Jeanie Buss TAKING SHOTS at Anthony Davis? Plus, Lakers and Jaxson Hayes Thriving!
Digest
This podcast episode dissects the Los Angeles Lakers' recent moves, beginning with Jeannie Buss's comments on Anthony Davis's trade to the Dallas Mavericks. The hosts debate whether Davis actively sought a trade due to unhappiness with his role or other factors. They then analyze Jackson Hayes's surprisingly strong performance, discussing whether his success is solely attributable to Luka Dončić's presence and the impact of his clearly defined role. Listener questions regarding the playoff eligibility of Jordan Goodwin and Trey Jemisin are addressed, explaining the Lakers' financial options and incentives related to converting their two-way contracts. Finally, the episode concludes with praise for the Lakers' coaching staff's ability to define roles and maximize player potential, particularly highlighting Jackson Hayes's development. The overall discussion touches upon the Lakers' long-term strategy and the implications of their recent decisions.
Outlines
Anthony Davis Trade and Lakers' Future
Discussion of Jeannie Buss's comments on the Anthony Davis trade, exploring the reasons behind the trade and its implications for the Lakers' future, including the debate on whether Davis "complained his way out."
Jackson Hayes's Success and Role Definition
Analysis of Jackson Hayes's strong performance, his role within the team, and the impact of Luka Dončić's presence on his success. Includes discussion of the Lakers' coaching staff's role in maximizing player potential.
Goodwin and Jemisin's Playoff Eligibility
Answers listener questions about the playoff eligibility of Jordan Goodwin and Trey Jemisin, explaining the Lakers' options for converting their two-way contracts and the associated financial considerations.
Keywords
Anthony Davis Trade
The unexpected trade of Anthony Davis, fueled by speculation about his unhappiness and the Lakers' long-term plans.
Jackson Hayes
A Los Angeles Lakers center who has exceeded expectations due to a clearly defined role and consistent performance.
Two-Way Contract Conversion
The process of converting two-way contracts to standard NBA contracts, impacting Jordan Goodwin and Trey Jemisin's playoff eligibility.
Lakers' Long-Term Strategy
The Lakers' approach to roster building, considering the aging of key players and the balance between short-term success and long-term sustainability.
Jeannie Buss
The Los Angeles Lakers' owner and president, whose comments on the Anthony Davis trade sparked discussion and analysis.
Luka Dončić
The impact of Luka Dončić's presence on the performance of Jackson Hayes and the Lakers' overall strategy.
Lakers Coaching Staff
The effectiveness of the Lakers' coaching staff in defining player roles and maximizing player strengths.
Q&A
Did Anthony Davis force his way out of Los Angeles?
Jeannie Buss's comments hinted at Davis's unhappiness, but the hosts debate whether this was about his position or a desire to leave the Lakers entirely. The trade was likely influenced by Luka Dončić's availability.
How has Jackson Hayes performed recently, and what is his role on the team?
Hayes has shown significant improvement, particularly around the rim. His clearly defined role allows him to thrive without being asked to do too much. His performance is discussed in relation to Luka Dončić's presence.
Will Jordan Goodwin and Trey Jemisin be playoff eligible for the Lakers?
Yes, the Lakers have the cap space to convert their two-way contracts, but there's no immediate incentive due to luxury tax implications.
What is the overall assessment of the Lakers' front office's handling of the Anthony Davis situation?
The hosts express mixed opinions. While the Lakers generally handle player departures well, Jeannie Buss's comments were seen by some as unnecessarily critical of Davis. There's also debate about the long-term strategic thinking behind the moves.
Show Notes
If the Lakers do one thing well, it's play the PR game around their stars, whether current or former.
So it was surprising to see Lakers owner Jeanie Buss, in an interview with NPR, seemingly take shots at Anthony Davis when asked about the trade that sent him to Dallas for Luka Dončić.
"We gave up a lot to get Luka Dončić. We're happy we have him... Anthony Davis was complaining about where he was being played and he wasn't happy. So I think this was a positive for both teams. They got what they were looking for; we got what we were looking for. And I didn't realize it was going to be international news like it was, but that's the power of the Laker brand and its ability to draw big names who want to write their own chapter in Lakers history."
On the one hand, the Lakers did AD right with a great tribute video when the Mavs came to town last month. And Jeanie's comments point to frustration the organization certainly had with the yearly reiteration from Davis that he preferred to play power forward, not center. They likely didn't appreciate him telling Shams and ESPN that the Lakers needed to get another center. They almost surely were nervous about having to pay him like an All-NBA player deep into his 30s, as all teams are now with players aging out of their primes, especially when those players have a history of injury.
And its easy to wonder if Jeanie really intended to bad mouth Davis (as opposed to Nico Harrison, who made it VERY clear he intended to badmouth Luka). Still... her comments weren't great. Davis wasn't trying to push his way out of LA. He didn't create any ultimatums—find me a center or trade me. He played hard, and through injury. To imply otherwise by saying he wasn't happy and got what he wanted is disingenuous and unfair. To imply in as she did—that's the power of the Laker brand and its ability to draw big names who want to write their own chapter in Lakers history"—that Davis wasn't quite able to hack it here isn't fair either. Davis forced his way here, and by all accounts was expecting to be here along while longer. To imply Luka was drawn here because he wants to write his own chapter in Lakers history, as if he had any role in choosing LA as a destination (and is, therefore, True Lakers Material) is "Lakers Exceptionalism" at its worst.
Again, there's a good chance Jeanie was just trying to put a positive spin on things, and avoid any discomfort by trying to frame this as a win/win that had everyone on board. But either way, her comments got some attention.
HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky
SEGMENT 1: Did Jeanie dump on AD on purpose?
SEGMENT 2: Whether she meant it or not, Jeanie didn't cover herself in glory, here.
SEGMENT 3: In praise of Jaxson Hayes!
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