Podcast: Lakers continue trend of second-half adjustments

The Los Angeles Lakers are on their first winning streak of the season, and our podcast hosts are interested to find out what exactly is going into that success.

The 30

In this episode, Jas is joined by our very own Sabreena Merchant (also of The Athletic) to break down the Lakers’ win over the Charlotte Hornets. To kick things off, they discuss why the Lakers were able to turn the game into a blowout in the third and fourth quarter.

With Alex Caruso once again not playing a second in the first half, but coming in during the third quarter, does Frank Vogel need to find a way to get him some more minutes?

(Yes, the answer is yes)

Sabreena and Jas then get into Dwight Howard’s throwback performance, and why he has looked so good early in the season. Following that, they talk about Kyle Kuzma’s pending return, and what it does to the Lakers’ rotation. Is having Kuz back enough to give the team the depth it needs to compete with the other championship contenders in the NBA?

To wrap things up, Sabreena and Jas give their opinions on what the Lakers need to improve on going forward, and how the team can address some of these needs.

You can listen to the latest episode below, and for more Lakers talk, subscribe to the Silver Screen and Roll podcast feed on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher or Google Podcasts.

Locked on Lakers

To start the show, I broke down the game and explained why you’ll likely see more of the first and second half distinctions moving forward. The sooner the Lakers realize that Caruso should start, the better.

I also get into LeBron James’ free-throws, and how him making them is huge for his overall value. A minor but visible tweak in his shooting has made that shot look a lot smoother.

In the mailbag, listeners wanted to know more about Caruso, James, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (and how he might not actually be that bad) and more.

You can listen to the entire episode below, and make sure to subscribe on iTunes, where you can also leave questions in the form of a five-star review to guarantee your topic makes the show.