LeBron James and Anthony Davis have the potential to be a formidable duo, despite last year's disaster. That is, of course, if both stay healthy and especially if Davis is an All Star (which is good... but not good enough) or an All-NBA caliber player. Someone in the MVP conversation. That's what the Lakers need, of course, to have a chance. Can all that stuff happen? That's one question asked to The Athletic and Bleacher Report's Mo Dakhil in Part 2 of his appearance. In a conference filled with stars, where does LA's Big 2 stand? From there, it's a look at how the hell the Lakers find themselves in this position, anyway. How did the team go from winning a title in 2020 to missing the playoffs in 2022 and being a massive, massive question mark for the 2023 postseason. What is it about their approach/work that has led everyone here? And what about the rest of the supporting cast? Even if the Lakers can squeeze what they want from LeBron and Davis, is the rest of the roster, 3-14, anywhere near other playoff contenders? (Spoiler alert: No, it is not.) How much does a deficit in that space make a difference, not in the playoffs necessarily - cross that bridge when you get there - but the regular season? Particularly on a team where the ideal situation for winning games would be doing it while giving as much rest to their stars as possible? HOSTS: Brian Kamenetzky, with Guest Mo Dakhil! SEGMENT 1: Rank the Lakers among the teams in the Western Conference. How many are above them? Where do they rank compared to less glamorous teams like New Orleans? Could (gasp!) Sacramento have more talent, overall? SEGMENT 2: Can LeBron and Davis be the best pair in the West? If so, what does that mean? SEGMENT 3: What about the supporting cast? Even if LeBron and AD are the best, where does the rest of the roster stack up with contenders? And what does a weak supporting cast mean in the regular season? 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 “LOCKED15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order. BetOnline BetOnline.net has you covered this season with more props, odds and lines than ever before. BetOnline – Where The Game Starts! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices