The Los Angeles Lakers have dealt with more than their fair share of strange drama over the years, including Vladimir Radmonovic’s snowboarding injury, Jim Buss’ self-imposed deadline and of course, D’Angelo Russell‘s infamous video.
Now, Alex Caruso is dealing with the minor issue of a random drug test that might not be so random after all.
On this episode of the Lakers Nation Podcast, host Trevor Lane and guest Jas Kang discuss the bizarre story where a photoshopped picture of an extremely muscular Caruso started making the rounds and as he shared on Instagram, he suddenly received a random drug test notice from the NBA. Coincidence?
Additionally, Dwight Howard has been gearing up and getting ready for what could be the most important season of his career as he hopes to prove that he can still get the job done at the NBA level. We discuss why Howard could become a sympathetic figure to Lakers fans if he can produce on the floor despite all of the lingering feelings that exists stemming from his abrupt departure in 2013 NBA free agency.
Quinn Cook has also been posting workout footage, including one video that features him draining 25 three-point shots in a row. After playing a somewhat limited role for the Golden State Warriors during the 2018-19 NBA season, would it be out of the question for Cook to make a push for the team’s starting point guard spot?
His offensive capabilities certainly check a lot of boxes for a player who could be successful playing alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis thanks to his deadeye shooting and ability to operate out of the pick-and-roll in a pinch.
However, Cook’s defense — which was particularly poor last season — could prevent him from becoming the point guard the Lakers need and give a leg up to more well-rounded players like Caruso and Avery Bradley.
Lastly, Team USA currently has fans worried with an unimpressive performance at the 2019 FIBA World Cup against Turkey — a game in which they were incredibly fortunate to escape overtime with a win. What do their struggles and the mass exodus of top players tell us about the future of Team USA? Will they still experience issues convincing the best of the best to play in the 2020 Summer Olympics? And will Jayson Tatum‘s injury be a factor?
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