A Blog devoted to Lakers News, Commentary, and Analysis
It was only a matter of time before the Lakers were linked to Giannis Antetokounmpo. This week, the Greek Freak kind of, sort of demanded a trade, a perfect punctuation on what has been a mess of a Bucks season. Whatever words he wants to use to describe it is a debate for another day, […]
6 days ago | 1 read
No athlete has ever had their life play out in the public eye more than LeBron James. For more than two decades, fans have had an up-close view of LeBron. It’s with that context in mind that Wednesday’s scenes in LeBron’s latest return to Cleveland were noteworthy. During a tribute video that wasn’t unique to […]
6 days ago | 2 reads
This week, the biggest stories surrounding the Lakers focused on the players as people rather than on what happened on the court. We had Luka Dončić in Dallas, LeBron James in Cleveland, and Lakers head coach JJ Redick discussing the uncertainty of the future for some of his players as the trade deadline looms. Through […]
6 days ago | 0 reads
The Lakers will have a rare representative in All-Star Saturday this year. On Thursday, Shams Charania of ESPN reported that Jaxson Hayes will take part in the Slam Dunk Contest during All-Star weekend. He will be joined by Carter Bryant from the Spurs, the only other confirmed participant so far. The Slam Dunk Contest has […]
6 days ago | 0 reads
The Denver Nuggets have been ravaged by injuries this season. Nikola Jokić and Cameron Johnson have both been out since late December due to knee injuries. Christian Braun has been out for a few weeks due to an ankle injury. And Aaron Gordon recently aggravated the hamstring strain that sidelined him for more than a […]
6 days ago | 1 read
Another game against a quality team equals another blowout loss for the Lakers. In defeats, the Lakers have continued to have the same problems and they were exposed once again in Cleveland. LA struggled to slow down the Cavaliers’ offense, and in the third quarter, they got outscored by 20, which essentially ended the game. […]
7 days ago | 0 reads
The Lakers suffered a brutal third-quarter meltdown, getting outscored 42–22 as the Cavaliers pulled away for a 129-99 win Wednesday night. The game began with the Cavaliers quickly going up by five. LA missed their first two shot attempts, both by Luka Dončić. The deficit grew to seven after a dunk by Jarrett Allen. Deandre […]
7 days ago | 0 reads
Everyone can see that LeBron James’ basketball career is approaching its conclusion. He is the oldest player in the NBA at 41 and has played a league record 23 seasons. With injuries like his sciatica keeping him out of games and LeBron on the final year of his Lakers deal, what he will do next […]
7 days ago | 0 reads
It’s no secret that the Lakers want better wing options. They’ve been connected to players like Donte DiVincenzo and Keon Ellis as potential targets as the trade deadline fast approaches. While this season is the primary focus for Lakers fans, the front office has to look at the big picture, including this summer, as they […]
7 days ago | 1 read
This NBA trade season has seen very little action compared to previous years. However, with the Feb. 5 deadline fast approaching, rumors continue to swirl as teams aim to make the right deal to improve their chances of a successful season. The Lakers have made moves big and small in this situation, with last year’s […]
7 days ago | 0 reads
One of the Lakers’ underlying issues throughout the season has been their paltry bench scoring. While their starting lineup has been great, their bench has left much to be desired. Rui Hachimura’s emergence in recent games as a viable scoring option off the bench has been a huge boost in that regard. For really the […]
7 days ago | 1 read
It seems like quite some time ago that the Lakers showed aggression on the trade market. We’re only two weeks removed from it being a full year since Rob Pelinka pushed his chips on the table and acquired, and unacquired, Mark Williams at the deadline. In that moment, the Lakers were on a mission to […]
7 days ago | 1 read
After stacking another victory on the road, the Lakers (28-17) move on to Cleveland where they will take on the Cavaliers (28-20) for the first time this season. Los Angeles hopes to make it three wins in a row and improve their record to 4-1 in this current eight-game road trip. Start time and TV […]
8 days ago | 3 reads
Despite Austin Reaves trending closer and closer to full health, that return won’t come against the Cavs. The Lakers have Reaves listed as out for the team’s stop in Cleveland on Wednesday. Adou Thiero also remains out. Those are the only two players listed on the team’s injury report. At the beginning of the road […]
8 days ago | 1 read
It’s no secret that Luka Dončić is an amazing player. If he retired today, he would be a first ballot Hall of Famer. Luckily for the Lakers, Luka is far from retiring and is just entering his prime. This season, he’s averaging an NBA-best 33.8 points per game and recently demonstrated that offensive dominance in […]
8 days ago | 0 reads
The Lakers were struggling early in January. Los Angeles had lost four of five games, with its only win coming against a mediocre Atlanta Hawks team. In defense of the Lakers, they were playing without Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura also missed some games during this stretch. Still, they looked more like a play-in team […]
8 days ago | 0 reads
Rui Hachimura’s talent is undeniable. He’s an elite shooter who is converting on 43.9% of his 3-point attempts on the season, making him the best perimeter threat on the Lakers. Recently, though, he’s been struggling. His calf injury forced him to miss seven straight games and upon his return, his production dipped. Hachimura averaged just […]
8 days ago | 0 reads
Down nine to start the second quarter in Denver, the team readied to go to the most unproductive bench in the league, scoring-wise. Seizing an opportunity in recent games, two-way center Drew Timme checks in for the Lakers in his new spot in the rotation next to fellow big man Deandre Ayton. His impact was […]
8 days ago | 1 read
Ironically, on a night when the Bulls seemingly could not miss from three, the Lakers had one of their best defensive performances of the season. The box score does not bear it out too much, but that felt as locked in as the team has been defensively in some time. It tailed off a bit […]
9 days ago | 2 reads
Luka Dončić poured in 46 points and the Lakers put together one of their better defensive performances of the season as they knocked off the Bulls in Chicago, 129-118. LA shot 56.1% from the field and 16-33 from the 3-point line. Defensively, they forced 15 turnovers, 12 in the first half, turning it into 23 […]
9 days ago | 1 read
Coming into the season, one of the biggest questions surrounding the team was who would be the fifth starter with the debate centered on Rui Hachimura and Marcus Smart. While the Lakers don’t feel all that much closer to finding the solution, one thing they appeared to have landed on is Rui coming off the […]
9 days ago | 1 read
With the NBA’s trade deadline fast approaching, so is the Lakers’ next chance to reshape their roster in Luka Dončić‘s image. After an offseason that did little to clarify the team’s long-term outlook, many pointed to this deadline and the upcoming summer as the transactional periods that would officially usher in the team’s new chapter. […]
9 days ago | 1 read
The Lakers (27-17) look to build off their recent victory in Dallas where they will take on the Bulls (23-22), who are also coming off an impressive win. This is the first meeting between the two teams this season. Start time and TV schedule Who: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Chicago Bulls When: 5 p.m. PT, Jan. 26 Where: […]
10 days ago | 1 read
Everything had to go right for the Lakers down the stretch to beat the Mavericks. With Dallas going on a 6-0 run to start the fourth, LA was down by 14 with just under 10 minutes left. The comeback that followed as the Lakers beat Dallas 116-110 was improbable given the flow of the game. […]
10 days ago | 0 reads
UPDATE: The Lakers did, in fact, make it out of Dallas, getting through half the battle, at least. The team took off from Dallas-Fort Worth instead of Love Field, allowing them to get out of Dallas when the Mavericks could not. This doesn’t mean the Lakers-Bulls go is definitely on for Monday, but it does […]
10 days ago | 2 reads