The Lakers Lose Two Games, Anthony Davis to Injury, Frank Vogel to Covid Protocols. How Was Your Weekend?

Well, the good cheer generated by the win in Dallas was fun while it lasted. Less than 48 hours after Austin Reaves became a folk hero with a game-winner against the Mavericks, all hell has broken loose for the Lakers. Since then, the Lakers have lost games to the Timberwolves (Friday) and Bulls (Sunday), lost various teammates to the health and safety protocols (as of this recording, the unavailable include Reaves, Talen Horton-Tucker, Avery Bradley, Malik Monk, Dwight Howard, and Kent Bazemore), lost head coach Frank Vogel to the protocols... and most importantly, lost Anthony Davis to a sprained knee in Minnesota. That injury is expected to keep AD out at least one month, and who knows how much longer, given his history with ailments. So. What are the Lakers to do from here? To begin, continue to play as hard as they did during the loss in Chicago, which will at least give them a fighting chance against many teams. (They can also do things like stop turning the ball over and missing free throws, but that approach has been ignored all season.) With Trevor Ariza finally back, they can further lean into playing the small ball that best suits them (albeit without Davis, which is the best version of that look). They can perhaps utilize Isaiah Thomas, here on a 10-day hardship contract, and having put up double figures in both games since he arrived. Given how Davis' absence dramatically affects the Lakers' defensive upside, they're gonna have to score more. But really, they're just gonna have to hang on tight for dear life. Make no mistake. Davis' injury is a really big, bad deal, and there ain't much way around that fact. Host: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky SEGMENT ONE: The Kamenetzkys break down the loss to Chicago, and where the Lakers stand with the roster decimated. SEGMENT TWO: How can Thomas and Ariza help the team? SEGMENT THREE: How can the Lakers best offset this period with Davis shelved? 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