The Lakers had a busy week, and lost two of the three games they played. So why do we declare it a success? And what exactly does success look like on the upcoming road trip? We explain. Because while LeBron and Anthony Davis are still out, Andre Drummond is nursing his nail-less big toe and so on, success is a relative term, with a very specific meaning.

From there, it's on to Drummond. How hard is it to play without a toenail? How long might he be out? What did we see in the one half he played (last week vs. Milwaukee) that might hint at how he'll fit in? What do the Lakers do now until he returns? And with the Drummond question comes others about Marc Gasol, who made it clear last week he doesn't like being bumped from his starting gig. The assumpton is that he'd be upset - who wants to be benched? - but it's rare to hear an athlete speak as candidly as Gasol did following Friday's win over Sacramento.

From there... SPACE JAM! We react to the first full length trailer. And then wrap things up with a dive into the very, very strange feud between Michael Rapaport and Kevin Durant.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Lakers played, and won, two games this weekend, one against a conventionally bad team (Cleveland), and the other against a catastrophically awful group (Orlando). Even shorthanded, they might not seem like much, but it can be argued these were the most important wins of the season. Without LeBron James and Anthony Davis in the lineup, the team is poised to lose a lot of games. They're rarely going to have the best player available in any game, and often won't have any of the top three. So dropping games against low talent squads like the Magic, when better groups await (Milwaukee, Brooklyn, Miami, New York, etc.) would have been a disaster in the standings as the Lakers try to keep themselves out of any play-in scenarios for the postseason.

So after noting the significance, we get to the big news of the week - Andre Drummond is a Laker. He's a good player, but just how good is a matter of debate. Are his numbers just empty calories? Finally given a chance to play for something meaningful, will his game prove to be a little more versatile and efficient than he's shown? Will his defensive effort and attention to detail improve?

So what can he help the Lakers with now? Before LeBron and AD return? What about after? The rotation does get a lot more crowded... so who sits? And who else might be available for the Lakers, and the last roster spot? If it's Orlando's Otto Porter, L.A. should jump at the chance.

Finally... what do you make of the MVP case for James Harden? On the one hand, he's been spectacular in Brooklyn. On the other, he didn't cover himself in glory on the way out of Houston.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The news is big, and it ain't good.

Saturday against the Hawks, LeBron James suffered a very nasty looking high ankle sprain, and has been declared "out indefinitely" by the Lakers. Whether that means seven, 10, 15 or more games remains to be seen, but with only 29 remaining following Sunday's loss to the Suns in Phoenix, the Lakers don't have much time to get their house in order before the playoffs begin.

The margin for error, if it's still there, is shrinking.

And just where might they be when those playoffs roll around? The schedule gets harder, and the shorthandedLakers, light on front end talent (if you were told an NBA team's best players were Kyle Kuzma, Montrezl Harrell and Dennis Schroder, you'd say "This is not a playoff team.") are unlikely to win much until at least one of their stars return. So could they fall as low as the play-in tournament? It's not as crazy as it might sound.

LeBron's injury, by the way, is a bad example for anyone looking to pin a badge of irresponsibility and greed on the NBA for having these guys play a compressed schedule. Maybe other injuries are, but even then the conversation is hardly simple.

What can they do to win games, now? It starts with impeccable decision making. Can't afford turnovers. Can't blow easy rotations, defensively. The Lakers could end up the underdog in every game they play - even Orlando - over the next couple weeks, at least. Underdogs can't make mistakes.

Finally... Snyder Cut. You in?

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Lakers announced this week that Anthony Davis is healing, but it'll be at least two more weeks until he's cleared to play. At the least, Davis won't see game action before the end of March, and more likely it'll be a week or two into April. So what does that mean for Davis? For the Lakers? We break it down in the newest edition of the Land O'Lakers podcast.

-When does Davis return? How do the Lakers handle that, so injury doesn't recur? And how much time do the Lakers need at full strength to get themselves ready for the playoffs?

-Davis is the headliner, but the Lakers are running low on bodies overall. Marc Gasol is still in the COVID protocol, with no sign of being released. Alex Caruso is now in the concussion protocol, and could miss time. Jared Dudley has a ligament tear in his knee. In the long run, those guys should be back on the floor (save perhaps Dudley, who would only play in the event of disaster come playoff time), but how much does their absence add to a potential fatigue problem for the Lakers?

-The Lakers are developing a depth problem. Would someone like LaMarcus Aldridge help? More than, say, Andre Drummond or PJ Tucker?

-Finally, LeBron revealed this week he originally passed on doing a Space Jam remake because he thought the first one was too good to top. This is a rare moment where James is wildly, wildly wrong.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

He's the big cheese over at Silver Screen and Roll, and one of our favorite people out in the NBA universe. Harrison Faigen of SilverScreenandRoll.com joins the show to review what we've seen to this point in the Lakers season, and preview what's to come. Plus... we dive into some of the more controversial aspects of the All Star Weekend! No shortage of options, there.

And that's actually where we start. First, what was the reaction to the game? Clearly, investment from players on the floor was lower than normal. LeBron James projected a strong "I'm just here so I don't get fined" vibe, and didn't even play in the second half. The Elam Ending ended fast. Most of the ancillary competitions were underwhelming. But the big stuff came earlier in the weekend, when Commissioner Adam Silver talked vaccinations, noting the league won't mandate them for players, and the NBA Twitterverse freaked out. LeBron himself wouldn't commit to getting one, saying it's a private family thing (at least for now). Is the angst deserved?

We go around the horn talking about big first half takeaways. What stuck out to each of us? Big topics include the success levels of LA's various new parts, especially around Montrezl Harrell and Dennis Schröder, and whether for all the change, the big picture worries around the team look an awful lot like last year's too.

After that, we talk about what's next. How can the Lakers bring consistency to the lineup? Who might be available in the buyout market? Would that caliber player likely even help?

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

As the Lakers endured a four-game losing streak, we said on this show the losses, while frustrating, revealed little about the makeup of the team, short of the obvious: When the Lakers don't have Anthony Davis and Dennis Schröder, they're too short on talent to win a lot of games. Particularly on the offensive end. If the losing continues after they return? Now they've got a real problem.

This week, though, showed how that may not be an issue. Schröder returned from his stint in the league's health and safety and the team beat Portland and Golden State, two teams that had been playing pretty well. The "why" shows what Schröder brings to the table.

From there, we answer a question that seems to be popping up whenever people discuss LeBron James and his performance this season: Should his age be a factor in judging MVP-worthiness?

Lakers fans got a look at Damian Jones, who still hasn't missed a shot as a Laker. But all kidding aside, how much might he help, and how much help might be out there for the Lakers to shore up holes in the roster?

Finally, we look at one of this week's big stories in the NBA - should the NBA make Kobe Bryant the new logo? The answer is... complicated.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

That the Lakers are slumping without Anthony Davis (calf strain) and Dennis Schröder (health and safety protocols) in the lineup isn't exactly a surprise. Most teams would suffer without an all-world guy like Davis, and the type of dynamic scorer that Schröder is, particularly when nobody left on the roster not named LeBron James can serve as that type of offensive catalyst.

The Lakers, in short, are having trouble scoring. Why? We mentioned the absences, and then there's the shooting. It remains horrible over the month of February, with the team under 30 percent from beyond the arc. They're just not making shots. One reason might be fatigue. The team, as a group, looks physically and mentally tired. And who can blame them? Honestly, if there was a way for LeBron to sit for 10 days without any real threat to his health, we'd be up for it... and toss out a couple strategies to make it happen.

Can the Lakers preserve enough energy to get them to the playoffs and thrive?

Finally, we're getting to everyone's favorite part of the season, trades and buyouts and free agency! This week, the Lakers were tied to a couple of Houston Rockets, P.J. Tucker and DeMarcus Cousins. One (Tucker) could be had via trade, the other (Cousins) as a street free agent once the Rockets release him as expected. Which guy makes more sense for the Lakers? Which guy is more gettable? We break it all down.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Lakers and Nets were supposed to have a marquee, earth-shaking tussle on Thursday, but instead had it derailed by player absences. No Anthony Davis, no Kevin Durant, and then in a surprise, no Dennis Schroder, who was a late scratch after being put in the COVID protocols. More information about that will surely emerge in the next few days. But in the meantime, it meant there wasn't much to learn about what a Lakers vs. Nets NBA Finals might look like.

One thing is clear, though, the Nets are a whole lot of fun to watch, and in some ways represent the NBA's equivalent of the Cheeseburger Diet. Is that a responsible way to lose weight? No, but if you can pull it off it beats kale!

From there, it's onto LeBron James, who scored his 35,000th point on Thursday. It's a remarkable achievement, which we celebrate with a game of Over/Under 35K. How much longer can he keep it up? Is LeBron a shoe-in to pass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the league's all time leading scorer?

Finally, we look at the mess the NBA finds itself in with an All Star Game, now set for March 7th, that nobody wants to play in. Could this cause real damage between the league and its players? How much does the money matter?

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Lakers got bad news on Monday, though it certainly could have been worse. Anthony Davis, who re-aggravated his Achilles tendinosis Sunday in Denver, will almost surely miss the nine games remaining for the Lakers before the All Star Break. But an MRI revealed no structural damage to the tendon itself, meaning long term hopes for the season are still, like A.D.'s leg, still intact.

But what happens now?

The Lakers first have a decision to make about who starts. It's likely Kyle Kuzma, but should it be someone else? How can the Lakers fill the gaps on both sides of the ball created by the absence of Davis? Why is Dennis Schröder arguably the most important player on the team, insofar as stepping up to make sure LeBron James doesn't grind himself into a pulp carrying the team while Davis is out? This moment for Schröder comes at an interesting time, as well, since starting this week he can officially get into contract extension talks with the team.

From there, we dissect what matters and what doesn't over these next nine games. Oddly enough, team accomplishments may be a lot less relevant than how individuals perform. We explain why.

And oh by the way, all of this happens while the Lakers are deep in a shooting slump that is reaching a point where it's fair to worry if "slump" is actually the right word for it. Just how good were they, anyway, at perimeter shooting? If it doesn't come back to better levels, what damage does it cause the plans for a repeat?

Finally, Blake Griffin is essentially done in Detroit. The Pistons and Griffin agreed to have him sit until he's either traded or bought out. It's a bummer of an ending for a guy who has worked incredibly hard to expand his game while his body disintegrates around him. It's not easy to figure out the how, but if they had the chance to bring him in, should the Lakers do it?

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

As much as anything can be in this day and age, the 2020-21 season for the Lakers has been pretty smooth sailing. No COVID-19-related cancellations, little by way of injuries, piling up wins, and so on. Now, we seem to be passing through a potentially more challenging stretch. Anthony Davis has been diagnosed with tendonosis of his right Achilles. The Lakers don't seem to be overly concerned, and reports say structurally the Achilles is fine. He's likely to miss Monday's game vs. OKC, and nothing has been said beyond that.

So are his injury and his disappointing-for-him play to this point related? It seems hard, given how much his name pops up on those mandatory injury reports the league mandates.

Next, we look at the team's odd inability to score effectively n the fourth quarter. Saturday against Detroit, the Lakers went the last four minutes of regulation without a bucket. It's not the first time that has happened. In fact, even while they're currently 6th leaguewide in 4th quarter offensive efficiency, over their last five games the Lakers are 23rd. They've looked too often like the team that stood around so LeBron might bail them out. What accounts for the drop off?

Finally we look at a pair of comments from Alex Caruso. First, he said the Lakers need to avoid getting bored in games, which set off a couple alarm bells for sure. But does Caruso mean the Lakers are complacent? Or are they just not above human nature, which generally tells people they can let up a little after building a big lead. And it's Starts, they're Just Like Us," LeBron James edition.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

For one half on Thursday, the Lakers looked vulnerable. The visiting Denver Nuggets made Anthony Davis uncomfortable. They crashed the offensive glass and built a 12-point lead at the half. Then in the third quarter, the Lakers hit a gear on defense the Nuggets couldn't overcome. That spilled into the fourth quarter, too, and in the end LA walked away with a 21-point win.

That's a 33-point swing.

And it happened in a way that had to be really discouraging to the rest of the league. Not just because the Lakers cranked it up and throttled a good Western Conference team, but the how. Anthony Davis? Good, but not special. LeBron? Doing his thing, but nothing terribly out of the ordinary. It's not that they can't be beaten, but doing it four times in a seven game series will be a tall order for anyone.

Some of Thursday's conversational highlights:

-The comfort level of Kyle Kuzma, who is playing with a level of freedom we haven't seen in a while. How much is related to the security of his contract extension? How much is the Lakers validating his performance, and for playing the role they need him to play? Either way, if he keeps playing like he is, Kuz will glue Markieff Morris to the bench.

-The ascendence of Talen Horton-Tucker continues. He was dynamic against Denver, and is providing the Lakers a type of scoring from the bench they didn't have before (including from Kuzma, who isn't nearly as efficient putting the ball on the floor and getting to the rim). THT is proving to be the real deal, and making it almost impossible for Frank Vogel to take him off the floor. Which, like Kuzma is doing to Morris, will keep Wes Matthews on the bench.

-Dennis Schroder, after a slow January, looks like he's getting comfy again. This is a good thing for LA.

-Finally, Davis was only modestly productive against Denver, and does have moments where he seems to fade in and out of games. We used to say the same of Pau Gasol. Is there a commonality there?

From there, we tackle the All Star Game. Should it be played? The NBA is pushing ahead, but LeBron James said Thursday he's not a fan of the idea. What are the good reasons for cancelling the game? The crass money grab turns people off, but should it?

And finally, it's Jared Dudley vs. Paul George!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.