Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

It's no surprise that much of the conversation at Lakers practice Monday in El Segundo was focused on a big 40th birthday for LeBron James. Few players are still active at 40, and nobody has ever been active and playing at the level LeBron still hits. 

And it's also appropriate that Monday served as an opportunity to introduce newly acquired Lakers Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton to the local media. Because the trade is meant to improve the team as a whole—something James is always happy to see. But more importantly, in many ways Finney-Smith arrives as a gift tailor made to help LeBron sustain the level of play to which he's accustomed... and that the Lakers require if they're going to have even a shot at making noise in the Western Conference. 

James has played very well since a combination of injury and schedule offered him some rest after a brutal stretch of schedule. He's been particularly engaged on the defensive side of the ball, where LeBron had, frankly, been awful in different stretches this season and was serving as an anchor on efforts to keep points off the board.  When James blows off his defensive assignments, it provides a permission structure for teammates to do the same. But an engaged James has an even greater impact in the other direction, because if the old man is doing work, what's your excuse? 

The trick now, of course, is sustaining this improvement over the next 50ish games.  And that's where Finney-Smith comes in. 

The more the Lakers can do to improve its defensive personnel, the more support James gets, and the lighter his load becomes. It started with Max Christie sliding into the starting lineup. And now Rob Pelinka has given James another gift in Finney-Smith. While JJ Redick noted his new wing will come off the bench, DFS is almost certain to play a lot of minutes with LeBron. He's another guy who can take on tougher defensive assignments, and help LeBron carry a lighter burden. This will help the team on both sides. (This principle, it should be noted, applies to Austin Reaves as well.) 

It's one way the Lakers hope the impact of Finney-Smith is greater than the talent level of the player himself. By filling a position of need, he will make other players better in ways D'Angelo Russell, even as a point guard who had point-guarded well this season (it was his shooting and defense that were the problem), couldn't. 

The Lakers had a limited number of resources available to make deals even before the trade with Brooklyn. Now they have fewer. With that in mind, the ability to make the sum greater than the parts has to be a prime goal, and at least on paper Finney-Smith should help make that possible. 

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky

SEGMENT 1: LeBron James turns 40. 

SEGMENT 2: The past and future of James. 

SEGMENT 3: Why Finney-Smith is a gift for LeBron. 

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WE HAVE A TRADE! 

Sunday morning, the Lakers made waves, acquiring 3-and-D wing Dorian Finney-Smith and guard Shake Milton from the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for D'Angelo Russell, Maxwell Lewis and three second round draft picks. Finney-Smith has been on Rob Pelinka's radar for well over a year, and finally the Lakers were able to close the deal. 

On its face, it looks like a sound deal for LA. Finney-Smith is one of the rare players in the league who really plays with a 3-and-D profile on the wing, as opposed to just being given that designation. This season, Finney-Smith is shooting over 43% from beyond the arc, and while that's a career high, in Dallas DFS had three seasons between 37.6 and 39.5%. Those are credible numbers on reasonable volume (about five attempts a game across the seasons in question). Meanwhile, at 6'7", Finney-Smith is capable of guarding multiple positions, which will come in very handy for JJ Redick, especially as more players in the rotation get healthy. 

Meanwhile, Russell's playing time and capacity to contribute had gone way down since being removed from the starting lineup. He provided valuable bench scoring and playmaking, and while a huge chunk of Lakers fans are glad to be rid of him, the team will miss his skill set. The playmaking, in particular, is now in very short supply on the roster. But you can't get something for nothing, and by acquiring the 6'5" Milton in addition to Finney-Smith, the Lakers gave themselves a credible backcourt option to fill some time should an injury or similar force Redick's hand. It's not a stretch to think Milton could play a small role in the rotation, but the big thing is that the Lakers put another body in between Gabe Vincent and Jalen Hood-Schifino or Bronny James. 

The trade raises some questions. Will Finney-Smith start? If so, whose spot does he take? If he comes off the bench, who will Redick pair Finney-Smith with? Does he play more for Max Christie or Rui Hachimura? Does he play alongside both of them, at different moments? How will adding another wing defender impact the burden put on LeBron James and Austin Reaves, both offensively and defensively? 

And then the big one: What's next? The Lakers held on to all the first-round draft picks they control, so those can still be included in a future deal. That said, in Russell they sent out their largest available salary, and trading the next largest (Hachimura) would open up a bigger hole in the rotation. It's certainly possible the Lakers may not quite have the right pieces to put together the most appealing package for whatever players they're still hunting, whether that's Brooklyn's Cam Johnson, Washington's Jonas Valančiūnas and Malcolm Brogdon or anyone else who pops up. But that might have been the case even if they hadn't made this trade. And multiple reports indicate the Lakers outbid Memphis for DFS, so they were certainly aggressive. 

There are many times when giving Rob Pelinka credit is... hard. But this is a good move, and one that deserves praise. 

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky

SEGMENT 1: The Lakers make a big trade, and acquire Dorian Finney-Smith. 

SEGMENT 2: What Finney-Smith (and Milton) brings to the table. 

SEGMENT 3: What's next? 

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HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky

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The Lakers knew they'd be without LeBron James (illness) for Saturday's game at the Crypt against the Kings. 

But then they lost Gabe Vincent (oblique) in the first half, and also saw Cam Reddish (back spasms) leave the game, though he was able to return. That's a lot of rotation minutes that had to be replaced, and the Lakers did a great job of it, using a big second half push to build a lead and hold it, winning 132-122.

There were contributions up and down the roster, but the biggest stars of the show for LA were Anthony Davis (36 points, 15 rebounds, eight assists on 12-16 shooting and 11-13 from the line), Rui Hachimura (21 points, 4-5 from downtown) and Austin Reaves, a career high 16 assists to go along with 26 points. Add in another spirited effort from Max Christie, who once again was well into double figures, shot the ball well, and worked hard defensively. Dalton Knecht had his most productive offensive game in a while, with 18 points. 

The balanced scoring was critical, but so were a limited amount of turnovers (11), and good free throw shooting by both percentage and volume—the team finished 26-33 after starting 3-9. 

The Lakers improve to 18-13, with a big New Year's Eve game coming up Tuesday against the Cavs, again at home. 

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky

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Anthony Davis had 36 points, 15 rebounds, and 8 assists, and Austin Reeves added 26 points and a career-high 16 assists as the Los Angeles Lakers held on to beat the Sacramento Kings 132-122. The Lakers were forced to play without LeBron James, who stayed home due to illness. On New Year’s Eve, the Lakers will look to continue their winning ways when the Cleveland Cavaliers come to town.

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Before the season started, Lakers GM Rob Pelinka discussed the team's lack of activity and noted that while they're always interested in improving at any time, at this point he'd need a little time to assess. “I think that’s really a question that I think we’ll have a better sense on after 30 games,” Pelinka said. 

Well, after LA's 115-113 win over Golden State on Christmas, the Lakers officially hit that 30 game threshold. And according to ESPN's Shams Charania, the Lakers are in fact open to a deal... but have some parameters in mind. "They want a player or players that they feel can get into this iteration of this team now with LeBron James and Anthony Davis but can also play for three, four, five more years under JJ Redick as the coach," Shams said. 

So at 17-13, does Pelinka have a good idea now of where they are and what they need? Is it any different than anything that folks noted before the start of the year? Are the chips the team has for a deal—and the impact trading certain players might have—substantively changed? Has the context around trade-making shifted in the era of a new CBA? 

The answer to the first probably depends on the eye of the beholder—though shifting D'Angelo Russell to the bench while inserting Max Christie is significant, as is the fact that Jarred Vanderbilt still hasn't returned, but at the same time the roster has basically been the same for two years—but hat last one might end up to be the most significant question. It's very hard to know at this point whether the trade market will be favorable to the Lakers or not. Guys like Miami's Jimmy Butler and Chicago's Zach LaVine are on the market, but will be exceedingly hard to trade in part because of how large their contracts are, and the limited number of teams that might even be interested in them to begin with. 

Combined with the report that the Lakers want a player/players that fit now and down the road (I mean, sure, why wouldn't they), are the Lakers setting themselves up to be players, or are they actually creating the structure by which they'll again do nothing? The most challenging moment for Pelinka won't be an opportunity that neatly fits this transactional ideal, but one that doesn't. Say the Lakers can't acquire a player who helps them down the road, but one that would definitively improve them now? What does Pelinka do? 

Since the Russell Westbrook deal went so wildly (and predictably) wrong, it's felt like the Lakers have been afraid to make bold and decisive moves. But the lesson of the Russ deal shouldn't have been "don't make big trades," but "don't make obviously stupid trades." 

The time is coming for the Lakers to fish or cut bait on the roster they have. Or, failing that, to be as good as they can be to round out the LeBron James Era, without sacrificing the future. 

--BK

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The Lakers lost Anthony Davis seven minutes into their Christmas Day tilt in San Francisco against the Warriors. 

Bah humbug, right? 

Not so fast. The Lakers circled the wagons, and got big performances up and down the roster, using an Austin Reaves bucket with a second left to beat Golden State, 115-113. Reaves had a triple double, with 26 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists, and only three turnovers. LeBron had 31 points, 10 assists, and only one turnover. As a team, the Lakers gave up the ball only nine times, a nice contrast to, say, the Detroit game, where the Lakers seemed determined to give the Pistons as many opportunities to win as they needed. 

Meanwhile, the Lakers hit all 18 of their free throws, completely eliminating any fourth-quarter woes from the stripe. Or woes in any quarter. 

Two examples of doing the little things that good teams do to win games, and that have to happen in a game where Davis is only able to play for seven minutes. Combine that with, once again, a sustained effort level on defense (playing without any sort of rim protection) and you give yourself a chance. That, more than anything, explains why the Lakers have improved so much on that side of the ball. Then you factor in the presence of Max Christie - who has picked up his scoring of late - and the impact it has on the defensive responsibilities of the other four guys, and you see even more why progress is being made. 

That the Warriors have been struggling is worth noting, but it doesn't detract from what was a very solid win for the Lakers. Playing shorthanded (D'Angelo Russell wasn't available, either, having sustained a thumb injury in Monday's loss), they went to another team's building on a high energy day and won. 

Doesn't make up for the Pistons loss, but it stops the bleeding fast and gets the team back on the right track. Davis, for what it's worth, says he'll be ready to play Saturday against Sacramento. 

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky 

SEGMENT 1: Lakers win without A.D.

SEGMENT 2: Big games from LeBron and Reaves. 

SEGMENT 3: Lakers play clean, and it makes a difference. 

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In what was one of the best Christmas Day games ever, the Los Angeles Lakers outlasted the Golden State Warriors on an Austin Reeves game-winning layup with one second remaining, 115-113. With Anthony Davis injuring his ankle halfway through the first quarter, LeBron James picked up the pieces, scoring 31 points and dishing out 10 assists, while the star of the game, Austin Reeves, collected a triple double, with 26 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists. Future Hall of Famer Steph Curry led the Warriors with 38 points in the loss. The Lakers will look to extend their winning ways Saturday night when they host the Sacramento Kings.

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The Lakers offense has been stuck in the mud for the last few weeks. 

Monday at the Crypt against Detroit, the Lakers shot 54% from the floor, including 47% from 3-point range. They hit 20 of their 25 free throws, a perfectly solid 80%. The Lakers got a triple-double (28/11/11) from LeBron James. Max Christie chipped in with 17. So why did they ultimately lose 117-114 to the Pistons? Turnovers, plain an simple. After a strong start, the Lakers simply couldn't handle the physicality and aggressiveness of Detroit's defense. The blitzed ball handlers, especially Austin Reaves, who had six turnovers on his own. 

That meant not only that the Pistons could get out and run for easy buckets, but that they simply got more shots than the Lakers. Like, a lot more. 92 field goal attempts vs. 74. Even accounting for the disparity in free throws (which impacts the FGA count), the Lakers surrendered too many opportunities to score. 

It's pretty clear that the Pistons play in a style that's hard for the Lakers to handle, but it seemed on Monday that LA couldn't come up with anything consistent to counter what Detroit was doing. 

The Pistons, meanwhile, played a pretty clean game up until the last couple of minutes, when their turnovers gave the Lakers a chance to finish off a double-digit comeback and send the game to OT. But a clean LeBron 3-pointer bounced off the front rim, and that was that. 

On the heels of a great set of games in Sacramento, this one stings, and reinforces that the Lakers simply cannot afford to be loose with the ball. It's been an issue all season, and cost them a game on Monday. The bigger question now—because teams, particularly the more athletic ones, see the blueprint and will try to repeat it—is how do they fix the problem going forward? 

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky

SEGMENT 1: The Lakers turn the ball over and over and over again, losing to Detroit. 

SEGMENT 2: A massive missed opportunity. 

SEGMENT 3: Did the Lakers disrespect their opponent, or was Detroit exploiting weaknesses? 

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LeBron James scored 28 points on his way to a triple double and Anthony Davis added 19 points and 10 rebounds but it wasn’t enough as the Detroit Pistons swept the season series, beating the Lakers 117-114. The Pistons were led in scoring by former Laker Malik Beasley, who had 21 off the bench. The Lakers hope to get back on track on Christmas Day when they travel to the Bay Area to face Steph Curry and the Warriors.

Lakers, LA Lakers, Los Angeles Lakers, LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Rui, Austin Reeves, NBA, Lakers Post cast, JJ Redick, Dalton Knecht, Lakers vs Pistons, Los Angeles Lakers vs Detroit Pistons 

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