys who can throw responsible hit-ahead passes. We need to make sure that they're responsible. These guys sometimes get a little bit too sassy. But they've got the tools for this.

Starting point is 00:19:43 And it's especially for a team that we may get into some of the defensive questions in this show or certainly during the week. They need to be able to get as many easy points as possible because stopping teams for the time being is, would it mildly a work in progress. They can't afford to be a bottom five team in transition with this personnel. Well, it's just, it's also, too, it's like you are putting the maximum, amount of pressure on your team when you don't run a good offense. If you're not, you know, the rockets of last season where, you know, you're so good defensively and you have so many bodies on the team that can be deployed for that purpose, you know,

Starting point is 00:20:27 as opposed to scoring, which that's where they struggle. But like, Luca is elite at basically everything. But one thing he doesn't necessarily do in the same way is get the, the rebound and just move up floor like a freight train. You know, Luca is the hit-ahead pass guy. But LeBron, you know, that aspect of getting the rebound and just going. And, you know, most players are making the business decision to get away. You know, there are still very few players in the league who are better in that kind of

Starting point is 00:21:05 transition than LeBron. So they're adding that weapon back. And in terms of like strain on him, that's the least stressful way to do this. Like for LeBron to get as many points as possible in transition and then, you know, play a facilitator role to where, you know, like I mentioned this for Wednesday's show, he doesn't need to score 25 points a game. It just doesn't. He can. And often he will. but it doesn't need to.

Starting point is 00:21:41 And so for him to be a facilitator, for him to get a lot of points in transition and run a lot as opposed to physically pound on people, he can do that all day, even at 40, almost 41, even fighting sciatica. That's going to keep LeBron spry, I think, for most of the year. It's a great formula for him, in addition to, I think, being a great formula for the Lakers. Yeah, that's part of why we can talk about this more after the break. I don't think there's going to be conflict in terms of the way you figure out this dynamic between Luca, LeBron, and Austin, even though, and this is something that was pointed out in Dave McMedman's article, not by Dave specifically, but by, you know, scouts and execs and stuff like that he talked to that, like, you can look at LeBron and you can look at Austin and see potential agendas that either one of them could, I stress, could have, during this season and why the sharing thing could be an issue.

Starting point is 00:22:42 But ultimately, we'll get into coming up next. Neither one of us thinks it's going to be a problem. We may talk more about the defense stuff like that, but all coming up next. Locked on Lakers is brought to you by Skims. And when Skims announced they were going to make underwear for men, it was easy to be skeptical about whether the average guy would even care. Most guys just buy whatever underwear they've been buying since college or high school. They couldn't care less.

Starting point is 00:23:08 I, though, am very picky about underwear. I only like boxer briefs. They have to have a certain feel, like perfect tightness, but also perfect looseness. It's got to be like Goldilocks just right. So I was skeptical for the opposite reason. I'm like, this is just some hot brand. I'm going to try and be like, eh, not for me. I was really, really wrong.

Starting point is 00:23:27 I tried both the three-inch and five-inch boxer briefs, and they are both awesome, comfortable, soft. They don't bunch up. They feel great between my skin and my pants. They look awesome. Partner's going to dig them. They're comfortable all day. I am a picky underwear consumer who is now a Skims man, baby. Shop Skimsmen's at skims.com slash lockdown NBA and skim stores.

Starting point is 00:23:55 Let them know what we sent you. This is really important. After you place your order, select a podcast in the survey. Select our show, Locked on Lakers, in the drop-down menu that follows. Locked on Lakers also brought to you by Fandall, the NBA back in full swing. better place to get in on the action than Fandul, the official sports betting partner of the NBA. Even if you miss the start of the game or want to ride the hot hand, Fandul has live bets on everything from who will score next to fourth quarter comeback. So no matter when you want to get

Starting point is 00:24:27 in on the action, you always can. You can even combine your live bets into a same game parlay for a shot at bigger payout. It keeps every game exciting, especially when your team is the one making that big push. Right now, Fandul is giving new customers $300 and bonus bets when your first $5. valid bet wins. So head to fendool.com to sign up and play your game with van duels, the official sports betting partner of the NBA. I just think fundamentally, Andy, what people are misinterpreting or misstating or whatever it is is the difference between conflict and disruption. If Luca was gone for 14 games and came back, it would be. be disruptive to put him back in because people have done something else for 14 games.

Starting point is 00:25:19 It would also be really good because the Lakers missing Luca for 14 games would be really problematic. But they'd still have to make an adjustment. Guys would have to change what they're doing. If AR was out for 14 games, if DeAndre Ait was out for 14 games, anytime you take a guy who's going to play 30 minutes, plus 30, 35 minutes, sometimes more, and he hasn't been in the lineup and you return him to the lineup, it's going to be disruptive because that person is chewing, is eating up a lot of minutes that we're going to other people. And it also feels especially disruptive, like the perception of disruption when the team did surprisingly well without that player. Like, it would be seen as different if the Laker, I mean, if they were four and

Starting point is 00:26:06 11, you know, all sorts of other problems. But let's say they were 500 or like slightly below 500. nobody thinks about LeBron's return is anything other than awesome because clearly they need some help. They clearly need somebody else to change up something when they actually are 10 and 4 upon LeBron's return and it's LeBron. And there was the summer and the Rich Paul statement about opting in and, you know, you know, need to make sure we're competitive and LeBron's going to weigh his options. and the report that while LeBron was out, he was going to be watching the team observing, which of course he is. Like, this is just what the hell else would you expect? And look, the reality is if this team was bad, there is a chance that LeBron could ask out,

Starting point is 00:26:56 simply because he will be 41 at that point and doesn't want to waste the remaining few seasons he has on a team that isn't good. But like these are all normal things. these are not the drama that a lot of people want to present it as. And LeBron coming back, it creates questions. But that's not the same thing as LeBron coming in and creating problems because he's LeBron. He's a huge star. He's an icon.

Starting point is 00:27:25 He's a massive presence. He is the son that everything revolves around. And he needs to make it all about himself. Yeah. Dave's article. mentioned, you know, they talked about, you know, different players and other, other

Starting point is 00:27:43 role players and guys like that. You know, you and I are big proponents of the idea that DeAndre Aiton is going to be a massive beneficiary of adding just another guy to the lineup who can

Starting point is 00:27:59 very easily find him. You know, DeAndre moves pretty well. And he moves well without the ball. And, you know, he's learned very quickly, you know, keep your hands up. Playing with Luca, the ball will just find you. And the same thing is true of LeBron. But in that, you know, one of the people that Dave quotes in this story was like,

Starting point is 00:28:21 I don't know about DeAndre. He's not really essentially, he's not bright enough to make this work. The exact quote, I believe, is it's really brutal. Here's the exact quote. I imagine D'Andre is going to be a problem. This is from the conference executive. He's just not that smart of a player, an inconsistent effort. LeBron usually has issues with, to say the least.

Starting point is 00:28:52 And I think some of this is just with the Lakers. Everyone's always looking for drama because the Lakers are a franchise with a history of drama. And quite frankly, there's a part of them that loves the history of drama. So, fine, whatever. And yes, D'Andre Aitin has had a history of inconsistent effort, questions about motor. And if you want to say that you're not sold on the idea that the version we've seen of D'Andre Aiton of 15 games, where he has been playing, I think, pretty consistently hard, he has been attentive. He has been focused. He has not been perfect, but perfect is not a realistic standard.

Starting point is 00:29:32 But he has been doing the things that the detractors have always held against him. If you want to say that you don't buy it, okay, you don't buy it. And who knows, maybe you'll be right over the next 67 games. You'll emerge correct. But you should at least acknowledge what he is doing now. And it feels like an extension of just people waiting for drama to happen with the Lakers because drama often does. They just wanted to fail. The prediction was that DeAndre 8 would fail.

Starting point is 00:30:03 And they wanted to fail. And the prediction is that LeBron is going, well, you know, I was laughing about this last night. I was trying to, because I was texting with a friend of mine. And like, I honestly think part of the reason that LeBron still attracts, I mean, there's the drama, there's this, there's that, whatever. I get it. But so much of it is pretty standard fair for star players. It's just that he's been at it so long. But like, think about this for a second.

Starting point is 00:30:33 If you were a person who decided, like, you're in your mid-20s, LeBron goes to Miami and you're just like, you know, screw that guy. Like, I'm here like, my sports rivalry is like, I'm now anti-Lebron. My team is a big rival of the heat, whatever it's going to be. Did you really think, if you told, you know, that person in his mid-20s that he'd still be having to deal with his LeBron dislike as he pushes 40, like they'd be like they've been at it so long like there's a certain element

Starting point is 00:31:08 of just I think frustration with how long you've had to sustain this dislike for for LeBron that I think honestly does play into how fans of basketball and the people who don't like him

Starting point is 00:31:25 look at situations like these it's just it's a long time to be spent rooting for somebody to fail. Like, it really is a very, like, it's almost a quarter of a century that many people have spent. It's a long time. I didn't like to, I was like, I didn't like the Belichick Patriots. Like, I didn't like Belichick. I didn't like Tom Brady. And like, so I like, I like to really, like, I got to admit, like, I was like pretty happy when it seemed like he was cooked. And then he goes to like Tampa and he's awesome again. I'm like, God damn it. Like, can we like,

Starting point is 00:31:59 this is, I was ready to bury the. guy. Like, I'm not a big Aaron Rogers guy. Like, I think, I'm like, and I've stopped even playing this game because I'm like, until these guys are done, I just can't. So I think there's an element of that with, with LeBron. But like, there's, when you step back from these things and you look at it as not of, you know, not what people are talking about, but what's actually going to happen. And what is happening? there is no way like this team became Lucas the minute they traded for him and Luca is going to continue doing Lucas stuff and it's going to be a little better for him because on a night to night

Starting point is 00:32:43 basis instead of having to do 100% of what he's been doing he's going to be able to do 90% of it or 85% on some nights and it's going to be better for LeBron and it's going to be better for Austin Reams and the part that I think is a missed opportunity for people is to get excited, even if you don't like the Lakers, even if you don't like LeBron, like of what it could, like what fun basketball could be produced here. And I think that it's not just fun for us.

Starting point is 00:33:14 And then I'll go back to the coaching staff. We can quit here in a second. Like I honestly think part of what the coaching staff is going to need to do is find ways to genuinely make this interesting and make it seem innovative and make it. and make it seem new to the players on the floor so that that will create the kind of energy that they need both to have a really good offense

Starting point is 00:33:41 and then keep that energy up on the other side of the ball. Well, I was going to say they're definitely going to have to solve some riddles defensively. We can talk about this over the course of the week because for all of the positives that we saw once things really started to click against Utah and I recognize it's the jazz. They're not very good.

Starting point is 00:34:01 But for like 10 to 15 minutes, you saw a vision of these Lakers, if nothing else, offensively going like, okay, there's some real potential here. Still some things to iron out, but you can see the things that can work defensively. And if you want to focus on the ways that you're looking to maximize

Starting point is 00:34:22 or even offset the trio of Luca, LeBron, and Austin, and the pieces to put around them, That is something we'll talk about during this week that is going to be a test for the coaching staff. I think it may require JJ to either change some of his priors or accept maybe what he knows but doesn't like as much aesthetically, philosophically, or it's just going to require guys to really, really pay freaking close attention to everything happening. defensively because if they're going to keep playing like this, they're going to be at automatic positional and athleticism mismatches all the time. What they cannot afford to do is ever spend even one possession not paying attention

Starting point is 00:35:11 because a lot of Utah's first half scoring was frankly the Lakers not paying close enough attention. They were disorganized. They looked like a team that was doing something different than they had been doing for the season. And they still switch a lot, but they switch more against Utah than they had been. And, you know, with different personnel, with different floor combinations. And they did not look like they were all playing out of the same playbook. Because they probably weren't.

Starting point is 00:35:44 You know, it's like, and they're not. I would argue that different guys should be different reading the playbook at different times and different combinations. But right. But either way. Like, you know, the lineup combination that started the game. is a lineup combination that whether Rui starts or smart starts, and that's really what we're talking about, is going to play together.

Starting point is 00:36:05 Sure. Like, these combinations are going to, sure, you know, they're going to be out there. And so, like, they all kind of have to figure it out

Starting point is 00:36:16 and know what they're supposed to be doing and execute properly and whatever. But it was the first half of the first game with this group. And it's going to be, jagged where you see really, really high-end stuff mixed in with, well, that's not very good. It's going to be like that for a month. And, you know, but hopefully over time, the overall level, the bad gets better and the good gets better.

Starting point is 00:36:43 And, you know, ultimately, they're a place where they can be as competitive possible in the spring. Locked on Likers on YouTube is where you can go hang out with over 37,000 subscribers to the channel. We, of course, will be back tomorrow. Get you ready for the weekends game. in Utah and game two, LeBron, and game with Luca and AR. And yeah, see you tomorrow.

Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers - How Does LeBron's Return to the Lineup Impact Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves?

There aren't comments yet for this episode. Click on any sentence in the transcript to leave a comment.