Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

It's Media Day in El Segundo, which means the official start of the 2024-25 season. 

So what is this year going to bring? Well, it starts with a massive trade that could shake up the Western Conference, as Minnesota is planning to send Karl-Anthony Towns to the Knicks for forward and old friend Julius Randle along with guard Dante DiVincenzo. For a team like Minnesota, that made a Western Conference Finals for the first time in the last 63 years, this sort of deal has the potential to make them worse. And anything that makes a conference rival worse helps the Lakers, even if it's just for that opening night matchup. The Lakers need all the help they can get to get off to a strong start, and a Wolves team playing the getting-to-know-you game that early in the year could help LA. 

Meanwhile, the minute Towns was sent (or will be, once it's official) to New York, that put speculation out there that maybe Mitchell Robinson, their incumbant (and injured) center might be available. Would it make sense for the Lakers to kick the tires, even if he's going to be out until December, at the earliest? 

On paper, it's a nice fit... but what about the practical issues a trade presents? 

The Lakers do, after all, need a big body. They admitted as much, at least after JJ Redick tried to talk around it last week meeting the media. 

So what comes next? 

 

 HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky

 

SEGMENT 1: A blockbuster in the West. How does it impact the Lakers? 

SEGMENT 2: Could the Lakers swing a deal for Robinson?

SEGMENT 3: Redick talks C, then the Lakers backtrack. 

 

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There was too much to cover from Wednesday's press conference for one show, so today it remains the core of the conversation. 

From a basketball standpoint, a lot was revealed by JJ Redick about how he'd like to play this season. He talked about movement and motion, of redistributing where shots come from around the floor, and how certain guys might be asked to do new things. Like Rui Hachimura, crashing for offensive rebounds from the corner. Max Christie is clearly being primed for a regular rotation role for the first time. And the Lakers clearly want to get more from Austin Reaves. 

And remember D'Angelo Russell? Redick spoke at some length about the amount the two of them have been communicating this offseason. Redick said he hopes to put Russell in position to have a career year. 

Will that keep him on the Lakers, or keep Rob Pelinka from leaving Russell permanently on the block? Likely not. But while Russell is coming off a very, very strong season, if Redick can optimize his strengths more effectively than Darvin Ham, it would benefit the Lakers for sure. 

It's was interesting as well to hear both of them talk about the potential of this team to perhaps exceed expectations. Always an awkward question for management/coaches who can't exactly hit the doomsday whistle a few days before camp starts, but also don't want to appear like they're detached from reality. But what exactly is the reality about the team itself, as opposed to negative vibes around their lack of action this summer? 

 

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky

SEGMENT 1: Redick and Pelinka spent a lot of time talking about Rui Hachimura and Max Christie. 

SEGMENT 2: How can Redick maximize the guys he has? How much upside is realistic? 

SEGMENT 3: Redick talks up Russell. 

 

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Wednesday, the new Lakers season unofficially began - the official kickoff comes Monday with Media Day - with a press conference featuring GM Rob Pelinka and new Lakers coach JJ Redick. 

There was a lot of ground covered -- more than enough to stretch into Friday's show -- but for today, it's a focus on the big picture the pair tried to push. The big theme was optimism. About the work that's been done this offseason to try and help players build on last season. About the addition of Redick, and the fresh thinking he could bring to the job. About confidence in the group they have, if they can get a little good fortune and a lot of good health. This last one was particularly emphasized by Pelinka, who has received a ton of criticism from Lakers fans about the team's almost total lack of action (from a personnel standpoint) over the summer. 

So is the optimism warranted? 

What about what's coming? Does the newfound commitment to player development the team is pushing hard mean they're not going to be aggressive trying to make trades and using those first rounders at their disposal? In that regard, Pelinka was more non-committal than he usually is. Often he'll talk down the notion of bold moves while simultaneously leading fans to believe that's exactly what the team is looking to do. 

So when nothing happens? Fans get annoyed. Is this now a matter of Pelinka underpromising and hopefully over-delivering? 

Pelinka did say he'd make a deal if the right one came along, but the plan going forward is to frame things in the context of "Sustainable Lakers Excellence." 

Oh, and Jarred Vanderbilt might just be back for the opener after all! 

 

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky 

 

SEGMENT 1: Pelinka and Redick meet the media!

SEGMENT 2: Vanderbilt looks like he might be back for the opener after all! 

SEGMENT 3: What exactly is Sustainable Lakers Excellence?

 

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Last year, it took Darvin Ham a very, very long time to settle on the starting lineup that Lakers fans—and especially THE LAKERS PLAYERS—wanted to see. 

JJ Redick didn't even make it to training camp before landing in that spot. Speaking with Zach Lowe on his podcast, he said the group that starts will be the one that went 23-10 last season. That would be LeBron James, Anthony Davis, D'Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura. This isn't necessarily a blockbuster decision. First, that group was quite successful together last season. Second, there aren't exactly a ton of alternatives. Aside from Jarred Vanderbilt stepping in for Rui, how many different options does Redick really have, assuming these guys are all healthy? 

But nonetheless, it's nice to get this sort of thing out of the way early, and Redick having the good sense to just go where everyone knows he should, and likely would anyway even with some sort of coachy, "we're all going to have to compete" posturing, is refreshing. If Darvin Ham had a tendency to overthink and overcomplicate, it's nice to see Redick isn't doing that with the starting lineup. 

Moreover, settling on this now means the Lakers can go into training camp with a roadmap uncluttered by things that would unnecessarily take up time. 

What else did Redick have to say? There was a lot in the interview (released a day before Redick will appear in El Segundo with Rob Pelinka in front of the media). He talked about LeBron and what it means to him for James to be "off ball." He talked about Bronny, about the perception many have that Redick "skipped the line," and more. 

What should fans expect, and hope, to hear from him and Pelinka on Wednesday? 

 

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky

SEGMENT 1: JJ Redick has a starting lineup! 

SEGMENT 2: Redick on LeBron and the Lakers offense. 

SEGMENT 3: What to expect from Redick and Pelinka on Wednesday.

 

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The Lakers, as everyone knows by now, didn't do much to improve themselves in the offseason. They didn't get worse, but they didn't get any better, either. 

The hope is internal improvement—from players like Max Christie and Austin Reaves, better health from Jarred Vanderbilt and Gabe Vincent, better coaching from JJ Redick—will be enough to elevate them past last year's 47 wins and at the least, make them look like a potential contender if Rob Pelinka can make a move. But part of playing all the way to their ceiling is the idea of getting off to a hot start. 

Many teams will stage a minicamp before official traning camps open. Run by players, they help build spirit and cohesion. The Lakers have done this a bunch of times in the LeBron Era... but won't this year. LeBron James and Anthony Davis are both back in LA and working out, but presumably the offseason work with Team USA threw off a normal summer enough where this wasn't going to happen. Does it mean Davis and James will take it easy through camp? Are they going to ease into the season? 

It's a tough balance. The Lakers need them both to be fresh for the playoffs to have a chance to advance. They also need them to win games in the regular season, in order to make those playoffs. The schedule, as noted, is torture. The Lakers need to be operating at as high a level as possible exiting the preseason. They know their teammates, but not the staff of the scheme. 

It's a tricky spot! 

All together, it's one reason the eggheads (or egghead, at least) at ESPN (Kevin Pelton in this case) believes the Lakers are a likely candidate to take a step back in wins this year. There is the normal concern about the health of James and Davis, who seemed to defy the odds (or at least recent seasons) by playing a ton of games last year. Can they do it again? It also notes the Lakers were unusually successful in close games. That's a number that tends to regress year to year, since it's often luck-based. 

 

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky

SEGMENT 1: No minicamp ... is that a bad sign? 

SEGMENT 2: How can the Lakers balance a lot of competing forces? 
 

SEGMENT 3: Are the Lakers likely to take a step back this year? 

 

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It's been a common theme this offseason: The Lakers are stuck from a roster standpoint, and getting unstuck won't be simple. 

The latest illustration of this reality? Even players who are in that second tier of potential trade targets (i.e. non-stars with giant salaries) are getting problematic. Toronto's Bruce Brown underwent arthroscopic surgery last week, and will miss at least the start of training camp, and perhaps some of the start of the year. Brown's name hasn't percolated around the rumor mill much lately, but he's been a reported target for the Lakers for a couple years. 

At this point, were the Lakers inclined to make a deal for Brown before the start of the season... well, that gets hard. The Lakers don't have many options, and to use some of them on a guy coming off surgery, before seeing he's healthy could be tough. Realistically, though, whether for Brown or anyone else, would the Lakers be better off at this point waiting to see how things go at the start of the year before making a move? 

Learning where their holes really are? What the strengths and weaknesses of this team might be (because they won't be exactly the same as last year's, even with the same roster, given the new regime on the sidelines. 

Even a hypothetical with Brown (or anyone making about the 20+ mil would require trading Rui Hachimura or D'Angelo Russell. And with that, there are trade offs. Trade a big like Rui for a smaller player like Brown, and you're sacrificing size and (in this case) shooting and adding to a logjam in the backcourt. Trade Russell and you lose playmaking (if you're not getting a PG back) and (if you're not getting a shooter) 3-point capabilities. You're also relying a lot on Gabe Vincent to be heathy and productive... and for Jarred Vanderbilt and Christian Wood to be the same. 

Again, it's complicated, and unlikely to get any less complicated anytime soon... so maybe the best solution is to gather data? 

 

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky

 

SEGMENT 1: Bruce Brown gets surgery. Another potential trade target is banged up. 

SEGMENT 2: What Brown's surgery represents, even when it's not about Brown. 

SEGMENT 3: Would you trade Rui for Brown? Russell? 

 

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Point being, when you have rotation players, or perhaps mu

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Thursday's episode was centered around Max Christie, and what he's expected to bring this season for the Lakers. 

But it touched on Austin Reaves, as well, and it's that portion of the conversation that generated the most feedback in the comments and prompted discussion for today's show. Namely, are the expectations around Reaves, whether set by the hosts in this space or by the Lakers, fair? What are they, exactly? How much is set by media, and how much is put on Reaves by the contextual needs of the team (and the roster construction)? 

Today, it's a deep dive into Reaves, how he performed last year and what needs to be different—and better—this year. That includes a lot of reason to think improvement could be on the way! Reaves, assuming he makes it through camp without any injuries, will be set up for success better this year than last, no question. 

From there, it's a listener email about Christian Wood and expectations around him, as well. Earlier in the week, we discussed how Wood is the guy who will change the dynamic among the centers the most, once he comes back from his latest injury. When that will be, nobody is sure. Will he succeed? Nobody is sure. But relative to the other options, Wood has more upside. We explain. 

Finally, when are the Lakers going to get the Bron/Bronny "moment" out of the way? How should they handle it? 

 

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky

 

SEGMENT 1: Are expectations for Austin Reaves unfair? 
 

SEGMENT 2: How good does Reaves need to be? 

SEGMENT 3: What about Wood? Plus, predictions on the Bron/Bronny moment.

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It's no secret that Max Christie didn't like how he was used - or more specifically, not used - last season with Darvin Ham. Speaking to Allie Clifton at Spectrum SportsNet this week, Christie made it clear he's highly motivated this season after signing his 4-year, $32 million contract this offseason, and is fired up about the new coaching staff. 

But whil most Lakers fans are excited to see Christie back and be given a chance to play, not every analyst around the league thinks this was a great deal. At the least, it's not without risk. Christie hasn't proven himself as an 82-game rotation player to this point. That probably should have happened last year, but here we are. 

So the Lakers invested with some unknowns definitely still on the table. That can't be argued. 

Can Christie step in and produce as the Lakers hope he can... and need him to? What would it mean for the team, in terms of optionality and flexibility, for Christie to break through this year? Who else on the roster is under the microscope in the same way? Start with Austin Reaves, who needs to make a jump if the Lakers are going to hit their ceiling as currently constructed. 

And what about JJ Redick? He's not a player, obviously, but few around the league will be scrutinized like him, and the Lakers need coaching to contribute to more wins this season, after letting Ham go. 

 

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky 

SEGMENT 1: Max Christie on his contract and the new staff. 

SEGMENT 2: Can Christie meet the expectations set for him? 

SEGMENT 3: Where Redick ranks... 

 

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The Lakers haven't done much this offseason, and as such have some holes in the roster, one of the biggest being at backup center. That hole only got larger after Christian Wood underwent knee surgery last week. He'll be out until at least early November, likely longer. 

So with that in mind, the Lakers did make a move this week, signing former Toronto center Christian Koloko to a two-way contract (and releasing forward Blake Hinson to make the space). Koloko has a small body of work to evaluate, and hasn't played for about 18 months after a blood clot issue forced him to miss last season. So to get a better feel for his game, Sean Woodley of Locked On Raptors joins the show to provide a scouting report. Among the big topics of discussion: 

• How effective is Koloko defensively? 
• Is the offense as bad as advertised? 
• Can Koloko contribute to a team with aspirations (assuming expectations are held at an appropriate level)? 
• How much growth potential is there? 

What does it say about the Lakers and their current predicament that we're talking about Koloko as a potential rotation player, which isn't a consideration usually afforded a two-way player? Is his ability to contribute this year even the best thing about the signing? 

Plenty to unpack! 

 

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky with guest Sean Woodley, Locked On Raptors

 

SEGMENT 1: Woodley on Koloko's O and D. 

SEGMENT 2: Can Koloko contribute? 

SEGMENT 3: How much could Koloko play? The answer has a lot to do with Christian Wood... 

 

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Last season, Anthony Davis told ESPN that, even though he deserves to win, he'll never actually take home a Defensive Player of the Year Award. 

Wny? 

He's not totally sure. Maybe the media and the NBA just don't like him. He's honestly not sure about why, only that he's not going to win. So is he right? Fair or not, there does seem to be a feeling that whatever he does, it's not going to be enough. Not just with the DPOY Award, but most things. How much does the bar move on Davis from day to day? Is he always being held to what amounts to an impossible standard? 

As the Lakers try to fill out the backline around him, it's a relevant question again. Davis has noted throughout his tenure playing with the Lakers that he prefers to have another big next to him, at least some of the time. Is this the year the Lakers can again accommodate him? Is there a center combination that might make it possible to have Davis at the four, just a little more? 

Well, one C on the roster in theory fits the bill... 

Finally, looking at the mailbag to answer an interesting question: As currently constructed, are the Lakers more likely to win a title or miss the playoffs entirely? 

 

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky

SEGMENT 1: Anthony Davis wants a DPOY, no matter what he says. 

SEGMENT 2: Do the goalposts ever stop moving with Davis? 

SEGMENT 3: A fun mailbag question. 

 

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