Can the Lakers Thrive Without LeBron? Ja Trade Buzz, Wemby’s Counters & the NBA’s New Offense

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Finding The Seams

Ric Bucher

6 episodes

3 days ago

Finding The Seams is the only weekly basketball podcast that focusses on the jump from college to the pros and from NBA roster spot to stardom — what it takes, how it’s done and who is ready to make it. Your hosts, longtime basketball analyst Ric Bucher and NBA champion Brendan Haywood, will tell you which college players have NBA potential and dive into the battles on every NBA team that decide who gets run and who is on the bench waving a towel.

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All content for Finding The Seams is the property of Ric Bucher and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

News

Education,

Sports

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Can the Lakers Thrive Without LeBron? Ja Trade Buzz, Wemby’s Counters & the NBA’s New Offense

Finding The Seams

57 minutes 50 seconds

3 days ago

Can the Lakers Thrive Without LeBron? Ja Trade Buzz, Wemby’s Counters & the NBA’s New Offense

Ric Bucher and Brendan Haywood get spicy on Finding The Seams: how the Los Angeles Lakers should (and shouldn’t) re-integrate LeBron James alongside Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura; why defense—not touches—will be JJ Redick’s biggest headache; whether Ja Morant is salvageable in Memphis and real landing spots; and how teams are already throwing exotic schemes at Victor Wembanyama—with BWood breaking down the exact counters bigs need when smaller defenders front and crowd the lane. Plus: why international stars (Jokić, Wemby, Luka) keep trending up, the league’s shift from iso to motion-and-depth, and what it really takes to win in May.

Chapter Guide / Timestamps

00:00 – Intro & What This Show Covers
College-to-pro jump, bench-to-starter battles, and why this week revolves around the Lakers.
01:05 – Lakers Without LeBron: Keep the Flow or Reset the Hierarchy?
Austin Reaves’ rise, Luka’s control, Rui’s fit, and why any ball-dominant star (even LeBron) changes the ecosystem.
06:40 – The Real Problem: Defense with LeBron, Luka & Reaves
Playoff matchups, who guards elite wings/guards, and why lineups need two-way answers.
12:10 – LeBron’s Bench Demeanor: Message or Nothing?
Reading the body language and what it may signal about the integration plan.
16:45 – Reinserting Stars 101
Linsanity vs. Melo, Philly’s guard-centric surge with Embiid ramping, and hard-earned lessons from the locker room.
22:00 – Copycat League? Motion, Depth & Smaller Usage
Are teams overcorrecting from iso-ball? Why some stars must cook for your system to scale in the playoffs.
29:15 – The Ja Morant Question
Salvageable or time to split? Organizational guardrails, market realities, and fits (Wolves, Heat, Rockets, more).
36:20 – U.S. vs. International Development
How habits, maturity and focus show up on the floor; why Ant & Tatum are the U.S. counters that do get it.
44:00 – Wemby’s Growing Pains (and Wins)
Phoenix/Lakers coverages, elbow touches, San Antonio’s spacing, and why these early puzzles are gold.
49:10 – How Bigs Beat Smalls Fronting the Post
Run-and-seal, weak-side timing, cutters/screens, and forcing the help into lose-lose decisions.
54:30 – Why Teams Are Showing Schemes Early
Special players draw special defenses; coaches testing A/B/C/D plans now to bank data for May.
58:40 – Is Wemby Already “Elite-Elite”?
The two-way package, offensive ceiling still to come, foul-drawing, and the Denver/OKC context. Tease: Bronny talk next episode.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.