Because the Lakers are fairly set heading into the 2023-24 season - the primary members of the rotation are more or less set, there are no big controversies, no huge position battles - fans are intensely curious about the one big thing that isn't yet settled: Who's gonna start at small forward? Darvin Ham, not surprisingly, hasn't yet committed to answering that question - they haven't even had three practices or played a preseason game - but different players are getting a chance to audition for that spot. Jarred Vanderbilt, Taurean Prince and Rui Hachimura will all get reps with the named starters (Russell, Reaves, James, Davis). Ham's decision will probably be less about who "wins", and rather which player makes the most sense with that group, and how the choice impacts the rest of the rotation. Which combinations in the second unit would make the most sense? Well, you can't always put those together as easily if one of those dudes is a starter. The good news? Nobody in that crew is going to complain if they're not in the opening five. Hachimura has already made it clear he's much more concerned about finishing games than starting them. Other things to watch: Anthony Davis. His jumper has been receiving a fair amount of attention, with Reaves praising it on one of the many, many podcasts on which he's appeared. The perception is that Davis's outside game has fallen off over the last couple of seasons... but is that really the case? 3-point shooting, for sure, but is that the only thing that matters? Does it really matter anymore if Davis stretches a defense all the way past the arc? It seems like he's a lot less interested in that part of his game, based on shot attempts over the last few seasons. Finally, Denver head coach Michael Malone said Wednesday that he's not paying attention to the Lakers, and hasn't heard what players have been saying about having a little extra interest and motivation to play his Nuggets following all the post-playoffs chatter this summer. From Denver. Mostly from Malone. He was very complimentary towards the Lakers... but is he really being serious? Just another reminder, whether talking about the Lakers or other teams, never ever expect the things they say to motivate their team, frame the challenge or anything similar to actually reflect reality. That's not how this works. HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky SEGMENT 1: Who is going to start at small forward? SEGMENT 2: What are the tradeoffs Ham is balancing? SEGMENT 3: AD's jumper and Mike Malone's amnesia. Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Ibotta Ibotta gives you cash back on hundreds of grocery items from produce to personal care to pantry goods, so you can make sure you’re beating inflation no matter what you’re purchasing! Go to the App Store or Google Play store and download the FREE Ibotta app and use code locked. Gametime Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONNBA for $20 off your first purchase. Birddogs Go to birddogs.com/LOCKEDONNBA or enter promo code LOCKEDONNBA for a free water bottle with any purchase. You won’t want to take your birddogs off we promise you. FanDuel This episode is brought to you by FanDuel Sportsbook, Official Sportsbook of Locked On. Right now, NEW customers can bet FIVE DOLLARS and get TWO HUNDRED in BONUS BETS - GUARANTEED. Visit FanDuel.com/LOCKEDON 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