The Trade Heard Around The World

 

I'm still in shock that this trade even happened.

Saying "Luka Doncic is a Laker" still feels like a joke. It's fake news. But it's not. 

The golden rule when it comes to following these NBA trade news is that if it hasn't been reported by Adrian Wojnarowski nor Shams Charania (more so the latter), it's not real. It a clickbait.

This trade still doesn't feel real that Shams had to confirm it not once, but multiple times on a late Saturday night that this was not a drill.

So here's the quick breakdown: the Lakers, the Dallas Mavericks, and the Utah Jazz engaged in a 3-team trade. Utah gets Jalen Hood-Schifino, one of the Clippers' 2nd round pick, and the Mavs' 2nd round pick. But the real meat behind this trade is the Lakers get Luka Doncic, Maxi Kleber, and Markieff Morris (welcome back BTW) in exchange for Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a 2029 first round pick.

That was it. That's all it took to get Luka.

Now as we're trying to get our minds settled in, let me make this perfectly clear in my opinion of this. This move is not a "win now" move. Let's be realistic here. When you look at the outlook of the roster this season, this was by no means a championship roster. Even though this team is surging and currently 5th in the West, I see this team at best getting bounced in the 1st round in the playoffs. And the biggest weakness the Lakers was that they had no other solid big man besides Anthony Davis. And now that AD is gone, the Lakers now have a big void to fill. This team is not going to win with Jaxson Hayes and Christian Koloko playing meaningful minutes. And even if and when Christian Wood creeps back into the rotation, they don't have a reliable big. Their literal frontcourt is a 40-year old LeBron, Rui, Vando, and Dorian Finney-Smith and Hayes and Koloko in that true Center spot. This team is going to get wrecked when they run into opponents that have an elite big like the Nuggets and Jokic. 

With AD no longer anchoring the paint and getting players into position defensively, the Lakers are gonna get exposed night in and night out. Luka is not a great defender. Austin Reaves not a great defender. LeBron? At this stage of his career? Not a great defender. Besides Vando and DFS who can guard positions 1-5, that is not enough to cover most of the Lakers' deficiencies. And you consider the fit too. LeBron and Luka are both ball dominant players. And one of them is going to have to sacrifice their game to get the Lakers to win basketball games. It's exciting that you have two high-IQ players that can score and pass the ball and rebound. But somebody has to cede responsibilities to make this pairing work.

That is the short-term outlook. The long-term outlook? As mentioned, LeBron is 40 and he can walk away from the NBA anytime soon. And the Lakers as a franchise needs to look at the future of this team. And they have two choices: 1) you can keep AD and build around him, but at best he's only got 2-3 more great years of basketball left before his body breaks down or 2) you can build around a 25-26 year old Luka Doncic. Weight problems aside, he's already a top 5 superstar and a MVP-caliber player and his best basketball is still yet to come.

It's simple, you choose the latter. You build around Luka freakin' Doncic! If he's available, you take it. No questions asked.

And this is what's mind boggling to me. Of all the teams to help the Lakers solve their bleak post-LeBron future, the Dallas Mavericks? This trade reminded me of the fact that Mark Cuban is no longer in charge of that franchise. He sold his majority stake. And this trade wouldn't fly with him if he was still in charge because he wants the Lakers to essentially suck forever and he'll die on that hill! But this team under the current ownership, just gifted their franchise cornerstone to the Lakers before he was able to reach the peak of his basketball career! Like we are not getting a true superstar who is washed like trades of yesteryear. We are getting a superstar that is close to his prime or at his prime already. Luka is already an offensive juggernaut, defensive deficiencies aside, weight aside. He can score from anywhere and he's an absolute magician with the ball in his hands. He's not the flashiest player nor is he super athletic, but he's incredibly crafty with the basketball. And I'm not gonna lie when I say this, but he was one of my favorite players to watch that's not on the Lakers until now. Every fantasy team I drafted, I was gunning for Luka if I was in position to draft him.

If you're a Mavs fan, I understand how confusing this is, how torn you must be because you're not used to this. This is like if they gave us Dirk Nowitzki to team up with Kobe Bryant in exchange for Pau Gasol and Shannon Brown. And the reason your team gave away Luka like that was they were "concerned" about his weight and conditioning. And they believe defense wins championships that's why they got AD. With all due respect, AD is a beast when healthy, a top two-way player in the league when healthy. And he'll finally have quality big men to play alongside with in Dereck Lively and Daniel Gafford. But with this trade, it is absolutely essential for Dallas to win now or within the next 2-3 years. So this works for them in the short-term. However, it's gonna be too much to ask an old Kyrie, and old Klay, and a soon-to-be-old AD to carry this team to a deep playoff run because all their careers, they have shown that they can't carry a team on their back. These next 2-3 years are gonna define their legacies before their careers are all said and done.

If anything to take from this trade, the Lakers had to think critically about their future. They wasted so many opportunities in the LeBron-AD era. It's sad to think the only defining moment in that era was winning that 2020 bubble championship. And we wish the best of luck to Anthony Davis in Dallas. But this trade to get Luka Doncic, it gives the Lakers' future new life. That was the first step. The 2nd step, they have to build a contender around him in 2-3 years tops. This means find him another superstar whether it's via trade, free agency, or the unthinkable option: draft and develop one and surround him with quality role players who can shoot and defend. Rob Pelinka, Jeanie Buss, JJ Reddick, you were given a rare gift. Use it well.

With that said, thank you Anthony Davis, Max Christie (solid game against NYK last night BTW), and Jalen Hood-Schifino (I forgot you were still on the team). And welcome to the Lake Show, Luka Doncic! I'm excited to see "Luka Magic" bring "Showtime" back to the Lakers in the now and into the future.

Lakers Weekly Roundup #10: Hot Start 2020

First Week: 

1/1: vs. Phoenix 107-117 [W] (27-7)
1/3: vs. New Orleans 113-123 [W] (28-7)
1/5: vs. Detroit 99-106 [W] (29-7)

Second Week:

1/7: vs. New York 87-117 [W] (30-7)
1/10: @ Dallas 129-114 [W] (31-7)
1/11: @ Oklahoma City 125-110 [W] (32-7)

Oh my goodness, I have a lot of games to cover after pushing this for awhile now. I apologize for that. I am currently busy with some things. But first and foremost, belated Happy New Year to Laker Nation. I hope you all are off to a good start to 2020 as the Lakers are off to a good start this year. The LakeShow still managed to end 2019 on a high note despite a 5-game losing streak with wins over Portland and Dallas as recapped in Roundup #9. And they're carrying that over by going 6-0 so far, ringing in the New Year.

I watched highlights and most of the portions of the games of the Lakers' first two weeks and January and I figured for this week, I might as well condense these games instead of providing my quick thoughts on each individual game (thanks lazy me).

If we compare, the first week was a week of "unsatisfactory wins." The Lakers had three games against sub .500 teams. If we go back to that Phoenix game on NYD, that game should've been a wire-to-wire blowout. They outscored the Suns 17-43 in the first quarter, putting 74 total points at the half. They should put their foot on the gas and let LeBron and AD rest throughout the 4th. But nope, they let them back in the game before regaining control in the 4th. The same can be said for the games against the Pelicans and Pistons.

Against the Pelicans, it was a homecoming for Zo, B.I., and Josh Hart. There's no denying that they're good young players. They were just put in a bad situation on a team that expects championships out of the gate. Still, it was worth the trade for prime AD. AD burned the Pelicans again with 46 points. Danny Green went off for 25 points going 6-10 from deep. Still, LeBron and AD are not sitting out until about 1 minute left in the 4th when the game is well out of reach. Against the Pistons, the finish of the game had trap game written all over it. Detroit is lifeless team, yet Derrick Rose returned to MVP form with 28 points and almost singlehandedly carried the Pistons to victory. But, the Lakers prevailed with a block party hosted by Davis (8 blocks), JaVale McGee (6 blocks), and Dwight Howard (5 blocks). I should point out KCP and Avery Bradley sustained injuries this game, which explains the lack of production in the back court with the exception of 13 points from Caruso.

The 2nd week was a lot better. I won't go too deep into the Knicks game because honestly, the Knicks are a dumpster fire. It was embarrassing they swept the Lakers last season. But, the tables have turned this time around. The only notable story that game was AD's scary fall while he was going up for a dunk. Luckily, X-Rays came out negative and he's going to miss a few games with a bruised tailbone barring any setback. The back-to-back wins against Dallas and OKC were most impressive as they continued their dominance on the road. The Lakers took the season series against the Mavs. LeBron James went beast mode as a scorer and rebounder with 35 points,  16 rebounds, and 7 assists sans Anthony Davis. We tend to forget that LeBron can literally play all 5 positions. JaVale and Dwight were in foul trouble this game and that freed up the idea to play 'Bron at Center. Meanwhile, the defense did a good job keeping Luka in check for the first half. He made a meme out of himself, ripping part of his jersey off. The thing about the Mavericks is they live and die by the three and getting Doncic going is the key to that. Once he struggles, their offense fizzles out and that was the case on Friday. Yes, they didn't have Porzingis, but the Lakers didn't have AD. So that cancels out.

Against OKC, no 'Bron. No AD. No problem. Before this game, the Thunder have become the biggest surprise in this stretch of the season winning seven of their eight games and in the 7th seed in the West. This is all because Chris Paul has found the fountain of youth with his scoring and playmaking and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has emerged as a scorer during for OKC. This game was expected to be tough for the Lakers without their top two stars. That's until Kyle Kuzma re-introduced himself. He must've heard the trade rumors for Bogdan Bogdanovic from Sacramento as he poured 36 points on the Thunder. However, this was a great team effort win. Rondo stepped up with a near triple-double of 21 points, 12 rebounds, and 8 assists. The bench had solid contributions from Quinn Cook (13 points), Dwight Howard (12 points), Troy Daniels (12 points), and Alex Caruso (11 points). You think the Lakers lack depth? Hold Rob Pelinka's contract extension and promotion to VP of Basketball Operations.

Lakers Weekly Roundup #9: Righting The Ship

12/25: vs. LA Clippers 111-106 [L] (24-7)

WE ALMOST HAD THEM! DAMMIT!

I'll be honest, I was super salty at the end result of this game. As Snoop Dogg says in his rants: "this ruined my Christmas." If there's anything to sum up the first two meetings with the Clippers as 2019 comes to a close, it's this: the Lakers are only good against their hallway brother for 24 minutes. Oh and they had the odds in their favor too! Despite a hobbled LeBron and AD and LeBron having an off game, the Lake Show stood their ground. Kyle Kuzma went off in the first half. Lou Williams was held in check to 5 points. Paul George didn't go off either. The Lakers were up big at the half and had fun with Kevin Hart courtside.

Then the 2nd half happened. Allow me to summarize this to the tune of Jingle Bells to exemplify the spirit of Christmas:

Silly fouls
Turnovers
Missed threes from LeBron

Kawhi went off 
For 35 Points
And Pat Beverly talked some sh*t. F*CK!

Just like Patrick Beverly, we will never hear the end of it from Clipper fans. "We're the better LA team" echoed across the Internet as the Clippers go up 2-0 in the Battle for LA. And like that, they creep closer to the top of the Western Conference. That 2nd half was pathetic and once again, Doc Rivers outcoaches Frank Vogel in the 2nd half. How do you sit Kuzma out that long when he's got the hot hand? Danny Green, you've been selected on an all-defensive team. How the hell are you this undisciplined? He committed some silly fouls to let the Clippers back in. And LeBron, you stunk it up this game. I don't know if it was the groin injury that affected your psyche. 1-6 from three point land, unacceptable. Honestly, I don't care if the Clippers sweep the Lakers in the regular season. If they meet in the playoffs, I WANT THE LAKERS TO HANDLE THAT BUSINESS WHEN IT MATTERS THE MOST!

12/28: @ Portland 128-120 [W] (25-7)

This game was the perfect "get right" game for the Lakers. Let's face it, Portland is in the midst of turmoil after an improbable run to the Conference Finals last year. Despite strong acquisitions of Hassan Whiteside and Carmelo Anthony, they are struggling so far this season. However, they didn't make this any easy for the Lakers. When the Lakers dominated the Blazers earlier this month at the Moda Center, I figured the next meeting won't be so easy this time around. But, they hung tight on Saturday behind another stellar scoring performance from Kyle Kuzma and some key clutch shots from KCP to add on to LeBron and AD's typical 20+ point stat lines.

12/29: vs. Dallas 95-108 [W] (26-7)

Ending the year on a high note. It's quite a coincidence that the Mavs are the Lakers' first opponent and their last opponent for the month of December. The last meeting between these two teams was an ugly loss for the Lakers as Luka Doncic put up early MVP numbers. But last night, the Lakers made sure they game planned for Luka this time around. To their success, they held him to 19 points and 5-14 shooting. Last night's win was an all-around team game. Honestly, this team has a lot of savvy veterans they can't rely on LeBron and AD to carry them. Six Lakers were in double figures this game. KCP lead the bench with 19 points. Dwight Howard added 15 points. JaVale McGee and Danny Green chipped in with 11 points and 10 points respectively. And of course, AD and LeBron with 23 points and 13 points respectively. The only blemish this game was that Kyle Kuzma had no points after a pair of 20+ point games off the bench. But at the end of the day, a W is what matters. The Lakers end 2019 with an outstanding 26-7 record. 2020 will present an even greater challenge.

Lakers Weekly Roundup #6: 10 Wins...and One December 1 Loss

November has been very kind to the Lakers. Outside of the early loss to the Toronto Raptors, the Lakers have owned the month of November. One could say they've had a far easy schedule against struggling teams. But one thing's for sure, they are taking care of business against teams they're expected to beat. Heading into December, the Lakers will truly be tested against teams with better records. How they fare remains to be seen, but let's take a look at how they performed this week.

11/25: @ San Antonio 114-104 [W] (15-2)

All of LA had their attention on this as soon as Lamar Jackson and the Ravens wiped the floor clean over the Rams on Monday night. You always have to be weary when San Antonio will start flipping the switch. But when your recent win is against the Knicks and you're 6-12, it's not a great start. As for the Lakers, they're surviving this road trip with some heart stopping wins at OKC and at Memphis. Can we at least have a comfortable win here? This is just what the doctor ordered. Looking at the highlights, the Spurs and the Lakers were trading buckets with no team having a decisive lead. That's until the 4th quarter. The Spurs had no answer for LeBron's scoring and facilitating prowess. What's even more lethal? His three point shooting was on point in crunch time. This is especially considering that Anthony Davis had a pedestrian game, yet he still showed up when it mattered the most. The final stat line: LeBron James lead all Lakers with 33 points and 14 assists. As mentioned AD had an off night, but still finished with 19 points and 12 rebounds. Rondo, KCP, and Troy Daniels provided that extra scoring power. We already know KCP has played lights out since starting, but Rondo had the shooter's touch going 3-3 from beyond the arc. He was especially big at helping the Lakers balloon their lead. The Spurs still fought valiantly as DeMar DeRozan continued to battle. During that fourth quarter, the Spurs were not going away as long as he's getting buckets. But my goodness, work on a 3-point shot man. Maybe your team will have a greater chance making this game close if you can just hit a crucial three.

11/27: @ New Orleans 114-110 [W] (16-2)

This is the most anticipated game on the schedule. Anthony Davis returns back to New Orleans to face off against his former team. With this, we are expecting a heavy rain of boos drenching on AD whenever he touches the ball. That's what transpired predictably. This wasn't just a return game for AD, but a revenge game for Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart, and Lonzo Ball. B.I. was 100% full go for this. Hart didn't miss one. And Lonzo? Nowhere in sight. Maybe he chickened out again, but his official prognosis was that he didn't play due to illness. Things got off to a rocky start this game for the Lakers. After a 10-8 lead, New Orleans fired on all cylinders from three. I gotta give credit to the Pels. They showed up this game ready to play. They were physical. They stretched the floor. Josh Hart nearly head hunted LeBron and AD. In that 2nd quarter, 'Bron bumped knees with Hart. And by the end of the third, gave AD a sore elbow. I'm not implying that Josh Hart is a dirty player. He wasn't notorious for that in his tenure with the purple and gold. But no question he was the common denominator when both the Lakers' star players had to briefly exit the game. 

The lead looked insurmountable for the Lakers to overcome. Davis overcame a slow start, but he wasn't getting too much help elsewhere. LeBron looked pedestrian in the first three quarters, missing free throws to make matters worse. Kuz was reluctant to take any shots. KCP, Rondo, Green, and JaVale looked awful. Out of the supporting cast, Dwight Howard looked sharp out of the gate. He was solid after laying a goose egg in San Antonio. Caruso was consistent as usual with his defense despite the lack of stats. Let's roll back to LeBron and Kuzma because when AD had to get off, they came alive down the stretch. Kuzma got in rhythm from. LeBron took over when it mattered the most. AD still finished the game and stuck it to New Orleans with free throws and a clutch steal over B.I. This game turned incredible at the end with the Lakers' resiliency and will to finish strong and that has been their MO all season long. A fitting end to what was a four-game road roller coaster!

11/29: vs. Washington 103-125 [W] (17-2)

The Washington Wizards may have a losing record to start, but they're one of the highest scoring offenses in the league thus far. The Lakers were down 9-0 to start this game to the Wizards. After that, it felt like a millennia that they shut out the Lakers early on. I could throw out a joke that the Lakers were spotting them points before they put the pedal to the medal. They did look sluggish and discombobulated on offense. But, that's exactly what they did. After that start, the Lakers outscored them 29-4, eventually ballooning the lead to 39 points at one point. LeBron James and Anthony Davis did their usual things as the purple and gold's dynamic duo, combining for 49 points. But, it was the rest of the supporting cast that stepped up. Rondo shooting the three ball well contributed to the Lakers storming back and keeping the lead for the rest of the game. Danny Green found the stroke from deep. JaVale McGee joined LeBron and AD in the double-double category with 15 points and 11 rebounds. Quinn Cook did some mop up duty and got hot in the 4th quarter. The defense held Bradley Beal to 18 points. This was a much-needed team-dominant win for the Lakers after pulling out close ones in the last few games. With this start, I feel like a teenager again with these Lakers stacking up wins and dominating teams they should beat. At 17-2, this is their best start 2008-09 if I'm reading the stats correctly. They were near perfect for the month of November with their only loss to Toronto back on the 10th. Now things get testy as the LakeShow puts their best record on the line against a daunting December stretch.

12/01: vs. Dallas 114-100 [L] (17-3)

I did say this December will be a daunting month for the LakeShow. Last meeting, the Lakers grinded it out with an OT win over the Mavs. Don't think the Mavs have forgotten that leading into these game. My head and neck area did some exercises rotating between this game and the Raiders' sh*tshow vs. the Chiefs. The Lakers had momentum at the first half. But, it all fizzled away from the Mavs' hot shooting in the third quarter. The Mavs outscored them 35-17. Not only were they draining 3's, but they were getting 2nd chance opportunities off the boards. AD, JaVale, and Dwight ought to be embarrassed by not boxing out with their size. They got outhustled every step of the way. The Lakers missed some shots with some pretty questionable shot selection. It was very uncharacteristic. LeBron turned the ball over 6 times and missed all 5 of his 3-point attempts. Despite the 25, 9, and, 8 effort, that certainly leaves a blemish. Outside of LeBron and AD, the team didn't have much help besides Caruso. Caruso did give the Lakers a spark when he hit back-to-back threes to cut the lead 87-75 in the third. Other than that, the 2nd half was all Mavs. You gotta give some MVP mention to Luka Doncic. It's a little early, but the dude has been nothing short of special in his sophomore year for Dallas.

*Next week, I will not be posting a Weekly Roundup. I mentioned this in my reaction to the Raiders' loss to the Chiefs. This semester is closing up fast and I have a daunting final paper (currently in progress) staring me in the face. I'll see you guys the week after.*

Lakers Weekly Roundup (10/28 - 11/03): The Test

I'm behind and I just saw the Lakers' game tonight. Luckily, that won't be counted on for this week. After a tough opening loss to the Clippers, the Lakers are slowly finding their rhythm. Great win against Utah on the home opener and a win against Charlotte to close out opening week. Now, this stretch gets a bit bumpy with two challenging matchups on the road. But first they gotta take care of business against Memphis. Let's see how they fared below shall we?

10/29: vs. Memphis 91-120 [W] (3-1)

HIGHLIGHTS

I think we're witnessing a pattern here with these games. The Lakers will go on a slow start in the first half. But when the second half rolls around, that's when they start putting the clamps on opponents on both ends of the floor. This game was no exception. The Grizzlies jumped out of the gate on the LakeShow with 15-2 start. Based on the way Memphis was playing, it looked like an upset was brewing. Not too mention, the Lakers could not hit anything from beyond the arc as they started 1/11 from that category. But in the 3rd quarter, Anthony Davis was a man among boys. He single handedly dominated his way to transform this game into a blowout, bad shoulder and all. The 'Brow was beast on both ends, disrupting the Grizzlies' offensive blow and just bullying his way to the free throw line. LeBron doesn't have to be dominant as long as this guy is around and stays healthy. The man went for 40 points and 20 boards in three quarters. If that doesn't scream MVP numbers, I don't know what does. One thing important is that the Lakers protected home court during this stretch. Utah was their only challenge, but they took care of business against teams they should beat with ease. The true test lied ahead on the upcoming three game road trip to Dallas, San Antonio, and Chicago.

11/01: @ Dallas 119-110 (OT) [W] (4-1)

HIGHLIGHTS

I have Dallas as playoff contender this season and there's no better way to open up the road trip for the Lakers. The Lakers did their job to protect their home court, now the real test came on the road. The purple and gold get Kyle Kuzma back from injury, which is a big plus. However, he did struggle to get back into rhythm this game. As usual, the Lakers were off the rough start in the first half. It was a little scary since the Mavs got their 3-point game rolling. The sky was the limit for Luka Doncic in his sophomore year. He did a great job running the Mavs' offense and he created a lot of open shots for his team. The court will belong to Luka someday. But, the Lakers once again shook off the bad start. By Q3, the Lakers and Mavs were trading a lot of shots. I was a little concerned since the last thing this team needs is to be in a shootout. The way I see it, the team is not built that way. But they did a heck of a job to rally behind Air Caruso's ferocious throw down in the 4th quarter. That was a momentum-building play. The Mavs lead in the finals second with Dorian Finney-Smith's go ahead three set up by Doncic. But after the timeout, LeBron found Danny Green in the corner and he hit the buzzer beating three to send it to OT. From then, LeBron and AD took over and it was a wrap. The narrative is that LeBron's declining since the groin injury. Rumors of his demise were greatly exaggerated as he notched a near 40-point triple-double with 39 points, 12 rebounds, and 14 assists. 4 steals too.

11/03: @ San Antonio 103-96 [W] (5-1)

HIGHLIGHTS

The Lakers wrap up their Texas rodeo with another daunting task against the ever-stingy San Antonio Spurs. The first meeting against the Spurs is always tough. Gregg Popovich always emphasizes on a team-first attitude. That's why they're always in the playoffs even without Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, and Kawhi Leonard. It was going to be a dog fight. But as usual, good teams find ways to win. LeBron and AD did their jobs this game. Another triple double for James with 21 points, 11 rebounds, and 13 assists. AD had 25 points, 11 rebounds, and 4 blocks. But the main story was KCP, Avery Bradley, and Dwight Howard. They stepped it up big. KCP has been playing well as of late. He'll get cold eventually, but all is right when he plays well. Bradley racked up 16 points, though he did get hurt this game after Dejounte Murray kicked him in the shin. It's nothing major and likely a day-to-day. Spoiler alert, I did watch the Bulls game and see how they fared without him running "point." I'll provide that later in my next weekly roundup. Dwight Howard, especially stepped up with 14 points, 13 rebounds, and 2 blocks. This is the Dwight we wanted to see back in 2012-13. But compared to now, he doesn't have a lot of pressure to do everything since LBJ and AD are the focal point. All he has to do is rebound, block, and putback dunk. That's it and he's made the most of it. Nonetheless, this was an impressive road win and the Lakers are pressing the right buttons to stay atop the Western Conference.

Lakers Weekly Roundup (01/13): Great Start, Terrible Finish

Stocks, cryptocurrency, they haven't had a strong finish to the end of last year. There'll be days they'll do good, but not by much to recoup huge losses in the market that has no end in sight. That's pretty much how I feel about the Lakers right now. Their stock has taken a tumble in the coming weeks since LeBron James went down and it has no sign that'll it'll get better in the long run. Their free fall from 4th to 8th speaks for itself. It's not just LeBron though. The young Lakers couldn't find a way to string together an inch of consistency and it's been chronic ever since the spotlight was on them since the decisive Christmas Day win against the Warriors. Enough of me repeating myself in the last 2-3 Weekly Roundups. Here is the Roundup for the week of 01/13.

01/07: @ Dallas 107-97 [W] (22-19)

HIGHLIGHTS

After the suckage that was last week, Luke Walton challenged Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram to "play with more energy." Let's be honest, Zo and B.I. stunk in the absence of key players during the last two games. They were especially horrible in the ugly loss in Minnesota where Ingram was held to 13 points while Zo dropped a goose egg. They answered the call as the Lakers traveled to Dallas. They do get a big boost with Kyle Kuzma coming back. But he shot 4-20 from the field, which is a typical stat line coming back from an injury. It wasn't all sunshine and rainbows to start as the Mavs built a lead to as many as 15. But, the Lakers came back and we saw "Eldest Big Baller" and "SlenderIngram" play with more sense of urgency. B.I. lead all scorers with 29 points while Zo followed suit with 21 points with a wet jump shot included. The Mavs tried to scratch and claw back, but like Luka Doncic's floater, they couldn't stay in the game. Big road win for the Lakers to stay afloat in the playoff race.

01/09: vs. Detroit 100-113 [W] (23-19)

HIGHLIGHTS

The Pistons have the reigning Coach of the Year in Dwane Casey, a talented roster, yet they still remain as the Motor City's biggest disappointment second only to the Lions. Blake Griffin returns to Los Angeles in what seem to have been ages since he played under the bright lights of LA. But tonight's showing at the Staples Center? KuzMania. Well let me tell you something brother, what cha gonna do when KuzMania runs wild on you? After an ugly 4-20 showing, Kyle Kuzma put the Lakers on his back, dropping 41 points. Truly he's the 2nd coming of Kobe Bryant by notching no assists this game. #MambaMentality. You know this night was unfortunate for the Pistons as Andre Drummond goaltends twice and KCP's shot goes in off the top of the backboard. The only negative was that they broke the hearts of Lakers fans in attendance with a last second stores (Tacos from Jack-in-the-Box are just 99 cents, jeez). On another note, Michael Beasley has yet a solid outing off the bench. 13 points the other night against Dallas and 19 points against the Pistons. Not to mention, it was his birthday. Way to turn back the clock you Beasley!

01/11: @ Utah 95-113 [L] (23-20)

HIGHLIGHTS

There's the Lakers I know who are so dependent on LeBron James to baby them and bail them out. It is written history though, the Lakers tend to struggle in the Mormon state. Utah shot the lights out of the Lakers this game. As Donovan Mitchell scorches this team and puts Javale McGee on a poster, I guess you can say that he's back to ROTY runner-up form. 41 points from Kuz the last game, only 11 points here. Foul trouble on Zo and Hart. The Jazz dominated this game from start to finish.

01/13: vs. Cleveland 101-95 [L] (23-21)

HIGHLIGHTS

I had a hunch if there was a team that would help end Cleveland's streak of infamy, it'd be none other than the Lakers.  They got away with one in the last meeting when LeBron returned to Cleveland prior to Thanksgiving Day. Even Luke Walton told this team to be wary of the Cavs. They did not get the memo as they rewarded the hapless Cavs with a win, ending their 12-game losing streak. Free throws yet again played a crucial role in derailing the Lakers' comeback. 4/12 from the stripe in the 4th quarter is completely unacceptable even by standards of one of the worst FT shooting teams in the league. It also doesn't help that they completely sucked from beyond the arc. KCP, nothing but bricks. Josh Hart, nothing but bricks. Kuz didn't even hit a three until the final seconds of the 4th. Clearly, something needs to change here as inconsistency has clearly put a rear naked choke hold on this team. I guess you can say: "CLEVELAND! THIS IS FOR YOU!"

Lakers Weekly Roundup (12/02): Bad Nuggets, Free Tacos (Except Friday)!

*Some NSFW language*

Playing in Staples Center, there are two things Laker fans expect: 1) a win 2) free tacos from Jack-in-the-Box. It doesn't matter if the Lakers are blowing an opponent out by 30 or 40 points. If they don't hold opponents to under 100, Laker fans in attendance will not be too thrilled of going home without free tacos. This is your Lakers Weekly Roundup!

11/27: @ Denver 117-85 [L] (11-9) 

HIGHLIGHTS

Talk about a Mile High asswhoopin'. The Nuggets avenged their October loss by putting a curbstomping on the Lakers. Kudos to them, they had a well-balanced game.The defense suffocated the Lakers ability to play at the fast pace they wanted. The tone was Nuggets basketball, especially in the 2nd half. They blew this shit wide open and the Lakers couldn't do anything about, especially when they were missing a lot of shots. It was not the ideal Denver homecoming for JaVale McGee as he put up his worst outing of this breakout season with just a mere 2 points. We'll let Denver have this one as they needed something to spark this "rivalry" as they're always at the short end of the stick. The Nuggets have shown a lot potential as a playoff contender. The question remains whether or not they can sustain that success, especially down the stretch.

11/29: vs. Indiana [W] 96-104 [W] (12-9)

HIGHLIGHTS

The Lakers have a four game home stand starting with this game. They should take advantage of this. The first quarter was thing of beauty this game. You see what happens when the Lakers go full throttle on both ends of the floor? The activity was awesome as the Lakers generated turnover after turnover. Stop after stop. Going the length of the court for easy, unselfish buckets. They didn't allow Indiana to score their first bucket like 5 minutes into the first quarter. They got the Pacers pounded into submission with a 13-32 first quarter. This should be a decisive W. Victor Oladipo is not there pick up the slack. Then, all of a sudden that lead became a distant memory as the Pacers made a huge run. We were all like "not this shit again" as this is textbook example of the Lakers' inability to play with a big lead. LeBron ex Machina came in to save the day at the expense of the Pacers the same way he was able to do back in Cleveland. Free tacos for everyone!

11/30 vs. Dallas 103-114 [W] (13-9)

HIGHLIGHTS

As the Lakers got themselves to a fast start he previous day against the Pacers, they got themselves to a really slow start this game. Dallas came in and punched them right in the mouth. Luka Doncic blocked LeBron not once, but twice early on this game. Seems the student has surpassed the master as Doncic grew up idolizing LeBron. However, Karma strikes those who lay their hands on the King...twice.  Proceed to be shut down by Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram the rest of the way. Doncic shot a terrible 2-13 from the field and 0-5 from beyond the arc. There's no question this rookie is a star in the making though. Lonzo Ball continues to establish himself as a severely underrated perimeter defender, generating 5 steals. First team all defense awaits. The Lakers may have won this game, but they lost the tacos as they couldn't lay their hands off the Mavericks down the stretch. Seriously though, those tacos from Jack-in-the-Box are only 99 cents. I'm sure Laker fans can squeeze one more dollar if they paid $500+ for a ticket.

12/02 vs. Phoenix 96-120 [W] (14-9) 

HIGHLIGHTS

The Suns started off with a 17 point lead this game? Never noticed. Phoenix got themselves a great start this game as they fired on all cylinders in the first quarter. As much of a confidence builder this was, the Suns truly remembered who they were onward: trash disguised as an NBA team. I'm pretty sure the Lakers just spotted them a 17 point lead before they started putting the clamps on Phoenix from the 2nd quarter till the rest of the game. LeBron and Kuzma combined for 45 point and the bench got a much-needed big contribution from Michael Beasley. Holy hell, it took 'em awhile to finally put him in the rotation. Another big factor this game was that Devin Booker was limited to just 6 points this game. I'm sure Lonzo Ball once again had to do with that with his 4 steals this game. In all seriousness though, the Suns still can't get it right despite having a promising young core. How many more tanking seasons do they need to get back to being relevant? In other news, it was good to see Moe Wagner get some action with 10 points. Nothing says welcome to the NBA when JaVale McGee and Tyson Chandler get hyped for your first points in the NBA. Hopefully he finds his way into the rotation. I saw some really good glimpses in garbage time. Free tacos for everyone!

*UPDATE: Clearly I missed Devin Booker's injury late in the 2nd quarter. Looks like he re-aggravated that hamstring injury.*

Lakers Weekly Roundup (11/04): Disappointing Wins; Even More Disappointing Losses

*Some NSFW language*

Well, we heard it from LeBron and Magic Johnson themselves, they are not happy about this start. The Magic Man held a private meeting with Luke and if our assumptions are correct, his job is on the line. So it's time for Luke to stop fucking around with rotation experiments and roll with what works. Let's see how they fare for the week:

Oct. 29 @ Minnesota [L] 120-124 (2-5)

HIGHLIGHTS

As drama unfolds upon the Lakers, they do battle against another drama-filled team in the Minnesota Timberwolves. A shootout was what you expect considering the Lakers surrender big chunks of points. Unfortunately, they could not stop Jimmy Buckets as he welcomes LeBron to the West to the tune of 32 points. "YOU CAN'T WIN AGAINST ME!" Screams Jimmy B.

Oct. 31 vs. Dallas [W] 114-113 (3-5)

HIGHLIGHTS

The Lakers go back home to do battle against a rising Mavs team and the European heir apparent to Dirk Nowitzki in Luka Doncic. The Lakers come right out of the gate and put a curb stomping on those horses for three straight quarters, this should be an easy win. But, the Lakers decided to nearly pull their best Atlanta Falcons blew a 28-3 lead impression as they allowed the Mavs to storm right on back and eventually tying the game up. Fortunately, Wesley Matthews went full bonehead as he fouled LeBron. All LeBron has to do is just make one free throw, which he did and that was all she wrote. A bipolar victory indeed.

Nov 3 @ Portland [W] 114-110 (4-5)

HIGHLIGHTS

Congratulations Lakers, you've finally ended the 16 game losing against those schmucks from the Pacific Northwest. Fitting the win was in Portland as that was the last Lakers' win four years ago. Hard to believe of all former Lakers, Wesley freakin' Johnson was the last player to lead the Lakers to victory. "Dame Time" definitely ran out on this one. "Playoff" Rondo showed up earlier than expected with a near triple-double of 18 points, 10 rebounds, and 8 assists as he finger rolled the Blazers to death with layups. The Lakers built a comfortable lead in the third quarter, then as usual decided to make it interesting than normal in the fourth. I swear these wins are making us bipolar. Happy they won, but not happy they almost squandered what was a decisive lead in Q3.

Nov. 4 vs. Toronto [L] 121-107 (4-6)

HIGHLIGHTS

On this day of November 4, 2018, the City of "LeBronto" declared independence from the clutches of their ruler King James and reverted back to Toronto. To add insult to injury, they were without one of the original "King Slayers" Kawhi Leonard and yet the Raptors still kicked the Lakers' ass. They were carried by Serge Ibaka and Kyle Lowry who endured King James' reign of terror in all those years. Ibaka rekindled his game that was lost in his OKC years with 34 points and 10 rebounds while Lowry had a double-double with 21 points and 15 assists. Unfortunately, there was not much the Lakers could do as the Raptors steamrolled them. They had a chance in the 4th quarter, but the curb stomping was insurmountable. The North shall remember this day in history.

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 Round Up Commentary: vs. Dallas; @ Sacramento

*Stats courtesy of NBA.com*

As a Laker fan, you can't ask for a better start after All-Star break at 2-0 and notching those wins off a back-to-back set. The Lakers are back on track and they're still on pace to break last year's win total from last season. So, away we go with another round up commentary.

02/23: vs. Dallas 102-124 [W]

Highlights: *Courtesy of Ximo Pierto*

To summarize what I said in the last round up commentary, the Lakers just have to get back to that commitment on the defensive end. That helps set up the fast pace tempo they like to play. And on Friday night, they did exactly that and never looked back. The Lakers avenged their Feb. 10 loss to the Mavs. The one thing I pinpointed in that loss was that they did not exploit Dallas' thin inside presence. They should've feasted in the paint during that game. They made those adjustments and just attacked the Mavs' interior defense at will. The Mavs looked really gassed and beat up out there just trying to keep up with the Lakers and the Lakers dominated with speed and power. Interesting that Lonzo Ball came off the bench this game. It looks like Luke didn't want to mess around with the Hart-Ingram-Randle-Lopez-KCP lineup as it has been their most successful lineup thus far. But other than that, Zo looked okay in his return, playing alongside I.T. off the bench. I think that relieves I.T. as a ball handler as defenders can just zone in on him to disrupt the Laker ball movement. With Zo on the floor, at least it kept the Mavs' defense honest. Julius Randle had a triple-double with 18 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists. He looked really patient and in control out there as he's running the floor, bulldozing Mavs players, and dishing out bullet passes. After this, I want to take back what I said in my season preview about the Lakers likely letting Randle walk. I'd rather have the Lakers re-sign Randle than possibly signing LeBron James who's almost at the end of his prime. Overall, this was a great team effort win.

02/24: @ Sacramento 113-108 [W]

Highlights: *Courtesy of Ximo Pierto*

Friday's win over the Mavs was a cruise control victory. This game last night was a dramatic roller coaster down the stretch. This was gut check time for the Lakers to see how they could carry over the momentum from Friday's win. It's safe to say they passed the test even if last night's game had an ugly finish. Last night's game's secondary headline is the Kentavious Caldwell-Pope show. KCP lit up Sac-Town with a 34 point performance. He was raining threes last night and putting moves on defenders. KCP is a who's-who on game day. When he's hot, he's hot. When he's not, he's not. But, this was a great time for KCP to heat up and fire away. The Kings were knocking down their three balls. Buddy Hield and Bogdan Bagdanovic were headaches for the Lakers defense trying to defend beyond-the-arc. KCP and his 34-point explosion had some help. I.T. reminded everyone why he's the "King in the Fourth," knocking down a couple of big buckets in the 4th quarter. Kuzma also hit some big shots. The highlight of that quarter outside of KCP putting moves on Hield was Randle running the floor and throwing down an emphatic dunk to give the Lakers a 105-97 lead late in the 4th quarters. As mentioned about the ugly finish, the Lakers had a few hiccups with I.T. turning the ball over at the 32 second mark of the 4th quarter. KCP committed a bone-headed foul on Bagdanovic to set up a 4-point play with 14 seconds left in the game. But, I.T. made up for it with the free throws. Josh Hart sealed the game with two clutch free throws to give the Lakers the 113-108 win. We'll take it as it has been the story of the Lakers' road victories: near meltdowns, but they muster enough composure to hang on for the win.

Isaiah Thomas Shines in Debut, But Lakers Can't Stop Mavs

*Stats Courtesy of NBA.com*

Isaiah Thomas, I.T., made his debut in purple and gold Saturday night, scoring 20 points off the bench while dishing 6 dimes. But, the Mavs had other plans for his debut as they beat the Lakers 123-130 behind a 22-point throwback performance from Dirk Nowitzki. Julius Randle lead all Lakers in scoring with 26 points, also recording a near triple-double by adding 8 rebounds and 7 assists. Brandon Ingram was on target tonight from deep, shooting 4-5 from 3-point land and finishing with 22 points. Brook Lopez added 16 points and KCP added 14 points to round out the starters. Kyle Kuzma was the only Laker with a double-double, notching 12 points and 15 rebounds off the bench.

Final Score: @ Dallas 123-130 [L]
Full article: http://www.nba.com/games/20180210/LALDAL#/recap

Next Game: @ New Orleans (02/14)

Highlights: *Courtesy of Ximo Pierto*

This game was marked by horrible effort on the defensive end from the get go. The Mavs were getting open shots all game long, shooting at a high percentage. There was not a whole lot of on ball pressure because when the Mavs had any room to shoot, they were gonna launch it. And almost 100% of the time, that shot is gonna go in. Not to mention, Dallas' size hurt the Lakers small ball lineup down the stretch. Salah Mejri really made a difference as the Mavs' rim protector, swatting a couple of key baskets in the 4th quarter that would've allowed the Lakers to pull away with another road victory. Also, Dwight Powell, Maxi Kleber, their more athletic bigs, were a step ahead of the Lakers' interior defense, resulting in lob after lob after lob. Brook Lopez had a frustrating game, settling for bad 3-point shots. The Mavs didn't have any down low presence until Mejri came in the 4th. Brook should've bodied Dirk all game inside the paint. Those were a couple key points why this Laker team lost. Speaking of Dirk Nowitzki, amazing night for him to turn back the clock with a 22-point game. He and Vince Carter are the last of their kind now from their era. On the flipside, I.T. did look good in his debut. It looked there was nothing wrong with his hip as he was able to drain a couple of threes, be aggressive to the cup, and make the unselfish play at the opportune time. I.T. was what the doctor ordered for the Lakers. A veteran point guard that could score and set teammates up. He did commit the same amount turnovers as he had assists with 5 and some of them were crucial down the stretch. Other than that, not too bad of a debut! Brandon Ingram's 3-point shot continues to fall. 4-5 from beyond the arc, that is impressive. He's gonna be a problem once that shot falls on a consistent basis. Kuzma with a double-double off the bench. He was a machine at crashing the glass. "Bully Ball" Randle feasted inside the paint, although his performance this game was marred by one of Mejri's blocks and Kleber absolutely posterized him in the final seconds of the 4th quarter to seal the deal. The offense clicked, but I've made this remark in the past, this Lakers squad is not built to outlast against teams in a shootout. Even with I.T. on board, that notion still stands. They have to lock it down on the defensive end and push the ball in transition. Last night just wasn't the night for the defense.

Lakers Outlast Mavs in Big D

*Stats courtesy of NBA.com and Yahoo Sports*

Julius Randle put up a double-double with 23 points and 15 rebounds as the Lakers hold off the Mavericks 107-101 to notch their 4th consecutive win. KCP added 17 points while Jordan Clarkson and Kyle Kuzma provided the offense off the bench with 19 points from JC and 18 points from Kuz to go with 10 boards for a double-double.

Final Score: @ Dallas 107-101 (OT) [W]
Full article: http://www.nba.com/games/20180113/LALDAL#/recap

Next Game: @ Memphis (01/15) <-- b="">*Open Thread and Full Recap posts*

Highlights: *Courtesy of Rapid Highlights*

Just give Randle the ball inside and let him do his thing. That was the highlight of this game. The Mavs, as good of an effort they put out this game, they had no answer for Randle inside the paint. He straight up bullied them inside throughout the whole game. And, he came up big for the Lakers in overtime with a critical offensive rebound and the score to give them the lead for good. It's awesome to see how the tables have turned and it seemed like the Lakers knew that their winning streak would be put to the test on the road. This game was an example of two bottom-feeder teams playing for pride. But, in the end, the Lakers came out on top. KCP missed a game-clinching free throw to set this game up into OT. But then again, Dennis Smith Jr., Wesley Matthews, Harrison Barnes, the way they played from deep, would've tied it up. But, KCP still had a good game. Jordan Clarkson and Kyle Kuzma in the past few games looked pedestrian, but it's good to see them back on their game. Clarkson is finding ways to score. This was the best he looked after being non-existent the past two games. Kuzma is back to shooting efficiently from the field and racking up double-doubles and it was great to see that Kuz is back in form showing off all the total package on offense and the underrated unselfish playmaking ability. It's been awhile since the Lakers notched a winning streak this long. They're rekindling that identity of being aggressive. On another note, Brandon Ingram had an ankle sprain in this game. Reading from it, he sustained it in the early part of the 1st quarter. B.I. played so well the last couple of games and this is the last thing we Laker fans want to hear. Ankle sprains are not always serious though. But, I wouldn't be surprised if the Lakers held him out on the MLK Monday game against Memphis for precautionary reasons. The Grizzlies are struggling, there's no denying that. But, Memphis is always a tough place to play at and the Lakers should expect another barn burner for that game. I'll see you guys on Monday.