Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers - Lakers Players Want Energy From Lakers Fans. Plus, Can the Lakers Exploit Rudy Gobert?

Starting point is 00:00:00 Hey, everyone, welcome to Locked on Lakers for Friday, Brian Komenetsky, Andy Komenetsky. How much responsibility do Lakers fans have for getting the Lakers through the first round? We'll explain. Next. You are Locked on Lakers. Your daily Los Angeles Lakers podcast, part of the Locked on Podcast Network, your team every day. Thanks to everybody for making Locked on Lakers. First listen to every day Monday through Friday, sometimes on weekends, as you will find out on Saturday.

Starting point is 00:00:36 Sunday, no matter how or where you get your podcasts. This one's always free, never behind paywall and locked on Lakers on YouTube is where over 34,000 subscribers, Andy, are all hanging out and we are this close to game one, getting this thing started. Before we get going on today's show, a lot to unpack from practice on Thursday. Yeah, Thursday afternoon. And more things to get ready for the game itself. We do want to let people know that today's episode.

Starting point is 00:01:06 is brought to you by Monarch Money, take control of your finances with Monarch Money. Use the code locked on NBA at monarchmoney.com for 50% off your first year. Why do I put this responsibility on Lakers fans, Andy? Because at practice on Thursday, Dorian Finney Smith talked about how excited the team is to actually get out in front of these fans at the crypt

Starting point is 00:01:32 and feel the energy that comes with a. home playoff crowd. Yeah, I was at practice today on Thursday, the day we're recording this. DFS talking about the fan energy from the Lakers said, quote, first time I'm going to feel that Laker energy. I grew up watching them in the playoffs. I'm excited to see the energy that's going to be in the building. And I asked him what he expected to be different with the Lakers versus his other playoff experiences. You know, DFS had been to the Western Conference finals with the Mavericks or just the crowd in general. And Dorian said, quote, the playoffs are different, obviously. It's just that every possession matters when you're playing in the playoffs. Our fans are always engaged. So I can only

Starting point is 00:02:20 imagine how it's going to be in the playoffs. Just talking to Austin and Vando, they talk about the run they made referencing 2023 to the Western Conference Finals. And it was lit in the building. So I just want to see it for myself. And first of all, I just thought it was cool because it's a reminder of how amped up these guys are going to be. But also, too, it is confirmation. And this is something that the other 29 fan bases around the league, it will often nauseate them. But it's true. There are certain things that just feel different about doing it with the Lakers. And if you don't believe us, as people who have been around this team covering it for 20 years, me living in L.A. over 30,

Starting point is 00:03:07 being a Laker fan that whole time, just ask the players, just ask the guys who've played for different teams and then with the Lakers. It is different, just is. And, you know, I mean, I know Lakers fans get, you know, their reputation around, you know,

Starting point is 00:03:24 kind of arrive late and they're not that into it, whatever. I'm not going to say like the first couple rows of a Laker game, you don't get some people who are more interested in the cameras than the the the basketball. But I can tell you from experience that while yes, playoff games are an event, they bring out the celebs who do care about the Lakers and the results. And this building is going to be filled with, you know,

Starting point is 00:03:51 however many of them, you know, 150, we'll call it 150 celebrities, Andy. And about 18,000 everybody else. and the everybody else have been waiting for a home opening, you know, series opening playoff game for a very long time. And the building is going to be loud. It is going to have a lot of energy. And there is a reason in the NBA particularly that home floor is something that you work so hard. to get the disparities in the NBA between home record and road record, even among good teams. Like Minnesota has a really good road record.

Starting point is 00:04:38 They've been a strong road team all season. Their road record is still significantly lower or lesser than, you know, their home record. The Lakers managed to play well enough for the road to almost get back to 500. Probably could have if they had played, you know, a full, you know, a full, you know, a full, roster for a couple games. But like their disparity is massive. It's 31 and 10 at home, 19 and 22 on the road. Like that is a pretty common trait throughout the league where, you know,

Starting point is 00:05:13 teams are good on the road, but they're very good at home. And so the Lakers are are poised to take advantage of something that they've worked really hard to get. And I think it's going to pay off in a big way in this, in this first round. Championship teams and elite players are capable of making big things happen while being the road team. You know, LeBron James has won big games on the road throughout the course of his career. Luca Donchich is not going to be unnerved by playing wherever.

Starting point is 00:05:47 But, I mean, I can think of in the times that we've covered this team where the home court advantage mattered. That game seven in 2010, when the Lakers. beat the Celtics and Kobe, you know, has been there, done that, a player as the league has really ever seen, but certainly at that time, by his own admission, the gravity of everything that came from trying to beat the Celtics and getting the revenge from two seasons ago when in 2008, they didn't just get eliminated in the finals by the Celtics, they got waxed by 39 in game six.

Starting point is 00:06:31 And all of the history, all of the everything, Kobe admitted, like it overwhelmed him. Not like he was panicked or afraid. It just was overwhelming. And he spent a lot of that game on tilt. And I remember when Kobe was up at the line shooting free throws, you know, typically when Kobe would do that, the chant would be MVP. But instead, the crowd started chanting Kobe, Kobe, Kobe. like really truly getting behind Kobe, like almost reminding him who he is.

Starting point is 00:07:05 And that does not happen on the road in Boston. Phil Jackson, I remember after that series, he said the crowd was a major factor in them being able to win that game seven. It actually started out ugly and the Lakers were behind for a bit. Certainly Western Conference finals in 2000 Lakers versus the Blazers, they had to put together that massive fourth quarter comeback and the lob from Kobe to Shaq. I don't think that happens in Portland. I really don't.

Starting point is 00:07:36 As good as that team was, like sometimes the crowd, we talk about X factors and variables and all these different things can affect the series. Sometimes the crowd can play a role. And if nothing else, I think the Laker, I think the Laker crowd can. I'm not going to predict it will, but I definitely think it can. And, you know, look, in a perfect world, some of the, you know, projections, I think we have probably been, you know, everyone, like everyone is picking the Lakers to win this series. I still haven't come across a prediction. I think they're out there, but I have not seen a prediction where somebody's, you know, major media.

Starting point is 00:08:18 They're like Yeti sightings. That, you know, non sort of Minnesota media are taking the Lakers. We had, you know, Ben Beakman on, from Locked on Wolves, he picked the Lakers too. Let me tell you something. The Locked on Wolves fans very upset with Ben. Frankly, they hated all three of us with that crossover. Yeah, I get why they wouldn't like us, but I mean, he's just, you know, they're not supposed to like us. Charming as we are, handsome as we may be.

Starting point is 00:08:48 Mission accomplished. They didn't like us at all. Well, I had him to the list. Lakers Lakers centric media folks tend not to be very popular this time here.

Starting point is 00:08:59 Free agency, we're not very popular. Right now, the draft. And he just generally... Luke and Donchich getting dropped in our laps. Great deadline.

Starting point is 00:09:10 You know, good things happen to good people, Andy. That's how I like to think of it. And, you know, Lakers fans have gone through a lot. So I just, I look at this.

Starting point is 00:09:22 and hopefully it's not a long series. Hopefully the Lakers can get through this in five or kind of a cruise control six or something like that. Or even a hard fought six. Whatever. But like Minnesota I think is really good. I think the numbers that they have this season are not a fluke. I think, you know, the matchups,

Starting point is 00:09:45 and we're going to get into it next segment, are in the Lakers favor, but could be tricky for the Lakers as well, depending on how these things actually play out with two teams who really haven't seen play with their full complement of players. So yeah, give me an X factor of having that thing in your back pocket of knowing that game seven is going to be on your floor with your fans, with the possibility of the kind of moment that you're talking about

Starting point is 00:10:13 where you need that, you know, sixth man or whatever to be the 19,000 people who are cheering for it. So I will take it. We'll take it. I will take it. And I will hope the Lakers get it again in the second round. Let's talk about matchups, and specifically Rudy Gaubert, what the Lakers do about him next. Locked on Lakers is brought to you by Upwork. Scaling your business requires the right expertise of the right time.

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Starting point is 00:11:24 W-O-O-R-K-com, Upwork.com. Connect with top talent and grow your business today. Andy, a lot of people like to subscribe to the podcast through iTunes or through Spotify or Locked on Lakers on YouTube or whatever. Some people like to kind of keep it real. I like to go old school. They like mail. I like to get a newsletter.

Starting point is 00:11:54 And Locked on Lakers is a newsletter as well. And it's not just analysis from us on a daily basis, five days a week, delivered straight to your inbox. It's not just the show makes it easy to get it that way. It's also great analysis from around the network. And as we get into the playoffs, that's particularly important. You want to keep up with what's going on around the NBA. And not only can you help us by subscribing to the newsletter and helping us win kind of an internal contest to dust the other locked-on hosts by having the most signups over the course of the month of April, you can also win some really cool prizes.

Starting point is 00:12:29 You go to LockdownDaily.com and you click on Lockdown-on Lakers and subscribe there. You click on the link in the description and you can be eligible to win a $2,500 best buy gift card, upgrade your sports setup just in time for the playoffs, a $300 game time gift card or a $200 fanatics gift card to get yourself some gear to represent the Lakers during the postseason. So you do this between now and April 30th and you're automatically entered to win. And again, LockdownDaily.com, click on Lockdown Lakers. Help us help you. Jackson Hayes had something really interesting to say about the matchup with Rudy Gobert at practice on Thursday.

Starting point is 00:13:09 Yeah, he was asked about the matchup with Gobert and the things that he has to be mindful of. And Jackson said, quote, to box him out, force overs, get him switched on the guy, set good screen. He's not my main focus, honestly. He's my main matchup. My main focus is getting guys like Luca and them open, rebounding, crashing hard, out competing them, them being the opponent. That's my goal. And I thought that was interesting. And we'll get into this.

Starting point is 00:13:37 I don't think it was in any way Jack's being dismissive of Rudy Gobert. Like that was not his tone at all. I think it was more just the idea of him downplaying the idea of individual matchups and more just my. focus is to do all the things that will make the star players or, you know, the Ruiz and DFSes of the world, the guys that I think Jack's knows are higher up on the totem pole. Certainly the guys that are going to be higher up with some of the counting stats make their life easier. Like, that is my job out there as much as anything involving Rudy Gobert. I think that's true. But I also think it is, I agree he's not taking a shot at Rudy, but he's, he is acknowledging the reality

Starting point is 00:14:31 of what it is to be in a series where Rudy Gobert is the opposing center, because he is, I know everybody hates Rudy, but this notion is he's terrible, like he's the personal dislike that a lot of people have and that he clearly is the recipient of around the league, kind of, you know, gets a little bit overcooked into how good or bad of a play. he actually is, and it can still be a very high level, particularly defender. And he can do a lot of damage as a rebounder. He can do a lot of damage as an offensive rebounder. But what he isn't is sort of a focal point of an offense.

Starting point is 00:15:11 And so I think when Hayes is talking about that, it is an acknowledgement that, look, Rudy Gobert is not how they do their offense. And so when you talk about my matchup, it's not like I'm going to be sitting down in the block trying to, you know, counter Rudy's post moves. That's not how this work. Or prevent him from getting low post position because they're looking to feed him and run everything Rudy.

Starting point is 00:15:34 And quite frankly, if they decide that's what they want to do. Yeah, great. Let's know, I for one would love to see Chris Finch decide that this is the series where we unleash, you know, post Rudy. I for one, am daring Chris Finch to do it. Like, come on, you believe. You don't have the Cajonis to do it, Chris Finch. And Rudy, you don't have the Cajonis to demand the ball.

Starting point is 00:16:01 No. Take that ball right for Cajonis. Get down there on the block and do your thing, my man. You don't have the balls to do it. So, Monsieur, get down there on the block. I, so it's an acknowledgement of that aspect of it. And that to me is one of the most interesting parts of this series, is that Minnesota's size advantage over the Lakers and they're rebounding advantage over the Lakers because

Starting point is 00:16:29 while they are not a dominant rebounding team, we know, we talk to Ben Beacon for the preview show on Thursday, the show that posted on Thursday. And he said, like, look, they're going to make a point of crashing the offensive glass and doing this more aggressively, perhaps, and they did it during the year. So some middle-of-the-road offensive rebounding statistics for Minnesota might not be reflective of what they're trying to do in this series. Who is able to use Rudy's strengths before his weaknesses can become a problem? Can Minnesota make him an issue on the offensive glass so that the Lakers have a lot of

Starting point is 00:17:14 trouble playing him off the floor or playing him into mismatches or any of the that stuff, or can the Lakers take advantage of those? They are going to be hunting, hunting, hunting. When you have LeBron, Austin Reeves, and Luke Adonchich as ball handlers and pick and roll, potential pick and roll partners, they're going to be hunting for him. I think they could try to put Reed in certain situations. They're certainly going to try to exploit Conley where they can. How much you can or can't play Rudy Gobert off the floor, that's obviously going to be a team effort and it's going to be how much they can execute like space them out all that different stuff. But some of the ability to keep Gobert on the floor could be dictated by Jackson's own

Starting point is 00:17:57 availability. And if Jackson is not available because of foul trouble and things like that, then all of a sudden, Chris Finch might be in a position where he could look to force that size advantage knowing the Lakers can't counter it. And I asked Jackson about just being conscious of avoiding foul trouble. And he immediately responded, before I even got the question fully out, very. Obviously, that's a big thing that I struggle with. People tend to watch certain guys when they're out there. So I know I'm going to get a lot of foul calls. I know if I'm in the wrong place at the wrong time. I'm going to get that call. So I got to make sure I'm in the right place. And I followed up, ask him, just, do you feel like somebody being watched by the refs?

Starting point is 00:18:38 And he said, quote, everyone is watched out there. Like, if you look at anybody out there, it's hard not to get files out there, especially against certain type of players. So I just got to make sure I'm in the right spots, in the right times, and I don't have my hands reaching and stuff. He also added the importance of avoiding legal screen. Illegal screen is not getting too wide on them. And I think Jackson seems very conscious of the idea of both he is a fluid player on this team.

Starting point is 00:19:07 Like he's always going to play about how much is going to be a game-to-game basis, sometimes dictated by how much he forces JJ to keep him on the floor, but also, too, the lack of depth behind him. And he doesn't want to put JJ in a position where he's got poor optionality because he's been making mistakes or he's been careless out there. So I think Jackson understands that the series isn't going to hinge on him, but he's important because he's the only guy on the team that can do specifically what he does. Because it's interesting. Like I, I don't think he's going to play a ton in this series. Because I think the Lakers are going to lean into the smaller lineups.

Starting point is 00:19:49 I think they feel comfortable enough that they can defend Minnesota's size based on the kind of blueprint they've developed for that, particularly knowing that they don't have to really worry about Gobert as a post-threat. You know, it's not Carl Anthony Towns where you've got to really guard him on the block and Nas Reid is you know really as dangerous as a perimeter player and a shooter as he is down low though you're certainly a more dynamic player put the ball in the floor he's a much more dynamic offensive player than Rudy but he does he does a lot of his damage part of what makes him such a special you know six-man uh performer is his ability to shoot and so

Starting point is 00:20:39 So, you know, in that sense, he is more like cat. But it's a different kind of defending. He's not, I just, I think the Lakers are going to try to lean into those smaller lineups and make Minnesota match up to what they do best. And so I don't know how much Jackson is actually going to play. 15, 20 minutes a night, I think is probably a reasonable number here. But like you say, Andy, you got to have the option of playing him. And you need to be able to put him into the game when you need to be able to put him into the game

Starting point is 00:21:09 when you need that card. And he's the only card that they have in the seven-foot variety. And apologies to the Alex Lens stands out there. Maybe if Maxi Kleba, who gets a little undersized, but you know, 610, 611, that's it. You got Jackson Hayes. And so I'm glad to hear that he is aware. Yeah.

Starting point is 00:21:36 All right. I wrote in the newsletter today about the Lakers X factor and a couple people at least commenting on whether or not I picked the right guy. So I'll ask you, Andy, next. Locked on Lakers is brought to you by Monarch Money. You've ever checked your bank account and wonder where did all the money go all the time? Between dining out, online shopping, entertainment, children, they cost a lot of money. It's easy to lose track. And that's where Monarch Money comes in. Your personal CFO giving you full visibility. control over your finances. Monarch money, it's not just a budgeting app. It's a complete financial

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Starting point is 00:23:06 over to Locked on Daily, clicking on Locked on Lakers, I wrote this morning, Thursday, morning about X-Factors. It's like one of those, like you can't enter a playoff series, like legally without talking about X-Factors, they come and take your sports media card away from you. A lot of people talking about Rui Hachamura, which makes sense. I think, you know, he's easily the fourth most important offensive player on the Lakers. He plays a critical role, especially when one of the big three or even two of them is not on the floor. Often Rui is to help give those lineups a little bit more punch. So I get what they're talking about.

Starting point is 00:23:45 And Rui is their best shooter over the course of the year over 41%. I got to say, though, maybe he's too good for this designation because a lot of times you think of supporting players. When I think of the thing that could make this series short, more than anything, in terms of individual performers, it's Austin Reeves. If Reeves continues to play at the sort of All-Star level that he's been at, I'm not saying, you know, an all-star level, you know. And LeBron is playoff LeBron and Luca is playoff Luca.

Starting point is 00:24:18 And then you inject that into it. I think that becomes too much for Minnesota. I think you are talking about too much playmaking, too much scoring, too much finishing, and too much pressure on Minnesota to keep up. And it just makes them too difficult to guard. And so a lot of ways I see Reeves, not not just in this series, but really throughout the playoffs

Starting point is 00:24:43 as a potential ceiling razor for the Lakers in terms of what that ceiling looks like. We don't really know what the ceiling is or what it looks like, but Reeves doing what he's done over the last, you know, post-all-star break, I think it's like 22 and a half, five and five, more or less.

Starting point is 00:25:03 In April it was even better. That version of Reeves with the playoff version of the two stars, I'll take my chances there. Yeah. I imagine the Lakers would as well. Like you said, some of this gets into how are you defining X factor? There's no real similar to choosing MVP, choosing most improved player, or if you

Starting point is 00:25:27 ask the Supreme Court, identifying pornography. Like nobody agrees on what it is. You may just know it when you see it. I know it when you see it. Like defining it that way. way, though, with Reeves does make sense. And if you're looking then across the court to a corresponding X Factor, I think at that point it becomes Julius Randall. I think no matter any definition, Julius Randall is the X Factor. Because Randall is, I think, the one guy

Starting point is 00:25:59 on the walls. I'm not counting Antony Edwards is a superstar. And I have full belief, unfortunately, that he is going to play like one in this series. And if he doesn't, the wolves are going to lose. Right. If he doesn't, the wolves are going to lose. But I have already priced Ant playing extremely well into the math. Randall is the one guy, though, I think on the wolves that if he plays to his highest end, can, in a lot of respects, cancel out Reeves reaching that level as well.

Starting point is 00:26:34 like top of his game Julius Randall can be every bit as good as top of his game, Austin Reeves. You know, you're still left at that point between three, you know, three upper end players for the Lakers versus two for the wolves, but the gap starts shrinking more, at least to Minnesota's liking. I still tend to think of those X factors more like the guys that are higher variance or could be seen as higher variance. and that's what makes them X factors to begin with as opposed to the guys that you kind of feel like you can count on more. And I think if nothing else, that's a bit of a difference between Austin Reeves and Julius Randall.

Starting point is 00:27:16 I think that's what makes the variance question is what makes Randall the X factor. It's just because while he is, you know, he's an all, these guys been an all star. Been all NBA. It's nobody's quite sure what they're getting out of him. this series. I think that's it. Well, in particular in the playoffs. I mean, but I just mean like in general, Julius has struggled in the playoffs.

Starting point is 00:27:42 There's been times where he struggled because of health. There's been times other reasons, but it's been there. I still would tend to lean more on Rui just because he is the bridge between Luca LeBron and Austin, the three guys that you know who they are for the most part with scoring and production that they can create for themselves. And DFS, Gabe, Jackson, like the guys that can play well, but they need more help getting their production. Like their production in a lot of ways needs to be manufactured for them.

Starting point is 00:28:20 And like, if DFS puts up 20 or if Gabe puts up 20, Jackson puts up 20, I'm not saying it's a shock, but it's surprising. and it's definitely not something that can be counted on. Rui putting up 20 is not surprising. Like usually the thing that gets in the way of putting up 20 for Rui is he doesn't get enough shots. Like the ball just doesn't find him enough. But Rui putting up 20 would not be in any way surprising. And if you've got 20 from Rui plus what I think people expect from Luka LeBron and Austin,

Starting point is 00:28:56 that becomes a very difficult team to meet also too in terms of X factors. We've seen this when DFS and Gabe have games where both hit multiple threes, Lakers become damn near unbeatable. Like we've seen them win games when the stars didn't play well, but DFS and Gabe put up 20 each. Like that was enough for a win. When those guys are hitting outside shots, assuming the stars do what you're expecting, the Lakers really do become damn near unbeatable. Yeah, I mean, if you're looking for an X factor just for the team, like a team X factor, we spent a lot of time talking about Minnesota's three-point shooting and Anthony Edwards and the amount that he was able to do from three-point range or whatever.

Starting point is 00:29:43 If the Lakers get clean looks and make them, again, good luck. Because, you know, I think your hope, if you're the wolves, I mean, I told Ben, like, if I, as Chris, if I'm Chris Finch, I'm doing everything I possibly can to, encourage the Lakers to play one-on-one. You very well might lose anyway because Luca, if they can find the right one-on-one matchup, Luca can exploit that all day long. LeBron can do that as well. Reeves can do that as well.

Starting point is 00:30:17 But what you don't get in that situation is the ball ping-ponging around. You might get one pass where LeBron pulls the defense down and you get the one pass out to the three-point range or whatever. but it's one pass. It's not four or five or six where the defense finally just can't keep up. That to me is the best way to keep up with or to play against the Lakers stars. Because if they get and make 43% of their three point shots over the course of the series, again, the series is not going to last very long just because that makes them,

Starting point is 00:30:53 I think, that just makes them too good. And so that aspect of the Lakers three points. shooting. I think it is something that hasn't been talked about enough. It's a lot of what Minnesota does and LA's tendency sometimes to leave the three point line open and all that kind of stuff. I also think how this series is called and how the Lakers react to it because they are a team that does like to get to the line. Luca LeBron, AR, all three like to draw files, like to do that. And that that becomes whether or not they get to the line and then whether or not they get frustrated if they don't, I think becomes something to watch as well.

Starting point is 00:31:36 It's funny also that you mentioned how the series is called because with both Luca and Anthony Edwards, you've got two guys who are not shy about letting the refs know when they are displeased with them, which is to say, all game, every game. They don't like the way they're being called. And DFS said during practice, you know, he has got a long time relationship with Luca. they are super tight. They've been through playoff battles together. He said, quote, I already know he's going to come with the juice.

Starting point is 00:32:06 He loves the moment, knowing him, probably got to calm him down too because he's going to be barking. It's going to be exciting. It's going to be exciting. And that DFS, I 100% agree with. Yeah. And the playoffs, I'm actually less worried in the playoffs about like the threshold for what you got to do to get teed up and thrown out of a game or anything like that in the postseason. But you can get distracted, though. you can get distracted by the road 100%.

Starting point is 00:32:30 That's the part that I'm worried about a little bit more. You know, the Lakers in game one, game two, maybe whatever. You know, they find themselves down a little bit. They don't feel like they're getting some calls. You know, the mood in the arena is brought down a little bit because fans are getting nervous and all this kind of stuff. And now all of a sudden you're spending a little bit more time. This actually, you know, LeBron noted this, you know,

Starting point is 00:32:54 that a lot of what the Lakers have been doing is that sort of mental preparation of getting focused, of understanding each play, not giving away plays, not giving away possessions, all this stuff that's critical in the playoffs. That includes this. That includes not giving up a defensive possession because you're yelling at the referee. You're lying on the ground like this. You know, where's my call? That kind of stuff is the sort of thing that they need to shake off and have it that they need to get rid of.

Starting point is 00:33:27 And close season, not the only team, by the way. A lot of teams do this. But for the Lakers, it's just something they got to fix. Yeah, absolutely. DFS also said that Luca and LeBron have really been locking everybody in. Like that, they describe them as the two captains. And, you know, Luca, I think replaced Anthony Davis in that role. And apparently, LeBron and Luca have been really, really on message.

Starting point is 00:33:54 Like, it is time to lock in. no more effing around kids. Locked on Lakers on YouTube is where you can go hang out with over 34,000 subscribers. We, of course, will be back with at least a show after game one. We may do a quick recap. Andy's doing radio on Saturday, and then a big show afterwards. But either way, plenty of coverage after game one. So make sure you're back here at Locked on Lakers and Locked on Lakers on YouTube.

Starting point is 00:34:24 we will see everyone after the game.

Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers - Lakers Players Want Energy From Lakers Fans. Plus, Can the Lakers Exploit Rudy Gobert?

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