A Blog devoted to Lakers News, Commentary, and Analysis
While the Lakers may have figured things out with Jarred Vanderbilt, that certainly hasn’t solved all the issues. The bench remains an area of weakness, particularly offensively, for LA. It’s also been a shortcoming that’s been exasperated by the team’s recent injuries. The team has a host of role players who can fill various roles, […]
Whether it was because Luka Dončić, Gabe Vincent and Rui Hachimura were out or because of a bigger issue, the Lakers were unable to make it much of a game against the Suns. Phoenix was in full control at the half, up by double figures and in the third, they broke the game wide open, […]
For the first time this season, the Lakers are on a losing streak after being manhandled in Phoenix on Tuesday, losing 132-108. Austin Reaves returned from injury in the contest, coming off the bench to play 22 minutes. It was one of the few bright spots on a night where LA’s defense allowed Phoenix to […]
UPDATE: Reaves has been upgraded to available for Tuesday’s game against the Suns. It will be his first game since playing on Dec. 10 against the Spurs. Reaves will join LeBron in trying to nab another win in Phoenix. Hopefully, this is the final step before the Big Three are reunited on Christmas against the […]
With NBA All-Star voting officially underway, fans, media, players and coaches alike are all considering who the best players in the league are. With Austin Reaves being a fan-favorite and having a career year, averaging 27.8 points, 5.6 rebounds and 6.7 assists per game, he will most certainly be in strong consideration for his first […]
The Lakers (19-8) are back again in Phoenix where they will play the Suns (15-13) for the third time this month. L.A. looks to gain a 2-1 record advantage against its division rivals and to bounce back after a tough loss to the Clippers. Start time and TV schedule Who: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Phoenix Suns When: 6 […]
Everyone in every league imaginable complains about the officiating. However, Lakers head coach JJ Redick seems to have had enough after the team’s most recent game against the Clippers. There were many moments in that game where Kawhi Leonard and James Harden got a very kind whistle. Bumps were shrugged off, players plowed through others […]
Whenever the injury report is an important topic of discussion, that’s not a good sign. That’s where the Lakers find themselves currently with Deandre Ayton, Rui Hachimura, and Gabe Vincent all missing the team’s most recent contest against the Clippers. Then you add Luka Dončić being ruled out after playing just two quarters against the […]
Even under the best of circumstances, the Lakers probably came into Saturday’s game feeling a bit run down. An unorthodox schedule means they’re amidst a four-game road trip where the longest trip is Utah with multiple stops in Phoenix. But more often than not, they’re spending nights back in LA, even if they’re not playing […]
The Lakers fought to the end despite being severely undermanned, but lost in a wire-to-wire defeat to the Clippers, 103-88. The host Clippers jumped out to a double-digit lead from the jump, putting the Lakers in a hole they never could crawl out of. The lead reached 22, but the purple and gold pulled it […]
As if the injury bug wasn’t biting badly enough, the Lakers were dealt another blow midway through Saturday’s game against the Clippers. After limping his way through the second quarter, Luka Dončić was ruled out of the game with a left leg contusion. As mentioned, Luka was visibly limping during the second quarter, though he […]
Despite all the injuries and shuffling of lineups and rotation throughout the season, the Lakers’ offense has remained consistently great. It’s the benefit of having three elite shotmakers on the roster. At some point this season, whether during a quarter, a game or an stretch of contests, each of LeBron James, Luka Dončić and Austin […]
The Lakers (19-7) are back in Los Angeles for a couple of days as they continue their road trip against the LA Clippers (6-21) on Saturday. This will be the second time these two teams have seen each other this season. The Lakers won the first matchup. Start time and TV schedule Who: Los Angeles Lakers vs. […]
UPDATE: The Lakers have ruled out Rui Hachimura for Saturday’s game with right groin soreness, they announced on Saturday morning. With Rui out, expect a healthy dose of Jarred Vanderbilt, Jake LaRavia and Maxi Kleber. Two-way forward Drew Timme is with the South Bay Lakers at the G League Showcase, so he almost certainly will […]
In basketball, just like in relationships, communication is key. For the Lakers, hearing what head coach JJ Redick wants to have happen during close games has been an issue. The Lakers have already been in multiple games that have come down to the wire and will likely be in that scenario again. In fact, they […]
During the second quarter of Los Angeles’ game against Utah, Walter Clayton Jr. collided with LeBron James’ knee, causing him to fall to the ground. James was slow to get up and was walking gingerly, trying to shake it off. Somehow, he was relatively okay, and he played the rest of the game. After the […]
With trade season unofficially beginning on Dec. 15, it brings an onslaught of trade screenshots across social media and websites. Instead of pushing them away and offering our own, we decided to facilitate them to see who you guys want to see the Lakers trade for. It’s clear the team needs an upgrade, but does […]
The Lakers’ defense was suspect on Thursday, but in the fourth quarter, they tightened up on the road to secure a win against the Jazz. Luka Dončić had a big scoring night, LeBron James continues to look better and better with each passing game and despite no Austin Reaves or Gabe Vincent and Marcus Smart […]
Luka Dončić‘s 40-point triple-double and LeBron James’ 26 points led the depleted Lakers to another road win on Thursday, knocking off the Jazz 143-135. With both Austin Reaves and Deandre Ayton sidelined, Luka and LeBron stepped up to carry the load while the bench had another strong showing. Each of Jarred Vanderbilt, Jake LaRavia and […]
The Lakers’ elimination from the NBA Cup meant there wasn’t as much game action for the purple and gold over the last week as the tournament wrapped up in Las Vegas. LA had just one game against the Suns and they took care of business despite blowing a comfortable fourth-quarter lead. Overall, it was a […]
A rival role player turned Laker is a tale as old as time. Whether it was Metta World Peace, Matt Barnes or Rajon Rondo, Lakers fans have had to clench their teeth and bear it with new signings throughout the years. A particularly bitter recent pill would have seen Bruce Brown join the Lakers immediately […]
After playing just three minutes in a single appearance in the Lakers previous 10 games, Jarred Vanderbilt played 15 minutes against the Phoenix Suns on Sunday and was a critical figure in his team getting the victory. Vanderbilt scored seven points and grabbed seven rebounds — six offensive — while swiping two steals and swatting […]
And just like that, the Lakers are short another guard. Gabe Vincent was practicing earlier this week with Los Angeles, but he appeared on the injury report for their upcoming matchup against the Jazz as questionable with low back soreness. Now, it’s escalated even more with the team stating he’ll be out with lower back […]
The Lakers (18-7) look to build another winning streak as they continue their current four-game road trip at Salt Lake City, where they will take on the Utah Jazz (10-15). This is already the third game between the two teams this season, with Los Angeles winning the last two. Start time and TV schedule Who: Los […]
If the Lakers are going to begin a winning streak during their road trip, they’ll have to do it without two of their starters. Austin Reaves is currently out with a left calf strain. He will be re-evaluated around Friday as the Lakers are using an abundance of caution surrounding his injury. The good news […]