The Lakers are on the outside looking in, with Golden State vs. Dallas in the Western Conference Finals, and Phoenix and Memphis, the top two seeds, knocked out. So does that mean there are no dominant teams in the Western Conference? Or a ton of excellent teams? Are there really one or two teams the Lakers need to catch, or is it a matter of leapfrogging six or seven legit contender-quality teams? Just how capable are the Lakers of making up that gap in an offseason where they have no margin for error? Now does it frame the disappointment of this season? How does all of that impact the future of LeBron James?

That's all on the table with Daman Rangoola, a fixture of NBA social media (@damanr) and a favorite of Lakers-centric Twitter, in the first of two, TWO!, episodes.

So should Lakers fans, and the Lakers organization, be at all encouraged by how the playoffs have shaken out? What does it reveal, both about the quality of the conference and the different ways winning teams can be constructed in today's NBA? The Lakers have limited options going forward, and have to nail whatever path they take... so what path should they take?

Especially as it relates to LeBron James?

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky, with guest Daman Rangoola!

SEGMENT 1: What have the Western Conference playoffs revealed about where the Lakers stand relative to the rest of the teams?

SEGMENT 2: How the remaining teams, particularly the Dallas Mavericks, show there are different templates to win, as long as you commit to a real, cohesive plan and execute well.

SEGMENT 3: How does the "Take Care of Your Stars" ethos help and hurt the Lakers, and how does it impact LeBron and their relationship?

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