Are LeBron and the Lakers Showing Signs? Plus, Trade Rumors Around Jerami Grant and Ben Simmons!

LeBron James won his eleventybillionth Conference Player of the Week award this week, to go along with other honoraries he's gained over the course of his career. Little things like Conference Player of the Month, MVP and Finals MVP. But while it's nice, and indicative of the way he's played of late, obviously LeBron doesn't care about that sort of thing. It is, however, one small sign that things are slowly turning around for L.A.. Or could be, at least. That's if LeBron can stay healthy, given his workload. And if Anthony Davis can recover quickly from his knee injury. And if Trevor Ariza returns quickly enough from his absence, and then contributes in the way the Lakers hope he can. So there are variables! Meanwhile, it's about time for some early season MVP predictions and straw polls, and what's notable for the Lakers isn't who is on the list, but that the people you'd expect to be on it aren't. Not that LeBron, Davis or Russell Westbrook are necessarily worthy of MVP votes, but it shows how nothing this season is going to plan. The MVP thing doesn't "matter" in any real way but it's a good proxy for how things are going. If by the end of the year Davis, James and even Westbrook gain some votes, it'll mean the Lakers have gone up in the standings and are seen again as high end contenders. If they don't... ooof. Meanwhile, LeBron revealed some of his sleeping habits on Sunday following the win over Orlando. And it has given the hosts all sorts of jealous feelings. Finally, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports that the Lakers are interested in both Detroit's Jerami Grant and Philly's Ben Simmons. How realistic are either one of these scenarios, on a scale of 0-10? What would adding Simmons mean, particularly if the Lakers did it while keeping Westbrook? Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Built Bar Built Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKED15” and you’ll get 15% off your next order. BetOnline AG There is only 1 place that has you covered and 1 place we trust. Betonline.ag! Sign up today for a free account at betonline.ag and use that promocode: LOCKEDON for your 50% welcome bonus. PrizePicks Don’t hesitate, check out PrizePicks.com and use promo code: “NBA” or go to your app store and download the app today. PrizePicks is daily fantasy made easy! TrueBill Don’t fall for subscription scams. Start cancelling today at Truebill.com/LOCKEDONNBA. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices