Can the Lakers Still Win With Luka Out? Plus, Could Reaves Become too Expensive?

The Lakers are in a bind, playing for at least a few more days without Luka Dončić, and for a lot more than that without LeBron James. But the hope for Wednesday in Minnesota at least is that the Lakers could get Marcus Smart and Jaxson Hayes back, which would make a huge difference against a Wolves squad missing Anthony Edwards. The Lakers are obviously getting a ton of production out of Austin Reaves (more on that in a moment), and that's just keeping them afloat. But while it's never good for this many guys to be out, are there any silver linings for the Lakers? Well, you can start with Deandre Ayton, who is getting a chance to assert himself aggressively in LA's offense, and the Lakers are getting a good feel for how Ayton best operates as an offensive weapon in the pick and roll. It's not all about finishing hard at the rim, for starters. And meanwhile, Jarred Vanderbilt is also getting a lot more burn than he otherwise might, which is significant because it means his body is healthy enough to handle it. If that trend holds over the course of the season, the Lakers can hopefully get the best version of Vando, and deploy him tactically without over-exposing him. Finally, an interesting observation from Sam Amick at The Athletic about soon-to-be-free agent Austin Reaves, and whether his scalding hot start represents a long term problem for the Lakers. Namely, does it potentially make AR too expensive, or drive up his value to the point the Lakers can't build around Luka with another guy absorbing that much cash. That's one way to think about it, but not the only way. HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky SEGMENT 1: The Lakers might get some help Wednesday in Minnesota. SEGMENT 2: Opportunities for Ayton and Vando. SEGMENT 3: Is Reaves playing too well? Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! DoorDash Next time someone goes off for 50, use promo code NBA50 the next day to get 50% off on DoorDash with DashPass — plus your shot at the Bag Drop. DashPass members only. 50% off up to $10 the day after a 50-point game with promo code. Terms apply. No Purchase Necessary. Ends April 13th. Open to U.S. residents 21 or older. Visit DoorDashInYourBag.com for full details. DoorDash — In your bag all season long. Quo See why over 90,000 businesses trust Quo, formerly OpenPhone. Get started free and get 20% off your first 6 months at https://www.Quo.com/LOCKEDONNBA . Rippling Get Rippling FREE for 6 months. Terms and conditions apply. See site for details: https://app.rippling.com/legal/promoterms Robinhood You expect more from yourself. Expect more from your money. Get started today at robinhood.com/yourmoney . Your money. Your move. All investments involve risk, including loss of principal. Options, futures, and crypto trading carry significant risk and may not suit all investors. Securities offered through Robinhood Financial LLC, member SIPC. Futures trading is offered by Robinhood Derivatives, LLC and not SPIC or FDIC protected. Crypto offered through Robinhood Crypto, LLC (NMLS ID 1702840), not FDIC or SIPC protected. Portfolio management offered by Robinhood Strategies, an SEC-registered advisor. Gametime Today's episode is brought to you by Gametime. Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONNBA for $20 off your first purchase. Terms and conditions apply. Peloton Let yourself run, lift, flex, and push forward. Explore the new Peloton Cross Training Tread+ today at https://www.onepeloton.com . Monarch Take control of your finances with Monarch Money. Use code LOCKEDONNBA at https://monarch.com/lockedonnba for 50% off your first year FanDuel Right now, new customers can bet just FIVE dollars and if your bet wins—you’ll get THREE HUNDRED dollars in bonus bets to use across the app. Download the FanDuel app now by visiting https://FanDuel.com 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) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.