Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers have needed help behind Anthony Davis all summer, and REALLY need help now that Christian Wood is out until at least November following knee surgery. (And could be out longer.) That leaves Jaxson Hayes as the only healthy true center left on the main roster. The Lakers do have Colin Castleton on a 2-way deal, but that has its limitations. 

So this weekend, they got a little help, while working within the tight constraints in which they have to operate these days. They are set to sign former Raptors center Christian Koloko to a 2-way contract of his own, releasing forward Blake Hinson to make the space. 

Koloko is a former high second rounder for Toronto, and played surprising amount for a very raw rookie back in 2022-23, showing some legitimate defensive potential. He almost certainly would have remained a Raptor last season, but Koloko ended up sidelined and then released after being diagnosed with a blood clotting issue. So what does he bring to the table? Defense, first and foremost and almost exclusively. Koloko moves well, is very athletic and showed real rim protection capability. He's also an awful offensive player. So think of him as a more extreme version of Hayes. Better defensively, but worse on the other end. 

He certainly doesn't solve the team's problem at the center position, but he does provide a little optionality, and a specific skill set that could come in handy at one point or another. He can be active for 50 games before the team would have to make a decision about his contract status. That's a pretty good amount of time to figure stuff out. So between him, Hayes and Castleton, the Lakers can try to mix and match at least until Wood is healthy. 

Meanwhile, Jeanie Buss was doing some media last week, and talked about the criticism the team has received for its very, very quiet offseason. Did she strike the right tone? 

 

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky

 

SEGMENT 1: The Lakers to sign Christian Koloko. 

SEGMENT 2: What will the Lakers do with Koloko. Can he help? 

SEGMENT 3: Jeanie speaks to the media.

 

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The Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors have a lot in common. Their franchise faces - LeBron James, Steph Curry - are not just iconic but forever linked to each other after multiple Finals showdowns and the most recent Team USA run. They're also teams that feel kinda stuck with little flexibility and options as they try to squeeze out one more title run with their respective aging stars. (Say what you will about the Lakers' flawed roster, but at least LBJ has Anthony Davis alongside him to try and make the seemingly impossible happen.) Neither team is bad... but neither is also good enough to be great, which can be dissatisfying for fans, especially since both front offices have made big mistakes leading them to this point. 

To compare and contrast these teams, Andy Kamenetzky is joined by Charlie Walter (Locked on Warriors). 

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky, with Guest Charlie Walter, Locked on Warriors

SEGMENT 1: Who's in better shape for this season and the future, the Lakers or Warriors?

SEGMENT 2: Is it possible the Lakers and Warriors could make a trade this season to help each other?

SEGMENT 3: How much will Redick help the Lakers?

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The relationship between the Lakers and Jerry West—legendary player, coach and general manager and arguably the greatest person to ever represent the purple and gold—had been strained for years before West died in May. 

And when he passed, the Lakers were criticized by fans for responding too slowly with a statement that, at best, felt boilerplate and impersonal, and certainly not reflecting the massive impact West had on the franchise. It was an unusual misstep for a franchise that normally handles this sort of thing very well. Earlier this week, the team announced that it would be honoring West all season long with a jersey "stripe" along the shoulder, and a night celebrating West near the end of October. 

So what's going on here? 

Certainly the Lakers are doing the right thing. West is, after all, a true giant. Is it enough to change the way the fans perceive things? What is really behind fan sentiment, here? How much of it is about frustration with the performance of Jeanie Buss and Rob Pelinka? And who is really to blame for what went wrong, here? When you're dealing with a family business, you get family troubles. 

Meanwhile, the Lakers have hired a new coach for the South Bay Lakers, rounding out their player development staff. Is there anything we can learn from who they brought in? 

 

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky

SEGMENT 1: The Lakers will honor Jerry West

SEGMENT 2: What went wrong in the relationship? Are the Lakers answering the criticism?

SEGMENT 3: The South Bay Lakers have a new head coach. 

 

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It's not been a great week on the health front for the Lakers. Reports that Jarred Vanderbilt might not be ready to go for training camp, and maybe even the regular season were quickly followed by hard news that Christian Wood absolutely won't be ready to go, since he had knee surgery on Monday. 

Wood won't be re-evaluated for eight weeks, which for calendar lovers is early November. 

Well, the good news is Vando may not be so bad after all. Appearing on 710 ESPN's Lakers Talk with Andy Kamenetzky, Dan Woike of the LA Times said that while the details on Vanderbilt aren't exactly clear, Woike says much of this could be an abundance of caution from the LA's POV. The team may not have been targeting the first day of training camp for his return, anyway. But there's nothing to indicate (necessarily) that Vanderbilt is unhealthy, or definitively won't be able to play. 

So it's wait and see, but maybe wait with a little less worry. 

Wood, meanwhile, was working his way back and clearly had a recurrence. What this clearly isn't, though, is a situation where Wood decided to get surgery on "company time," a'la Shaq back in the day. 

Woike also talked about new coach JJ Redick, and his obsessive work ethic. The Lakers wanted a grinder, and they got one. Woike notes that Redick won't have much patience for anyone (like, anyone) in the org that isn't equally committed to getting the details right and all that stuff. In theory, this is all good stuff, and what you want from a head coach. But Redick will have to learn to moderate disappointment and figure out how to detach when needed if he's going to be at his most effective. 

 

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky

 

SEGMENT 1: Maybe Vanderbilt isn't so injured after all? 

 

SEGMENT 2: More details on what happened to Wood. 

 

SEGMENT 3: JJ Redick is a grinder. Can he avoid getting too tightly wound? 

 

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Heading into the weekend, whispers about the health of Jarred Vanderbilt, who missed most of last season with foot problems, started getting a little louder, with reports that he might not be ready for the start of training camp next month. Not good! Well, Monday brought news that was wasn't exactly great, either. 

Backup center Christian Wood, who himself missed much of last season with health problems, underwent surgery to repair the same left knee that was operated on in March. This about a week after declaring on social media that he was back and on a mission to prove himself. Well, that's going to have to wait. He's out a minimum of eight weeks, at which time the Lakers will re-evaluate Wood and figure out next steps. (Eight weeks stretches into early November.) 

With Vanderbilt (potentially) on the shelf, the loss of Wood is even more significant. But even if Vanderbilt is available, Wood was expected to be a big addition to the frontcourt, providing JJ Redick with optionality Darvin Ham didn't have last year. Like Vanderbilt, Wood possesses a skill set that can't be replicated at his position by anyone else on the roster. In Wood's case, his frontcourt scoring ability, along with his rebounding, really can't be reproduced, given that the only other center on the team is Jaxson Hayes. 

And, as a reminder, the Lakers really aren't in position to add anyone. Not that the streets are crawling with potential solutions to this problem. 

It's a tough way to enter training camp for a team already fighting negative vibes from a very, very inactive offseason. 

And it's something that's not going to have anyone feeling any better about the team's ability to keep guys healthy, even if this particular recurrence is nobody's fault. 

 

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky

SEGMENT 1: Christian Wood gets surgery, again. 

SEGMENT 2: What the Lakers lose without Wood. 

SEGMENT 3: Bad vibes get badder. 

 

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All summer long, Lakers fans have been talking about the value of Jarred Vanderbilt, which was driven home by his inability to stay on the floor last year. With (basically) the same team returning this year,  one major spot where the Lakers might generate internal improvement would be having Vanderbilt available again, providing significant optionality for new coach JJ Redick. 

Well... maybe not? 

Throughout the offseason, it's been noted that there has been precious little in terms of positive updates around Vanderbilt and his injured foot. Nothing of him on the court or working out at the facility. And now the whispers that Vanderbilt's rehab may not be going great have been amplified. Spectrum Sportsnet's Mike Bresnahan noted heading into the weekend that Vanderbilt might not be ready when training camp kicks off in a few weeks. 

Vanderbilt, who elected not to have surgery over the summer, could theoretically recover in time for the season to start—and it's not definitive that he'll not be ready for camp —but it's unquestionably distressing to see that he may not be on track. It raises fears that the injury could linger and cause him to miss games. And the Lakers are no better equipped today to deal with his absence than they were a year ago. Any limitation on Vanderbilt's ability to contribute at his full capacity would be a major blow to the team. 

 

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky

SEGMENT 1: Will Jarred Vanderbilt be ready for the season? 

SEGMENT 2: What happens if Vando can't go? 

SEGMENT 3: Redick not concerned about LeBron, A.D. and the Olympics. And could LeBron go in '28... in another sport? 

 

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The Lakers are, most observers believe, stuck. They don't have a lot of stuff to trade - not that other teams want, at least - nor are there all that many players out there to acquire. Not without giving up a ton for questionable gains (trading picks for Jerami Grant, for example). 

There is, of course, one exception. A guy seemingly on the block permanently, who wouldn't cost a lot (well, not in some ways) and offered by motivated sellers. That's Chicago's Zach LaVine. 

To this point, the Lakers have reportedly shown no interest, but at least according to one unnamed NBA executive, they probably should. Dan Woike of the LA Times passes along the analysis in his weekly newsletter. Would LaVine be a good idea? Is there a construction of this trade where it actually would be the sort of thing the Lakers would be foolish to turn down? 

Have we reached a point where the anti-LaVine sentiment is overstated? 

What's the case to be made? 

From there, it's a continuation of the continuity discussion. ESPN noted the Lakers have a ton of it. But is that a good thing, in context? 

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky

SEGMENT 1: Is it LaVine time? 

SEGMENT 2: Is there a context where LaVine becomes a good idea? 

SEGMENT 3: Fun "best of's..." for Lakers non-HOFers... 

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By now, everyone is used to  LeBron James doing incredible things made even more incredible by his age (pushing 40) and mileage in the league. The man has put in a LOT of minutes. But as he approaches the new season, there are plenty of numbers and milestones he'll hit, and if he continues beyond this year there will be even more. 

But perhaps the most amazing thing about LeBron's career, at least in this context, is how little he's had to compensate for age. Vince Carter, for example, completely reinvented himself in the back end of his career, adding years to it as a role player coming off the bench. Kevin Willis, another guy who played for two decades, was never a star, always had a pretty clear and fairly limited role (even while playing big minutes as a starter) and he too spent the last decade of his career coming off the bench as a role guy. Excellent player, sure, but made one All-Star team. 

LeBron is different. Starts every game, and continues to put up numbers that are remarkably similar to his first few years in the league while playing in essentially the same style as he did as a much younger player. A few things are different - less ferocity off the dribble, much more capable jump shooter, etc. - but the overall package looks the same as it did when James was a kid. 

Pretty incredible. 

Meanwhile, ESPN has done a breakdown of continuity around the league. Which rosters have it, which don't, and why are they one way or another? 

The Lakers, to say the least, provide some interesting discussion over the value and meaning of continuity. 

 

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky

SEGMENT 1: Milestones coming this year for LBJ. 

SEGMENT 2: One more amazing thing about LeBron's longevity. 

SEGMENT 3: The Lakers have had continuity over the last few seasons... but not always the right kind or at the right time. 

 

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The Lakers have long maintained that Anthony Davis would be the core of the team once LeBron James hangs it up. They've certainly made the financial investment to back it up. 

But in this week's mailbag, this question came up:  From "@killluhmuhnjaroh: should the lakers post lebron rebuild include anthony davis? he is young enough to be a franchise player for a couple more years but there’s something to be said about bottoming out and starting completely fresh in a way the lakers haven’t really done (for long enough or successfully enough)?"

It's an interesting question that prompts a million different questions. 

How good are the Lakers when LeBron hangs it up? When is he going to actually do that? 

How old is Davis? 

How good are guys like Knecht, Reaves and Christie, and even someone like Bronny? 

What does their cap situation look like at that point? Would Lakers fans tolerate a total teardown? What could the Lakers presumably get for Davis if they decided to move forward without him? 

It's a lot to consider, without any real clear paths forward. It doesn't get any easier for Rob Pelinka and Co. once James rides into the sunset. 

Plus... are Dwight Howard and Phil Handy engaging in revisionist history, or did they hit the nail on the head in their criticisms of LA's choices following the title year? 

 

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky

SEGMENT 1: Should the Lakers cut ties with AD when LeBron calls it quits? 

SEGMENT 2: Why this is a very complex question. 
 

SEGMENT 3: Revisionist history or missed opportunities? 

 

For your next listen, check out the Locked On NBA podcast, where the season never ends providing national expertise with a local perspective. Click HERE to listen now. Part of the Locked On Podcast Network. Your Team. Every Day.Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!

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Magic Johnson spoke to Jim Hill and KCAL 9 in Los Angeles, and while he was optimistic about the direction the team is going, he also preached patience to Lakers fans when it comes to new head coach JJ Redick. "We as Laker fans gotta give JJ Redick our new coach some time to really help him understand how to utilize the talent, how to coach the talent, and then also what schemes will work, and what schemes won’t work," he said. "Because this is not gonna be easy for him, but I think having LeBron as your captain, one of the greatest that’s ever laced them up, and AD, they showed Lakers fans and basketball fans around the world what they're capable of doing in the Olympics."

Jeanie Buss, speaking to AM 570 radio, had a similar message. 

"Really, he’s got a vision. I’m not comfortable talking about the basketball stuff, but we were looking for a candidate that would bring something different and really invest in developing young players. JJ is the right person for us. Again, I just want to work to really speak for itself, so I don’t want to hype it and say it’s gonna be a home run. We have to give him time to establish what he wants to establish," she said.

On the one hand, while Redick may be a very smart guy and ultimately well suited to be an NBA head coach, he's never done this before. At any level. And every new coach, working with a new staff, is going to have to feel it out a little, no matter how much experience he has. Our rational brains make this pretty clear. 

On the other hand, the Lakers are a flawed team that can't afford to give games away thanks to growing pains. They need to maximize the LeBron James/Anthony Davis window. 

Can they do that, while also giving Redick time to grown and also putting a focus on player development? How many things can be accomplished at once? 

Meanwhile, Dwight Howard says the Lakers screwed up by not running it back after the title season. No surprise there - he's been saying this for a while. But in a social media post last week, former assistant Phil Handy agreed. Are they right?

 

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky 

SEGMENT 1: Big names are preaching patience for Redick. 

SEGMENT 2: How much patience can the Lakers afford to give? 

SEGMENT 3: Revisionist history from Howard and Handy? 

 

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