Heading into the 2018-19 campaign, fans of the Los Angeles Lakers did something they hadn’t done in quite some time: They held expectations for the team they root for. Whoops.
As LeBron James, Magic Johnson, Luke Walton and the rest of the organization has fallen short of those expectations, it’s fair to wonder who is most at blame for that taking place. Today’s podcasts try to answer that and other questions.
Show Tiempo
This week’s Show Tiempo with Jordan Carruth and Alex Padilla dives into all the issues that have plagued the Lakers thus far. The Lakers currently sit three games behind the eighth seed and now have the Timberwolves, Spurs and Kings ahead of them. The guys break down who is to blame.
Is it the fault of LeBron James who has brought a huge spotlight with him to Los Angeles? James has been critical of players not being able to deal with distractions despite openly wanting Anthony Davis on the Lakers.
How about general manage Rob Pelinka and president of basketball operations Magic Johnson? They are the architects of this extremely flawed roster. They also made a big ordeal of wanting more superstars to surround LeBron with. They traded away Ivica Zubac although they clearly need help in the center position.
Is Luke Walton the first person to get fired if the Lakers don’t make the playoffs? Have the 3 young core players: Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma and Lonzo Ball developed enough? Have the veteran bench players done their part or have they been a big disappointment?
Listen below for their full conversation and, for more Lakers talk, subscribe to the Silver Screen and Roll podcast feed on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher or Google Podcasts.
Locked on Lakers
Today’s episode of Locked on Lakers, Pete and I pick up the conversation from yesterday on Brandon Ingram. He’s been really, really good despite continued suboptimal situations in many of the same ways D’Angelo Russell and Julius Randle were — which makes both of us think he’ll succeed wherever he winds up.
I also offer up a hot take on what the Lakers unfortunately need to do if they want a chance at making the playoffs.
Our full discussion can be listened to below, and make sure to subscribe on iTunes, where you can also leave questions in the form of a five-star review to guarantee your topic makes the show.