Monday was Media Day across the NBA, and in El Segundo there where plenty of open questions that were addressed, at least a little, as every Lakers player took a turn at the podium to answer questions.
A few themes emerged...
LeBron James said his Olympic experience was valuable on multiple fronts. First, it reminded him of the feeling that comes with playing truly consequential games for ultimate prizes, and that was something he clearly enjoyed. From there, James said the experience of playing with the Team USA crew, including a lot of young players like Anthony Edwards, was an invigorating experience, one that's continued moving into camp as he has the chance to practice with his son. Put it all together, and the whole deal was a reminder not just that he could still play, but that he has a lot -- a lot -- left in the tank. This isn't a guy who thinks he'll need to hang it up anytime soon, if he doesn't want to.
Anthony Davis, meanwhile, talked about the potential for internal improvement with these Lakers, and the capacity to be better than people might expect. He too seemed to appreciate what it meant to play with Team USA and have the type of impact he did. It's clear, as well, that while he fully believes he'll never win a Defensive Player of the Year award, he wants to make the slight so obvious that the voters will cast their ballots with a sense of real shame.
D'Angelo Russell? He's a huge fan of JJ Redick, and at the risk of speculating beyond his words... is a bigger fan than he was of Darvin Ham. An appreciation of Redick in these early days was a common theme among the players. They praised his communication, organization and attention to detail, and while the intention wasn't explicitly to disparage the previous regime, it's easy to be left with the impression that a few of the players at least didn't mind of that's where the mind of the listener went.
Russell said this year he's really hoping to tighten things up and gain the trust of Redick, which has to happen on the defensive end first and foremost. That means paying attention to detail, and more broadly making sure that he's always a positive influence and providing constructive energy, something he admitted hasn't always been the case through his career.
And the injuries! Christian Wood? Very optimistic! Jarred Vanderbilt? Seemed... less so.
Plenty to highlight on a busy day for the Lakers.
HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky
SEGMENT 1: The Lakers kick off the season with Media Day, and LeBron says he's got a lot left.
SEGMENT 2: Good early reviews for Redick.
SEGMENT 3: Candid D'Lo...
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