Raiders 2018 Free Agency Roundup

*Running Back, Doug Martin (TB) and Wide Receiver Jordy Nelson (GB) are two of the major Free Agents the Raiders gained*

Busy week for the Raiders' front office and a whole lot of catching up to do on my part. Welcome in to the first ever Free Agency Roundup post. I scrambled across so many articles to bring this together regarding the additions, the contract details, and which of the Raiders' unrestricted free agents signed with another team. So much more here and there will be more coming in as the offseason winds on. Without further ado, let's find out who's back, who left, and who's coming in to the Silver and Black.

Departures

Thanks Sebass and Condo!

You're talking about the longest-tenured Raider and the 2nd longest-tenured Raider and both have been vital for the Special Teams unit. The Raiders are making it clear that they're going full on youth movement. It was clear with how well Giorgio Tavecchio did kicking for the Raiders last season, the end of the Sebastian Janikowski era in Oakland was inevitable. The Raiders brought in three long snappers to denote that they were not bringing back Jon Condo. Easily the fan favorites among the Raider Nation. Condo and Sebass were the lone bright spots and the most consistent players during the dark ages and the revolving constant on special teams. But, obviously they were getting old. Ironic to say considering Long Snappers and Placekickers tend to be the most durable in terms of longevity in the NFL. There's no denying their legacy as Raiders.

"All Done" Smiths

These are the first wave of releases the Raiders made in terms of freeing up cap space. They released Aldon Smith and Sean Smith, both whom are facing some serious off the field/legal issues. Aldon got involved in another domestic violence incident. Sean is about to serve time in prison for his incident back in July when he beat up his sister's boyfriend. Aldon's case is more than football. He needs serious help as disappointing as it is to say that. Raiders gave him a clean slate and soon as he's close to reinstatement, he just finds ways to mess it all up. We'll never get to see that pass-rushing trio of Aldon, Mack, and Irvin that we dreamed of since the 2016 offseason. As for Sean's case, we really don't know all the facts, we can only theorize what happened between him and his sister's boyfriend. Most say, he probably did it to protect his sister. But regardless of the issue, Sean Smith was a cut candidate from the start. He just wasn't playing up to the $40 million contract he signed during the 2016 Free Agency period. He salvaged his performance when Pagano took over as DC, but it wasn't good enough.

"Carrie" On

T.J. Carrie signed with the Cleveland Browns to a four-year $31 million deal. To me, he was one of those players who was a "must re-sign" for the Raiders. Carrie was a bright spot on a long revolving door in the secondary. He could play outside, in the slot. He could play Safety if needed. Given the contract he signed for with the Browns, it was obviously too much for the Raiders to match. The Browns have tons of cap space and they'll need all the help they can get if they want to bounce back from an embarrassing 0-16 finish last season.

Crabtree Out

I'll get to the addition of Jordy Nelson later in this post. With Nelson's arrival, the Raiders simultaneously released Michael Crabtree. This was a hot topic of debate at the end of the season whether or not Crabtree will be a cap casualty. He was arguably the Raiders' best receiver and Derek Carr's go-to-guy in the end zone in clutch situations. But, the reason why he was cut was because he turned out to be a cancer in the locker room and his relationship with Carr turned sour since the Week 3 anthem protests. Back when the Raiders signed Crabtree in the 2015 season, I knew this was gonna be an issue. Because he was the same thing during his 49er days: a diva with attitude problems. It's real unfortunate that he went back to his old ways last season after being so good in 2015 and 2016. He was also showing signs of decline with the dropped passes and he couldn't get separation anymore against defensive backs. Nonetheless, he balled out in the Silver and Black and will be sorely missed. It didn't take long for Crabtree to find a new home as he signed with the Baltimore Ravens on a three-year deal. Too bad for NFL fans that there won't be a Talib-Crabtree trilogy this year. I think that brawl also lead to his release. Knowing Chucky, he doesn't have any tolerance for guys who put themselves above the team for their own self-interest.

*Updated 03/30/2018* The "King" is Dead

The release of Marquette King definitely made headlines. Nobody saw this coming and I didn't even see this coming. This is dubbed as a message from Chucky. We can't deny King's talent to boom one punt and pin the opposing team deep into their own end zone. But, he's known to be a show boater and a comedic personality. Sometimes most of his celebrations and social media antics bring up big trouble. Take the picture with Talib for example where they mocked Crabtree getting his chain snatched in the 2017 Pro Bowl. Or when he picked up a yellow flag and celebrated with it during the Week 13 matchup vs. Buffalo in the 2016 season. And clearly with Gruden being a no nonsense type of guy, it's clear that King's personality won't mesh well. This was also move to free up some cap space. The Raiders signed him to a five-year, $16 million deal back in the 2016 offseason. It won't be long till he finds a new home.

Other Departures

CB David Amerson - Amerson was never the same player after the contract extension. He was arguably the Raiders' best corner in 2015 after he was claimed off waivers from the Redskins. After that, he was either inconsistent or injured. Last season, he barely saw the field with the concussions and the injuries. He found a new home with a division rival, signing with the Chiefs. He has a huge void to fill after KC gift wrapped Marcus Peters to the Rams.

RT Marshall Newhouse - Arguably the lowest of the low on the Raiders' behemoth offensive line. They signed him last year for depth purposes and he took over the Right Tackle spot after Austin Howard's release. You know he is bad when he has to split time with Vadal Alexander, creating a revolving door at the RT spot. Not to mention, his best highlight: Week 9 @ Miami when he embarrassed himself on national TV, spinning in mid-air like a helicopter and fumbling the ball, leading to an almost disastrous turnover.

DE Denico Autry - Autry was a solid rotational piece on the Raiders' D-line. He could play outside and play inside if the Raiders needed more interior rushing on 3rd down plays. He was also a great on special teams. Last season, he contributed with a couple of key field goal blocks. Autry's likely gonna get an extended role playing for the Colts.

*Updated* WR/KR Cordarrelle Patterson - This just happened today. The Raiders are trading him to the New England Patriots. In addition from this report, both the Pats and the Raiders are swapping their fifth round pick and sixth round pick respectively. I mean of all teams. You don't give Tom Brady and the Pats another weapon! Patterson was brought in last year to give the Raiders' a legitimate Return Specialist and a gadget player on offense. Patterson provided some clutch catch and run plays last season, but other than that, he's just a one-trick pony. Again, the Patriots have a knack to make players look good with the system they have. The last time the Raiders traded an ex-Minnesota Vikings wideout to the Patriots, it didn't look so good on their part (*cough* Randy Moss *cough*).

*Updated 03/20/2018* FB Jamize Olawale - The Raiders are sending Jamize Olawale back to the Cowboys as well as a 6th round pick for Dallas' 5th round pick. With the Raiders signing Keith Smith, that left Olawale in a limbo. My initial thought is that they were likely going to use him more as a mismatch nightmare in passing game like Marcel Reece before him. Then again, it wouldn't make sense for the Raiders to have two Fullbacks on the team. This is also likely a move to free up cap space to make room for re-signing NaVorro Bowman or another defensive All-Pro (*hint* *hint* Suh).

*Updated 03/30/2018* TE Clive Walford - He was technically released three days ago. The Raiders made it official as of today. When Walford was drafted in 2015, we had high hopes for him to develop into a big time security blanket for Derek Carr. He had a promising rookie year despite Musgrave's tendency to seldom use Tight Ends in the gameplan. But, it all went downhill when he had that ATV accident two years ago that he missed significant developmental time. When the Raiders signed Jared Cook last year, it was a sign that they're pulling the plug on the Walford experiment. With Lee Smith coming back and the Raiders signing Derek Carrier to a 3-year deal, that pretty much put the final nail in the coffin.

The Additions

Jordy In

This is the most talked about addition from the Raiders' free agency frenzy. They lose Crabtree, but gained Jordy Nelson from the Packers to a 2-year, $15 million deal. Certainly Packer fans are upset about this move as he was Aaron Rodgers' favorite go-to-receiver. But when you think about it, Davante Adams emerged as a #1 receiver. The Packers gained Jimmy Graham from the Seahawks as a big time red zone target replacement to Nelson. Two of the major differences between Nelson and Crabtree is that Nelson will be a much better veteran presence to the Raiders' young receiving core and has more consistent hands. Not to mention, Nelson has two more 1,000 yard receiving seasons than Crabtree under his belt. Again, Reggie's ties with Green Bay played a huge role in getting Jordy Nelson. Perhaps someone who played a bigger role is current Raiders Wide Receivers Coach Edgar Bennett. Bennett was the Packers' OC and wideout coach under Mike McCarthy when Nelson played there. Like Jared Cook last year, Nelson goes from catching passes from A-Rod to catching passes from "Baby A-Rod" as the nickname James Jones gave to Derek Carr during Carr's rookie season.

Beast Mode and The Muscle Hamster

Before the Jordy Nelson splash, this was the first free agent splash the Raiders made and it's a low risk, high reward type move. They sign Doug Martin from the Bucs to a one-year contract. This move had Chucky's fingerprints all over it because both he and Martin talked and apparently, Gruden came away impressed with the meeting. I can only think back to the Week 9 meeting back in 2012 when Martin ran all over the Raiders for 200+ yards and multiple TDs. He's explosive out of the backfield when he's healthy. He's had an up and down career in Tampa, mostly due to injuries. But he's had two career 1,000+ rushing yard seasons and he made the Pro Bowl in both seasons. When healthy, Martin is a significant upgrade over Jalen Richard and DeAndre Washington. Both Richard and Washington underperformed as change-of-pace backs to Marshawn Lynch last season. Since the signing, there was growing concern that Lynch's time is done. But, that won't happen since Lynch is about to get a roster bonus and will likely remain as the team's feature back. Of course, there's concern about having two 1,000 yards rushing runners in the same backfield. The last time the Raiders did it with Maurice Jones-Drew and Darren McFadden in 2014, it didn't work so well and they had to throw in Latavius Murray to get the run game going. Of course the namesake of this title, Marshawn Lynch's nickname is "Beast Mode" and Doug Martin's nickname is "Muscle Hamster," Gruden looks like he's directing a monster movie with this duo in the backfield. Beast Mode and The Muscle Hamster, coming soon to a Raiders game near you.

Jelly and Lee Return

Justin "Jelly" Ellis and Lee Smith are back with the Raiders after hitting the unrestricted free agent market.  Ellis gets a three-year contract extension. Lee Smith also gets a three-year contract extension. As I said in my "Season in Review" post, Justin Ellis was one of the guys I wouldn't mind if the Raiders let him walk. There will be a suitable replacement for him in the upcoming draft. But the Raiders bringing him back allows them to be versatile with their options and he'll provide good depth on the defensive line. He's a solid 2-down run stuffing DT. He did regress last season, but he should bounce back under new DC Paul Guenther. Lee Smith returning is big for the Raiders' running game. He's the best blocking Tight End on the team. Chucky is so enamored by the power running game and Lee Smith is a minor, but integral piece to getting that going along with the mammoth O-line with Penn, KO, Hudson, and Jackson.

Secondary Shore Up

The Raiders brought in three players to help out this thin secondary: Safety Marcus Gilchrist comes over from the Texans on a one-year deal. Cornerback Shareece Wright comes over from the Bills. And finally, Rashaan Melvin comes over from the Colts on a one-year deal. Addressing the secondary is the Raiders' biggest miss in past free agency periods. But, this one looks a little promising. Gilchrist is an above-average starting Safety and he should open more time for Luani and Melifonwu to develop. Wright is going to provide a veteran presence for this young, unproven secondary. Not to mention, these moves send them back to the AFC West since they were drafted by the Chargers. The signing of Rashaan Melvin grabbed the attention across Raider Nation forums. I didn't get to see much of him since the Colts were just terrible last year. But, he proved his worth during that season, emerging as the team's starting corner. If I'm reading this right, he held Antonio Brown under 100+ yards receiving. I gotta look at the tape whether or not Safety help came from the top. It sounds impressive though. I gotta hand it to him for holding down one of the receivers in the game today.

*Updated 03/24/2018* Reggie Nelson Returns

Reggie Nelson is back with the Raiders on a 1-year deal. I think all of us on Raider Nation forums agreed that Nelson is the likely free agent the Raiders should let walk away. He's showing signs of decline and lost a step this season. At the same time, I can see why the Raiders brought him back. Nelson is familiar with Paul Guenther's system when he played in Cincinnati. The year before the Raiders brought him in during the 2016 free agency period, Nelson lead the league in interceptions en route to a Pro Bowl season under Guenther. That's the reason the Raiders got Nelson as a starting Safety in the first place. Now, Nelson's purpose is to take a back seat and teach guys like Joseph, Gilchrist, Luani, and Melifonwu how to play Safety under Guenther's defense.

Other Additions

FB Keith Smith (DAL) - 2-year, $4.2 million contract. Underrated signing for the Raiders adding extra "Beef" to the power running game. Outside of the Cowboys' elite offensive line, this guy is responsible for opening up mountain lanes for Ezekiel Elliott. This signing most likely means that Jamize Olawale will show off more as a pass catching Fullback and matchup nightmare in the passing game.

LB Tahir Whithead (DET) - 3-year, $18 million contract. Whitehead is the backup plan if the Raiders lose out on retaining NaVorro Bowman. Whitehead was the Lions' best asset in stopping the run. The Raiders need all kinds of bodies at the Linebacker position, which has been a revolving door, especially at Middle Linebacker. Whitehead won't bring an enticing presence like Bowman did with the young linebackers, but he'll fit in just fine and should be an upgrade over Marquel Lee and Cory James.

DE Tank Carradine (SF) - Carradine brings depth and another rotational piece to the Raiders' D-line.

WR Griff Whalen (BAL) - It's too bad this guy's highlight is the 4th and 3 fake punt the Colts tried to do to the Patriots two seasons ago when he snapped the ball when it was five Patriots against two Colts at the Line of Scrimmage. But on the plus side, Whalen adds a camp body to give Seth Roberts serious competition for the slot receiver position.

TE Derek Carrier (LAR) - 3-year deal. I'll be honest, I forgot that he was a camp body for the Raiders a few seasons ago. Since then, he was coached under Jay Gruden and last year, Sean McVay. Of course with Jay being the brother and McVay being an understudy of Jon Gruden, Chucky must know something about Carrier's potential. With this move, the Tight End position becomes more crowded and you begin to wonder who'll get cut.

LS Andrew DePaola (TB) - He's brought in to add competition to see who's going to be Jon Condo's long-term replacement as the team's Long Snapper on Special Teams.

LB Kyle Wilber (DAL) - Special Teams Coordinator and Assistant Head Coach, Rich Bisaccia is getting a familiar face to lead the Special Teams unit. He also provides solid depth to the linebacker position.

*Updated 03/20/2018* QB Josh Johnson (HOU) - This signing was all Gruden since this guy was one of the last draftees in Gruden's last year coaching the Bucs. He's nothing more than a camp body to compete against Connor Cook for the backup job. I'm hearing he hasn't taken an NFL snap since 2013. Not to mention, he's a cousin of Marshawn Lynch.

*Updated 03/21/2018* LB Emmanuel Lamur (MIN) - He has some history with DC Paul Guenther during their time at Cincinnati. Not only is this is a depth signing for the Linebacker position, but the Raiders are getting a guy who's already familiar with the defensive system that Guenther is trying to implement.

*Updated 03/23/2018* T Breno Giocomini (HOU) - Raiders needed to beef up the Right Tackle spot after cutting Newhouse loose. Giocomini is familiar with Tom Cable and Marshawn Lynch during their tenure with the Seattle Seahawks. He knows a little thing or two in run blocking for Beast Mode. He's expected to compete against Vadal Alexander and (possibly) Denver Kirkland for the starting Right Tackle position.

*Updated 03/23/2018* QB EJ Manuel - He's back to defend the "No. 2 QB to Derek Carr" title against Connor Cook and Josh Johnson in a triple threat backup QB camp battle!

*Updated 03/30/2018* CB Leon Hall (SF) - This is another move to bring someone who's familiar with Paul Guenther's defense.


So, what do you think of the moves Raider Nation? Which signings stands out and which ones are kinda "meh" looking? Should they work to re-sign Bowman? Should they give Mack a monster contract extension already? What other moves should they make before the draft? Leave a comment below and share your thoughts. I'll see you guys later.

Lakers Fall to Bucks in OT

*Stats courtesy of NBA.com*

Final Score: vs. Milwaukee 124-122 (OT) [L]
Full article: http://www.nba.com/games/20180330/MILLAL#/recap

Next Game: vs. Sacramento (04/01)

Highlights: *Courtesy of Rapid Highlights*

Another tough loss for the Lakers in OT. They've been really unlucky all season long when it comes to forcing OT and ending up losing the game overall. The first two meetings against the Warriors were an example. Here though, it was a great effort by the shorthanded Lakers to come back and rally from a 20-point deficit that the Bucks built up. Alex Caruso and Ivica Zubac helped spark the run off the bench. Caruso showed really good effort during the 4th quarter on both ends of the floor. Zubac, as soft as he is, ran the floor and went hard to the basket to draw contact. That helped energized the Lakers down the stretch. But that momentum was marred by a couple of missed free throws. Ingram missed three free throws down the stretch; both trips gave the Lakers a chance to take the lead over Milwaukee. In overtime, Eric Bledsoe took the game over for the Bucks, setting the tone with 11 points. The Lakers had a hard time keeping him away from behind the three-point line and he burned them at times in transition with his speed. Middleton and Antetokounmpo went off too, but they were facing foul trouble down the stretch. When Giannis missed one of two free throws, the Lakers had a chance to tie it up again, but Kuzma decided to hoist up a desperation three for the win instead of driving for the tie when there was an open lane in front of him. It's one of those decisions that loses games and Bledsoe was able to seal the win for the Bucks with two clutch free throws. Tough loss all-around. The Bucks need all the wins they can get to ensure a playoff spot in the East and they played as a team with desperation. Final stats: Kyle Kuzma finished with 27 points, leading the team in scoring to go with 12 rebounds and and 6 assists. Brook Lopez racked up 20 points. Julius Randle added a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds. B.I. finished with 12 points and 6 assists, but committed 5 turnovers. Ingram exited the game during OT. It's a big blow after just coming back the night before. That'll definitely mar his solid sophomore campaign. Zubac added 16 points off the bench, again he and Caruso showed some great chemistry to spark the Lakers' run. Josh Hart returned with a double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds. It was good to see him back. He saw extra run this game when KCP got tossed out.

Lakers Pull Away in the 4th vs. Mavs

*Stats courtesy of NBA.com*

Final Score: vs. Dallas 93-103 [W]
Full article: http://www.nba.com/games/20180328/DALLAL#/recap

Next Game: vs. Milwaukee (03/30)

Highlights: *Courtesy of MLG Highlights*

This was just like the Memphis game on Saturday. The Lakers got off to a really ugly start and somehow, they pull a rabbit out of the hat in the 2nd half to snatch this game away from the Mavericks. The first half was absolutely brutal to watch. The Lakers played with no sense of urgency. It's like they said to themselves: "we're not going to the playoffs. We don't need to play as hard as we've done all year long." They looked really lethargic out there after a 4-game road trip with the missed shots, turnovers, and of course, the missed free throws. The free throws in particular were problematic from the start. But, they found a way to overcome that and showed better effort in the middle of the third quarter to set up a strong finish to the game. They put the clamps on the Mavs especially in the 4th quarter, holding them to just 12 points total in that quarter. Moving on to the individual performances: Brandon Ingram returns to the lineup, finishing with 13 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists. It felt really good to see B.I. out there after missing 13 games. He showed no signs of rust scoring as he was able to shoot a midrange jumper and a pair of threes to start. As a facilitator, he showed rusts there as he was trying to force some passes in when the Mavs' defense doubled on him. Other than that, it was an okay return for Ingram. The front court of Randle and Lopez racked up points again as Randle added 20 points and 10 rebounds while Lopez tallied 22 points and 7 rebounds. As I said when the Lakers lost to the Mavs back in February, these guys should feast on the Dallas' weak interior defense and they did just that. Lopez started camping behind the three point line, but I like that he elected to take more inside shots and exploit that favorable matchup inside. Kyle Kuzma returned to the bench with 18 points. He struggled from three and shot 1-4 from the free throw line, but he came alive in the 4th quarter to help the Lakers pull this one away. He's in command of the 2nd unit with I.T. loss for the season. Speaking of injuries, Lonzo Ball walked away in 3rd with a knee ailment. Hopefully, it's just minor. He looked primed to stuff the stats sheet once again, despite the shooting woes. Nonethless, this game was ugly, but the Lakers pulled it out. It's no surprise, that's who they are all season long: a team that overcomes adversity and a team that plays hard until the final buzzer.

Lakers End 4-Game Road Trip with Loss in Detroit

*Stats courtesy of NBA.com*

Final Score: @ Detroit 106-112 [L]
Full article: http://www.nba.com/games/20180326/LALDET#/recap

Next Game: vs. Dallas (03/28)

Highlights: *Courtesy of MLG Highlights*

I'm going to jump straight to the commentary here. This loss ensures a fifth consecutive non-playoff season for the Lakers. Not a lot of us expected the Lakers to jump right into the playoff picture, but we expected an improving team and they showed that this season. Now onto this game, there was a lot of positives here in this loss rather than negatives. The negative on this game was that the Lakers were really shorthanded. It showed on the bench. Ennis didn't have a good game. Wear failed to follow up a solid performance last game at Memphis. Zubac was the leading scorer off the 2nd unit with just 7 points. We also saw a Channing Frye sighting. I.T. and B.I.'s absence continue to take a toll on the team's depth chart. That equates to even more minutes from the starters who all finished in double figures. Lonzo's 15 points, 8 rebounds, and 11 assists on a near-perfect 6-7 shooting from the field definitely grabs the attention of many. I know two games is a small sample size, but Zo is starting to get the hang of the midrange jumper. He had three of those in the highlights: one of them called bank and the two other were nothing but net. It's a start, but no question he has to fine tune that in the offseason. KCP and Kuzma returned home. Caldwell-Pope didn't shoot the ball well against his former team, but still put up 13 points and a couple of big buckets to pull the Lakers within striking distance. Kuzma, a Flint, Michigan native, racked up 20 points and 11 rebounds. It was definitely a feel good moment for Kuz to put on a show close to home. Brook Lopez had a nice all-around game with 14 points, 9 assists, and 5 blocks. He provided some really nice balance scoring and facilitating and playing on both ends of the floor. Julius Randle also racked up a double-double with 23 points and 11 rebounds. The 5 turnovers he made definitely stick out. I'm hearing that he's playing a little too selfish on the floor. Randle is a straight bully in the paint, no question about it. But, we definitely don't want to see a out-of-control Randle like we did in years past. He's done an exceptional job all season long at limiting those turnovers. On the negative side, Randle and Lopez were in foul trouble, but there was not much Luke can do with the depth lacking behind that solid frontcourt. Detroit's bench putting up 31 points and Reggie Jackson putting up 20 points were the biggest difference this game and the reason why they pulled away in the fourth quarter. 

Lakers Snap 4-Game Losing Streak in Memphis

*Stats courtesy of NBA.com*

Kyle Kuzma poured in 25 points to go with 10 rebounds, 3 assists, a steal, and a block to help the Lakers snap a 4-game skid, beating the tanking Grizzlies 100-93. Julius Randle also racked up a double with 20 points and 11 rebounds. KCP racked up 18 points and Lonzo Ball stuffed the stats sheet with 12 points, 8 rebounds, and 10 assists. Travis Wear lead the 2nd unit in scoring with 11 points.

Final Score: @ Memphis 100-93 [W]
Full article: http://www.nba.com/games/20180324/LALMEM

Next Game: @ Detroit (03/26)

Highlights: *Courtesy of MLG Highlights*

An ugly game with a pretty ending. I did catch glimpses of this game and that's what it was. Memphis started leading as many as 17 over the Lakers. Keep in mind, this Grizzlies tham just got a major butt kicking from the Hornets the other night. And pretty much, they're contempt with tanking. But out of the gate, they started off hot. I'm thinking, wow this is gonna be the most embarrassing game of the season if the Lakers get beat from the worst team in the West like that, especially with a lot of bodies missing on the bench (take a nap Chris Kaman). But then like all season long, the Lakers mustered enough on both ends of the floor to shake off the slow start and get out of Memphis with a victory. KCP knocked down a couple of threes to keep the Lakers within striking distance. Randle shook off a really slow start and got back to the bully ball we're accustomed of seeing from him. Travis Wear racked up a hidden gem off the bench. From what I heard, Isaiah's hip acted up on him again and was a no go this game. Hopefully it's nothing serious since the Lakers are really missing bodies now. But Wear stepped it up. I thought he showed no hesitation, spotting up from three. He was under 40% shooting, but I'll take the good with the bad. Lonzo struggled from three again, but I liked he was taking more inside shots to go along with 8 boards and 10 dimes. He actually hit a mid range jumper this game. He's gonna have to fine tune that more in the offseason as well as the free throw shooting, but nonetheless a solid bounceback game from Zo. Kuz took over in the 4th quarter, including hitting a dagger three to put this game away for good. Ugly win, but the Lakers have been stringing wins like that on the road all season long that it shouldn't be a surprise.

Lakers Succumb to Late Pelicans Rally

*Stats courtesy of NBA.com*

Julius Randle racked up a double-double of 23 points and 10 rebounds as the Lakers' top performer in the game, but the Lakers couldn't stop a late surge from the Pelicans behind Anthony Davis' 33 point performance, losing 125-128. KCP was the team's leading scorer with 28 points. Brook Lopez racked up 23 points and 6 boards and Kyle Kuzma notched 22 points to go with 5 rebounds to round out the starters. I.T. lead the 2nd unit scoring with 15 points.

Final Score: @ New Orleans 125-128 [L]
Full article: http://www.nba.com/games/20180322/LALNOP#/recap

Next Game: @ Memphis (03/24)

Highlights: *Courtesy of Rapid Highlights*

Remembered when I said that this current Laker team is not built for shootout games when they loss to the Mavs last month? That still holds true. Don't get me wrong, they almost pulled it out, but surrendering 128 pints is frustrating. The time they were up by double figures, by 11 points early in the fourth quarter, that should've been the time the Lakers should put the clamps on defensively. Some positives in this game first, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope went off from deep. He was off to a really good start in the first quarter and finished strong to end the game despite the losing effort. In the final seconds of the game, Luke Walton drew up a play for KCP to get open and hit a potential game-tying three. But, the Pelicans were well-prepared for that to force a pass from KCP. The defense was not the only problem of the game. Should I throw it out there? I should. Lonzo Ball shot 1-12 from beyond the arc. Despite grabbing 13 rebounds and 9 assists, he only made one three. Based on Luke's comments, most of the looks that Zo was getting were high-percentage looks. The problem is, his shot kept clanking off the rim. Overall, Zo shot 2-15 from the field. He only took three shots from inside. What happened to more slashing at the rim? Obviously, he got blocked by AD when he tried to take it to the rim? But who hasn't been blocked by AD? I saw on the highlights Isaiah Thomas did the same thing when going up against AD. Here's the difference, I.T. bumped into AD to give him some space for the layup and prevent him from blocking the shot. Definitely, the point of emphasis for Zo this offseason is scoring, working on that shot and knowing when to take it strong to the basket when the shot is not falling. The rebounding, passing, and defense is there already. Other than that, this loss just paints a recurring picture that the Lakers can't play with the lead, especially on the road. Not to mention, they really miss Ingram to be that closer. They really need him back if they want to get back on track and make a strong finish by season's end.

Lakers Drop 4-Game Road Trip Opener vs. Pacers

*Stats courtesy of NBA.com*

Brook Lopez was the Lakers' top performer with 23 points and 8 rebounds to go with 3 assists and 2 blocks, but could not pull it out as they fall to the Pacers 100-110 to open up their 4-game road trip. Kyle Kuzma lead all starters in scoring with 27 points to go with 8 rebounds, Julius Randle racked up 21 points and 9 rebounds, and KCP added 12 points and 7 rebounds. I.T. lead the 2nd unit in scoring with 11 points.

Final Score: @ Indiana 100-110 [L]
Full article: http://www.nba.com/games/20180319/LALIND#/recap

Next Game: @ New Orleans (03/22)

Highlights: *courtesy of Rapid Highlights*

Classic example of a game starting with a bang and ending with a dud. The Lakers had a really good first quarter, capping it off with an 8 point lead. The game got even during the 2nd quarter and then, the Pacers just pulled away late in the third quarter. The starting front court was the big plus with Lopez, Randle, and Kuzma putting up 20+ points each. The problem was, they couldn't stop the back court of Oladipo and Collison. Based on the full article, they wrecked the Laker defense by driving and setting teammates up for high percentage shots. Myles Turner and Thaddeus Young were the beneficiaries on that. It also didn't help that the bench got outscored 13-30. Lance Stephenson lead the way for the Pacers bench with 16 points and he was also key for Indiana pulling away throughout the rest of the game. The Laker back court as a whole struggled again with I.T., Zo, and KCP having off nights shooting the ball. Zo in particular continues to crash back down to earth as a scorer. That'll be the biggest emphasis of improvement Zo has to focus on in the offseason. The Lakers are back to a losing skid again. That's been a recurring theme this season. The Lakers will compile together a winning streak. And then some time later, they will skid off with a losing streak. The Lakers faced their longest skid when they rode a 9-game losing streak prior to the New Year. The last thing the Lakers need is an underwhelming finish to an improving season. They really need Ingram back to settle things down before it gets ugly.

Lakers Edged Out By Heat in Defensive Battle

*Stats courtesy of NBA.com*

Julius Randle lead the Lakers with 25 points and 12 rebounds, but came up unlucky in a potential game-sealing basket, leading to the 92-91 loss to the Heat. Brook Lopez added 18 points and Kyle Kuzma added 11 points to go with 8 rebounds. Travis Wear lead the 2nd unit in scoring with 11 points.

Final Score: vs. Miami 92-91 [L]
Full article: http://www.nba.com/games/20180316/MIALAL#/recap

Next Game: @ Indiana (03/19)

Highlights: *Courtesy of House of Highlights*

Yes, this one hurts. This was a very physical, defensive battle from both teams. It came down to which team was gonna make the final defensive stand. You'd figured the more experience defensive would come out on top, which would be the Heat. What a damp on another big game from Randle. He had a chance to put the Lakers up by three, but the jump hook just rimmed out. That shot has been completely effective for Randle and you can't blame him for missing that shot, which lead to Goran Dragic's go-ahead shot. It was really unlucky as I mentioned. The biggest culprits in the game were the turnovers and the offensive rebounding from the Heat. Lakers committed 20 turnovers to 11 turnovers from Miami. They were careless. They were too passive. At the same time, you gotta give credit to the Heat defense. They made the adjustments to slow down the fast pace tempo of the Lakers after the Lakers destroyed them on their home floor a few weeks ago. The Lakers were forced to play at a half court game and Miami was able to take advantage with an aggressive, swarming defense. They outhustled the Lakers for 2nd chance opportunities. Every time the Lakers looked like they made good defensive stops, the Heat were one step ahead of them in crashing the glass for 2nd chance opportunities. Bam Adebayo looked like a mini Hassan Whiteside out there. He and Josh Richardson terrorized the Lakers in the offensive rebounding category. I.T. was ice cold off the bench. Ball continues to struggle. KCP is at a funk. The back court was just terrible this game scoring-wise. It's a tough way to transition to a very tough four-game road trip ahead.  Pacers, Pelicans, Grizzlies, Pistons, three of those teams are fighting for their playoff lives there.

Warriors Sweep Lakers for the First Time Since 1993-94

Welcome in to the full recap of the Lakers' matchup vs. the Golden State Warriors where the Lakers could not follow up on an emotionally-draining Nuggets win last night as they lose to the Warriors 106-117. This win marks the first time the Lakers got swept by the Warriors in a regular season series since the 1993-94 season. And the Lakers missed the playoffs that season.

I was barely scratching the surface in my life the last time this happened. I can only look back at those two close losses in OT at Staples where the Lakers had an opportunity to get at least one game. But, it is what it is. This game was a true trap game for the Lakers. The Warriors didn't have Curry, Klay, or Draymond, but they still found a way to win with their depth. Clearly, the Lakers are light years behind to where we want them to be exactly like the Warriors are now.

(+)

Brook Lopez, 20 points, 6 rebounds, 5 blocks, 8-15 shooting. Lopez started great from beyond the arc and then he regressed there. But, he racked up points with his inside game. The Warriors don't have a lot of bulk on the frontcourt, so that presented a favorable matchup for Brook. He also did it on the defensive end with the five block shots. He had a nice start on both ends during the first quarter when he went all the way for the layup and following it up with a block. That provided early blueprint for Lopez's solid game tonight.

Tyler Ennis, 12 points, 5-6 shooting. We have a love-hate relationship with Ennis. But, let's face it tonight, the Warriors reserves outscored the Laker reserves. Since Luke Walton put I.T. in the starting lineup, that presented a "who's who" on the 2nd unit. And Ennis in that fourth quarter provided some good scoring to spark a mini Lakers run, despite it being in vain as the Warriors continued to hit shots.

Julius Randle, 22 points, 10 rebounds. Like I said on Lopez's section, tonight presented a favorable matchup for Randle. Randle fouling out puts a damp on his performance, but he was pretty much the dependable guy to lean on to quell some of the Golden State momentum.

Isaiah Thomas, 20 points, 7 assists, 5-9 three pointers. I.T. was the only guy who can shoot it efficiently from deep. He was responsible for starting a couple of Laker scoring runs to keep the team in the game. Lakers could've used this performance if he was coming off the bench. But, Ingram out, Kuzma out, I.T. still put up big numbers at the expense of not leading the charge with the 2nd unit.

(-)

Bench scoring. The final count is that the Warriors' 2nd unit racked up 39 points. The Lakers' 2nd unit put up 23 points. At one point, the disparency was evident with the Warriors outscoring the Lakers 25-2 in bench points. That's where the Warriors killed the Lakers there. Shaun Livingston picked up the scoring early on. Omri Cassipi got going after a slow start in the first half. Livingston presented a big time mismatch on I.T. Cassipi, the Laker defense could not account for him as he was just sneaking into the basket untouched.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. It's alarming that KCP is on a current cold shooting streak. He got hot late in the game, but it was already out of reach. Defensively, he got abused trying to guard Kevin Durant. KCP on KD was like a small kid picking on a big kid. Caldwell-Pope as good of a defender he is had all kinds of trouble with Durant's length tonight. Not to mention, he also committed some silly fouls defending the three point line to destroy some of the Lakers' momentum.

Lonzo Ball, 1-8 three point shooting. Zo stuffs the stats sheet somewhere else and he's been shooting the three ball better. But, if it's not working, get your shot going by being aggressive to the cup. Clearly, Zo can't buy a bucket from deep now. So, the logical conclusion for Lonzo is to attack the basket. He's still has long ways to go to find that scoring balance. But, everything else is fine for him.

MVP

Brook Lopez, 20 points, 6 rebounds, 5 blocks, 8-15 shooting

Based on how Lopez played tonight and put up numbers on both ends of the floor, he's the MVP of the game. He's not a big time shot blocker, but the five blocks from him were a rare sight to see.




Conclusion

We can't use the no B.I., no Kuz excuse for this one. The Warriors didn't have Curry, Klay, and Green. It would've been a different story if both teams were healthy. And like I said, the Warriors would likely get this game since they're making a playoff push. The Lakers are clearly on the rise and the Warriors will gradually head down their peaking point. Nowadays, it's hard to stay on top, especially when a team has been to three straight finals and won 73 games. That's a lot of minutes and wear and tear logged onto the players. Not to mention, the locked up Curry to a big money contract. KD as well. The Warriors are at that period of playing "keep as many as you can." But, enough with me providing some fact checks here. My Bay Area buddies who are longtime Warrior fans deserve this after being on the losing end for a long time. Seeing the Lakers get swept by the Warriors is gonna take some time to adjust to because it's a rare occurrence given the past fortunes of these two teams. Hopefully, it doesn't become a habit. I'll see you guys later.

03/14: LAKERS @ Warriors 2nd Half Open Thread and Discussion

This is the 2nd half open thread of the Lakers-Warriors matchup. As usual, leave a comment below and share your thoughts on the game.

Q4

LAL 106 GSW 117

Well, if there's anything that can be picked out in this game, the Warriors still have the more superior depth. Nothing the Lakers can hang their heads on, the West will be theirs when the Warriors start to decline. As I said, the Lakers have to contain everyone else outside of KD. But, Nick Young stepped it up as well as Quinn Cook and Omri Cassipi this game. That just ruined the Lakers' plan all-in-all to get this win. Warrior fans get the sweep of the Lakers they wanted and I know I'm not gonna hear the end of it from friends and co-workers here from the Bay. Stay tuned for the full recap.

Q3

LAL 82 GSW 89

The one thing that can be relied on the most is that the Lakers find ways to come back. This had "bad quarter" written all over it. Obviously, the scoring off the bench has been biggest difference. At one point, the Warriors' reserves outscored the Lakers' reserves 2-25 until Travis Wear hit a three and Ennis hit a couple of shots. Warriors also keep turning the ball over, which allows this Laker team to hang around and the Lakers' are gonna need more of that. Going back to the Warriors' run this quarter, the last thing the Lakers need is either Nick Young or Quinn Cook to get hot and that played a part in the Warriors building to a double-digit lead and hanging on to the 7 point lead at the end of the quarter.

03/14: LAKERS @ Golden State Warriors 1st Half Open Thread and Discussion

Welcome in to the first half open thread of the Lakers' road matchup vs. the Golden State Warriors off a back-to-back set. Leave a comment below and share your thoughts on the game.

Q2

LAL 55 GSW 55

That was some good awareness by Lonzo to end it. Broken play, but the Lakers will take it. KCP got doubled at the end and Zo was at the right place at the right time to nod this thing up at 55 a piece. I wouldn't be surprised if this game turns out to be a really slow game. The Warriors are hurting themselves with a couple of turnovers, but the Lakers are hurting themselves more with missed free throws, turnovers, and early foul trouble. They're not really taking full advantage of a very short-handed Warriors squad. But some positives to take here is that Brook Lopez, Julius Randle, and I.T. are carrying the scoring load on this team without B.I. or Kuz. Brook and I.T. had 15 points each. Randle had 13. Those are the Lakers' big 3 right now. They gotta keep feeding it inside with Lopez and Randle and I.T. and Zo have to continue to be aggressive to the cup. KCP vs. KD is a lopsided matchup. Durant is just using his length to his advantage to get any shot he wants. That's where the Lakers miss Ingram and Kuzma. Interesting enough, Lonzo at one point defended KD and did a decent job. Perhaps that's a defensive adjustment Luke Walton can implement. So far, it's a who's who with the way this game's going. Other Lakers have to step in to help Brook, Randle, and I.T. as it is working with the Warriors who are very dependent on Durant to get their offense running. The 2nd half will open up shortly.

Q1

LAL 23 GSW 26

Didn't like that last possession with I.T. dribbling it out as passing it to Derrick Williams for a contested three. I'm stressing this in the comments, the Lakers can live with Kevin Durant scoring at will. KCP defending him is a huge mismatch and KD's having his way. It's the other Warrior players they have to contain. They've stepped up and were actively moving the ball and cutting into the lane. The Lakers had no defense on that early on. Missed free throws were apparent. The turnovers too were a story, but the Warriors are giving it right back. This game could come down to whoever turns it over the most. But, the Lakers are hanging in there with good starts from Lopez and Randle.

Lakers Turn Tables on Nuggets; Get Last Laugh vs. Jamal Murray

Welcome in to the full recap of the Lakers' matchup vs. the Denver Nuggets where the Lakers flip the script on the showboating antics of the Nuggets after the last two meetings, beating them 103-112 in their only meeting at Staples Center.

We might have a future NBA rivalry brewing. But, man it's so good to see that the Lakers got back at the Nuggets after two rough outings in Denver. And all of this centered around Jamal Murray. As mentioned in the two meetings in Denver, he dribbled around Lonzo Ball, Julius Randle took exception to it. Last Friday's meeting, Murray got Luke Walton and KCP heated. The Staples Center crowd gave Jamal Murray a handful and even showered him with a couple of "Murray sucks" chants. But, this was a very gritty win. The Lakers got off to that hot start in the first quarter. Brook Lopez looked good tonight. Then, it just fizzled out in the 2nd quarter and early part of the 3rd quarter when the Nuggets turned it on on both ends of the floor. But, Kuzma, I.T., and Randle stepped it up down the stretch and willed this team to a win. Lonzo and KCP didn't have it good on the offensive end, but contributed with a couple of clutch defensive plays down the stretch. That took a lot of grit on the Lakers' part to keep playing and find ways to win. No surprises there as they've been doing it all season long.

(+)

Kyle Kuzma, 26 points, 13 rebounds, 10-20 shooting. Major props to Kuzma for shaking off a minor ankle sprain and playing through the 4th quarter where he did most of his damage to Denver. On the play where he landed awkwardly by the end of the 3rd, there was some contact and he should've gone to the free throw line. But, the refs seldom call fouls on the final seconds of quarters and it is what it is. The 3rd quarter, the Lakers couldn't get any scoring to go, but Kuzma took it upon himself to carry that load. He was on target from three. He was able to drive to the basket. His shots looked really good. He didn't rush it at all. Kuz did work on the boards, particularly on the defensive end. Boxing out guys like Jokic, Plumlee, Chandler, and Millsap are a handful.

Julius Randle, 26 points, 13 rebounds, 11-17 shooting. This was a pretty interesting game from Randle. The first quarter, he's a man among boys. The second and third quarter, he was a little too out of control with his footing. Then he's a man amongst boys again in the fourth quarter. The Nuggets defense deserves a lot of credit for frustrating Randle. Randle's biggest kryptonite is if the opposing team implements a double-team on him and knowing how Randle played the last two seasons, those frustrate him the most. But, even the Nuggets know it's hard to stop him if you give him any kind of contact. That's what Randle was able to do to make up for a frustrating stretch at the midway point of the game.

Isaiah Thomas, 23 points, 7-19 shooting. Someone give Nikola Jokic some ankle insurance. I.T.'s quickness and craftiness was just too much Jokic to handle as he doesn't have the lateral quickness to stay on him. I.T. embarrassed Jokic not once but twice in the fourth quarter. Shooting-wise, it was not great for I.T. But, he connected on four big threes to help spark the Lakers' offense outside of Kuzma's big performance. It was just another day in the office for the King of the Fourth in the 4th quarter.

4th quarter defense. The defense came up big in crunch time. The Lakers forced the Nuggets to make all kinds of bad decisions to seal this victory. They disrupted the offensive flow. KCP came up with a couple of key steals, so did Lonzo despite the duo not having a good scoring game. The defense isn't all that pretty, but as long as the Lakers put the clamps when the game's on the line, that's what matters.

(-)

Turnovers. Lakers finished the game with 15 turnovers. Again, some of the turnovers, you gotta give credit to the Nuggets defensive adjustments. They double-teamed when needed, especially on Julius and they were very active with their hands to go for the steals. And then some of them, the Lakers were excessively passing the ball. Lonzo shoulders some of the blame for that. When he was driving, he had all kinds of space to drive to the cup, but sometimes pass-first guards get too passive and that was the case tonight, resulting in a couple of bad turnovers.

Three-ball happy. This was another major reason why the Nuggets completely sapped the Lakers out of some momentum after a hot first quarter start. The Lakers were living and dying by the three to go for the early kill. It's like they wanted to beat the Nuggets at their own game. They did have some good looks though. Travis Wear and Kuz had wide open shots, they just couldn't hit them. I was a little disappointed at Lopez camping out from beyond-the-arc again when he should've looked for his shot inside. He did start 3-3 from three point land though, then all of a sudden he thinks he's Klay Thompson. As mentioned, Lonzo Ball and KCP were way off behind the arc (Ball 1-7, KCP 1-4). Luckily, the Nuggets were no better even though they shoot the three-ball better than the Lakers have all season.

MVP

Kyle Kuzma, 26 points, 13 rebounds, 10-20 shooting 

This MVP vote wasn't even that close. The Lakers' would be sitting ducks without this guy's big 2nd half. Kyle Kuzma carried the offense in the third quarter. He hit a couple of threes in the 4th quarter to help the Lakers pull away even further. Hopefully, that ankle is ok because they're going to need him to put up a game like this tomorrow against Golden State.


Conclusion

31 wins and counting. The Lakers did their jobs and punched the bully in the mouth in the Nuggets and Jamal Murray. This was a good statement win and this is another gritty win tact on to their season. This team just continues to improve and find ways to win game-by-game. Tonight, they did whoever's occupying the West's 8th seed a favor by beating Denver. Tomorrow night, they have a favor asked by Houston to take down the Warriors to further the gap of the #1 seed. So far this season, the Lakers took the Warriors to the limit on the first three meetings, two of them resulted in close OT losses. We can expect this game to be a little different considering that the Warriors are making a playoff push. But, they are missing Curry and a couple of key players. KD, Draymond, and Klay will likely pick up the slack for them again. This is not necessarily a barometer game, but if the Lakers still want to continue make that playoff push and avoid a regular season sweep against Golden State for the first time in a long time, they have to win tomorrow. I'll see you guys back here tomorrow.

03/13: LAKERS vs. Nuggets 2nd Half Open Thread and Discussion

This is the 2nd half open thread of Lakers-Nuggets matchup. As usual, leave a comment below and share your thoughts on the game. 

Q4

DEN 103 LAL 112

Well, the Nuggets finally know how the losing side is. This game was a game of runs and the Lakers came out strong at the end. What a quarter by Kyle Kuzma! Took an awkward fall in the third quarter and left with an apparent ankle injury, but he was still able to play it out and continue to score. I.T. took over and put some highlight moves over Jokic to let the Lakers pull away even further. The biggest thing is that the Lakers' defense put the clamps on when needed, forcing some key turnovers from the Nuggets to seal this game. Jamal Murray and the Nuggets may have taunted the Lakers in the first two meetings, but the Lakers got the last laugh and might've put a damp on the Nuggets' quest to reclaim the West's 8th seed with this win. Stay tuned for the full recap. 

Q3

DEN 82 LAL 77

That's a whole lot of contact on Kuzma at the end of the quarter, but knowing the refs, they won't call that. I gotta admit, this quarter was ugly from the start. The Lakers could not buy a bucket while the Nuggets were getting any shot they wanted. Kuzma single-handedly carried the Lakers' scoring for the most part of the quarter. The sad part was that the Lakers were struggling to get stops on the defensive end until the final minute. Chandler and Jokic getting benched was the biggest break for the Lakers leading to this run, which this game pretty much is: a game of runs.

03/13: LAKERS vs. Denver Nuggets 1st Half Open Thread and Discussion

Jamal Murray's a marked man in LA. Welcome in to the first half open thread of the Lakers' matchup vs. the Denver Nuggets. Leave a comment below and share your thoughts on the game.

Q2

DEN 47 LAL 48

Kuzma's bucket was something to salvage in this terrible quarter for the Lakers. Wow, that made the start at the first quarter seem like a distant memory. We gotta give credit to Denver's defense. They made the necessary defensive adjustments and are forcing the Lakers to play a slow, halfcourt pace. Too many turnovers from the Lakers' side is the result. It also has to do was that there was just too many passes. Lonzo in particular accounted for most of the over-passing. The three point game also was a negative in this quarter after it was working in the first quarter. They had good looks, but I'm beyond puzzled why they abandoned the paint game when they were taking too many threes and missing them. They have to feed it to Randle and Lopez inside. I saw a little regression from Randle being out-of-control this quarter. Then again, the Nuggets made the necessary defensive adjustments to put him in a difficult position. The Lakers must punish this Nuggets team inside rather than try to beat them at their own game with 3-pointers. More inside scoring. The 2nd half will open up shortly.

Q1

DEN 22 LAL 35

Strong quarter for the Lakers and strong start to the game. Both the defense and the offense were on point that quarter. Lonzo set the tone on defense with a block on Gary Harris and a couple of steals. Randle set the tone inside. The Nuggets just have zero answer on how to guard Randle inside the paint. Because they can't, they can only hope to contain him. Brook Lopez is hot early from beyond the arc with three 3-pointers made. Everything is clicking right now. Hopefully, it translates to the 2nd quarter.

Lakers Thrash Cavs in Clarkson and Nance's Return; I.T. Gets Sweet Revenge

Welcome in to the full recap of the Lakers' Sunday night matchup vs. the Cleveland Cavaliers where familiar faces, Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr. return to LA in Cavs' uniforms. But, it was not the result they wanted as I.T. earned sweet revenge and Randle and Lopez were just too much in the paint, giving the Lakers a decisive 113-127 win.

I'm looking at the final stats and Larry Nance showed out with 16 points, but Clarkson only chipped in 4 points here. I.T. alone scored the same amount of points as both of them combined. What a trade by Magic and Pelinka! Overall, good wire-to-wire win over the Cavs. Any team that has a LeBron James is a good win. The Cavs as a whole are just in an enigmatic limbo as a playoff team and rebuilding team. The likelihood of LeBron leaving the Cavs again has all signs of inevitability. The Lakers auditioned and they have a case for LeBron to come to LA as weird as that sounds. Pace, size, and unselfish ball movement were the Lakers' formula for victory tonight.

(+)

Isaiah Thomas, 20 points, 5 rebounds, 9 assists. I'm really happy with the way I.T. played tonight and you should too. I thought the Cavs trading him despite knowing he needs to recover from a major hip injury was a little too premature. The guy only played 17 games for them. As they say, one man's trash is another man's treasure and I.T. got the last laugh against the Cavs. I thought he showed really good balance as a scorer and facilitator. He didn't let the emotions of this game get the best of him, you talk about good poise and patience. He set up Randle, Lopez, and other teammates well for easy baskets and took over in the 4th to put this game away. Like I said, Magic and Rob have some vindication for trading for this man while sacrificing fan-favorite young pieces such as Clarkson and Nance.

Julius Randle, 36 points, 14 rebounds, 7 assists. Randle vs. Nance was the hot topic of debate for Laker fans because of the logjam at the Power Forward position. Some favored Nance because of his basketball IQ and hustle while others favored Randle because of the upside and the rare balance of speed and power. After tonight, this shouldn't be a debate anymore. Randle straight up bullied Nance and the Cavs' inside presence to set a new career high. I couldn't imagine how tense that battle was during practices. You can tell Randle had something to prove here. They said LeBron bullying the Lakers was like man against boys. The same can be said with Randle and how he bullied his way to the basket. Great rapport with I.T. as well in transition and in pick-and-roll and give-n-go action.

Brook Lopez, 22 points, 8 rebounds, 2 blocks. This is the third straight game that Lopez logged 20+ points. I wanted Lopez to use his inside game more if his 3-point shot isn't falling and he has responded with that balance the last three games. Tonight was an absolute cakewalk as the Cavs lacked size in the front court and I expected Lopez to feast and he did. He also did a solid job on LeBron defensively. The Cavs wanted that switch with Lopez on LeBron as they did with LeBron on Lonzo. Brook did not back down from the challenge and held his own against arguably the best player in the world right now.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, 20 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals. Of course, it's not a Laker win without KCP scoring and being on target from 3-point land. He had a hot start to the 1st quarter offensively and made some nice defensive plays, especially when he got the ball back for the Lakers after the Lakers committed a turnover.

(-)

A couple of defensive lapses in the first half and getting a little too relaxed with the lead in fourth quarter before KCP's three, but they're only minor. Lakers did not have a lot of negatives to point out here in this game.

MVP

Julius Randle, 36 points, 14 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks

He is the Punisher. This was a three-way race between Randle, Lopez, and I.T. for MVP this game. But, Randle deserves it with this monster double-double and a new career high with 36 points. No player on that Cavs roster wanted any part of Julius tonight.


Conclusion

The Lakers now stand at 30 wins after this one. It's been awhile, but they finally made it over one hump after a couple of frustrating seasons. I said in my regular season back in October, that I'd be happy if the Lakers finished with 30-35 wins. The season is not even over yet and they could grab more. They have a brutal stretch ahead though as I look at their remaining schedule. But, you can't deny they continue to compete and find ways to win. Make no mistake, team is confident to take on any team in the NBA. Denver and Golden State next, two more pivotal games if the Lakers are thinking playoffs. Clearly, the Lakers are still thinking about Jamal Murray's disrespectful antics in the last two meetings with the Nuggets. If they want to shut him up, they have to shut him down. And a win against the Nuggets puts them closer to 8th seed. In terms of the Warriors, the Lakers have dropped three close games against them. Clearly, Golden State is hurting without Curry, but they're at Oracle and they have a chance to sweep the Lakers in regular season series for the first time in a long while. The Lakers will look to deny that again. Two big games for the upcoming week. And the good news, I'll be covering both of them on the blog! I'll see you guys later.

03/11: LAKERS vs. Cavs 2nd Half Open Thread and Discussion

This is the 2nd half of the Lakers-Cavs matchup. As usual, leave a comment below and share your thoughts on the game.

Q4

CLE 113 LAL 127

Epic wire-to-wire victory for the Lakers. This game pretty much gives Magic and Rob vindication for the I.T.-Clarkson/Nance trade. I.T. took over early on in the 4th quarter and burned the Lakers with 20 pts and 9 asts. Randle punished the Cavs' interior defense or lack thereof. Lopez did the same thing. This was a strong closeout quarter for the Lakers and a closeout they desperately needed after blowing a couple of big leads to begin the week. Stay tuned for the full recap.

Q3

CLE 82 LAL 98

What a quarter! The Cavs gave a little scare when they went on a 9-0 run and eventually tied it up. But, the Lakers went back to that formula of punishing them inside. Good quarter Lopez, Randle, and KCP. I.T. started to heat up as a scorer and facilitator down the stretch. The last shot from Cleveland gave this quarter a little dent though. And hopefully it's not a harbinger heading into the 4th quarter. That stretch is where the Lakers have to close out, especially when Ingram is not there. Paging I.T. It's against his former team and he's gotta remind LeBron and company who the King in the Fourth is.

03/11: LAKERS vs. Cleveland Cavaliers 1st Half Open Thread and Discussion

LeBron comes to town. Clarkson and Nance make their returns in another uniform. Welcome in to the first half open thread of the Lakers' matchup vs. the Cleveland Cavaliers. Leave a comment below and share your thoughts on the game.

Q2

CLE 60 LAL 65

Good defense from Caruso to force LeBron off rhythm for a final shot. The Lakers can't cap off the first half any better. I heard Luke Walton in one mic'd up bits that this Laker team needs to wear down and punish this Cavs team down low. And he's right. The Cavs don't have any interior presence and the Lakers have the advantage with Lopez and Randle inside. It's not just them, but you see players actively cutting into the lane when the Cavs are forced to double. That's one of the key reasons why the Lakers racked up so many assists at the half with 19. Lopez is off to another good start. I've stressed that he needs to score more inside and he has and he's doing it again against a very thin Cavs front court. KCP's hot shooting the start has also helped the Lakers balloon the lead a bit. Defensively, the Lakers could be a lot better, especially inside. I lost count how many times Ante Zizic has been found wide open for the easy score after a couple feeds by LeBron and Clarkson. Someone on the Lakers team has to do a better job at communicating and accountiing for the cutter. The 2nd half will open up shortly.

Q1

CLE 29 LAL 33

Not a bad showing by Clarkson on the opposite end of the floor. He baited the Lakers to double and found somebody inside for an easy deuce. But, overall this was a solid start from the Lakers. Clearly, they are exploiting the Cavs' lack of interior presence with Lopez and Randle in the paint. Add into the fact that KCP started great in the first quarter is the reason why they get the early four point lead. They are baiting the Cavs to double and there's someone open inside. That's one early blueprint to wear this Cavs team down.

Cavs-Lakers Open Thread Full Go Tonight

Turns out I won't miss the first half of the game. So, Lakers-Cavs on ESPN will be covered on this blog at 100% tonight. I'll see you guys tonight for that game.

Lakers Drop Pivotal Game vs. Nuggets

*Stats courtesy of NBA.com*

Brook Lopez lead the Lakers with another 20+ point performance with 29 points, but the Lakers couldn't hold off the hot shooting of the Nuggets, losing 116-125. Julius Randle added 18 points and Kyle Kuzma chipped in 14 points to add to the starting front court. Meanwhile in the backcourt, KCP racked up a near double-double with 17 points and 9 rebounds and Lonzo Ball recorded a near triple-double of 15 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists to go with 4 steals. I.T. lead the 2nd unit with 10 points and 4 assists.

Final Score: @ Denver 116-125 [L]
Full article: http://www.nba.com/games/20180309/LALDEN#/recap

Next Game: vs. Cleveland (03/11) <-- b="">*Will provide Open Thread, but likely just take over in the 2nd half and Full Recap posts*

Highlights: *Courtesy of MLG Highlights*

The Lakers really do miss Ingram and Hart to close games out. I'm gonna make this commentary as quick as possible since I'm going to be busy all day long. This is a game that the Lakers need to get to stay in that hunt for #8 seed, which the Clippers are holding onto now. But, Denver knew what was at hand fumbling that 8th seed away and this was a must-win for them. Heading into this game, the Nuggets' 3-point shooting would be a problem for the Lakers. Right out of the gate, they were on target from deep. Lakers scratched and clawed back in and lead, but they fizzled out momentum-wise. It didn't help that they looked really pedestrian in the closing moments of the 4th quarter. In the end, the Nuggets with Millsap, Jokic, Murray, Barton, and Harris sealed this game away with some key plays on both ends of the floor to deny the Lakers a late rally. Let's talk about Jamal Murray for a bit. I totally forgot about this, but in the Lakers and Nuggets first meeting, Denver won by a big margin and Murray dribbled the ball around Lonzo in the final seconds. Randle and the others took offense to that. This game, he got Luke and KCP heated. Both games, Murray played well and backed up the showboating. Somewhere in the locker room, Jamal Murray's picture should be bulletin-board material for Tuesday's match against this Nuggets team. This thing is not over yet. But first things first, the Lakers have to regroup against the Cavs on Sunday. Clarkson and Nance returning to Staples Center since the trade. I.T. going up against LeBron after the drama this season prior to the trade, it's gonna be some night and it's going be another big game for the Lakers' aspiring playoff hopes. I could miss the first half since I have somewhere to be. But, I'll make it time to provide coverage for the 2nd half and the full recap. Both threads will be open though. I'll see you guys for that game.

Lakers Cling On to Bounceback Win vs. Magic

*Stats courtesy of NBA.com*

All five starters were in double figures for the Lakers last night. Brook Lopez was the Lakers' top scorer with 27 points as he helped bail out the Lakers to a 107-108 thriller with a couple of game-winning free throws. Kyle Kuzma and Julius Randle recorded double-doubles as Kuz racked up 20 points and 10 rebounds and Randle added 12 points and 11 rebounds. Lonzo Ball finished with all-around numbers with 16 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists and KCP chipped in 10 points to round out the starters. I.T. was one shy of a double-double as he lead the 2nd unit with 13 points and 9 dimes.

Final Score: vs. Orlando 107-108 [W]
Full article: http://www.nba.com/games/20180307/ORLLAL#/recap

Next Game: @ Denver (03/09)

Highlights: *Courtesy of Rapid Highlights*

Looking back at this game, this was the most bizarre win so far of the season based on the finish. The clock operator thought that Brook Lopez tipped the end bounds pass, prompting the clock to run out early than expected. It should've started when Lonzo deflected the pass and the game would've been over. It was really weird that the refs called for a jump ball. Regardless, the Magic were in a lose-lose situation on that last play. This shouldn't have come down to a one-point lead. This was much like the Blazers game on Monday where the Lakers built a big lead and it just evaporated in crunch time. Again, they were more focused on going for the knockout blow rather than just go through their offense and settle for high-percentage looks. It almost killed them at the end again, but Brook played the "miracle worker" and won the game for the Lakers off two clutch free throws. It was smart that he went down low and drew the contact on Vucevic. Brook Lopez's game last night was the Brook Lopez I expected when the Lakers got him from the Nets in the first place. It boggles my mind that he's more than capable of taking it to the post, but he insists on camping on the three-point line for some reason. He'll make some threes, but most of three pointers hit nothing but iron. This is what we want out of Lopez, to score more inside and he did that last night. But, everybody's gonna talk about the 0 rebounds though. We know he's a rare case of a big man that doesn't get double-digits boards, but c'mon now. But outside Lopez, Kuzma came alive last night. I noticed that most of Kuz's struggles had to do with him rushing his shots a bit and being unbalanced with his jumper. He got back to the basics of what made him a draft day steal and that was encouraging to see. Randle's 20+ point streak came to an end, but he still made his presence felt as a bully down low. I.T. showed really good balance as a scorer and facilitator coming off the bench and took better percentage shots. Zo was solid, but he needs to calm down on the three-point game. He hit four, but he took some threes that were way out of range. Though, that has to do with the Lakers being out of sync offensively as the shot clock was about to expire. The Lakers were fortunate to come out with this win. But the way they've been blowing leads as of late is really concerning and that's where they really miss Ingram's capability of slowing things down and embracing that "closer" role. They also miss Josh Hart being at the right place at the right time to knock down big time high-percentage shots. The upcoming stretch for the Lakers is a big one if they're really thinking playoffs. Denver surrendered the 8th seed momentarily to the Clippers after the Cavs beat them last night and they're looking to regain that quickly when the Lakers come to town Friday night. These games down the line against teams in playoff contention are huge for this young Lakers team.

"Dame Time" Torches Lakers Yet Again

*Stats courtesy of NBA.com*

Julius Randle lead all Lakers in scoring, recording a near double-double of 21 points and 9 rebounds to go with 2 steals. But, the Lakers couldn't find an answer for Damian Lillard's 4th quarter explosion as the Blazers beat the Lakers for the 15th straight time 108-103, snapping the five-game winning streak. KCP also recorded near double-double numbers with 16 points and 9 rebounds. Lonzo Ball cooled off with 10 points and 2 steals, Kyle Kuzma added 11 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 blocks, Brook Lopez added 14 points to go with 8 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 blocks. I.T. once again lead the 2nd unit with 19 points and 7 dimes.

Final Score: vs. Portland 108-103 [L]
Full article: http://www.nba.com/games/20180305/PORLAL#/recap

Next Game: vs. Orlando (03/07)

Highlights: *Courtesy of MLG Highlights*

Another game, another loss to Portland. As a fan, when you have a long losing streak to a team such as the Blazers since Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum came into the spotlight, it gets sickening. I.T.'s missed free throw in the final seconds is a big what-if. Even if he made it, the Lakers need to get a clear shot to go for the tie or win it at the buzzer. We can't completely blame I.T. on the missed free throw because the Lakers, outside of the early 1st quarter start and the 3rd quarter weren't that good. Defensively, they didn't put the clamps on until the 3rd quarter. There should've been more on-ball pressure throughout the game as Dame and McCollum were getting all kinds of open looks. The Lakers were also ice cold to start. The one thing that griped me was that they were rushing all kinds of shots when they ballooned their lead over the Blazers to double digits in the 2nd half. The Lakers tried to go for the knockout blow by playing a little hero ball and it backfired on them and I'm sure Dame was licking his chops that the Lakers were settling for rushed shots from beyond the arc. Credit where it's due, he torched the Lakers defense in the 4th quarter. Lonzo had no answer for him on the defensive end. That's when things turned for the worst for the Lakers and they wound up losing to the Blazers yet again. For the namesake of this blog, Dame to the Lakers is what LaDainian Tomlinson was to the Raiders. They just light it up in crunch time. And if you're a Raider fan like I am, I just brought back memories of those times when LT used to torch the Raiders all those years with the Chargers. Dame is doing the same thing and the last 15 games against this team proved that. I'm afraid to say that as long as he's in his prime, I don't think he's going to let the Blazers concede to the Lakers as long as he's around.

Lakers Storm Back to Stun Spurs

*Stats courtesy of NBA.com*

Lonzo Ball came up big in the clutch, finishing with 18 points, 7 rebounds, and 11 assists to rally the Lakers past the Spurs for their fifth win in a row and achieve their 4-game road sweep in a 116-112 victory. Julius Randle earned another 20+ point performance with 25 points to go with 6 rebounds. KCP added a double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds to go with 3 steals, Brook Lopez added 14 points, and Kyle Kuzma chipped in 11 points to round out the starters. I.T. carried a big load to lead a shorthanded 2nd unit, scoring 21 points and dishing 7 dimes off the bench.

Final Score: @ San Antonio 116-112 [W]
Full article: http://www.nba.com/games/20180303/LALSAS#/recap

Next Game: vs. Portland (03/05)

Highlights: *Courtesy of Rapid Highlights*

Un-Be-Lieveable. Based on how this game went early on, it looked like this game was the Lakers to lose. They were ice cold and sloppy right out of the gate with a couple of careless turnovers to start. They couldn't buy a bucket. The only offense the Lakers were getting was to feed it to Randle inside and get him to free throw line. The Spurs played at the pace they wanted for the majority of the game: slow, half-court tempo and moving the ball around for a high percentage shot. As big of a deficit the Lakers had, they found ways to recover and get back into the game. That has been the main theme throughout the season: the Lakers face adversity, they compete harder and narrow down the lead. The way they handled the slow start looked routine to them. And this is against a short-handed, but great Spurs team offensively and defensively. This game, I.T. got the engine going for the offense off the bench. Brook Lopez woke up and contributed some timely buckets. Travis Wear, unsung player of the game, with 7 points off the bench. He made under-the-radar contributions to the Lakers' monster scoring run down the stretch. In fact, one of his buckets cut the San Antonio lead to 98-103. KCP crashed the boards and also helped ignited the Lakers' scoring run. He was also clutch on the defensive end with a steal to set up Lonzo to Randle to put the Lakers up 114-109. Speaking of Lonzo, he has arrived his game. No Brandon Ingram to take over and play the closer, Lonzo Ball came up big in the clutch. I'm talking about clutch 3-pointers down the stretch. The first three, he made it a one point game. The 2nd three, it put the Lakers up 109-107. The 3rd three was nothing but net and it put the Lakers up 112-109. Zo took over the game when needed. Like I said time and time again throughout this season, his shot will fall eventually. He just needed to be assertive and confident with it. Since his return from, we're seeing a more confident Ball, no pun intended. Some will say he's still a bust, but let them talk. They said the same thing about Ingram last year. You just can't judge a player based on his rookie year. This game, we saw the true arrival of the product we saw from UCLA last year and it couldn't have come at a better time. There are too many signature wins to keep track of from this young Lakers' team. But this one looks like the cream of the crop considering the odds against the Lakers' favor. They're finding ways to win. It's truly a turning point for this team to get a 5-game winning streak and sweeping a 4-game road trip, especially since the last two games are against playoff-contending teams that play solid defense.