The LA Lakers forever known with NBA Basketball but are going through some changing times. Zach Lowe and other pundits have their say.
Former player JJ Redick now head coach of the LA Lakers is also a former ESPN analyst, so the ESPN team and Zach Lowe know him well when speaking about him this week.
According to them things will be different for the Lakers under Lowe:
“A new coach some new draft picks but not
much has changed for the Lakers Zack low
joining us now um this will be LeBron’s
seventh season in LA and six of those
with ad and he has said that he believes
their Championship window is still open
um yeah it’s open I believe him it’s
still open the latest low post features
brand new head coach JJ reading before
Lakers media day and Zach um you broke
some news there’s some generating a
little buzz about the starting lineup
let’s
listen have you settled on a starting
five yeah yeah it’ll be it’ll be the
starting five that went 23 and 10 last
year Reeves LeBron and yeah
you’ve talked about LeBron playing off
the ball a lot of coaches have talked
about that you’ve talked about shooting
more threes a lot of coaches talked
about that what do you think is
realistically possible I think when
people hear that with in regards to
LeBron playing off the ball it doesn’t
mean he’s not going to have the
ball RJ you really miss JJ don’t you um
there’s a reason JJ likes this lineup as
the Lakers went 18 and six with uh Lebron Hachimura and Davis
starting last season that’s the third
best record by any starting lineup to
start 20 games together behind only the
primary nuggets and Celtics starting
lineups so Zach um what do you think is
going to be different under JJ I don’t
think much has to be different this
lineup works I think one of the reasons
Darin ham isn’t the coach of the Lakers
anymore is it took him way too long to
get to this lineup it’s the obvious
choice for the Lakers and look when in
the LeBron ad era if the Lakers have had
a consistent almost weakness they’ve
just been kind of in the muck in the
half court it’s not easy for them to get
good offense in the half court this is
their best shot at spacing shooting and
a bunch of guys who can screen for
LeBron you got a weaker defender on
you you come up and Michael Porter Jr is
going to be barbecue chicken sorry
Michael Porter J uh and like the both
the guard here’s ad that’s an easy one
that’s that’s you know Central Casting
pick but here’s where it gets
interesting Reeves can screen bring up
your smallest Defenders DLo can screen
here’s LeBron on the roll with Austin
Reeves you can reverse it that way they
just got a lot of options and a lot of
shooting this is their best shot at a
complete team and a complete offense no
I I agree and when you talk about Austin
Reeves during that Western Conference
Finals appearance the ball was in his
hands late game making decisions so you
want to see the evolution of Reeves can
it continue I think the biggest question
is V obviously is Health that is a motor
that the Lakers are missing you look at
their offensive rebounding numbers last
year they were low you add V to this now
you have another Defender you have
another energy guy you have a guy that
can guard some fives some fours so you
can move Anthony Davis around so really
to me I know he’s not starting the
season healthy but he is one of the
ultimate keys to the success of this
team and then you have a decision to
make with but if he’s coming off
your bench and you have that legit 12 15
point a game scorer coming off your
bench and you have an energy guy I love
this lineup but it all depends on the
health of V so you mentioned V all these
guys over here this is what makes me
nervous and this is where JJ and his
staff are going to have to find some
answers because you look at this you got
some rookies you got some inexperienced
players you mentioned v he’s a popular
choice for a big role every time they
get to the playoffs his shooting becomes
an issue and he gets played out and out
and out of the rotation connect JJ’s
high on him some of these guys are going
to have to pop because this depth this
is a lot of unproven dudes makes be
really nervous if one of these guys gets
hurt and unproven but they’re
they’re unproven but they have
experience yeah well look the the
biggest answer for this team is revolves
around obviously LeBron and specifically
ad and JJ had some interesting things to
say about on the offseason
conversations he had with Anthony Davis
on your podcast let’s
listen I’ve spent some time with him um
went to a lovely dinner in Santa Monica
a few weeks back but uh yeah I mean
we’re gonna we’re going to empower him
as much as he wants to be empowered I
mean if he wants to
be first team all NBA and he wants to be
in the MVP conversation all year long
we’re going to empower him to do
that so Anthony Davis was second Team
all NBA last season but you have to go
back to the 20192 season the last time
he made first team and he has never won
MVP but 2020 is also the last time he
even got a vote for the award finishing
six That season
season all right let’s welcome in
Kendrick Perkins to the show all day H
hi
perk I’m in my skin is that a problem
all right ad was huge in 2020 perk the
Lakers uh won it all that year you’ve
been waiting on an MVP for Anthony Davis
do you think JJ is the coach to get it
out of
him well we’ll see right is is JJ the
coach to get it out of LeBron right to
tell ask LeBron take a back seat and
actually hand the keys over to Anthony
Davis right and I and I strongly believe
last season was one of Anthony Davis
best seasons in a Laker uniform can JJ
get Anthony Davis back to 28 points 11
rebounds what he did in a few seasons
with the Pelicans that’s only if LeBron
James is going to take a backseat you
talk about MVP com having him in the MVP
conversations well that’s putting up
numbers like a guy that’s in another
conference that’s somewhat always
compared to him and Yanis Zopo cuz they
basically play the same position what is
JJ going to do differently than what
Darvin ham did for Anthony Davis is he
going to be get the ball more on the
post is he going to get it at the uh you
know the the free throw line area more
more screening RADS more dribble hand
offs what is it going to be is it going
to be more threes uh I think that’s a
conversation that JJ has to have with
LeBron uh I I heard him talking about
taking a back seat taking a backseat to
uh I mean basically you know I heard him
talking about you know
basically talking with ad about you know
handing him the keys but is LeBron going
to be willing to take a back seat no I
agree but this is the thing ad is in his
prime if he ends his career in my
opinion he will be the most talented
player to end his career without an MVP
or a defensive player of the year he
needs to be in that conversation this
season so much more um that’s bold
that’s bold is it true I I have to do
some research a little chop it or drop
it where you decide if we chop up a
topic or move on so let’s start with NBA
champ Jason Tatum from Celtics media
day I just always feel like overall I
can I can still get better I’m not at
you haven’t seen like the best version
of Jason Tatum oh y’all heard that and
you shouldn’t right I’m I’m only 26
he’s only 26 love the third person love
the third person Richard Jefferson loves
the third person Richard Jefferson loves
the third person but he is you know just
entering his prime so you expect him to
get better and Tatum has yet to crack uh
the top three in MVP voting will this be
the year perk he finally does chop it or
drop
it uh I want to chop it up a little bit
I want to chop it I I want to know what
the best version of Jason Tatum look
like is that a Jason Tatum that’s going
to try to strive this season as been
being a a 50 40 90 guy being efficient
um I mean just a couple seasons ago he
averaged 30 points I mean I don’t
believe he’s going to be able to be a a
guy that leads the league in scoring
because of the pieces he have around him
but I just want to know what it looks
like that 69 610 or you got to average
double figure rebounds you got to be
better defensively I I want to see it
but I do think at the age of 26 just
knocking at the door of his prime he
does we haven’t seen the best version of
J Tatum and that’s scary oh training
camp officially opened today and Zach
yesterday we talked a little bit about
the issues with Jason Tatum shot lately
and Boston Globes uh Gary Washburn he
posted this video saying that you know
it looks like he’s quickened the release
on his three a little bit I mean yeah it
does look like that and he shot 38% on
threes in a regular season last year you
take that you’re getting closer to Peak
Jason tat but I I think he is going to
get better he’s only 26 years old he’s
really good at everything the MVP is
just going to be tough because he’s only
going to average four or five assists on
this team it’s just a loaded team with
great talent but I do think he’s got
another level to hit and that jumper if
he can stabilize it again is a big part
of that well when I work with chip
England the famous you know shooting
coach he shortened my motion he instead
of a long drawn out motion he wanted to
make it more Compact and that’s what it
looks like people would make jokes about
Jason Tatum shot and the way it looked
but his his follow-through was perfect
his extension was perfect it was just
about that little hitch before so in
those just in that quick video it looks
like they’ve shortened the motion it’s
not as long it’s not as drawn my issue
with Jason Tatum when it comes to the
top three in MVP voting is when you look
at the prior MVPs their stat numbers are
so crazy you’re talking about Giannis
yage embiid even go back to Russell
Westbrook these guys are averaging 30 10
you know it’s like their numbers are so
crazy so in order for him to be in that
category he’s got to average 30 10 and
five and his team has to be first place
that’s the only way for him to really
get into that category because the other
guys even Luca LCA leads the league in
scoring averages nine rebounds and
almost 10 assists so when you look at
the guys that he’s trying to enter into
that category with they have absurd
numbers across the board that’s just the
way basketball is played especially when
you talk about it and all of
those guys that just fill up the stats
absolutely and and you know we’ll see um
what Tatum does because he he did say on
record that he you know is going after
MVP this season.”
There you have it.
The NBA overall it should be said is in exciting times.
Redick has spoken of empowering players a lot recently in the Lakers team.
That will be interesting to see if he gets this freedom mentality he is giving the players right with the blend of man-management individually that they will all need.
