What's up everybody? Welcome into the Lakers Nation podcast. My name is Jeff Spiegel, filling in for

Trevor Lane during this All-Star break show as we look ahead to the second half. So we appreciate

you joining us, whether it's via YouTube, whether it's via the podcast itself. Thanks for joining us.

The plan for today is really, really simple. As we sort of sit in this few

day break between the first half of the season, second half of the season, I want to talk about

where the Lakers are at to start. I want to talk about kind of what are the big storylines that we've

got coming in the next couple of months. And then finally, we're going to end today's show with

some predictions from me.

This was supposed to be a two-person show, but it's just me. So apologies, if some of these

segments feel like they were supposed to be a back and forth. We're going to do our best.

And I appreciate the grace as you listen. But let's start with the question that I find to be a

very interesting one. As I'm evaluating the Lakers season, I try and ask myself

at various points throughout the season, how am I feeling about things? So if I had to pick one word

to describe the Lakers season thus far, what would it be? Now, if you're listening to this,

pause for a second and think to yourself, what would your word be? Are you encouraged? Are you

optimistic? Are you disappointed? Are you optimistic? Are you

optimistic? Where are you at? I'll give you my word. My word is actually not a positive one.

It's annoying. I've kind of been annoyed by what I've seen from the Lakers as far. That doesn't mean

I don't have hope. We're going to get to some predictions and some optimism here in a moment.

But this is a team that Trevor and I are doing the live post game show, the watch along on playback as they beat the Milwaukee Bucks one night. And then they lose to Cleveland and Toronto just a few

days later. They hang with Boston one night. They get smoked by the Kevin Durantless Nets, the very

next one. So that's frustrating to me.antless nets, the very next one.

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