A Blog devoted to Lakers News, Commentary, and Analysis
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 […]
In the Jay-Z song “30 Something” the Brooklyn lyricist made entering his 30s sound like a man beginning to reach his prime. That might be true for Sean Carter, who can continue to rap and build up his business empire, but in sports, that ideology doesn’t work as well. The Lakers have the oldest player […]
There is plenty of blame to spread all around for the Lakers blowing a 20-point lead in the fourth and turning their matchup against the Suns into a nailbiter. Marcus Smart is certainly one of the culprits. He had an awful no-look pass attempt to Jarred Vanderbilt that landed right in the hands of Grayson […]
After weeks on the outside looking in, Jarred Vanderbilt re-entered the Lakers rotation against the Suns. He took full advantage of that opportunity, showing the best version of himself by attacking the glass relentlessly and creating havoc defensively. In nearly every sense, it was the best-case scenario for Vando in his return. He made the […]
In a tense back-and-forth contest in Philly, Sixer star Joel Embiid nails a jumper to tie the game with just over a minute remaining. In every other stint of his unprecedented 23-season career, this would be LeBron James’ time. Instead, without even a glance at the ball, he jogs up the floor to his position […]
They say giving is the best part of Christmas and it seems that Luka Dončić agrees with that sentiment. Luka has shown his generous side multiple times already during his 11 months as a Laker. Last year, he donated $500,000 to LA wildfire relief and for his first game against the Mavericks in LA, he bought […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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, […]
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, […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]