A Blog devoted to Lakers News, Commentary, and Analysis
Despite having a 20-point advantage at one point, the Lakers were down by one late in Sunday’s game against the Suns thanks to Dillon Brooks hitting a 3-pointer with just 12.2 seconds left. With Brooks being his typical villain self, he made another bone-headed play by unnecessarily bumping LeBron James to not only put the […]
about 2 months ago | 4 reads
Jarred Vanderbilt has had quite a time with the Lakers. He’s had highs like the 2022-23 season, where he was an integral part of a team that reached the Western Conference Finals. Then came bad luck with injuries, which have limited his availability over the last two years. Now that he’s healthy, he has been […]
about 2 months ago | 2 reads
When the moment calls for it, head coach JJ Redick won’t shy away from telling it how it is. Typically, he won’t do it in the media, but behind closed doors, he’ll say what needs to be said. After a couple of embarrassing, repetitive losses early this season, culminating in a convincing loss to the […]
about 2 months ago | 3 reads
Given the absurdity of the contest and the number of whistles, it was a given that the Last Two Minute report for Sunday’s Lakers-Suns game would include some errors. It was also a given that it would heavily include Dillon Brooks. Both turned out to be true. The league admitted two mistakes in the report, […]
about 2 months ago | 2 reads
For years, December 15 has been an important date for basketball sickos. It marks the unofficial start of the NBA’s trade season and makes so many of those failed deals in the trade machine get the green checkmark now. The Lakers’ glaring needs on their roster will make them a frequent name in trade rumors, […]
about 2 months ago | 5 reads
By hook or by crook, Dillon Brooks was going to make LeBron James acknowledge him in Sunday’s game between the Lakers and Suns. Consider it mission accomplished unsuccessfully. In the most Dillon Brooks sequence imaginable, a game-winner turned into an ejection that eventually led to a Lakers win. It also included multiple altercations between the […]
about 2 months ago | 4 reads
It wasn’t a pretty win, but the Lakers were able to come out on top against the Suns on the road. At one point, LA led by as many as 20 points, but almost blew it in the fourth with silly fouls, bad turnovers and poor overall shooting. However, some clutch free throws from Marcus […]
about 2 months ago | 3 reads
In one of the most bonkers games of the season, the Lakers survived a wild ending against the Suns to earn a 116-114 win on Sunday. Dillon Brooks hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with roughly 12 seconds remaining, but immediately got himself ejected. LeBron James made it interesting late as he missed the technical, but was […]
about 2 months ago | 3 reads
The Lakers have an obvious need on their roster for perimeter athleticism, speed and defense. Or, put more simply, a 3-and-D wing. However, every NBA team is searching for 3-and-D wings, especially during the season. No team is ever particularly satisfied with the number of 3-and-D wings on their roster and is always looking to […]
about 2 months ago | 2 reads
It didn’t come as much of a surprise on Friday when the Lakers announced that Austin Reaves had been diagnosed with a calf strain and would miss at least a week. Reaves has carried a heavy load throughout the season with both Luka Dončić and LeBron James missing time. As a result, Reaves has been […]
about 2 months ago | 4 reads
If the devil is in the details, then the Lakers have been dancing with Lucifer all year long. Sure, they have a good record and a handful of quality wins over teams like the Sixers, Wolves and Spurs. But, in defeat, they’ve had the same issues come up. Los Angeles struggles defensively, rebounds are a […]
about 2 months ago | 2 reads
Despite their strong 17-7 record, there is trepidation surrounding the Lakers for the first time this season. This is not just due to being 2-3 in their last five games. Yet rather, it’s how eerily similar the wins and, more specifically, the losses have looked. With an airtight average margin victory of only 3.5 points […]
about 2 months ago | 3 reads
After being eliminated from the NBA Cup last Wednesday, the Lakers (17-7) are back at it on the road where they will play their next four games. The first game of the trip will be against the Phoenix Suns (14-11), who Los Angeles aims to get back at after they were blown out at home […]
about 2 months ago | 5 reads
Two things are true at the same time about the Lakers. They’ve won at a high rate, but the losses have followed a similar formula that has exposed their weaknesses. In effect, if a team is capable of exploiting the Lakers’ weakness, then the purple and gold are hopeless in their attempts to win. That […]
about 2 months ago | 3 reads
Who doesn’t love a little emergency dental procedure? Nothing is more fun than frantic calls to try to get into the dentist while you’re in a whole lot of pain. While Jake LaRavia may not need to do that part as an NBA player, he did experience a bit of an emergency procedure. During Sunday’s […]
about 2 months ago | 2 reads
Just when it was looking like the Lakers were nearing full strength, they now have another player to add to their injury report. On Friday, Dave McMenamin of ESPN reported that Austin Reaves has a mild left calf strain. He will be re-evaluated in approximately one week. Reaves has been generally healthy throughout his career. […]
about 2 months ago | 3 reads
While trades can occur all season long, the options open up considerably for teams on Dec. 15 when players who were free agents this summer become trade-eligible. There have already been rumors swirling about franchise players like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Anthony Davis and LaMelo Ball possibly being moved. That chatter will only intensify as we get […]
about 2 months ago | 3 reads
On paper, the Lakers are sitting pretty in the Western Conference. They are 17-7, which is the fourth-best record in the West. In clutch games, they are 8-0 and they have an overall offensive rating of 118, the seventh-highest in the NBA. However, all of their losses have been in double figures and their defense […]
about 2 months ago | 4 reads
Throughout a season, there are games that fans of teams circle on the calendar as having more weight than others. It could be a marquee matchup, a game against a rival, or an opponent they’ve played before that’s given their team trouble. So, when the Lakers faced the Spurs in the NBA Cup quarterfinal, the […]
about 2 months ago | 3 reads
There aren’t many positives Los Angeles could come away with in their 132-119 loss against the Spurs in the NBA Cup quarterfinal. However, in the fourth quarter, the Lakers changed things up in an attempt to mount a comeback. Head coach JJ Redick took out his big Deandre Ayton and went with a small-ball lineup […]
about 2 months ago | 3 reads
For just the seventh time in 24 games, the Lakers lost on Wednesday. To be past the quarter pole of the season and winning at a nearly 71% rate while boasting a top-four seed in the conference, the Lakers — and their fans — should be proud of where they are, particularly when accounting for […]
about 2 months ago | 4 reads
LA’s game against San Antonio brought the return of Marcus Smart to the Laker lineup. Smart had missed the last six games due to a back injury, but he came back to play in the NBA Cup quarterfinal. While Smart is known for his defensive ability, it was his offense that really stood out. Smart […]
about 2 months ago | 4 reads
It’s no secret that the Lakers are a bad defensive team. They have a defensive rating of 116.7, which is 21st in the NBA. Every team with a defensive rating worse than the Lakers has a losing record. In their loss against the Spurs in the NBA Cup quarterfinal, this flaw was as loud as […]
about 2 months ago | 8 reads
What a week of Lakers basketball. First was LeBron James ending his double-digit scoring streak in the most dramatic of fashions, passing up the game-winning shot against the Raptors so that Rui Hachimura could win it from three. Then, in the rubber match of the road trip, the Lakers won with LeBron taking a backseat […]
about 2 months ago | 5 reads
If it feels like déjà vu all over again when it comes to another Lakers loss, you’re not alone. The purple and gold are quickly developing a habit of losing games to teams with quick, athletic guards, and they do so in pretty convincing fashion. Save for a brief run in the fourth quarter, the […]
about 2 months ago | 5 reads