The Lakers won in dominating fashion on Monday night, beating the Warriors in all facets of the game. Pete, Darius, and Mike breakdown the win, looking specifically at the team's mental engagement and the performance of the bench by highlighting Kyle Kuzma's all-around performance and the growth he's showing this year. Then later, the guys discuss KCP's strong game and why his effort and focus are so important to his individual performance and can serve as a barometer for how well the Lakers are playing.

The Lakers came out of the All-Star break with a grind-it-out win over the Pacers, showing an adaptability down the stretch to seal the victory. Pete, Darius, and Mike use Montrezl Harrell's play as a jumping off point to discuss the win and how some of the defensive questions about him were answered with tweaks that enhanced his effectiveness to help get the win. Later in the pod the guys talk about the Lakers halfcourt offense and how that same sort of adaptability can help in the short term with AD out and what it can mean for the full group once AD returns.

With the Lakers heading into the All-Star break and the first half of the season concluded, Pete, Mike, and Darius discuss some of their big picture takeaways from the team's first 37 games. From Dennis Schröder's positive impact on both ends of the floor to Anthony Davis' injury, the guys dive into the highs and lows to this point in the season and what it all could mean moving forward.

The Lakers got back to their winning ways over the weekend with strong showings against the Blazers and Warriors. Pete, Darius, and Mike broke down what drove those wins, focusing on LeBron's defensive engagement and Dennis Schröder's return helping to jumpstart the team's offense and, in turn, energizing LeBron. Later in the pod the guys talk more about the team's shift in defensive aggressiveness and how that propels the Lakers transition game.

With Anthony Davis out, the Lakers center rotation of Marc Gasol and Montrezl Harrell must take on even larger roles on both sides of the ball. Through the prism of the game vs. the Jazz, Pete, Mike, and Darius look at what's working and what's not with both players and discuss some potential ways Frank Vogel can account for some of each players' limitations to optimize them until Anthony Davis returns and beyond.

The remainder of the Lakers regular season schedule has been released and Pete, Mike, and Darius are here to break it all down. From the potential to come out of the All-Star break strong to the 7-game road trip that defines April to the back-to-back heavy May, the guys offer their thoughts on what stands out and what approach the team may take down the stretch as they prepare for the playoffs.

The Lakers dropped their 2nd straight game, falling to the Heat in a Finals rematch that saw both teams compete hard but struggle offensively. Pete, Mike, and Darius break down the game, focusing on some of the progress the Lakers made defensively and how some of their tweaks offensively worked and where they still fell short. Later, the guys debate more changes that can be made to improve the offense and then forecast the 2nd half of the schedule and whether the losses that the team is suffering now will impact the push for a good seed come playoff time. Submit your Blue Wire Hustle application here: http://bwhustle.com/join

With Anthony Davis already out injured, losing Dennis Schröder to the NBA's health and safety protocols shortly before the game proved a bridge too far for the Lakers, who fell to the Nets on Thursday night. Pete, Darius, and Mike discuss what went wrong for the team defensively in the loss, while also offering some potential silver linings for future matchups vs. Brooklyn. Later, the guys talk about the team's offensive woes without both AD and Schröder, and brainstorm ways for the team to get productivity on that end of the floor in non-LeBron minutes for the upcoming stretch of games before the All-Star break.

There is no "replacing" Anthony Davis, but the Lakers are going to need to try to do just that with him out injured through at least the All-Star break. Pete, Darius, and Mike explore what steps the team can take with AD out, using the win over the Timberwolves as a template for success and looking specifically at Marc Gasol, KCP, and Markieff Morris as key players in this upcoming stretch of games. Later, the guys talk about Thursday's matchup vs. the Nets and how they see that game shaking out.

With a revamped roster around LeBron and Anthony Davis, the Lakers half-court offense is structurally different this season compared to last. Pete, Mike, and Darius dive into one of the key changes this season by examining the team's dribble penetration, and more specifically, how Dennis Schröder's integration to the offense is going and how his specific strength of attacking the basket fit into the Lakers half-court approach. The guys also highlight how Marc Gasol's passing and how Talen Horton-Tucker's driving ability impact the team's heavy focus on attacking the paint.

In their second straight overtime game, the Lakers pulled out a win over the Thunder while Anthony Davis and Alex Caruso sat out with injury. Pete, Darius, and Mike breakdown how, after being thrust back into the rotation after not playing for 4 games, Wes Matthews stepped up to help the Lakers win the game and how these minutes reaffirm the team's depth. Then later, the guys talk about LeBron's big minutes in recent games and striking the right balance between ensuring he's not being overburdened with how important getting reps with him are for the team's new additions.

The Lakers are 1/3 of the way through the regular season after an ugly win against Detroit on Saturday night. In this episode, Pete, Darius & Mike review the team's performance vs. their expectations, and look at the rest of Western Conference through a similar lens.

Pete, Mike and Darius discuss the Lakers' dominant second half performance in their 114-93 win over the Denver Nuggets, areas where the team can continue to improve on offense, and give props to THT, Kuz, and Trezz.

The Lakers wrapped up their 7 game road trip with a 5-2 record and win over the Hawks on Monday. Pete, Mike, and Darius discuss the win through the lens of Frank Vogel's rotation decisions and the lift the team is getting from a newly formed group of playmakers and hustle guys flanking LeBron. Later in the pod the guys preview the Nets/Clippers matchup, giving their thoughts on both teams and how they look as contenders in comparison to each other and the Lakers.

oh, the celtics lost?...

Are the Lakers too reliant on LeBron James? Is there any way to muster joy while playing in your 5th city in a 7 game road trip on the 2nd night of a back to back while in a pandemic? How can the team get Dennis Schröder back on track? Should Frank Vogel tweak the rotation? Pete, Mike, and Darius tried to tackle these questions, and more, as they reflect on the Lakers' back to back losses against the 76ers and, in their worst game of the season, the Pistons on Thursday night.

The Lakers kept their undefeated road record intact with a win over the Cavs on Monday night. Pete, Mike, and Darius discuss the win, focusing on LeBron James' 46 point scoring outburst and his dominant 4th quarter to close out the game. Later, the guys show more appreciation for LeBron's season so far and discuss the upcoming game vs. the 76ers, including breaking down some of the matchup questions around how the team matches up with Joel Embiid.

The Lakers moved to 9-0 on the road in a beatdown of the Bulls that was not as close as the final score implied. Pete, Mike, and Darius breakdown the win, focusing on AD's two-way dominance and the bench unit's 4th quarter defense that closed the door on the Bulls after their 3rd quarter rally. Then later, the guys discuss Alex Caruso's standing in the rotation and Dennis Schröder finding his footing on a title contender while playing next to stars like LeBron and AD.

The Lakers didn't play their best basketball, but still kept the Bucks at arm's length in the 4th quarter to win fairly comfortably in Milwaukee, moving their undefeated record on the road to 8-0. Pete, Mike, and Darius discuss the win and explore questions about the team's defensive identity and the job Frank Vogel is doing in getting his team on track to win games even when they're not at their best. Later, the guys dive into the Lakers hot shooting from beyond the arc and discuss whether they think it is sustainable.

The Lakers lost in frustrating fashion to the Warriors on Monday night, ending their 5 game winning streak in the process. Should we be concerned? In the aftermath of the game Pete, Darius, and Mike put the performance into context and debate their differing takeaways, discussing how much it reflects a more common occurrence for a team coming off a title vs. something that should be looked at with more introspection and seriousness.

Heading into Monday's matchup with the Warriors, the Lakers boast the NBA's best record and are riding a 5 game winning streak. But the schedule is about to get more difficult, so Pete, Darius, and Mike break down the upcoming stretch of games and what they hope to see from the team during that stretch. Then later, the guys get into the improvements they've seen from the Lakers role players of late, highlighting Alex Caruso and Montrezl Harrell. They close the pod with their thoughts on the Warriors game and what they're most looking forward to in that game.

The Brooklyn Nets have acquired James Harden, giving them three of the best scorers in the NBA, but leaving questions elsewhere on the roster. In this episode, Pete, Darius, and Mike discuss their new dynamic, how they match up with the Lakers, and where they rank amongst Eastern Conference contenders.

The Lakers took down the Rockets again, sweeping the two game set in Houston and moving to 6-0 on the road this year. Pete, Mike, and Darius break down the importance of the Lakers ramping up their level of play these two games and how much should be taken away from the wins considering the Rockets current level of disarray. Later, the guys discuss some of lineups Frank Vogel has been deploying by looking closer at an approach with Bron and AD that, though much different from last season, has proven successful so far.

The Lakers played one of their most complete games of the season on both sides of the ball to completely dominate the Rockets in what Frank Vogel called an "identity win". Pete, Mike, and Darius dive into what they saw, focusing on Anthony Davis backing up his calls for more defensive effort and how KCP's return to the lineup really gave the team a spark in transition. Then later, the guys discuss Talen Horton-Tucker's strong performance and show Montezl Harrell some love for his strong play of late.

The Lakers suffered a loss that had been in the making for a week, when their lackluster effort and defensive miscues finally caught up with them against the Spurs on Thursday night. Pete, Darius, and Mike discuss what went wrong in the game, using Anthony Davis' comments about the team needing better defensive effort and execution as a jumping off point for their talk. Then later, the guys get into the events that took place in Washington this week, including reactions from around the NBA and what role those of us in media and with platforms have in helping to bring about positive change.