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The Lakers had a busy week, and lost two of the three games they played. So why do we declare it a success? And what exactly does success look like on the upcoming road trip? We explain. Because while LeBron and Anthony Davis are still out, Andre Drummond is nursing his nail-less big toe and so on, success is a relative term, with a very specific meaning. From there, it's on to Drummond. How hard is it to play without a toenail? How long might he be out? What did we see in the one half he played (last week vs. Milwaukee) that might hint at how he'll fit in? What do the Lakers do now until he returns? And with the Drummond question comes others about Marc Gasol, who made it clear last week he doesn't like being bumped from his starting gig. The assumpton is that he'd be upset - who wants to be benched? - but it's rare to hear an athlete speak as candidly as Gasol did following Friday's win over Sacramento. From there... SPACE JAM! We react to the first full length trailer. And then wrap things up with a dive i

The Lakers played, and won, two games this weekend, one against a conventionally bad team (Cleveland), and the other against a catastrophically awful group (Orlando). Even shorthanded, they might not seem like much, but it can be argued these were the most important wins of the season. Without LeBron James and Anthony Davis in the lineup, the team is poised to lose a lot of games. They're rarely going to have the best player available in any game, and often won't have any of the top three. So dropping games against low talent squads like the Magic, when better groups await (Milwaukee, Brooklyn, Miami, New York, etc.) would have been a disaster in the standings as the Lakers try to keep themselves out of any play-in scenarios for the postseason. So after noting the significance, we get to the big news of the week - Andre Drummond is a Laker. He's a good player, but just how good is a matter of debate. Are his numbers just empty calories? Finally given a chance to play for something meaningful, will his game pr

The news is big, and it ain't good. Saturday against the Hawks, LeBron James suffered a very nasty looking high ankle sprain, and has been declared "out indefinitely" by the Lakers. Whether that means seven, 10, 15 or more games remains to be seen, but with only 29 remaining following Sunday's loss to the Suns in Phoenix, the Lakers don't have much time to get their house in order before the playoffs begin. The margin for error, if it's still there, is shrinking. And just where might they be when those playoffs roll around? The schedule gets harder, and the shorthandedLakers, light on front end talent (if you were told an NBA team's best players were Kyle Kuzma, Montrezl Harrell and Dennis Schroder, you'd say "This is not a playoff team.") are unlikely to win much until at least one of their stars return. So could they fall as low as the play-in tournament? It's not as crazy as it might sound. LeBron's injury, by the way, is a bad example for anyone looking to pin a badge of irresponsibility and greed on the

The Lakers announced this week that Anthony Davis is healing, but it'll be at least two more weeks until he's cleared to play. At the least, Davis won't see game action before the end of March, and more likely it'll be a week or two into April. So what does that mean for Davis? For the Lakers? We break it down in the newest edition of the Land O'Lakers podcast. -When does Davis return? How do the Lakers handle that, so injury doesn't recur? And how much time do the Lakers need at full strength to get themselves ready for the playoffs? -Davis is the headliner, but the Lakers are running low on bodies overall. Marc Gasol is still in the COVID protocol, with no sign of being released. Alex Caruso is now in the concussion protocol, and could miss time. Jared Dudley has a ligament tear in his knee. In the long run, those guys should be back on the floor (save perhaps Dudley, who would only play in the event of disaster come playoff time), but how much does their absence add to a potential fatigue problem for the L

He's the big cheese over at Silver Screen and Roll, and one of our favorite people out in the NBA universe. Harrison Faigen of SilverScreenandRoll.com joins the show to review what we've seen to this point in the Lakers season, and preview what's to come. Plus... we dive into some of the more controversial aspects of the All Star Weekend! No shortage of options, there. And that's actually where we start. First, what was the reaction to the game? Clearly, investment from players on the floor was lower than normal. LeBron James projected a strong "I'm just here so I don't get fined" vibe, and didn't even play in the second half. The Elam Ending ended fast. Most of the ancillary competitions were underwhelming. But the big stuff came earlier in the weekend, when Commissioner Adam Silver talked vaccinations, noting the league won't mandate them for players, and the NBA Twitterverse freaked out. LeBron himself wouldn't commit to getting one, saying it's a private family thing (at least for now). Is the angst deser

As the Lakers endured a four-game losing streak, we said on this show the losses, while frustrating, revealed little about the makeup of the team, short of the obvious: When the Lakers don't have Anthony Davis and Dennis Schröder, they're too short on talent to win a lot of games. Particularly on the offensive end. If the losing continues after they return? Now they've got a real problem. This week, though, showed how that may not be an issue. Schröder returned from his stint in the league's health and safety and the team beat Portland and Golden State, two teams that had been playing pretty well. The "why" shows what Schröder brings to the table. From there, we answer a question that seems to be popping up whenever people discuss LeBron James and his performance this season: Should his age be a factor in judging MVP-worthiness? Lakers fans got a look at Damian Jones, who still hasn't missed a shot as a Laker. But all kidding aside, how much might he help, and how much help might be out there for the Lakers t

That the Lakers are slumping without Anthony Davis (calf strain) and Dennis Schröder (health and safety protocols) in the lineup isn't exactly a surprise. Most teams would suffer without an all-world guy like Davis, and the type of dynamic scorer that Schröder is, particularly when nobody left on the roster not named LeBron James can serve as that type of offensive catalyst. The Lakers, in short, are having trouble scoring. Why? We mentioned the absences, and then there's the shooting. It remains horrible over the month of February, with the team under 30 percent from beyond the arc. They're just not making shots. One reason might be fatigue. The team, as a group, looks physically and mentally tired. And who can blame them? Honestly, if there was a way for LeBron to sit for 10 days without any real threat to his health, we'd be up for it... and toss out a couple strategies to make it happen. Can the Lakers preserve enough energy to get them to the playoffs and thrive? Finally, we're getting to everyone's favo

The Lakers and Nets were supposed to have a marquee, earth-shaking tussle on Thursday, but instead had it derailed by player absences. No Anthony Davis, no Kevin Durant, and then in a surprise, no Dennis Schroder, who was a late scratch after being put in the COVID protocols. More information about that will surely emerge in the next few days. But in the meantime, it meant there wasn't much to learn about what a Lakers vs. Nets NBA Finals might look like. One thing is clear, though, the Nets are a whole lot of fun to watch, and in some ways represent the NBA's equivalent of the Cheeseburger Diet. Is that a responsible way to lose weight? No, but if you can pull it off it beats kale! From there, it's onto LeBron James, who scored his 35,000th point on Thursday. It's a remarkable achievement, which we celebrate with a game of Over/Under 35K. How much longer can he keep it up? Is LeBron a shoe-in to pass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the league's all time leading scorer? Finally, we look at the mess the NBA finds itsel

The Lakers got bad news on Monday, though it certainly could have been worse. Anthony Davis, who re-aggravated his Achilles tendinosis Sunday in Denver, will almost surely miss the nine games remaining for the Lakers before the All Star Break. But an MRI revealed no structural damage to the tendon itself, meaning long term hopes for the season are still, like A.D.'s leg, still intact. But what happens now? The Lakers first have a decision to make about who starts. It's likely Kyle Kuzma, but should it be someone else? How can the Lakers fill the gaps on both sides of the ball created by the absence of Davis? Why is Dennis Schröder arguably the most important player on the team, insofar as stepping up to make sure LeBron James doesn't grind himself into a pulp carrying the team while Davis is out? This moment for Schröder comes at an interesting time, as well, since starting this week he can officially get into contract extension talks with the team. From there, we dissect what matters and what doesn't over th

As much as anything can be in this day and age, the 2020-21 season for the Lakers has been pretty smooth sailing. No COVID-19-related cancellations, little by way of injuries, piling up wins, and so on. Now, we seem to be passing through a potentially more challenging stretch. Anthony Davis has been diagnosed with tendonosis of his right Achilles. The Lakers don't seem to be overly concerned, and reports say structurally the Achilles is fine. He's likely to miss Monday's game vs. OKC, and nothing has been said beyond that. So are his injury and his disappointing-for-him play to this point related? It seems hard, given how much his name pops up on those mandatory injury reports the league mandates. Next, we look at the team's odd inability to score effectively n the fourth quarter. Saturday against Detroit, the Lakers went the last four minutes of regulation without a bucket. It's not the first time that has happened. In fact, even while they're currently 6th leaguewide in 4th quarter offensive efficiency, ove

For one half on Thursday, the Lakers looked vulnerable. The visiting Denver Nuggets made Anthony Davis uncomfortable. They crashed the offensive glass and built a 12-point lead at the half. Then in the third quarter, the Lakers hit a gear on defense the Nuggets couldn't overcome. That spilled into the fourth quarter, too, and in the end LA walked away with a 21-point win.That's a 33-point swing. And it happened in a way that had to be really discouraging to the rest of the league. Not just because the Lakers cranked it up and throttled a good Western Conference team, but the how. Anthony Davis? Good, but not special. LeBron? Doing his thing, but nothing terribly out of the ordinary. It's not that they can't be beaten, but doing it four times in a seven game series will be a tall order for anyone. Some of Thursday's conversational highlights: -The comfort level of Kyle Kuzma, who is playing with a level of freedom we haven't seen in a while. How much is related to the security of his contract extension? How mu

The Lakers have played some impactful games on the road trip, but none going forward might be more impactful than Saturday's win over Boston, not because of the final score (though the Lakers were happy to break a two game losing streak) but rather who Frank Vogel had on the floor during those 48 minutes. That's where we start (4:45) in the latest edition of the Land O'Lakers podcast. Who was in, who was out, and what does it mean going forward? Does THT really squeeze Wes Matthews out of the rotation? Has Kyle Kuzma helped make Markieff Morris unnecessary? Or are these guys just not playing well enough to deserve time over Horton-Tucker, even if he's only 20? Something to watch for sure. 12:30 - How much leeway does THT get going forward? He brings a skill set the team definitely needs. 15:45 - Alex Caruso has clearly established himself as a guy who will play in virtually every closing lineup. In Boston, when Montrezl Harrell was having a good game and Vogel kept him on the floor was Kentavious Caldwell Pop

This week the Lakers will pass the quarter pole on the 2020-21 season, and things on the court are going well. The Lakers start the week 13-4, and on most nights find their biggest flaw to be a tendency to let teams eat into large leads they've built up, rather than continuing to roll that opponent out of the building.Of course, that means they have to build that lead to begin with, no easy feat in the NBA. First world problems, for sure.That the Lakers are good isn't surprising. That they're this good, despite clearly not putting forth 100 percent effort as a team? That's the first question we ask Kyle Goon, who covers the team for The Southern California News Group. Why have things clicked so quickly? Is it simply a matter of upgrading talent? We break down why the Lakers starting lineup, dominant last year, has been even more so this season.There is still some conversation around the starting lineup, and whether Dennis Schroder should be in it (especially as he suffers through a brutal January offensively)

So.... that happened. The Lakers got off to a great start on MLK Day at home against Golden State, but ultimately blew a 16 point halftime lead, then an 11 point margin after three quarters, ultimately losing 115-113 to the Golden State Warriors. What happened? How a bad alchemy of bad offense led to easier opportunities for the Warriors... or was it bad defense letting the Warriors score too much and then set their defense? It was also a little different, not just because the Lakers lost, but because the rotation was different. Very little Markieff Morris, and no Talen Horton-Tucker. Is this a sign of things to come? From there, we turn to the road trip. Last season, the Lakers made a point of never losing two straight. And ultimately, they were very successful at limiting consecutive losses. So the big question isn't necessarily what they did against Golden State, it's how they respond. Especially since a game in Milwaukee, thanks to COVID-19, will have a much more neutral-court feel to it, as all NBA games

Wednesday morning, we thought we'd hit two of the bigger stories of the NBA this week with guest, Jared Weiss of The Athletic. First, his great feature this week on how COVID-19 has hit the NBA hard, forcing cancellations and changes in the league's virus protocols. Are they giving enough attention to the possibilities of on-court transmission between players? And while we had him, we figured we'd talk a little Kyrie Irving, currently on what is being described as personal leave with the Nets. Weiss, after all, covered Irving in Boston Then... James Harden was shipped from Houston to Brooklyn. So change of plans! We break down the trade, asking all the important questions: -What was your initial reaction when the news dropped? -Can Brooklyn integrate three gigantic talents who are also three potentially challenging personalities? What about playing style? Can Harden change his game enough to fit in alongside Kevin Durant and Kyrie? -Is Kyrie coming back anytime soon? Does the trade make it more likely or less

The Lakers picked up another win Sunday in Houston, dominating the Rockets on both sides of the ball to run their record to 11-3. After a quick breakdown - including some speculation on the future of James Harden - we look at some early season surprises for the Lakers, 11 games in. For starters, there's the emergence of a mid-range game with Montrezl Harrell, something that definitely wasn't a thing last season with the Clippers. Is it real? Trezz says so, but he might be biased. Then there's the emergence of Talen Horton-Tucker as a legit NBA rotation player. Yes, it was hinted at in the Orlando bubble and during the preseason, but you never know how things will go once real games start and a young player ends up on another team's scouting reports. Early returns appear strong, and that's a great boost for the Lakers. From there, we look at questions and curiosities. What trends are most interesting, from the size of Frank Vogel's rotation to the sustainability of the outside shooting to the LeBron James Main

When the Lakers won their 17th championship this fall, it was history on a few levels. One piece that may not have received enough attention? Jeanie Buss became the first woman to lead a team to a title in American team sports as an owner. We spoke with Katie Rosman, features reporter at the New York Times, who authored an excellent story about Buss earlier this week. We covered a great deal of ground, including questions about... -What drew her to the story, and why, particularly as a reporter working outside of sports for readers who are also not necessarily steeped in the spots world, this story matters. -What has made Buss successful, after a difficult transition following the death of her father? What motivates her? -What qualities does she exhibit that run counter to expectations? -How would things like posing for Playboy or dating the coach be perceived today? -Rosman profiled Washington Football Team owner Daniel Snyder, who is widely reviled as an owner, running an organization that devolved into a m

The Lakers are still a work in progress, but they're a winning work in progress, kicking off the week with five wins in seven tries and the best point differential in the Western Conference. So what's working and what isn't? How are the new guys fitting in? To break it down, we welcome @Tim_NBA - known in NBA Twitter circles as Cranjis McBasketball - to the show. Tim runs the outstanding bball-index.com, and hosts the equally excellent Lakers Exceptionalism podcast on Twitch. He deconstructs the data, along with the x's and o's, around what the Lakers have been up to in the early going. Some of the big questions we ask... -How have the new guys fit in? What works for Montrezl Harrell and Dennis Schroeder particularly on both ends of the floor? Any reason to believe they won't be significant contributors throughout the season? That they might be vulnerable in the playoffs? -What are the Lakers doing differently on the defensive side of the ball? How has new personnel changed the way Frank Vogel has to scheme?

After pasting a Karl Anthony Towns-less Minnesota Timberwolves squad Sunday night, the Lakers are 2-1 through three and aside from the first quarter against the Clippers in the opener, have looked pretty good or better. So what accounts for the solid beginning? For starters, the Lakers simply have more talent on hand than last year, and can attack opposing teams in more ways. Frank Vogel says they're a work in progress for another month or so, and that from the perspective of the coaching staff, in many ways they're still in a preseason mode. That's an encouraging sign, all things told, because so far, so good. But within the early sample size theater, there are a few numbers that stick out. We play "Trend or Mirage?" with three of them, asking whether current trends will hold... 1) LeBron is averaging just over 28 minutes a game... 2) Montrezl Harrell and Dennis Schroder are averaging 22 shots a game, combined. 3) The Lakers are shooting nearly 40% from 3-point range. From there, we break down a legitimatel

So apparently, the Lakers know a winning formula when they see it. Losing to the Clippers in the opener worked out last season, so Tuesday night, as the NBA kicked off the 2020-21 season, they tried it again. The LAC beat the Lakers 116-109. But before that, we got another example of just how good the Lakers are at stagecraft, as they turned what could have been a sad and underwhelming ring ceremony, staged in an empty arena with rigid social distancing guidelines, into something really fantastic. First, they had frontline health workers from UCLA Health "present" rings to team staff. Then for Frank Vogel, Rob Pelinka and the players, their families delivered messages of congratulations and love. It was awesome, and clearly moving for the players. And by the way, it's another thing that helps attract players to the franchise. It leads to a conversation about what "Lakers Exceptionalism" actually is -- a form of extreme competence that allows the team to win. That's how it was when Dr. Buss was around, and the