Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers Locked On Podcast Network

Thursday, Christian Wood met the LA media for the first time, and said a lot of "meeting the media for the first time" type things. How excited he is to be in Los Angeles, how (as a Long Beach native) he's always wanted to play for the Lakers.
And how he has a great relationship with Darvin Ham... who called him every day during free agency. Every day? That's a lot of days, and a lot of calls. But even if it's an exaggeration, it also makes some sense. The Lakers didn't have any extra money to offer, but what they could sell were vibes and opportunity. And whether you're a big Darvin guy or not, there probably aren't too many guys around the league who can sell culture to a player better than he can.
And really, context should drive home to Wood the critical nature of this opportunity. If he doesn't make it work in LA, if he can't accept and then thrive in a role on a good team, where does he go from here?
But red flags aside, the Lakers got the most talented player left available on the free agent market. And if you want him, it can't hurt to sweet talk him a little.
Meanwhile, Pat Beverley was on his podcast, talking about the Jarred Vanderbilt extension. Interestingly, he told him that his advice was not to sign an extension. Why? Because players who do that get paid appropriately. Players who get signed during free agency? They get overpaid.
Whether that would have applied to Vanderbilt is an open question, but it's a fascinating view of how folks get paid in the league.
And finally, Buddy Hield is on the trade market. But this is a Buddy Hield safe space, because the Lakers do not have any players they can trade for him until at least mid-December. But what's really interesting is that the need for someone like Hield is a lot lower now than it was a year ago at this time.
Please leave your Hield comments to yourself until then.

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky

SEGMENT 1: Christian Wood meets the media. Is this his last/best opportunity to change the narrative?

SEGMENT 2: The Lakers don't need Buddy Hield.

SEGMENT 3: Pat Bev on Vanderbilt.

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Jeanie Buss was a guest on The Athletic's NBA podcast, and had some interesting stuff to say about Anthony Davis. Namely that for the stretch of play last season after he returned from injury (the big one, where he missed 20 games), AD was the best player in the league.
It's not worth debating the point in the most literal sense - everyone remembers how dominant Davis was over that period - but it illustrates how individual the conversation is around Davis. Obviously the expectations he carries are justifiably high, but at the same time, is there to much focus on what he's not doing vs. what he is?
You'd think, for example, that based on last year's arc that there would be a notable difference between Davis's first and second half stats, but they looked basically the same. So is AD being judged more on optics than results? Well, sort of. Because sometimes with Davis, the optics dictate the result. Few players can put up games with identical numbers but totally non-identical impact like Davis. So between that and the natural inclination to believe he's about to get hurt (it's a defense mechanism for many Lakers fans to prep themeselves for a letdown) and his freakish talent at his full capacity that makes him seem like an alien, maybe that explains the discourse?
Finally, Damian Lillard seemed to find some (non-trade related) controversy when he said it was easier to win in the Bubble. But as he clarified, he didn't mean easier to win a title. In fact, winning a title in Orlando was actually harder, because all the advantages a 1 seed like the Lakers would have had were stripped away. Home floor, home crowd, less travel, and so on.
It may have been contextually unrepeatable - the Lakers (God willing) will never have a chance like that to rest their stars before the postseason starts... but then again EVERYONE got to get healthy. And moreover, the Lakers rolled through the playoffs that year. 4-1, 4-1, 4-1, 4-2.
So can we finally put this question to bed?

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky

SEGMENT 1: Why do we talk differently about Anthony Davis than other stars?

SEGMENT 2: Is it fair? What is, and what isn't, and what is the biggest flaw in how fans and media judge him?

SEGMENT 3: Dame defends the Bubble Championship.

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Tuesday's show was all about the sea change in strategy for the Lakers when it comes to roster building. Where once it was all about cap space above all - meaning no long term contracts for anyone but the biggest stars - now the Lakers have a bunch of multi-year deals for non-elite players. This, by the way, is a good thing, promoting continuity, and actually providing more flexibility for the front office than simply being locked into that "clean sheet" strategy.
But why did they shift? That was a question left on the Locked On Lakers YouTube page.
Was it the opportunity presented by a team that advanced to the Western Conference Finals after playing together for only a few weeks? Was it a reaction to a shift in the league towards continuity and depth? Was it the lack of any realistic way to add a big name star?
Could be some of each, but this year now becomes a bit of a referendum on the shift, and an opportunity to build. That doesn't mean the Lakers won't make moves over the next year or two - they obviously will - but to what end? Is the stars-at-all-costs era over?
From there, another question looks at Darvin Ham. While he's not on the hot seat this year, after last year's run, what about his staff? Do the Lakers need more "big names" on it? And what are reasonable expectations for Ham in Year 2? What was good last year, what wasn't? Have Lakers fans fully bought in?
Finally, Jarred Vanderbilt was recently asked about players he patterned his game after growing up. One was Penny Hardaway. The other? Another very popular former Lakers lefty.

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky

SEGMENT 1: Why did the Lakers shift strategy around the roster? What prompted it?

SEGMENT 2: How long does the new strategy last?

SEGMENT 3: What are the expectations for Ham in Year 2?

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Monday's show was all about Jarred Vanderbilt's contract extension with the Lakers (which became official on Monday). It covered the meat and potatoes of the deal, from his long term fit to the quality of the numbers. Did the Lakers get good deal? Listen to the show to find out.
But one thing went undiscussed: Vanderbilt's contract represents the last move in big change in team-building philosophy for the Lakers. They've gone from a team that once defined flexibility purely in terms of creating massive amounts of cap space to go out and recruit The Next Big Free Agent. Now, though, the Lakers (even as LeBron nears retirement) aren't hoarding future space. Instead, they're, like, signing players. Good, young, appealing players.
So does this limit their flexibility? Spoiler alert: It does not, and (assuming the players they've signed don't regress) likely increases it.
In the meantime, they get the best of both worlds - a very good team now, and the ability to work with agility, adjusting if adjustments become necessary or opportunity knocks.
From there, it's a look at the most intriguing teams in the Western Conference. Which teams qualify, and why aren't the Lakers in that group? (Remember, there's a difference between exciting and intriguing.)
Finally, with "Winning Time" on HBO officially cancelled, we look back at the series and read responses from viewers about which seasons of Lakers basketball they would have loved to see dramatized on the show.

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky

SEGMENT 1: What Jarred Vanderbilt's extension represents (beyond, you know, Jarred Vanderbilt himself).

SEGMENT 2: Why the Lakers are better off doing things this way...

SEGMENT 3: A look back at "Winning Time."

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Friday, the news broke that Jarred Vanderbilt and the Lakers had agreed to a four year contract extension worth $48 million. The terms (slightly) surprised your hosts, not necessarily on the length, but in the value - on the relative high side of what seemed like the right value. Much, perhaps even most, of the audience disagreed.
Responding to a poll, almost a quarter think the Lakers made out like bandits, because were Vanderbilt to hit the open market this summer, he'd surely get $15 or more, annually.
Maybe... but maybe not.
Vanderbilt is in a strange position, where his path to significant playing time is hardly clear, particularly if (as many believe will happen) Rui Hachimura moves to the starting lineup after re-upping with LA for significantly more money earlier this summer. (And while it seems less likely, if Christian Wood ends up starting at center, the same basic principle applies - it gets harder to find minutes for Vando.) But while Vanderbilt might not have as much flexibility to shine this year, at least while the roster is healthy, it's easy to imagine a different group where he could have a role that outstrips a $12 million salary.
Particularly as the salary cap rises, the chances of this deal being onerous or an albatross seem pretty small. But that doesn't mean Vanderbilt will come off as a huge bargain, either. It might even shift year to year as the roster changes.
And do expectations for Vanderbilt change now that he's signed a bigger contract?
Finally, HBO's "Winning Time" will not be picked up for a third season. If you watched the show, how disappointed are you? Is there an era of Lakerdom you'd like to have seen depicted?

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky

SEGMENT 1: Reacting to Jarred Vanderbilt.

SEGMENT 2: "Winning Time," and more Vando. Do expectations change around him now that he's making more $?

SEGMENT 3: Vanderbilt and the regular season vs. the playoffs. Why too many people discount the value of contributions in the former, even if certain players (Vanderbilt included) can be harder to play in the postseason, matchups depending.

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The Lakers have capped an extremely busy offseason (retaining key free agents, signing - among other free agents - Gabe Vincent Taurean Prince, Christian Wood, extending Anthony Davis) by reportedly agreeing to a four year, $48M extension for versatile defensive utility man Jarred Vanderbilt. The deal is fully guaranteed, with the fourth year a player option. Basically, as player-friendly as one could imagine. Now a potential Laker through the 2027-28 season, the Lakers are tied to Vanderbilt as long as AD and Austin Reaves. Which is to say, as long as any Laker on the roster.

What are the implications of this news? Andy Kamenetzky hits some of the high points with a few quick thoughts.

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky

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