Are the Lakers Going Back to Starting Two Bigs? Can They Improve The Rebounding? Was Dame Lillard Almost a Laker?

Trying to figure out just where the Lakers stand these days on either side of the ball isn't easy. Not only is the Lakers rotation in tatters thanks to a rash of early season injuries, but the schedule itself hasn't helped. The Lakers have had a run of recent success (relatively speaking) against the Rockets, for example, who are terrible. Shutting them down on Sunday, then again in the second half Tuesday, did nice things for LA's defensive rankings, but did it mean much? The same applies to the lineups deployed by Frank Vogel, who after Tuesday's win said he plans to go back, at least some, to a "two big" starting lineup, with Anthony Davis at center. Will he keep it that way all year, even when the roster is at full strength, or will the time the Lakers have missed gaining continuity force Vogel to mix and match more than he indicated he'd like during the preseason? And since Davis is playing more center now, even with the presence of DeAndre Jordan in the starting lineup for most of LA's games, than ever during his time with the Lakers, does it matter who starts? More important could be structural issues facing the team. They've been lousy on the offensive and defensive glass this season, no matter the alignments. Is that going to improve? Did we overestimate the impact Russell Westbrook would have, particularly given the other changes made to the roster this offseason? What numbers are positive for the Lakers right now? Start with where Westbrook is getting the bulk of his shots. Finally, Chris Haynes of Yahoo! Sports reports on a summertime meeting between Damian Lillard, LeBron and Davis. How close was Dame to being the third member of LA's Big Three? HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky SEGMENT 1: As the lineup turns! Vogel indicates he's gonna use two bigs... but is he also gonna do a lot of other stuff in that starting lineup? Will necessity become the mother of invention? SEGMENT 2: Can the Lakers get better on the glass? What numbers are encouraging from early in the season, despite uneven play? SEGMENT 3: What if Lillard became a Laker? What does it say about him that he took the meeting, but ultimately wasn't inclined to leave Portland? Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Shopify Go to Shopify.com/lockedonnba for a FREE fourteen-day trial and get full access to Shopify’s entire suite of features. 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. Rock Auto Amazing selection. Reliably low prices. All the parts your car will ever need. Visit RockAuto.com and tell them Locked On sent you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices