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 1509: Anthony Davis Dominates vs. Golden State, and Rob Pelinka Gets a Contract Extension
What a busy weekend! The Lakers broke a 9-game preseason losing streak, and while wins and losses don't necessarily matter in these games, Sunday's win over Golden State had some significant developments. First, Anthony Davis was dominant. 28 points in 21 minutes, with every facet of the game on display. Hit some threes, hit some mid-range, dominated in the paint, got to the line. And he showed some swagger. It was the type of performance the Lakers are going to need - a lot - through the season if they want to exceed expectations. Plus, Kendrick Nunn played great, Lonnie Walker IV shot the ball well and generally speaking the Lakers looked good when important players were on the floor.
Meanwhile, though, the Lakers didn't play LeBron James, Russell Westbrook or Patrick Beverley, and are running out of time to develop the type of continuity in a still-complex rotation they'll need. Darvin Ham says it's all part of the plan, but in some ways it would have been nice for the plan to put a little higher premium on shared floor time, especially after Davis's lower back issue scuttled one game where everyone was supposed to play together.
Meanwhile, the weekend was dominated by news that Lakers GM Rob Pelinka has received a contract extension, keeping him with the team (or at least paid by the team) through the 2025-26 season and aligning his deal with Ham's. In theory, this makes sense. It's best to have those two office holders running on parallel timelines, so everyone has the same interests and can row in the same direction and all that. This, as reported by folks like ESPN's Dave McMenamin, has been the arrangement since Ham was hired, and it's just a matter of getting the terms ironed out now. It explains a lot of how Pelinka has approached the offseason, and ultimately that's good for the Lakers.
Except the bigger question is this: While the process here makes sense and the logic is sound... what if Pelinka isn't very good at his job?
HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky
SEGMENT 1: Anthony Davis dominates as the Lakers win a preseason game in San Francisco.
SEGMENT 2: Why solid play from supporting castmembers like Lonnie Walker IV and Kendrick Nunn matters and how they could influence the combinations Ham uses.
SEGMENT 3: Rob Pelinka gets an extension. Is this a good thing?
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