The Lakers lost Wednesday in Miami, on the second night of a back-to-back. While they gave themselves a shot in the fourth, too much damage had already been done thanks to a massive amount of turnovers (26) and a massive disparity in second chance points. LeBron James played well, turnovers notwithstanding, and the Lakers got unexpected production from Juan Toscano-Anderson (back from injury) and Troy Brown Jr… but Lonnie Walker IV and Austin Reaves were both scoreless, which helps explain why the team struggled offensively.
So the Lakers lost a game that, with more focus, they could have won, but at the same time, seemed like a good candidate to lose heading in, given the context.
What happened after, when LeBron met the media, was much more interesting.
James, asked to reflect on turning 38 later this week, and what he sees as his basketball future, made it very clear that he still believes he can play at an elite level, and that with the right pieces around him can win titles. And if he’s going to keep playing, he expects to play meaningful games. That, as you may have noticed, might be hard to do with the Lakers, at least as things are currently constructed. James didn’t say trade me, he didn’t throw a bomb at the front office. But he didn’t express confidence in them, either. It was a pretty clear statement on what he wants out of his final seasons, and officially puts the question out there as to whether the Lakers are the team that can give it to him.
This wasn’t a case of reading between the lines, or trying to find controversy where it may not be there. This was a significant set of statements. And as LeBron himself said… we’ll see what comes next.
HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky
SEGMENT 1: The Lakers turn the ball over again and again in a loss to Miami.
SEGMENT 2: LeBron James says some important stuff after the loss.
SEGMENT 3: The Lakers have an Anthony Davis problem, as a Locked On Lakers viewer on the YouTube channel notes.
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48 Comments
Bron should request a trade. Lakers not doin anything
Against Miami, Lakers shoot 36% from 3-pointers, have six players scoring in double-figures, outrebound the heat (44-37), have more assists (25-20),
but got beat by turnovers and poor defense. Lakers had 26 turnovers to the Heat's 6. Heat had 14 steals to the Lakers's 2.
ham is just not a good coach and small ball will not work and its a stupid strategy
labron was in the game until the waning minutes in Orlando with a giant lead…ham is dogging a 38 year old
LBJ sabotaged himself with the Brick trade. He has no one to blame but himself
LeBron just put the Lakers front office on notice. It would not surprise me at all for LeBron to break the all-time scoring record and move up to #4 on the all-time assist record this season and (if the Lakers do nothing during this season) say, "Trade me. I'm not wasting another season here."
It also wouldn't surprise me if he pulled a Barry Sanders at the end of this season (assuming the Lakers don't make any attempt to help this season's team) and say, "Trade me, or I'll just retire." He really doesn't want to play if not playing to compete for championships or greatness.
After this season, he will be at the top for all-time scoring and will be as high as he can rise on the all-time assist list. He will have cemented his greatness to the extent possible statistically. At that point, he would rather not play than play on a poorly constructed team that can't compete.
The Lakers would most likely trade him, because the franchise already looks bad enough. A trade would benefit the Lakers with the 1st round picks they apparently value over winning, and it would benefit LeBron by putting him on a team that is actually trying to win.
Lebron should have not extended. Most incompetent front office and owner maybe in all of sports. Fire Pelinka and force Buss to sell the team.
damn love this podcast! keep em coming bros ✊🏿
Lakers Braintrust: JEANIE, rob palooka, rambos = complete absolute INEPTITUDE 🤬
He needs to leave. Go to the warriors and win a championship or two. Play with actual shooters. Not this garbage they put around him in La.
The Lakers can't just roll out of bed and get a win against Miami. Miami has a identity on how they play, they trapped LeBron many times, and there was not a lot of help. Miami had extra possessions, despite how the Lakers tried to come back. Miami has the height advantage and identity on how they play.
Lakers do not have what they need to play against teams who will challenge defensively. It was good to see JTA in the lineup, and his effort was seen and acknowledge. Playing against teams like Miami, you have to create spacing with pindowns and screens; play each other. But that is hard to do when you don't have an identity on the Lakers team, you don't need much to make a difference.
Orlando is not as physical as Miami, you have to have your hard hat with Miami. Discipline and culture is how you have a edge against Miami.
This is not fair, LeBron traded everyone in order to get that chance
LeBron is not Kobe, but damn LeBron is that one piece that will give your team a major edge. Injuries have hurt Kobe and LeBron's potential. Lakers Management fumbled again in the red zone.
Cancer James at it again
AD IS NOT A 5, yet Lakers Nation keep believing this narrative that he should be the 5. Lakers management chose Damian Jones and Thomas Bryant and let Dwight Howard go. Thomas Bryant is okay against okay teams, but sometimes you need a bowling ball for clearing out the paint. Myles Turner would have been the key for the Lakers, but management pass it up.
The front office isn't being aggressive at all, lebron should request a trade, I'm done wit the lakers!!
Your GM is supposed to build around the weakness of your team. Yet, once again we change the narrative to fit the excuses of the Front Office. You either want to win with AD or trade him and LeBron. Talking heads never like Klutch or LeBron because of their love for Kobe, not the Lakers. But this type of thinking is hurting the Lakers, not LeBron or Klutch. Lakers management is showing all of the future stars how they treat their superstar. We will see what the Lakers' Management will do next season, if LeBron doesn't ask to be traded.
LeBron knows his value, he is not a naive little wide-eyed teenager with hopes and dreams. LeBron will make an adjustment with his career and it may not have the Lakers in his future. I don't blame him. Kobe should have left before his major injury. Kevin Garrett had to leave in order to get his jewelry too. LeBron can win more if you build around his weakness.
trade them picks or no star or clutch client for the next 15 years
Horrible introduction.
LeBron thinks he's chasing Jordan's legacy but he's actually chasing Robert Horry's. LeGM is gonna leave the Lakers with no young talent and no draft picks as he leaves to get another cheap ring from free agency
The team look better with A.D. in and Lebron out
WHAT HAPPENED TO KENDRICK NUNN? HES A KILLER, SCORER,! WHY DHAM DOESNT USE HIM? WHY PBEV STILL START?AND STILL IN FINAL MINUTES OF THE GAME! THEIR SMALL BALL LINE UP DOESNT WORK AT ALL, THEIR TO SMALL! NO INTERIOR DEFENSE.
LeBron is the whole problem of the Lakers. Period. You folks in the media is keeping him relevant. This guy has been a vampire to every organization he's played for. It's amazing how y'all be trying to sound smart when talking about this sorry ass team because of LeBron. The man is only stat padding! Look at the amount of shots he took to get that 27.
I can’t believe that we have a team that is in desperate need of an emergency over haul. For the record Clutch is not a cohesive partner to be working with period. This team has no identity and the skill level is sub par at best. No matter what just re work the business plan and build young.
Really enjoying the Lakers demise and LeChump losing. Couldn’t happen to a better city…
I’m not bashing! Truth is when bad moves are constantly made it equals the product on the floor.
They didn't have a big finisher on the block to dump to TB, or Gabrial. They had 4 stops in a row and didn't convert back. They just pumped treys and turned over ball.
There never is such a thing as one guy carrying a team. Lebron James is still an elite level player. There is no one. No one, no one, including MJ, in his prime, could make this team better. The team has to be the most horribly constructed team in NBA history. And the sad part is that I'm not even exaggerating. So LeBron really isn't playing bad it's just that this team is the worst he's ever played on. So it's hard to see how this mf is actually still the #1 player in the League. Take any player you think is the #1 player and put them on this Lakers team….yeah, exactly what I thought 🤣💜💛
dumb ass you played a role in bringing russ…this is your fault trade lebron this guy also pushed out rising stars this is is so toxic….no one no one wants to play with him
Wondered last offseason what LeBron was worth in a trade? Probably worth a lot less now with extension and trade kicker on it. LeBron deserves a shot to be relevant. While Lakers would risk hurting chances with future stars by dumping LeBron, I don’t see how Rob’s “do nothing to help star this late in his career” doesn’t hurt the Laker reputation more. But what is LeBron worth?
Love the blunt honesty guys, keep it up!
What was Bron thinking signing that extension? To trust Jeannie was an awful failure in judgement. Bron should go directly to Jeannie now and say trade for help ASAP or I'm retiring.
he wants to win but took a max contract.
lebron traded everyone for Russ and AD thats his fault
I appreciate the shout out from your channel. AD being both the problem and the Solution was something y’all stated a few weeks ago, and I thought it was a good take. I think AD just didn’t develop optimally during his growth spurts. Like y’all mentioned, there are plenty of players that have been injury plagued simply because they are built that way. I believe Yao Ming could have gone down as top 10 all time if he could have had a 15 year career and good health, but he suffered from gigantism which undermined his health. Greg Oden was a phenomenal talent, but one leg was growing at a faster rate than his other, which led to knee and hip problems that didn’t even allow him to play 20 games in the league. There is a whole list of them, not just bigs, but guards and wings too. Derick Rose is another example.
Man what a chump. He may have scored a lot of points but he also gets the award for the biggest crybaby in history. Jesus I can't wait til this loser retires.
Mark my words Lebron will not win another championship in the NBA. He demands to much money. If he is willing to take $15 million a year then maybe he will win another championship but I don’t see it happening ever
LBJ should NOT have signed the 2 year $97.1 million extension on 8/18/22 – well after all 30 teams had built their 22/23 rosters.
He KNEW a Russ plus two 1sts trade could NOT put ENOUGH championship pieces around him. He KNEW getting 65+ healthy regular season games from AD was in question. He KNEW he would play with a 7 guard line up this season. He KNEW this roster was built on the backs of vet min players. He KNEW Russ could never play up to his $47 million salary this season. He KNEW he would play for a rookie head coach. He KNEW Pelinka and Jeanie ran the front office. He KNEW Laker fans would expect him to put this team on his back.
LBJ has to live with the consequences of HIS decision.
"What gets me is Lebron feeling like he is entitled to
winning. Like he more than anyone else deserves to
be a title contender, just because he is him. Not that
he has to make his team a title contender. Then
passively aggressively whining to media for people
to give him sympathy. Lebron is no doubt a top 5,
top 10 player of all time. But Lebron fans, you must
know this: other NBA fans find this type of behavior
to be nauseating. It sounds whiny and like he is
turning himself into a victim. When HE created the
mess he is in, then told everyone to shut up and
KEEP the energy. Lebron needs to hold himself
accountable for the mess he created. You have hall
of famers on your roster. Figure it out. If you can't,
then stop looking for sympathy in the media. He is
the only one that has the excuse of: "I have no help"
Steph, KD, Kawhi, Giannis everyone else has to
figure it out. And they get no sympathy, yet he needs
help. This is the #1 reason it makes it hard for other
NBA fans to root for Lebron. This is it right here."
-DreamersPro
Trade AD and pick for Bam, Jimmy & Duncan R, Lebron will re-sign for 2 more seasons.
This is the worst team lebron has ever had. Has he aged? Ofcourse! But Lebron on the Magic are a wayyyy better team! AD should retire.
When LBJ went to Miami he took a pay cut, so Miami could build the team. If he really wants to be a Laker, he should do the same for the Laker. The front office and LBJ have as all of the blame this s..t. I don't care who has to go but we don't only need a changes in the players but we also need a changes in the front office or maybe sale the team to someone who knows what is doing.
Clippers stars hurt 2 but look they still made trades n have more depth
Hey anyone remember summer league n kyrie was available but Rob didn't want to trade the 2 picks?See how bron getting Westbrook only sticks in people minds tho.I SEE THE BIASED AGENDA IN THESE LA STREETS 🤔
Lebron is 38 and looks 38
LeGM made his bed, now he has to lie in it, plus he doesn't play any defense
Why is Beaverly starting
Mans said the Rambi lol