The Lakers Continue Hiring in the Basketball Department. Plus, Where do They Fit Out West?

Last week, the big news for the Lakers was an assistant GM, but the team didn't stop there. On Friday, the squad also filled out the sports science staff, adding Keith D'Amelio as their new sports performance guy. (Director of Integrated Performance Systems, technically speaking.)

This isn't necessarily a *new* new position—the Lakers have struggled for years to maintain a consistent sports medicine and sports performance department (the evolution of the training/sports science/performance space is a story in itself...). D'Amelio appears to be a new cog in that machine. But it still feels like they're building it out, and hopefully this hire can bring some stability to this part of their operation. Because it's a big factor in how free agents, when presented with opportunities to choose between good franchises, ultimately make decisions.

Jeanie Buss meanwhile is representing the Lakers at league meetings, which shouldn't surprise anyone. It's obviously too quick for the Lakers ownership to get a vote from the rest of the league. Josh Kushner still needs to sell his shares of the Miami Heat, and reports suggest the group still needs to add a few more investors. So when will the league be ready to go here? Hard to say, but given that the Lakers can't for a variety of reasons make many big personnel moves for a few months (we explain) and that they seem to be carrying on with hiring, it's not such a big deal.

Finally, ESPN is again previewing the West. The Lakers are bunched in with last year's 3-6 teams, in the "flawed" W.C. contenders category. Fair?

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky

SEGMENT 1: More hires in the basketball department!

SEGMENT 2: The Lakers are still repped by Jeanie, which is fine!

SEGMENT 3: "Flawed" is fair?

Photo Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

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