The Land O'Lakers Podcast by the Kamenetzky Brothers

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 into the very, very strange feud between Michael Rapaport and Kevin Durant. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy [https://art19.com/privacy] and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info [https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info].

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 prove to be a little more versatile and efficient than he's shown? Will his defensive effort and attention to detail improve? So what can he help the Lakers with now? Before LeBron and AD return? What about after? The rotation does get a lot more crowded... so who sits? And who else might be available for the Lakers, and the last roster spot? If it's Orlando's Otto Porter, L.A. should jump at the chance. Finally... what do you make of the MVP case for James Harden? On the one hand, he's been spectacular in Brooklyn. On the other, he didn't cover himself in glory on the way out of Houston. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy [https://art19.com/privacy] and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info [https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info].

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 NBA for having these guys play a compressed schedule. Maybe other injuries are, but even then the conversation is hardly simple. What can they do to win games, now? It starts with impeccable decision making. Can't afford turnovers. Can't blow easy rotations, defensively. The Lakers could end up the underdog in every game they play - even Orlando - over the next couple weeks, at least. Underdogs can't make mistakes. Finally... Snyder Cut. You in? See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy [https://art19.com/privacy] and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info [https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info].

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 Lakers? -The Lakers are developing a depth problem. Would someone like LaMarcus Aldridge help? More than, say, Andre Drummond or PJ Tucker? -Finally, LeBron revealed this week he originally passed on doing a Space Jam remake because he thought the first one was too good to top. This is a rare moment where James is wildly, wildly wrong. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy [https://art19.com/privacy] and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info [https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info].

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 deserved? We go around the horn talking about big first half takeaways. What stuck out to each of us? Big topics include the success levels of LA's various new parts, especially around Montrezl Harrell and Dennis Schröder, and whether for all the change, the big picture worries around the team look an awful lot like last year's too. After that, we talk about what's next. How can the Lakers bring consistency to the lineup? Who might be available in the buyout market? Would that caliber player likely even help? See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy [https://art19.com/privacy] and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info [https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info].