With the regular season about 24 hours from launching, there's been a lot of talk about the Lakers' 0-6 preseason, what could be the explanation(s), and whether those goose eggs even matter. (Plus, how best to go about actually winning some games once they count.)
As far as explanations go, it's worth noting the Lakers aren't just fitting together a ton of new faces. They're doing so while implementing an offense that even holdovers LeBron James and Anthony Davis don't entirely know yet. Frank Vogel described it as "intelligent movement through randomness," a very Radiohead-esque way of saying there will be a lot of motion and cutting. Does it make sense to add "learn a different way of playing" to the plate of a roster that's already lacking continuity? In the Kamenetzkys' estimation, it certainly could.
As far as winning games goes, who starts will obviously play a role in success. Two slots remain in question, and the answers will come via a committee of Vogel, the front office... and the team captains. This feels like an extension of the role Davis and especially LeBron, by all accounts, play in decisions around the franchise. Is this a good idea?
In the meantime, the Kamenetzkys have lobbied for Kent Bazemore in the first five, but when asked whether he's earned the spot, Bazemore gave himself a lukewarm endorsement. It's a very stark contrast to last season, when Dennis Schröder declared himself the starting point guard during his introductory presser, and indicative of the overarching selflessness (so far) of this championship-focused team.
And finally, what does the 0-6 preseason really mean? ESPN NBA data guru Kevin Pelton has thoughts, and the Kamenetzkys have thoughts on his thoughts.
Hosts: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky
SEGMENT 1: How will the Lakers' new offense work, and why did they decide to start something new in the first place?
SEGMENT 2: The collaborative process of deciding a starting lineup (which may or may not include Bazemore).
SEGMENT 3: From a data and historical perspective, does the Lakers' 0-6 preseason actually matter?
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