It has been a tough go for the Lakers in the early going of the 2023-24 NBA season, no question. Huge chunks of the rotation have either been in and out of the lineup, or in the case of Gabe Vincent and Jared Vanderbilt, basically out. Austin Reaves got off to a terrible start before starting to right the ship, and now Anthony Davis is on the shelf with muscle spasms in his hip/groin area.

Meanwhile, the strength of schedule has been intense.

But Wednesday, the Lakers did something they haven't done all year, even with all the adversity — they didn't bother to show up. LA was flat from the get go, and never came close to competing on the same level as the Rockets, fell behind big early and didn't mount any type of challenge in an embarrassing 128-94 loss in Houston.

Save Rui Hachimura, who returned to the lineup after finally being released from the NBA's concussion protocol, the Lakers were awful. Christian Wood, starting in place of Davis had no points, and only took one shot. LeBron was absent defensively, loose with his passing and generally not sharp. D'Angelo Russell's final line looked ok, but most of it came in the third quarter after the Rockets had the game well in hand. Reaves was bad. And so on.

The Lakers are now 3-5 heading to Phoenix on Friday to face a Suns squad that might still be without Devin Booker, but will have Bradley Beal back in the lineup. They are dangerously close to putting themselves into the type of hole they spent all of last season trying to climb out of, in a Western Conference that is unlikely to do them the type of favors it did last season.

It's not time to panic. It's easy to reconcile the record with the context. But the fact of the matter is the Lakers need to find ways to win games even with players missing, and at the very least, they have to put out an effort that far exceeds what everyone saw on Wednesday.

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky

SEGMENT 1: The Lakers get stomped in Houston.

SEGMENT 2: Is Anthony Davis going to miss more time?

SEGMENT 3: When should Lakers fans get nervous? Plus, Rui re-enters the lineup!

Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!

eBay Motors

For parts that fit, head to eBay Motors and look for the green check. Stay in the game with eBay Guaranteed Fit at eBayMotos.com. Let’s ride. eBay Guaranteed Fit only available to US customers. Eligible items only. Exclusions apply.

Jase Medical

Get $20 off these lifesaving antibiotics with Jase Medical by using code LOCKEDON at checkout on jasemedical.com.

PrizePicks

Go to PrizePicks.com/lockedonnba and use code lockedonnba for a first deposit match up to $100!

Gametime

Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONNBA for $20 off your first purchase.

FanDuel

Score early this NFL season with FanDuel, America’s Number One Sportsbook! Right now, NEW customers get ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS in BONUS BETS with any winning FIVE DOLLAR MONEYLINE BET! That’s A HUNDRED AND FIFTY BUCKS – if your team wins! Visit FanDuel.com/LOCKEDON to get started.

FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices