What the NBA Finals and Steph Curry Says About Anthony Davis and the Lakers

Game 5 was a clunker for Steph Curry, but nonetheless you can make a very solid argument that Steph has been the difference between the Warriors and a Boston team that has frequently looked deeper and better overall. But Curry's play compared with a much more inconsistent Jayson Tatum for the Celtics is a big reason Golden State has a 3-2 lead. So what does that have to do with the Lakers? Well, they're built on a premise that Davis is in that tiny sliver of players who in the ultra elite, and will consistently outperform that still-excellent class of nomal elite players in the biggest games on the biggest stages. If Davis is more Tatum than Curry, so to speak, that has a massive impact on L.A.'s upside. So that's one big reason Lakers fans are showing some real angst around Davis, which was seen in the comments section of the Locked On Lakers YouTube page following Monday's show. If he's not "that guy," the Lakers don't have many options going forward to find someone who is (because there are still very, very few players out there better than him), or fill out the roster in a way that helps make up the difference. Meanwhile, the Denver Nuggets and Oklahoma City Thunder agreed to a seemingly minor trade that will have OKC absorb JaMychal Green into their available cap space. Maybe minor for them, but not for the Lakers who had at least penciled in the Thunder as a potential trade partner, capable of absorbing into cap space. That gets harder, now. And it's a reminder that moving Westbrook is no easy feat, unless you want to overpay in big ways to do it. HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky SEGMENT 1: What watching Steph Curry in the NBA Finals reveals about Anthony Davis and the Lakers. SEGMENT 2: What does it mean for the Lakers if A.D. isn't quite "that guy?" SEGMENT 3: Trading Russell Westbrook just got a little harder. Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! PrizePicks 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! 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 BetOnline.net has you covered this season with more props, odds and lines than ever before. BetOnline – Where The Game Starts! 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. TrueBill Don’t fall for subscription scams. Start cancelling today at Truebill.com/LOCKEDONNBA. Arcade1up Pre-order now from arcade1up.com - that’s  Arcade, the number 1, Up, dot com - for an estimated early September ship date!  They are giving away a NBA JAM Shaq edition to a Locked On listener! Enter for a chance to win a game console for your man-cave at arcade1up.com/lockedon.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices