Lakers Lounge

In a loaded episode, Anthony is joined by Ethan Strauss to talk about, well, a lot. The guys hit on everything from this finals matchup and the inevitable poor ratings that will come of it, the discourse around this matchup heading in, Adam Silver's latest tweak to the All Star Game and LeBron taking yet another side-swipe at Brian Windhorst.

Anthony and Ethan have both noticed a rather standoffish stance from NBA media about this upcoming series and give their thoughts on this matchup and that narrative heading in.

Anthony and Ethan discuss Adam Silver's latest pleat to viewers to please baby please watch the All Star Game and their overall view of his tenure as commissioner.

In the latest entry to the Lakers season review series, Anthony looks back on JJ Redick's first season as a coach. Not just an NBA coach, but as a coach, ever. Still insane to think about. Overall, we have to split this season into two segments. He was fantastic in the regular season and a bit of a disaster in the playoffs. Anthony explains why, then discusses Redick's future as a coach.

We want to be absolutely clear about this: JJ Redick was fantastic in the regular season and that performance becomes all the more impressive when you consider all the context. Anthony lays it all out with the backdrop of Tom Thibodeau's firing.

Anthony in genuinely curious because even he goes back-and-forth on this... Does that brutal series from JJ Redick make you feel differently about the amount of success we saw from him in the regular season? He discusses that, then wraps with a fun question about youth coaching differences domestically and internationally.

Anthony was thinking about the whole "will or won't LeBron take the pay cut" subject and wondered whether people are going about that all wrong. He then explains how Dorian Finney-Smith opting out and walking wouldn't necessarily be the worst thing. He points out how Austin Ainge's new gig is just the latest example of nepotism in the NBA and then discusses the Jazz apparently coming to their senses about tanking.

In all likelihood, Dorian Finney-Smith is going to be back with the Lakers after either opting into his player option or after opting out and re-signing a longer deal for less per year. But, if DFS does leave, Anthony explains how it could open up options for the Lakers while also freeing up minutes at the four.

Anthony noticed a lot of people trying to have the nepotism conversation after Austin Ainge was hired to run the Jazz and decided to wade into those waters. After that super duper fun conversation, he offers up Ainge's message on tanking, and how this is a directly result of the flattened lottery odds (as he predicted a couple weeks ago).

Anthony wrote late last week about the two-timeline spot the Lakers have to navigate, as they prep for the end of the LeBron James era and the beginning of the Luka Doncic era simultaneously. He narrates that piece for this episode.