The Lakers are faced with a genuine Catch-22. They may not be able to make the playoffs without pushing Anthony Davis and LeBron James past safe limits of physical output, but if the org pushes them past those limits either or both are likely to get hurt, in which case they'll miss the playoffs. This was the issue facing the Lakers Monday in Brooklyn, where both James and Davis sat the front end of a back-to-back following Saturday's epic OT loss to Boston. The hope was that maintenance was the driving force behind keeping both in street clothes, and in the case of Davis it probably was. But Monday we learned that LeBron is battling a foot problem that put a fresh spin on his absence. And Lakers coach Darvin Ham wouldn't say if James will play tonight against the Knicks at the Garden. He said they didn't want to get ahead of themselves. That's not going to make Lakers fans feel better! Because if there's no real injury problem here, the answer to "Is LeBron James going to suit up to play at Madison Square Garden?" is YES!!! (Gulp...) Fans are asking, at this point, can the Lakers even afford to take these scheduled losses? The answer is complicated in some ways, and definitely gets into all the things that plague the Lakers roster right now. They've been surprisingly competitive, they play really hard, they don't give up on games. It's actually a likable bunch, especially if you happen to be a Russell Westbrook fan (because then you're not upset by his presence). But these Lakers also require Davis and James to be 1st Team All-NBA caliber, or their hopes are essentially sunk. And as much as anything, fans seem like they're getting tired. Exhausted with a team and a season that seems to pull the football away whenever it seems ready to be kicked. With a coach whose decisions can be confusing and a front office that doesn't inspire confidence. So what's next? And meanwhile, how into the idea of celebrating Russell Westbrook's career achievements are fans? Not all that much, we learned, on a night where Westbrook moved into the top 10 all time in assists. Meanwhile, he's pushing the top 30 for points, too. That's a combo only Oscar Robertson and LeBron have achieved. HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky SEGMENT 1: LeBron has a foot problem. What do the Lakers do with that information? SEGMENT 2: Frustration is building among fans for a season where there seems to be a hard wall keeping the Lakers from climbing out of their hole. SEGMENT 3: Let's talk about Russ and winning. The whole career, not this year. Or last. Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Built Bar Built Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKEDON15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order. PrizePicks First time users can receive a 100% instant deposit match up to $100 with promo code LOCKEDON. That’s PrizePicks.com – promo code; LOCKEDON LinkedIn LinkedIn Jobs helps you find the qualified candidates you want to talk to, faster. Post your job for free at LinkedIn.com/LOCKEDONNBA TurboTax Come to TurboTax and don’t do your taxes. Visit TurboTax.com to learn more. FanDuel Make Every Moment More. Place your first FIVE DOLLAR bet to get ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS in Free Bets – win or lose! Visit Fanduel.com/LockedOn today 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