The Los Angeles Lakers have gotten off to an excellent start in the 2019-20 NBA season with a 24-5 record.
Their impressive play has reinvigorated Lakers fans around the world who have marveled at the play of All-Star duo LeBron James and Anthony Davis. However, a surprising new injury to James could see him missing time and leave the Lakers in a scramble to run their offense without their primary initiator.
On this episode of the Lakers Nation Podcast, host Trevor Lane takes a look at the injury to James, which currently has left him doubtful to play against the Denver Nuggets.
Without James, who can the Lakers turn to? Their offense has experienced significant struggles with James on the bench, but can head coach Frank Vogel find a way to adapt and pick up wins against the strong opponents coming up on the schedule?
Plus, while James may be heading to the sideline, Kyle Kuzma appears to be on the verge of returning after missing the past few weeks in order to let a lingering ankle issue heal. In the five games that he has been out, the Lakers have turned to Jared Dudley to fill in as well as used small lineups featuring three and sometimes four guards.
Kuzma has yet to be fully healthy this season and when he has been on the floor, he has often struggled to find his place on the new-look Lakers. Can a hopefully healthy Kuzma get back to being the dynamic scorer that he was during his previous two seasons? And if so, does that take away the need for the Lakers to find more scoring punch off the bench on the trade or buyout markets?
Talen Horton-Tucker, who has been impressive in the G League with the South Bay Lakers, has been recalled to the Lakers and could conceivably see some minutes if James is indeed out of action.
Lane also dives into the team’s shooting problems, which became a major issue during their five-game road trip. As their three-point and free throw shooting plummetted, so too did their wins and offensive efficiency. Is there anything Vogel can do to generate better looks or do the players simply need to knock down shots?
Lane then wraps things up by taking questions from fans via live chat, which brings up a number of topics.