Montrezl Harrell, Frank Vogel call out refs after Lakers lose to Kings
4 HRS AGO - Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images
The officials messed up a few crucial calls that could Expand
4 HRS AGO - Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images
The officials messed up a few crucial calls that could have helped the Lakers down the stretch of Wednesday’s game. Frank Vogel and Montrezl Harrell voiced their frustrations. If someone looked at the box score of Wednesday’s night game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Sacramento Kings, they’d probably come to the conclusion that the Lakers simply didn’t have enough talent available to upset the Kings on the road, and to an extent they’d be correct.
Not only were the Lakers missing three starters in LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Marc Gasol, but they were also missing a key reserve in Alex Caruso. The Kings went into the game with a handful of names on their injury report as well, but they had all of their regular starters available.
Still, there was one other major factor in the Lakers’ loss to the Kings on Wednesday night, though, and that was the officiating. Now I know what you’re probably thinking: are Lakers fans really in any Collapse
Lakers keep it close, but can’t overcome injuries to beat Kings
7 HRS AGO - Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images
The Lakers nearly forced overtime against the Expand
7 HRS AGO - Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images
The Lakers nearly forced overtime against the Kings, despite playing without three starters and Alex Caruso. If you can believe it, the Los Angeles Lakers are officially finished with the first half of their regular season schedule after losing to the Sacramento Kings 123-120 on Wednesday.
Both teams came into Wednesday night’s game a little banged up, but the Kings had all of their regular starters available. The Lakers couldn’t say the same with LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Marc Gasol all sidelined, in addition to key reserve Alex Caruso. Still, both teams weren’t at full strength, so the fact that the game was the least bit entertaining is a win in and of itself. Unfortunately, wins for the fans don’t count as wins for the team.
Despite a few a starter-worthy performers from their role players — Kyle Kuzma and Dennis Schröder combined for 53 points — the Lakers weren’t able to hand the Kings their 11th loss in 12 games. They Collapse
How the Los Angeles Lakers can trade for JaVale McGee
17 HRS AGO - The Los Angeles Lakers need well-documented help at the center position. It has been outlined all Expand
17 HRS AGO - The Los Angeles Lakers need well-documented help at the center position. It has been outlined all season that the Lakers could use the traditional rim-protector/rebounder behind Marc Gasol, who has been good defensively but not very good offensively. Personally, I have warned of the possibility of Gasol being hurt or getting into foul trouble early […]
How the Los Angeles Lakers can trade for JaVale McGee - Lake Show Life - Lake Show Life - Los Angeles Lakers News and Fan Community Collapse
LeBron James (load management) to sit out vs. Kings
1 DAY AGO - LeBron James has accepted some load management for the first time this season. He has played in Expand
1 DAY AGO - LeBron James has accepted some load management for the first time this season. He has played in every previous Lakers game before Wednesday’s game against the Kings. The Lakers were already missing Anthony Davis (Achilles and calf), Marc Gasol (health and safety protocols) and Kyle Kuzma (right heel contusion) in their loss to the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday, and while Gasol and Kuzma’s statuses for Wednesday’s game vs. the Sacramento Kings are still up in the air, and least one player won’t be joining whatever Lakers are in the lineup for that one: LeBron James, who is finally sitting for some load management.
Shams Charania of The Athletic broke the story:
Lakers’ LeBron James will sit out his first game of the season on Wednesday at the Sacramento Kings on the back-to-back, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. The absence won’t impact his All-Star Game appearance Sunday in Atlanta.— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 3, 2021
This is a sensible move for James and the Lakers. The Collapse
Los Angeles Lakers lose a foul fest against the Phoenix Suns
1 DAY AGO - The Los Angeles Lakers played an important game that will go far in fully covering the stench of Expand
1 DAY AGO - The Los Angeles Lakers played an important game that will go far in fully covering the stench of the four-game losing streak last week. A very entertaining game between two of the Western Conferences best teams was marred by quick whistles by referees. The Los Angeles Lakers had a test coming into the matchup with […]
Los Angeles Lakers lose a foul fest against the Phoenix Suns - Lake Show Life - Lake Show Life - Los Angeles Lakers News and Fan Community Collapse
Los Angeles Lakers: Betting picks in first matchup vs. Phoenix Suns
1 DAY AGO - The Los Angeles Lakers are squaring off against the Phoenix Suns for the first time in the regular Expand
1 DAY AGO - The Los Angeles Lakers are squaring off against the Phoenix Suns for the first time in the regular season on Tuesday night. The two teams are in a similar position record-wise, with the Lakers owning a 24-11 record while the Suns are 22-11. The Lakers are currently second in the Western Conference but a loss […]
Los Angeles Lakers: Betting picks in first matchup vs. Phoenix Suns - Lake Show Life - Lake Show Life - Los Angeles Lakers News and Fan Community Collapse
The Lakers are conserving LeBron James more than you might think
1 DAY AGO - Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images
For all the panicking about how many minutes Expand
1 DAY AGO - Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images
For all the panicking about how many minutes LeBron James is playing for the Lakers, the stats paint a different story. LeBron James, at the age of 36, should probably not be leading the NBA in minutes. The good news is that — despite panicked tweets from Lakers fans that might have made you think otherwise — he is not.
James actually only ranks 21st in the NBA in minutes per game with 34.5, which is (narrowly) the lowest average of his career (he played 34.6 last season). However, the idea that the Lakers should use James at least slightly less isn’t a crazy one. Over the last 15 games, he’s played 36.3 minutes per game, but that number also makes it clear that the idea that he’s played some unsustainable amount since Davis went down is off. Over the seven games since Davis has been out, James has actually played a tad fewer minutes (34.2) than his season average.
Those are at least at a couple of reasons not to have too much Collapse
Why the Los Angeles Lakers should pursue a trade for Nemanja Bjelica
2 DAYS AGO - The Los Angeles Lakers are currently in second place in the Western Conference and are still the Expand
2 DAYS AGO - The Los Angeles Lakers are currently in second place in the Western Conference and are still the favorites to win the NBA Championship with a healthy team. However, there is more challenges ahead that may not have been expected before the season. The Brooklyn Nets are even better than they were when the season started […]
Why the Los Angeles Lakers should pursue a trade for Nemanja Bjelica - Lake Show Life - Lake Show Life - Los Angeles Lakers News and Fan Community Collapse
League executives expect Alex Caruso to get full mid-level exception in free agency
2 DAYS AGO - Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images
Alex Caruso could double the money he’s Expand
2 DAYS AGO - Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images
Alex Caruso could double the money he’s made over the last two years in the first year of his next contract. In December, the Los Angeles Lakers signed Kyle Kuzma to a three-year, $40 million contract extension to avoid having to go into restricted free agency with the 25-year-old forward. They’re expected to try and do the same with Dennis Schröder, who will enter unrestricted free agency this summer if he doesn’t sign an extension before the 2021 offseason.
Unfortunately, the Lakers don’t have the same luxury with Alex Caruso, who signed a two-year, $5.5 million contract with the Lakers in the summer of 2019. Had he signed for three or more years, they would have been allowed to negotiate a contract extension with him before the 2021 offseason. Instead, they can’t, and will have to compete with other teams for Caruso’s services in free agency.
According to a report from Brian Windhorst of ESPN, he won’t come cheap:
As an Collapse
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Podcast: The Lakers need this All-Star break
5 HRS AGO - Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images
In the long run, it may have been good for the Expand
5 HRS AGO - Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images
In the long run, it may have been good for the Lakers to throw out their B-team for one night. The Lakers finally completed the first half of their schedule on Wednesday — or about two-thirds of the team did — in Sacramento. They lost to the Kings in a surprisingly competitive contest considering they were playing without LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Marc Gasol, and Alex Caruso, but it might not have been such a bad thing to see the Lakers bench get some run.
On the latest episode of “I Love Basketball”, a Silver Screen & Roll podcast, Anthony Irwin and Sabreena Merchant got into the benefits of the Lakers’ depth players seeing significant minutes. They commented on what they saw out of Damian Jones, Alfonzo McKinnie, and Jared Dudley, specifically the things that don’t show up in a box score.
Anthony and Sabreena couldn’t help but spend some time talking about the comical reffing decisions that took place in this game, but Collapse
Betting picks for depleted Los Angeles Lakers vs. Sacramento Kings
16 HRS AGO - The Los Angeles Lakers are limping into the All-Star Break and are going to benefit greatly from Expand
16 HRS AGO - The Los Angeles Lakers are limping into the All-Star Break and are going to benefit greatly from the added rest. The injuries have stacked up a bit and with LeBron James resting in the last game of the first half, Laker fans are getting an interesting lineup on Wednesday against the Sacramento Kings. No LeBron, […]
Betting picks for depleted Los Angeles Lakers vs. Sacramento Kings - Lake Show Life - Lake Show Life - Los Angeles Lakers News and Fan Community Collapse
Los Angeles Lakers: 4 Lessons in ugly loss to the Phoenix Suns
19 HRS AGO - The Los Angeles Lakers played an important game against the Phoenix Suns that could have Expand
19 HRS AGO - The Los Angeles Lakers played an important game against the Phoenix Suns that could have completely covered the four-game losing stench of last week. The Lakers lost a couple of things on Tuesday night. They lost their two game winning streak and the second seed in the Western Conference as the Phoenix Suns defeated the […]
Los Angeles Lakers: 4 Lessons in ugly loss to the Phoenix Suns - Lake Show Life - Lake Show Life - Los Angeles Lakers News and Fan Community Collapse
Podcast: Did the Lakers’ loss to the Suns expose any weaknesses?
1 DAY AGO - How many minutes Montrezl Harrell played as the Lakers lost to the Suns on Tuesday was just one of Expand
1 DAY AGO - How many minutes Montrezl Harrell played as the Lakers lost to the Suns on Tuesday was just one of the big talking points around the team. Heading into their matchup with the Phoenix Suns on Monday night, the already-shorthanded Lakers were dealt a couple more blows in a season full of them, and then they took one more when the 114-104 final score came down.
First, with Anthony Davis already out, Marc Gasol was forced to sit out due to the NBA’s coronavirus-related health and safety protocols (the team doesn’t yet know when he’ll be back, and details are scant). Then, shortly before tip-off, Kyle Kuzma was declared unavailable as well due to a right heel contusion that locked up on him during warmups. And then to make matters worse, Alex Caruso would later leave the game after experiencing neck spasms.
Despite all that, the Lakers were still able to hang around for a majority of the night against a Suns team that mostly had them outgunned, but ultimately fell to both the math game Collapse
Damian Jones enters MVP conversation in loss to Suns
1 DAY AGO - Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images
Damian Jones again flashed the skills Expand
1 DAY AGO - Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images
Damian Jones again flashed the skills that led the Lakers to take a look at him. Will it lead to more playing time. George Mikan. Wilt Chamberlain. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Shaquille O’Neal. Anthony Davis. All of these great Lakers centers pale in comparison to the greatness of Damian Jones, the best 10-day contract player of all time and owner of the best field-goal percentage of any player in franchise history.
With a 2-2 night against the team foolish enough to cut him, Jones is shooting 100% from the field in purple and gold, the best percentage of any Laker to ever take more than one shot. And while his team fell short in a 114-104 loss to the Phoenix Suns, that has to be attributed more to head coach Frank Vogel’s bizarre decision not close with his best player than it does anything Jones did. His historic level of efficiency obviously has to put him in the MVP conversation at this point.
Okay, so I’m being mostly satirical Collapse
Los Angeles Lakers: Breaking down a potential trade for Nemanja Bjelica
1 DAY AGO - The Los Angeles Lakers are going to be active in some capacity this season. While a healthy Lakers Expand
1 DAY AGO - The Los Angeles Lakers are going to be active in some capacity this season. While a healthy Lakers team is still the best team in the league, Rob Pelinka is going to use any outlet possible to improve the team for another NBA Championship run. He did the same thing last season. Markieff Morris, while […]
Los Angeles Lakers: Breaking down a potential trade for Nemanja Bjelica - Lake Show Life - Lake Show Life - Los Angeles Lakers News and Fan Community Collapse
The Los Angeles Lakers need Markieff Morris to play at a high level
1 DAY AGO - Look, you can say whatever you want about Markieff Morris. Sure, he may not have played so great Expand
1 DAY AGO - Look, you can say whatever you want about Markieff Morris. Sure, he may not have played so great so far this season, as he is averaging a career-low 4.9 points per game as well as shooting a career-low 38.8%. However, we have seen games where he goes in the opposite direction and his contributions are […]
The Los Angeles Lakers need Markieff Morris to play at a high level - Lake Show Life - Lake Show Life - Los Angeles Lakers News and Fan Community Collapse
Podcast: Judging the value of Alex Caruso and Dennis Schröder
2 DAYS AGO - We talk about Alex Caruso free agency rumors, and Dennis Schröder gets a lot of love after his Expand
2 DAYS AGO - We talk about Alex Caruso free agency rumors, and Dennis Schröder gets a lot of love after his return led to a two-game winning streak for the Lakers. While Dennis Schröder was out, the Lakers went 0-4. Since he’s returned, they’ve won two games in a row. While that isn’t grounds to campaign for him to win MVP (Editor’s Note: Yet), it does mean it’s time to appreciate how much he helps this team and how important he is, especially with Anthony Davis set to miss at least five more games.
So on today’s episode of “Lakers, Explained” — a podcast by Silver Screen and Roll — that’s exactly what co-hosts Harrison Faigen and Anthony Irwin did. Did they undervalue how important to this team Dennis is before? Is he really as helpful as he seemed to be on both ends? And why haven’t the Lakers extended his contract yet? They got into all that and more.
But before they got to that, Anthony and Harrison wanted to address the latest free agency rumors about Alex Caruso, who reportedly may get Collapse
Frank Vogel appreciates how Anthony Davis has been coaching from bench while he’s injured
2 DAYS AGO - Anthony Davis is trying to help the Lakers however he can while he’s out with his Achilles and Expand
2 DAYS AGO - Anthony Davis is trying to help the Lakers however he can while he’s out with his Achilles and calf injuries. Last year, when Rajon Rondo was sidelined with a broken thumb at the start of the Lakers’ championship run in the NBA bubble, head coach Frank Vogel found a way for one of the smartest players in NBA history to still utilize his brain and help the team: Sitting in on coaching meetings, and giving feedback to players like Alex Caruso and Talen Horton-Tucker after each game.
Vogel isn’t having Anthony Davis do the same thing while he’s out with calf and Achilles injuries for the next few weeks, but he has appreciated how Davis has gone out of his way to try and make a similar impact by coaching his teammates up from the bench during games.
“He’s active, staying engaged in the game, talking to coaches or his teammates about coverages or offensive spacing concepts. Just ways he can share his lens on what he’s seeing from the bench,” Vogel said recently. “He’s staying very active Collapse
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Los Angeles Lakers go into All-Star break with a loss to Sacramento Kings
6 HRS AGO - The Los Angeles Lakers finished the first half of the season with a matchup against the Sacramento Expand
6 HRS AGO - The Los Angeles Lakers finished the first half of the season with a matchup against the Sacramento Kings. The Lake Show was without LeBron James, who did not travel with the team nursing a sore ankle. The Lakers jumped all over Sacramento in the first quarter only to give the lead back with porous defense. In […]
Los Angeles Lakers go into All-Star break with a loss to Sacramento Kings - Lake Show Life - Lake Show Life - Los Angeles Lakers News and Fan Community Collapse
Rival executives reportedly think Lakers will try to get Andre Drummond, Hassan Whiteside or JaVale McGee
17 HRS AGO - Photo by Ashley Landis-Pool/Getty Images
The Lakers are currently not allowed to trade for Expand
17 HRS AGO - Photo by Ashley Landis-Pool/Getty Images
The Lakers are currently not allowed to trade for or sign McGee under NBA rules. If you are not ready to open your heart and acknowledge that 10-day contract recipient Damian Jones is one of the greatest centers in Lakers history already, I can’t help you. After all, he is already the most efficient player to ever don the purple and gold. But if you for some reason think the Lakers still have a hole in the middle between Jones, Montrezl Harrell, and Marc Gasol, don’t worry, you’re not alone: Multiple anonymous NBA executives do too.
According to Dan Woike of the L.A. Times, the league is not exactly as sold on Jones as most Lakers fans seem to be, and executives think that the purple and gold could look to add another center at some point in the next month or so, either via a trade or a buyout. The Lakers currently have one open roster spot, and will have a second if they let Jones go when his 10-day contract expires.
One of the names Collapse
Alex Caruso reportedly turned down opportunity to participate in dunk contest
19 HRS AGO - Photo by Scott Cunningham/NBAE via Getty Images
Alex Caruso is going to rest for a Lakers Expand
19 HRS AGO - Photo by Scott Cunningham/NBAE via Getty Images
Alex Caruso is going to rest for a Lakers title defense during the NBA All-Star break instead of winning the dunk contest. Nice of him to give others a chance. When the league announced who would be competing in the slam dunk contest at halftime of the 2021 NBA All-Star game, the internet responded with a resounding cry of “who?” Well, it turns out that before they went with Anfernee Simons, Cassius Stanley and Obi Toppin, the NBA at least tried to get some real star power: Lakers guard Alex Caruso.
But as much as every single Lakers fan in the world would love to see Caruso participate in the dunk contest in a vacuum, Caruso decided to do what he does so well on offense: Make a smart pass.
According to Bill Oram of The Athletic, the Bald Eagle will not be flying to (or in) Atlanta:
Alex Caruso was among those who declined a spot in the slam dunk contest during this weekend’s All-Star Game, league sources said. Caruso said Collapse
Lakers vs. Kings Preview and Game Thread: Can LeBron James get Luke Walton fired again?
1 DAY AGO - Photo by Harry How/Getty Images
The Lakers might get Luke Walton out of the paint for the Expand
1 DAY AGO - Photo by Harry How/Getty Images
The Lakers might get Luke Walton out of the paint for the second time in less than two seasons. For as annoyed as some of you are with Frank Vogel’s coaching in their Tuesday loss to the Phoenix Suns, the Lakers will get a reminder that things could always be worse in their final game before the much-needed NBA All-Star break. On Wednesday, they’ll visit the Sacramento Kings, helmed by their former head coach Luke Walton, whose new team is currently in a free fall out of the playoff race.
The Kings started out 5-10, leading to speculation that Walton’s seat would warm. They then won seven of their next eight games while appearing to turn things around and lower the pressure in the state capitol, but immediately plummeted again, losing 10 of their next 11 to fall to 13-21 overall, only being spared the second-worst record in the Western Conference by the Houston Rockets’ similarly timed plummet down the standings. It all came to a head in their Collapse
Marc Gasol to miss game against Suns under health and safety protocols
1 DAY AGO - Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images
Marc Gasol is the latest Lakers player to Expand
1 DAY AGO - Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images
Marc Gasol is the latest Lakers player to have to sit out due to the NBA’s health and safety protocols. It is unknown when he can return, or what is leading to his absence. Marc Gasol will become the third player and fourth member of the Lakers organization that we know of to miss a game under the NBA’s coronavirus-related health and safety protocols, according to the league’s official status report. That is an update from the previous injury report the Lakers released on Monday night, which did not list Gasol on it.
Gasol now joins Alex Caruso and Dennis Schröder — who missed four games each (at different times) due to contact tracing and say they never tested positive for the virus — among Lakers players to have to sit out under this designation. Head athletic trainer Nina Hsieh also missed a game earlier this season but was able to travel with the team immediately afterwards and returned to the bench for the next game, leading Collapse
Kyle Kuzma is fine with his role, whether he starts or comes off the bench
1 DAY AGO - Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images
Kyle Kuzma’s maturity has made it easy for Frank Vogel Expand
1 DAY AGO - Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images
Kyle Kuzma’s maturity has made it easy for Frank Vogel to manage his lineups with the Lakers this season. Last season, Anthony Davis missed nine games for the Los Angeles Lakers in the regular season. In seven of those games, Kyle Kuzma started in Davis’ place. The two games Kuzma didn’t start in Davis’ place, he was also unavailable for. Kuzma ended the season with nine starts.
This season, Kuzma started off as the spot starter for Davis, and he even started a few games alongside Davis, but that hasn’t been the case of late. In each of the last three games Davis has missed, Markieff Morris has gotten the started ahead of Kuzma, the latter of whom started the four games prior to that.
Before the Lakers tipped off against the Golden State Warriors on Sunday, Frank Vogel explained his decision to move Kuzma back to the bench and start Morris.
“Kyle knows his role doesn’t change whether he starts or comes off the bench,” Vogel said. “We want Collapse
Lakers vs. Suns Preview: Finish strong
2 DAYS AGO - Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images
The Lakers are down to their last two games on Expand
2 DAYS AGO - Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images
The Lakers are down to their last two games on the first half of their regular season schedule. Up to this point of the season, the Los Angeles Lakers have played all but two teams in the Western Conference: the Phoenix Suns and the Sacramento Kings. With all due respect to the Kings, the Lakers’ game against the Suns on Tuesday is expected to be a lot more entertaining than their game against the Kings on Wednesday.
After going 8-0 in the Orlando Bubble last year, the Suns came into the season with a level of expectations they haven’t had in a while, and optimism only grew larger when they traded for Chris Paul in November. To their credit, they’ve lived up those high hopes early on, going 22-11 through their first 33 games, which is good enough for the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference. Only one game separates them and the Lakers, who currently sit at the No. 2 seed.
The Lakers will go into the game with a slight advantage in the Collapse
Los Angeles Lakers: Why Damian Jones’ tenure will be short
2 DAYS AGO - The Los Angeles Lakers made their first addition of the season, albeit a small one. The team Expand
2 DAYS AGO - The Los Angeles Lakers made their first addition of the season, albeit a small one. The team signed center Damian Jones to a 10-day contract, essentially giving him an extended tryout to see if he can be the help that the team needs. On paper, it seems as if this partnership could work out. The […]
Los Angeles Lakers: Why Damian Jones’ tenure will be short - Lake Show Life - Lake Show Life - Los Angeles Lakers News and Fan Community Collapse
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