The Lakers are going to be shorthanded tonight in Phoenix against the Suns, the question is just by how much. Jared Vanderbilt and Gabe Vincent are out. Anthony Davis and Jaxson Hayes are questionable. Meanwhile, Phoenix might have their Big Three on the floor together for the first time this season, if Devin Booker can return to the lineup (it's a possibility) and Bradley Beal, who made his season debut on Wednesday, doesn't suffer a setback.

So winning tonight could be a tall order.

But at the very least, the Lakers need to bring much more energy and effort than they did Wednesday in Houston. That, at least, is something they can control.

Meanwhile, the numbers offensively for the Lakers are genuinely awful. Like, basically across the board. They're the worst 3-point shooting team in the NBA, thanks in large part to poor work to this point from LeBron James, D'Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves. They're among the worst offensive rebounding teams in the league. They're a historically bad first quarter team through eight games. They're middle of the road forcing turnovers and on the defensive glass, which makes it hard to get out into transition. The Lakers are good, but not great, at getting to the line.

No surprise they're at the bottom of the league in offensive rating.

So what can they fix, and how fast? How many problems are related to injuries and lack of continuity, and how much is baked into the cake?

And how much do they miss Dennis Schroder?

So many questions for a Friday.

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky

SEGMENT 1: The Lakers are slumping, and need a win in a big way.

SEGMENT 2: How much do they miss Schroder? Why are the offensive numbers so bad?

SEGMENT 3: What is injury related, and what's reflective of the roster, broadly?

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