Lakers Cautious with Austin Reaves After TEAM USA, and is Christian Wood Too Concerned with Stats?

The Lakers had their first official practice on Tuesday, and (not that anyone expected otherwise) Darvin Ham was quite pleased with the results, praising the spirit and energy of the Lakers as they prepare for what everyone hopes will be a long run into the playoffs. He talked up LeBron James and Anthony Davis, who looked like their normal selves, and noted the work Christian Wood was doing defensively, and the commitment he showed to communication and detail. Worth noting as well that the Lakers seem intent on protecting Austin Reaves early in camp, following his Very Busy Offseason with Team USA playing in the World Cup. It is expected Reaves will not only play a ton of minutes - it's very possible he leads the team - but also high intensity, high leverage minutes, including a lot of time serving as a point guard. With that in mind, it's important for the Lakers to keep him fresh and healthy. It's a long, long season. D'Angelo Russell remains a fairly polarizing presence for Lakers fans, and he had an interesting response Monday when asked (by this show!) about how he looks at improvement at this point in his career. Is it a matter of trying to shore up skills/attributes that are weaker? Does he try to lean into strengths? His answer was interesting and revealing, and how you respond is probably a good referendum on what you think about him more broadly. Finally, Wood is certainly in the honeymoon phase of his time with the Lakers. Nobody has played any games, there isn't any film to criticize. He hasn't been asked to sacrifice playing time or stats yet. But if there was anything concerning from Monday's media time, it might have come when Wood was asked if he felt he had anything to prove, given how long he went unsigned this offseason. His answer was... potentially revealing? Wood is really one of the most interesting subplots for this year. Because while he's found himself in a position where his talent and his salary are not in line with each other, it's an open question as to whether he truly understands why. But then again, he's also never really been in a place with real stability. Context matters. We'll see how it goes in LA. HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky SEGMENT 1: The Lakers kicked off practice, and are being cautious with Austin Reaves. SEGMENT 2: How D'Lo looks at self-improvement. SEGMENT 3: Does Christian Wood really understand how he got here? Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Ibotta Ibotta gives you cash back on hundreds of grocery items from produce to personal care to pantry goods, so you can make sure you’re beating inflation no matter what you’re purchasing! Go to the App Store or Google Play store and download the FREE Ibotta app and use code locked.  Gametime Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONNBA for $20 off your first purchase.  Birddogs Go to birddogs.com/LOCKEDONNBA or enter promo code LOCKEDONNBA for a free water bottle with any purchase. You won’t want to take your birddogs off we promise you. FanDuel This episode is brought to you by FanDuel Sportsbook, Official Sportsbook of Locked On. Right now, NEW customers can bet FIVE DOLLARS and get TWO HUNDRED in BONUS BETS - GUARANTEED. Visit FanDuel.com/LOCKEDON to get started. FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices