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Winning without LeBron James is really, really hard, so it seems. In the four games James hasn’t been available for the Los Angeles Lakers, they’ve gone 1-3.
Today’s podcasts dive into the reasons why the Lakers have been losing games, including, but not limited to, their free-throw shooting, injuries and the underwhelming play from the young players, and if any of it means there needs to be moves made.
Can You Dig It?
On last week’s episode of “Can You Dig It?”, Christian and Grant asked the question “Who are the Lakers without LeBron James?” The answer to that question is, apparently, “a bad team.”
It’s not shocking that the Lakers are a worse team without James because he’s arguably the greatest player on the planet, but it has been shocking just how bad they’ve been, particularly on offense.
Most of that blame should fall on head coach Luke Walton and his offensive scheme, or lack thereof, but at what point does the blame fall on the team’s young players, who haven’t done much to help that problem?
This week, we discuss whether or not the Lakers should explore a trade involving one or more of the young players for an All-Star caliber player, and list a few names they could target if they decide to go that direction.
We also consider the possibility that the Lakers’ woes on offense can be fixed by making smaller trades for shooters and shot creators. Whichever direction the front office decides to go, it’s more clear than ever that the roster needs a facelift.
To make sure you never miss an episode of “Can You Dig It?”, subscribe to the Silver Screen and Roll podcast feed on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher or Google Podcasts.
Locked on Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are the worst free-throw shooting team in the NBA. This is not a new problem, either. A season ago, they were underwhelming from the line as well. They do not employ a shooting coach. These things seem potentially related.
On today’s Locked on Lakers, I got into these concerns, Lonzo Ball not playing late (again), fans’ desire to trade for Anthony Davis and more. Listen to the full show below and subscribe on iTunes for all episodes past and prior.