Locked On Lakers podcast is your daily ticket to stay ahead of the game and the first to know the latest news, analysis, and insider info for the Los Angeles Lakers and the NBA. Hosts Andy and Brian Kamenetzky, who have covered the Purple and Gold since 2005 for media outlets including the LA Times, ESPN and The Athletic, offer traditional journalism, informal commentary, and offbeat humor to provide expert, local analysis. Locked On Lakers takes you beyond the scoreboard for the inside scoops on the biggest stories from within the Lakers locker room and all over the NBA. The Locked On Lakers podcast is part of the Locked On Podcast Network. Your Team. Every Day.
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episode 1277: Russell Westbrook Shines, but the Lakers Lose in New York. Plus... Did Frank Vogel Throw Some Shade at Rob Pelinka?
The Lakers dropped another game Tuesday in New York. As they did Sunday in Detroit, they fell down big (this time by 25) and as it was in Detroit, they tried hard to climb out of the hole. But while the Pistons ultimately acquiesced, the Knicks did enough in the fourth quarter to hold on. The Lakers were betrayed by the defense early (36 points allowed in the first quarter) and the offense late (19 fourth quarter points) in a way that felt like a microcosm of the season as a whole. Still guys missing (most notably the suspended LeBron James), other guys not right (Anthony Davis had the flu, messing with Frank Vogel's already strained rotations) and they couldn't seem to get everything working at the same time for 48 minutes.
Meanwhile, Russell Westbrook was a bright spot, going for 31/13/10, with a pair of steals and three triples. He hit eight of his nine free throws. Overall, Westbrook, notorious for his slow starts, continues to round into solid form on a faster trajectory than he often does. But how will it look next to LeBron and Davis once they play 10 games in a row, all together. (Which presumes fate will even allow that, of course.) And what should be made of Talen Horton-Tucker's third straight bad game? No points at all vs. New York, and a whole lot of reckless play. If he can't settle into that two-way role the Lakers desperately need, who can?
Finally, Vogel said some fascinating stuff following the game about what they're trying as a coaching staff. Intentional or not, it could be read as a defense of his work and a clear commentary on the clay he's been asked to mold. They're trying all sorts of stuff, and none of it is working because the pieces aren't capable. Was he really trying to defend himself against mounting criticism? Was it a shot, even a quiet one, across the bow of management?
HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky
SEGMENT 1: What went wrong vs. the Knicks. Again.
SEGMENT 2: Westbrook rises while THT scuffles. How do things like this complicate Vogel's rotation choices?
SEGMENT 3: Passive aggressive? Pointed? Unintentional? Who was Vogel talking to and what was he trying to say when talking about his defense Tuesday night?
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