What Will the New Lakers Rotation Be, and can Anthony Davis Return to an MVP-level?

The Lakers took the floor Thursday against Milwaukee at the Crypt very, very shorthanded. None of the five players acquired on Wednesday and Thursday were available, and meanwhile LeBron James missed the game to rest his bum foot. So that left them with eight guys who have played real minutes this year, along with Cole Swider, to square off against Giannis and a Bucks team that hasn't lost in a couple of weeks. The result was... basically as you'd predict. The Lakers played hard, they stayed competitive, they gave themselves a shot, were the Bucks to get a little cute with this one. But Milwaukee did not. They used a big third quarter and a solid-enough fourth to keep the game in hand, and won 115-106. Takeaways from nights like these are tough, but one stuck out: Anthony Davis. Foul trouble was an issue all night, but broadly he still hasn't been able to replicate the impact he had in that stretch before his injury. He wasn't bad on Thursday. He hasn't been bad since his return. But he hasn't been that guy, either. And even with the improved roster, the Lakers need that guy. Because the work they have in front of them just to get into the top 10 is no joke. Darvin Ham needs to quickly figure out new lineups and rotation combinations, with more players than he can likely use. Who starts? D'Angelo Russell seems almost like a shoe-in, but does Malik Beasley? Could Jared Vanderbilt be an option? Can you find minutes for Vanderbilt and Mo Bamba? What about Rui Hachimura? And in the backcourt, if Russell, Dennis Schroder (who was great on Thursday), Beasley and Austin Reaves seem likely to soak up minutes, where does that leave Lonnie Walker? Are the Lakers going to behave more like a big team or a small one? Are they going to run as much without Westbrook? There are a lot of questions. These are good ones to have, no doubt, because it means the Lakers have a better group of players to work with, but with only 26 games left on the schedule and a lot of ground to make up, answers need to come fast. HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky SEGMENT 1: Anthony Davis still isn't quite right. SEGMENT 2: How does Darvin Ham split up playing time with this new roster? SEGMENT 3: Peeking at the schedule... it's really hard. But the Lakers do play a lot of teams they're chasing. 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 “LOCKEDON15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order. PrizePicks First time users can receive a 100% instant deposit match up to $100 with promo code LOCKEDON. That’s PrizePicks.com – promo code; LOCKEDON LinkedIn LinkedIn Jobs helps you find the qualified candidates you want to talk to, faster. Post your job for free at LinkedIn.com/LOCKEDONNBA Rocket Money Stop throwing your money away. Cancel unwanted subscriptions – and manage your expenses the easy way – by going to RocketMoney.com/LOCKEDONNBA. FanDuel Make Every Moment More. Place your first FIVE DOLLAR bet to get ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS in Free Bets – win or lose! Visit Fanduel.com/LockedOn today 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