First, a quick explanation for where I’ve been and why the site has mostly been dormant for so long. I won’t bore you with a long-winded spiel here because it’s really quite simple. As me and Pete (and eventually Mike) worked to grow the Laker Film Room Podcast, and as my responsibilities to my family and my day job remained as important as ever, I simply had less time (and RAM in my brain) to devote to writing. And then when Silver Screen & Roll approached me to write a weekly post (which I accepted and continue to do, if you’re interested in reading some of my work), I found myself with even less time.

So, I stepped away and to the side. In the middle of all this, some other very capable folks did write here when they could (and wanted to). And I very much appreciated them for it. However, as time went on, and those other contributors also had other responsibilities come up which meant they too stepped away, I did not pick up the slack and get back on that horse to keep FB&G running. Instead, like Tom Hanks watching his beloved Wilson at the end of Castaway, I just sort of let the site drift away.

I did this quietly so as to not cause a fuss, grieved a little to myself, and then went and recorded another podcast. Life, as it does, moved on. And that’s that.

If you’re still reading this far, you might be wondering then, why I’m posting this at all. Well, it’s because I have a small announcement to make and I figured I’d put it up here first because…well, FB&G is my site and I don’t need a reason beyond that! So, some personal news…

I’ve been hired by the Lakers to do some writing work for them at Lakers.com. I’m not sure how long they’ll decide to keep me around, but I’ll be doing some game previews, some recaps, and maybe a more long form piece if I find the right idea. It’s an exciting opportunity for me, a challenge that I embrace, and something that I never actually imagined would be possible for some random guy like me.

If you’ve been following my work at all over the years or have ever talked to me in a more relaxed setting, you’ll know that I have a very specific view of who I am as a writer/analyst/basketball observer/fan. I am, basically, just some guy. One day I showed up in the comments section of this here site, and I found a group of people in the community and, more specifically in Kurt Helin and the other writers here, that I liked to read and interact with. And, so, I kept coming back and kept commenting. And I’d email Kurt and I’d comment some more and sometimes some of my comments even made into game previews or recaps! It was quite the thrill, to be quite honest.

Then, one day, Kurt asked me if I’d like to write a post. Me? Write??? Sure, I thought. I’m not good at it, but I’ll try. And so I did try. And I tried some more. And then after some time of continuing to try, Kurt got the opportunity to run Pro Basketball Talk and I took over this here site. And over the years, I’ve continued to try to do my best. Until, well, the ability to try wasn’t quite there any more.

18 years ago this week Kurt founded Forum Blue & Gold. Eighteen Years. I’ve run it for the past 12 and half. Through championship seasons, lottery bottom-outs, and everything in between. I don’t know if this will be my last post here or not. But, if it is, I’d like to thank everyone and I mean EVERYONE who has had any hand in making this place what it has been and what it was for as long as it was. I won’t name names now because, honestly, I’d probably forget someone and feel terrible about it. But, if you find yourself reading this post right now and nodded along at any point or felt any twinge of anything, I guarantee my thank you applies to you.

So, goodbye…for now.

The post First Time, Long Time… appeared first on Forum Blue And Gold.

Since the miserable failure that was the 2021-22 Los Angeles Lakers season came to a merciful end, the attention of Lakers fans has turned to possible Russell Westbrook trades and what the front office can do to salvage what is left of LeBron James remarkable career and return the team to contender status.

All of the deals that have been bandied about come with their own pluses and minuses. While the front office is fully aware that the team’s best player is going into his 20th NBA season, they must also keep an eye on the future of the franchise once his playing days are done. All that being said, the most important decision that needs to be made involves LeBron James and whether or not he chooses to sign the 2-year and approximately $100 million contract extension that the Lakers are sure to offer him on top of the 1-year and $47.5 million he has left on his current deal. Why is that important? Because the Lakers will be hesitant to include their 2027 and 2029 first-round picks in trades if LeBron is only under contract for one more season.

So for the sake of this exercise, let’s assume that LeBron plans to sign that extension. Here are the trade possibilities involving Westbrook that seemed to come up most often, in no particular order:

Houston Rockets

This is the trade that has been discussed the longest because we started hearing rumblings about it prior to this season’s trade deadline. It would also be the second time these two were traded for each other. Both have nearly identical contracts so neither team would be getting any kind of financial relief. The Rockets have no incentive to make the trade without getting draft compensation and per Yahoo!’s Chris Haynes, a deal never happened because the Lakers were unwilling to include a first-round pick. Perhaps the Lakers were hoping that they could make the trade this summer without having to include a pick. Wall seems unwilling to take a buyout. So unless Westbrook is, the question is what type of draft or player compensation would the Lakers have to include to make it worth it for the Rockets?

Regardless, does the trade make the Lakers significantly better even without including a draft pick? We don’t really know. Wall didn’t play a game this past season, which means he’s now played in only 113 games over the last five seasons. That’s an average of 22.6 games per year dating back to 2017-18. Even if he’s a better fit than Westbrook, how much better would he make them? Definitely not enough to give up a first-round pick when there are likely better deals to be made.

However, there is a trade involving these two teams that could be more attractive to both. Eric Gordon has one guaranteed year at $19.6 million left on his deal. He also has a non-guaranteed $21 million in 2022-23 that becomes guaranteed if his team wins the championship. That isn’t a possibility in Houston but it might become a possibility if he’s traded to a contender. All that means is that Gordon would welcome a trade to even a potential contender.

So while a straight-up Westbrook-for-Wall trade involving a future first-round pick doesn’t excite Lakers fans, the possibility of a Westbrook and Talen Horton-Tucker for Wall and Gordon and future first-round pick might be more appetizing. This would also be attractive for Tilman Fertitta, the Rockets notoriously cheap owner, because it would save the Rockets about $10 million off of what they’re currently scheduled to pay Wall and Gordon combined next season. 

The addition of Wall and Gordon to LeBron and Anthony Davis gives the Lakers a much better chance at a turnaround next season than if they just added Wall because Gordon gives the team two things that this past season’s team sorely lacked: defense and shooting. Gordon made 41 percent of his 3-pointers this season, the second-best percentage of his 14-year career. That’s the good news. On the minus side, it doesn’t address two of the roster’s other glaring weaknesses, youth and athleticism. While those can be addressed elsewhere, how well can they be addressed after trading two of their only few trade assets, a first-round pick and Horton-Tucker, to get Wall and Gordon?

Indiana Pacers

This was a trade that was mentioned in both Marc Stein’s Substack and in a conversation between Zach Lowe and Kevin Pelton on last week’s Lowe Post podcast. Westbrook, Horton-Tucker and the 2027 and 2029 Lakers first-round picks for Malcolm Brogdon and Buddy Hield. Brogdon has three years and $67.6 million left on his contract while Hield has two years and around $40.5 million left on his.

The Domantas Sabonis-for-Tyrese Haliburton trade has changed the Pacers timeline, making both Brogdon and Hield expendable. The ability to get out of those remaining years and dollars for just one year of Westbrook makes a lot of sense for them. As for the Lakers, the knee-jerk reaction is that this is a no-brainer for them. It gives them another ball-handler in Brogdon and one of the league’s best shooters in Hield. On the flip side, Hield, a 40 percent career 3-point shooter, is coming off the worst shooting season of his 6-year career, both from beyond the arc (37 percent), as well as overall (41 percent) while Brogdon, the 2016-17 Rookie of the Year, has played fewer than 100 games over the past two seasons due to knee, hip, hamstring, Achilles and lower back injuries. 

Given the fact that injuries were the main culprit in the Lakers lost season, are we sure their best option is to acquire someone with such a troubled recent injury history at the expense of two future first-round picks? Maybe if they only had to include one first but two firsts seems a bit too rich for my blood.

New York Knicks

ESPN’s Bobby Marks mentioned this one on an episode of the Lowe Post Podcast back in January, before the trade deadline. This is your classic example of a “You take my trash and I’ll take yours” trade. Or even better,  a “You take our player who gets booed by the home crowd and we’ll take yours.”  Last summer the Knicks signed Evan Fournier to a 4-year, $78 million contract and Kemba Walker for two years and $18 million. They also re-signed Alec Burks for three years and $30 million and gave Most Improved Player Award winner and former Laker Julius Randle a 4-year, $117 million extension. How’d it turn out? The team had four fewer wins despite having played 10 fewer games and missed the Play-In Tournament. 

Ask any Knicks fan and they’ll tell you they just want to see them play the kids. Any combination involving those four guys for Westbrook represents a chance for the Knicks to hit the reset button and head back out into free agency before R.J. Barrett’s big money extension starts counting against their cap. What’s in it for the Lakers? The chance to not only rid themselves of Westbrook but also the chance to replenish their depth by replacing a roster filled with aging unathletic vets with guys still in their prime, excluding Walker. I don’t hate this trade so long as the Lakers don’t have to add a first-round pick. If they do, I would hope they’d also try to get Derrick Rose as part of the deal.

Charlotte Hornets

Here’s one that has started to pick up some steam in the past several days and I’ve been tweeting about it since January. Jack Fischer of Bleacher Report reported that Gordon Hayward would be interested in a change of scenery. I can’t mention Malcolm Brogdon’s recent injury history without mentioning that Hayward has only played one more game than Brogdon has over the past two seasons because of injuries to his hip, back and both feet. Hayward has two years and $61.5 million left on his deal. The Hornets have Miles Bridges’ restricted free agency as well as the looming rookie extension for P.J. Washington that would start in 2023-24. Bridges, a Klutch client, turned down a 4-year, $60 million extension last year and will be looking for a deal that dwarfs that one.

Would they be interested in swapping out the two remaining years of Hayward’s contract along with Kelly Oubre’s contract for only one year of Westbrook? Oubre only has $5 million guaranteed on a $12.6 million expiring deal. The Lakers would not only rid themselves of Westbrook, but they could then try to move Oubre’s expiring deal for something else if they weren’t interested in keeping him. This is another deal where I would hate to see the Lakers give up both first-round picks. Given Hayward’s injury history, I would hope they could make the trade without including either first. But you have to give up something to get something. 

Oklahoma City Thunder

It was only five years ago when the Oklahoma City Thunder gave Westbrook what was then the richest contract in NBA history, five years and $205 million. Two years later they traded Paul George to the Clippers and then traded Westbrook to the Rockets, beginning a rebuild that has seen them miss the playoffs the past two years while trying to accumulate as many assets as possible. With their current franchise player, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, ready to see his salary increase from $5.5 million this season to $30.5 million next season, the Thunder still have $31 million in cap space that they will lose once the calendar turns to next season on July 1. 

And that brings us to the trade that was mentioned by John Hollinger of The Athletic a couple weeks ago. He proposed a Westbrook with both first-round picks going to the Thunder for Derrick Favors, Ty Jerome and Kenrich Williams. Before you scoff at the trade because of the players coming back, it’s important to note what else the trade would provide the Lakers with.

Unlike the other trades mentioned above, the Lakers wouldn’t have to match with Westbrook’s salary because the Thunder have the cap space to absorb much of Westbrook’s contract. Because of that, the Lakers would get a $34 million trade exception that could be used for up to one year to add players from other teams looking to dump salary without having to give up anything in return. Some realistic targets for use with that exception would be players on small-market teams that are not in contention and looking to shed payroll. That would include the aforementioned Hayward, Hield, Brogdon and Fournier. Others include Orlando’s Gary Harris or Sacramento’s Harrison Barnes.

The salary savings would also get the Lakers under the luxury tax threshold, giving them use of the non-taxpayer mid-level exception (appx. $10.3 million) rather than the taxpayer mid-level exception (appx. $6.3 million). With only a few teams having significant salary cap room to offer free agents, the rest of the league will all be competing for the same free agents, using only their exceptions. The ability to offer a free agent $10.3 million instead of just $6.3 million annually is a huge difference. I should also mention that these exceptions can be split up to be used to sign two players. So the Lakers would be able to use $6 million to sign one free agent and $4.3 million on another. It could also be used to bring back Malik Monk at a salary commensurate to what he’s expected to fetch on the open market.

Hollinger also mentions that the Lakers would regain their ability to use the bi-annual exception, available to teams less than $6 million above the luxury tax limit. The Lakers weren’t able to use the $4 million bi-annual exception last offseason because it can only be used once every two years and they used it on Wesley Matthews in 2020-21. 

As for the players Hollinger mentions, Favors, Jerome and Williams are all under contract for only one more year. Williams is clearly the best of the three. Favors has a $10.2 million player option that he’s sure to exercise for next year that could be used in a future trade. Jerome has a $4.2 million expiring deal that would also help facilitate a trade down the road. 

The last important thing that Hollinger mentions in this trade scenario is that it doesn’t involve either Horton-Tucker or Kendrick Nunn, leaving both available to be used in other trades.

The more I think about the Hollinger trade, the more I think it makes the most sense. As of now, the Lakers are looking at bringing back LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Austin Reaves, Stanley Johnson, Wenyen Gabriel and Mac McClung. They would love to add Malik Monk but might not be able to afford to. Then add Carmelo Anthony as someone who would probably like to come back if the team can present one last chance to win a ring. Add Horton-Tucker and Nunn as two guys under contract who could possibly be traded. Then replace Avery Bradley, Wayne Ellington, Kent Bazemore and DJ Augustin with Favors, Williams, Jerome and whatever you could add with the two cap exceptions and the $34 million trade exception. 

Instead of the top-heavy roster they had this past season with three guys making $121 million, one guy making $9.5 million, one guy making $5 million and literally everyone else on the roster making the league minimum, they would have something that might look like this:

• LeBron James – $44.5 million
• Anthony Davis – $38 million
• Talen Horton-Tucker – $10.3 million
• Derrick Favors – $10.1 million
• Malik Monk – $7 million (of $10.3 million mid-level exception) 
• Kendrick Nunn – $5.3 million
• Ty Jerome – $4.2 million
• Bi-Annual Exception Player – $4 million
• Mid-Level Exception Player – $3.3 million (of $10.3 million mid-level exception)
• Stanley Johnson – $2.4 million
• Kenrich Williams – $2 million
• Wenyen Gabriel – $1.9 million
• Carmelo Anthony – $1.9 million
• Austin Reaves – $1.5 million

This is the type of salary structure they had when they won the championship in 2020. They had a middle-class made up of guys like Danny Green, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and a re-signed Kyle Kuzma. They lost that middle-class when they traded Green for Dennis Schröder, who they let go in free agency along with Matthews, and then traded Caldwell-Pope and Kuzma with Montrezl Harrell for Westbrook. 

The above roster isn’t championship-caliber. Not yet. But it allows for the flexibility and experimentation that the 2021-22 roster never provided not only on the court, but more importantly, with the front office and possible personnel decisions. What Favors, Nunn and Jerome lack as desirable players to other teams they compensate for in being nearly $20 million in expiring contracts. 

At the very least, this deal would still allow them to be the free agent players in the summer of 2023 they would be if they brought Westbrook back next season and just let him leave when his contract expires.

All we can hope for is that the front office is kicking the tires on every potential trade and willing to think outside the box. It’s important to remember that as terrible as last season was, they still have arguably two of the league’s top-10 players and that’s a place that around 25 other teams would kill to be sitting in right now.

The post Weighing the Lakers Russell Westbrook Trade Possibilities appeared first on Forum Blue And Gold.

Probable Starters
Jazz: Mike Conley, Donovan Mitchell, Royce O’Neale, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Rudy Gobert
Lakers: Russell Westbrook, Malik Monk, Avery Bradley, LeBron James, Dwight Howard

Injuries
Jazz: Elijah Hughes; Out due to Health & Safety Protocols: Hassan Whiteside; Jared Butler
Lakers: LeBron James (probable); Carmelo Anthony (questionable); Dwight Howard (probable); Anthony Davis (out); Kendrick Nunn (out)

—

The Lakers truly are at a crossroads and until they actually show us they’re going to go down the path where they decide they’re going to play hard and the right way each night, I have to assume they’re going to continue to go down the wrong path. Yes, LeBron James tweeted an apology to Lakers fans with a promise the team will be better. That’s great. Honestly, no snark. But, saying it and doing it are two different things. And while I trust Bron to be able to follow up on whatever he says, the rest of this group does not have that same equity built up to inspire trust they’ll do the same.

So, the Lakers play the Jazz tonight. Utah is a high execution team that tests your defensive commitment and resolve on almost every possession. They’ll put you in the blender and trust that they’ll get a good shot eventually. And, most possessions, they do. The Lakers, then, aren’t really going to stop this team. They’re just not. Their only hope, then, is to keep up with them by scoring a ton and, well, I’m not sure they can.

It would help if Carmelo could play, but until we get an update on him, I’m not sure if that’s the case. It would also help if the Lakers could hit their 3’s, but that’s not been happening of late either. Of course, if the team can get some stops and can spread the Jazz out and make them defend more of the court while drawing Rudy away from the rim, there is a formula. But that likely means playing LeBron even more Center and doing so when Rudy is in the game and it would require Melo to play too, because if Rudy gets to defend Stanley Johnson, you’re not going to achieve the spacing you want even by playing smaller.

Which brings me back to my pessimism about this specific game. The Lakers are in a bad spot tonight. They just are. My only hope, then, is that they compete hard and show the resolve that is implied in LeBron’s tweet. Show me that you care. Or, you know, get your ass kicked. It’s up to you.

Where you can watch: 7:30pm start time on NBA TV and Spectrum SportsNet.

The post Lakers Game Preview: The Utah Jazz appeared first on Forum Blue And Gold.

Probable Starters
Nuggets: Monte Morris, Will Barton, Aaron Gordon, Jeff Green, Nikola Jokic
Lakers: Russell Westbrook, Malik Monk, Avery Bradley, LeBron James, Dwight Howard

Injuries
Nuggets: Will Barton (probable); Austin Rivers (questionable); Jamal Murray (out); Michael Porter Jr. (out); P.J. Dozier (out); Out due to Health & Safety Protocols: JaMychal Green
Lakers: LeBron James (probable); Carmelo Anthony (questionable); Dwight Howard (questionable); Anthony Davis (out); Kendrick Nunn (out)

—

If you look at the Nuggets recent game log, there’s a through line between their wins and their losses. The teams that they beat are either bad or were missing (one or more of) their best player(s) and their losses are against good teams. In their last 10 games, they’re 6 and 4. Their 6 wins: Clippers (by 3, Paul George out), Warriors (by 3, Draymond out), Rockets, Kings, Thunder, Blazers. Their 4 losses: Hornets, Mavs, Jazz, Clippers (lost by 2).

So, while I don’t want to ignore the matchup questions at hand and how those will surely impact the results in this game, there’s a fairly simple way to look at this game. Are the Lakers a good team or are they a bad team? I supposed you could argue that the Lakers are missing one of their best players and they might fall into that other category — but, for now, let’s leave that off the table. The results of this game will offer some insight into how good a team they are.

The Nuggets still have Jokic and several other quality NBA players. They’re playing at home. But the Lakers have LeBron James and Russell Westbrook, and several other quality NBA players too. They’re on the road, but haven’t played since Wednesday night. They just had a “spirited” film session where they went over every defensive mistake against the Kings and their head coach basically said “I want to see better defense on Saturday”. They dedicated nearly their entire practice to preparing to face Jokic, who Vogel called one of the most unique talents in the leauge.

So, again, I don’t know if the Lakers will win this game. But, I sure as hell know they should come out prepared and looking ready to compete. And, with the talent they have available, they, themselves, should come in confident that they can win. With that, I want to see them do it. I just do. Because, honestly, the Nuggets are down a lot of guys and the recent results tell me that a team that is prepared and ready to play hard and that is actually a good NBA team will beat them.

So, I guess, my question to the Lakers is: are you a good NBA team or not? And if the answer is yes, then show me.

Where you can watch: 6:00pm start time on Spectrum SportsNet and NBA TV.

The post Lakers Game Preview: The Denver Nuggets appeared first on Forum Blue And Gold.

Probable Starters
Kings: De’Aaron Fox, Tyrese Haliburton, Harrison Barnes, Marvin Bagley, Alex Len
Lakers: Russell Westbrook, Malik Monk, Avery Bradley, Trevor Ariza, LeBron James

Injuries
Kings: Richaun Holmes (out); Tristan Thompson (out); Out due to Health & Safety Protocols: Damian Jones
Lakers: LeBron James (probable); Carmelo Anthony (questionable); Anthony Davis (out); Kendrick Nunn (out)

—

I’m going to keep this short. The Lakers basically got blown out by the Grizzlies in their last game, but had won 4 in a row before that. The teams they’d beaten were not very good overall, but all those games tested the Lakers in specific ways that allowed everyone to feel fairly positive about the direction of the team. The Grizzlies game doesn’t erase that positivity, but it does put it in the proper perspective. Memphis is playing some of the best basketball in the entire league right now, so losing to them isn’t a surprise, but losing to them in the fashion the Lakers did does give us insight into how much work the Lakers still have to do.

Some of that work won’t begin in earnest until Anthony Davis returns. We anticipate an update on his status later this week, and I think the hope is that he’d be back before the end of this month, if not shortly after. The rest of that work, however, can begin now and, really, must begin now.

I thought the game against Memphis was instructive because the Lakers did not play hard enough, lacked focus and were punished for that. Playing smaller, against a physical team or a team that has athletic advantages or against a well coached team, does not allow you to play without focus and/or effort. Some of what happened vs. the Grizzlies was also simply not hitting shots, but more of it was the lack of desire to match the effort and focus that Memphis played with. Against the Kings, that needs to be different. Not because the Kings are as good as the Grizzlies — they’re not. But because being a good NBA team is about building the habits you need to beat other good teams.

As is often said in the NBA world, iron sharpens iron and the Lakers need to be more iron even if their opponent is not. The Kings can be good and they’ve given the Lakers a good showing in every contest they’ve matched up, so I don’t want to disrespect them here. But, they’re not necessarily a good team. The Lakers, then, cannot look to them to set the standard for this game and then simply exceed it. No, the Lakers must shoot for a standard of their own making and it’s one that should be much higher — like the one the Grizzlies set in their game on Sunday night.

So, if you’re looking for me to offer my insight into what I’m looking for in this game, it’s that. And, like the Supreme Court once said to Larry Flynt, you know (that) when you see it. To spell it out, however….

I want to see the Lakers execute defensively. I want to see them make their rotations on the back line, close out to shooters on kick-outs, stay connected and locked in off ball, and generally be where they’re supposed to be when they’re supposed to be there. I want them to take care of the ball offensively, exploit their advantages on offense by attacking mismatches and playing with tempo in the open court, run their sets with purpose and pace, and generally act like they’re committed to the correct process rather than trying to rely on talent.

These are the things that winning teams do, and they do them regardless of opponent quality. The Lakers aren’t a good team every night, but if they want to get to where they’re going, they’ll need to be one more often than they have been through their first 41 games. And, really, you do that by staying aggressive and being smart and playing the right way. The Lakers, to their credit, have been doing more of that lately. It’s why they were winning the games they were, even if the teams they beat weren’t juggernauts. Tonight, then, I want the Lakers to show that them doing those things wasn’t a fluke or based on them playing teams that were not as strong.

And, while it sounds silly when you say it out loud, the what that you do that is by actually doing it. So, let’s see it.

Where you can watch: 7:00pm start time on Spectrum SportsNet.

The post Lakers Game Preview: The Sacramento Kings appeared first on Forum Blue And Gold.

Probable Starters
Hawks: Cam Reddish; Delon Wright; Danilo Gallinari; Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot; Clint Capela
Lakers: Russell Westbrook, Malik Monk, Avery Bradley, Trevor Ariza, LeBron James

Injuries
Hawks: Cam Reddish (probable); Trae Young (questionable); John Collins (questionable); Bogdan Bogdanovic (questionable); De’Andre Hunter (out); Solomon Hill (out) Out due to Health & Safety Protocols: Gorgui Dieng; Cameron Oliver
Lakers: LeBron James (probable); Anthony Davis (out); Kendrick Nunn (out); Out due to Health & Safety Protocols: None

—

Happy belated New Year, everyone!

Since I last ranted on Ye Old Preview Desk on Christmas Day, the Lakers have taken the floor six times. Two maddening losses and four enjoyable wins of varying difficulty later, there are – yeah, I’m gonna do it – reasons for optimism. Sure, the team remains mired in the Western Conference muddle, in sixth place, half a game behind Dallas for the #5 seed, and three and a half games ahead of Minnesota, who are ninth.

We’ve recently gotten glimpses of what this roster can do offensively – and probably should continue to do going forward. It’s admittedly a bizarre thing to say about a team playing without its All-NBA center. Then again, rare is the team that loses a big man of Anthony Davis’ caliber (even if he’s not been at his best this season) and has the option to simply slide somehow-still-Peak LeBron James into his place. 

At this point, we know the numbers. In three games since his 37th birthday, LeBron has put up 100 points, with 26 boards, 14 assists, five bocks and four steals, with three turnovers, in a trio of Laker wins. It’s been well chronicled, but LeBron, two decades in the NBA and nearly four decades on Earth, continues to post number are rivaled only by the likes of Mike, Larry, Kareem, Wilt and Elgin. It’s genuinely ridiculous.

Beyond the astounding numbers, LeBron’s move to the middle has facilitated a super-small-ball (and young) shift that poses some rather awkward questions for opposing defenses. LeBron’s awesome strength and rock solid center of gravity have long been ideally suited to posting up. Nothing’s changed there. What’s different here is that opponents have to consider just how big they’re willing to play against a group with no traditional bigs on the floor. When they go small, LeBron is not at all bashful about battering whatever poor wing or guard is tasked with guarding him. When additional defenders show up to lend a hand, his generational passing is on display. All the while, he’s still wreaking havoc from the outside, as evidenced by a 19-of-43 (44.2%) mark on triples over the past four games. 

There’s nothing left to say about this guy beyond “what the hell more is there to say about this guy?” It’s really astounding.

The biggest beneficiaries of the move are hardship signing turned defensive ace and Lakerland darling Stanley Johnson (who’s back on the floor after some salary cap machinations), Austin Reaves (he of the 12-2 record when playing with LeBron) and, especially, Malik Monk. Since his five-game absence due to H&SP, Monk has been a confident, active and versatile weapon on offense. In the six games since his return, he’s scored 20.7 per game – on a LeBron-esque 56.6% from the field and 45.5% from 3 – with an average per-game +/- of +10.7. What’s most encouraging is that, while he’s shooting the ball extremely well, it really doesn’t feel as though he’s playing way over his head. And, given LeBron’s gravitational pull any time he’s on the floor, combined with the attention that Russ – Good or Bad – commands, a steady diet of clean looks and cutting lanes should keep coming Malik‘s way.

Tonight, the Atlanta Hawks are in downtown L.A. for their first meeting of the season with the Lakers. The Hawks rank second in offensive efficiency and are the NBA’s least turnover-prone team, but also the league’s third-worst in defensive efficiency and dead last in forcing turnovers.

Under normal circumstances, the Hawks would pose a massive challenge for the Lakers defensively. And they still might, provided both John Collins (conditioning) and (especially) Trae Young (back), four days removed from an astounding 56 and 14 in Portland, are in the lineup and close enough to 100%. With both – along with Cam Reddish and Bogdan Bogdanovic – listed a game-time decisions, it’s almost impossible to figure out what to make of this team. 

As things currently stand, the Hawks’ best case scenario involves their four best offensive players taking the floor at something below – but close to – 100%, tormenting the Lakers on the pick-and-roll. In reality, this may be a game that Atlanta looks to effectively punt. With a rest day in L.A. before a game against the equally-shorthanded Clippers, before another couple of days off before a home-and-home against the Miami Heat, followed by a stretch of nine of ten games at home, this could very well be a moment for the Hawks to lick some wounds before tackling a portion of the schedule that’s both relatively friendly, but vitally also includes three games against the division rival Heat, and another against the Charlotte Hornets.

I’ve said it before (and before that) and will probably have to frustratedly wade into these waters again in the future, but everything is in place tonight for a comfortable home win and the season’s first four-game win.

Whether this Laker team has a genuinely dominant run it remains an open question, but it’s tough to ignore the sense that is group is turning some manner of corner. 

Apologies in advance for that.

Where you can watch: 7:00pm start time on ESPN and Spectrum SportsNet.

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Probable Starters
Kings: De’Aaron Fox, Tyrese Haliburton, Harrison Barnes, Marvin Bagley, Damian Jones
Lakers: Russell Westbrook, Malik Monk, Avery Bradley, Trevor Ariza, LeBron James

Injuries
Kings: Terrence Davis (questionable); Out due to Health & Safety Protocols: Richaun Holmes, Chimezie
Lakers: LeBron James (probable); Avery Bradley (probable); Anthony Davis (out); Kendrick Nunn (out)

—

This is an important week for the Lakers. They have 3 games, starting tonight vs. the Kings, and a chance to really get some momentum going. They’ve won 3 of their last 4 coming into tonight and a 2-1 or a 3-0 week would do wonders for them, not only in terms of establishing a rhythm, but in helping with the standings. The Lakers are currently only a half-game out of the 5th seed and are within shouting distance (5 games back in the loss column) of the 4th seeded Grizzlies — a team who, coincidentally, is on the docket this week. Making a little push here would be nice.

In saying that, the Kings are also surely watching the standings and are cognizant of their own pursuit of the best seed they can get in the hopes of snagging a playoff berth. They’ve also been frisky of late, themselves winning 3 of 4, including two close ones over the Mavs and the Heat. They’re down a couple of big men, and they’ll surely miss Richaun Holmes tonight — particularly because he’s such a good P&R partner for their guards and is good on the glass. But, this team is still built around their guards and on any given night Fox, Haliburton, and/or Hield can all explode for big numbers. Haliburton has been especially impressive of late, particularly as a distributor, racking up double digit assists in 8 of his last 9 games.

On the Lakers side, I’m very interested to see how the team’s rotation shakes out tonight. With Stanley Johnson’s 10-day contract expiring on Monday, Frank Vogel has some decisions to make in terms of who starts and, related, whether he wants to continue to play small for the entirety of the game. In terms of the starting group, the choices are very likely either Ariza or THT sliding into the spot Johnson was taking. If he chooses THT, that could signal the team will continue to play small, with the Melo/Ariza duo manning the PF/C spots when Bron is out of the game.

However, if Vogel starts Ariza, that could open the door for Dwight to play some minutes and return to his bench big role when Bron rests. If it were me, this would be my choice, particularly because the matchups line up that way with Alex Len and/or Tristan Thompson the Kings backups. Len isn’t the most fleet of foot guy, but he’s a capable post scorer who can also work the offensive boards. Thompson, meanwhile, isn’t the player he once was, but he can still really hurt small lineups on the offensive glass. Neither are floor spacers (Len can shoot it okay, but takes fewer than one 3 per game), which makes for pretty good circumstances for Dwight to get some run tonight.

We’ll see what Vogel decides, of course, especially in the wake of his comments after the win over the Wolves where he was adamant about sticking with the small lineups even when they struggled some on the glass.

Beyond the lineup questions and how those shakeout, the thing I’ll be looking for tonight is to see if Russ can have a big game. In the two previous games between these two teams, Russ scored 29 and 23 points while hitting nearly 50% of his shots from the floor (19-39 over the two games). These aren’t elite numbers by any means, but the Kings don’t really have that physical guard to put on him in their starting lineup and he should be able to find ways to get into the paint on that end. If he can finish well once there, and create good shots for himself and teammates, it would got a long way towards getting his team a needed W. Not to mention, it would help supplement Bron in ways that he could really use after the run he’s been on lately.

Where you can watch: 7:30pm on Spectrum SportsNet and NBA TV.

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Probable Starters
Timberwolves: Patrick Beverley, Malik Beasley, Anthony Edwards, Jared Vanderbilt, Naz Reid
Lakers: Russell Westbrook, Malik Monk, Avery Bradley, Stanley Johnson, LeBron James

Injuries
Timberwolves: Anthony Edwards (questionable); Taurean Prince (questionable); Jared Vanderbilt (questionable); Out due to Health & Safety Protocols: Karl Anthony-Towns; D’Angelo Russell
Lakers: LeBron James (probable); Anthony Davis (out); Kendrick Nunn (out)

—

So, here’s the thing. Two weeks ago, these same two teams played. The Timberwolves won. The game was on national TV, Karl Towns was mic’d up, and he (and his team) screamed and celebrated like they’d won the super bowl. I don’t really blame them, I’m sure it was a big win for them. They played very well and earned that victory.

In that same game, however, one of the Wolves fell into AD’s knee in the 2nd half and he left the game, not to return. From that moment on, the Lakers looked lifeless, when it really looked as though they were going to make a run to get back into and take control of the game. Of course, whether that would have happened or not will never be known. And, honestly, at this point I don’t really care much about that anyway. AD is still out injured and won’t return for another few weeks, and the team has had to move on without him, further refining their playing style in the process. So, looking backwards to that game doesn’t make a lot of sense.

That said, remembering them acting this way, ¹ wouldn’t be the worst thing either. You see, the Wolves are down bad right now with a bunch of guys out or just coming back from the health and safety protocols. Towns is out, Russell is out, and Edwards is questionable as he gets his conditioning back up. I do expect the latter to play, but missing those other two is meaningful. But, the Lakers should be the last team to weep for anyone missing guys. Still without Davis, they’ve spent the last two weeks dealing with half their roster missing several games and their head coach just got out of protocols too. No one took it easy on them during this stretch and my hope is that they’ll repay that favor tonight.

It’s not the most gracious thing to type that out the way I just did, but as the NBA continues to roll out these games even as rosters are decimated, you simply hope to remain as healthy as you can, get some wins, and go from there. And, on that note, tonight offers a good chance for the Lakers do just that.

And that’s because the Lakers, despite the obvious struggles in the last two weeks, are starting to get closer in several ways. Their health is improving, with only AD and Nunn unavailable now (Rondo is also listed as out, but he’s waiting to be traded to the Cavs in a deal that was reported earlier this week). They’re also fully embracing a style of play that has them playing smaller for longer stretches, leveraging the strongest parts of their roster to play in transition more, shoot more 3’s, and generally dictate the terms of engagement more often. So, while the team is only 2-3 in their last 5 games, both those wins have been blowouts and only the lost to the Spurs was totally disappointing (the other losses were frustrating, to be clear, but the team played relatively well).

So, tonight, if there’s one thing I hope to see it’s the team continuing to find their stride as a small-ball team that gets better on both sides of the floor. Their defense does need to tighten, but my hope is that with Reaves, Ariza, and Bradley back we’ll see more balanced lineups where the groups can defend better for longer stretches. If they can find that better defensive rhythm and continue play free on offense while shooting the ball well, the team can get its feet underneath them. And, if that happens, the results will follow.

Obviously, that’s all seeped in optimism. Things could easily go in a different direction. But, I must say, LeBron is locked in right now and the rest of the team is following suit. And, while Bron won’t score this well and efficiently forever, his attitude and approach has provide a north star to guide the team forward. And it’s that fundamental idea that has me thinking the team will ultimately find its way.

So, here’s to them staying on that path tonight.

Where you can watch: 6:30pm start time on Spectrum SportsNet.

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The Lakers play the Trailblazers tonight, and while I know there’s a lot to discuss — Frank Vogel is back! Trevor Ariza is on the verge of returning! Austin Reaves is available! — I’m not going to discuss any of that.

You see, we’re on the verge of 2022 and basketball just isn’t on my mind right this moment. It’s been a very hard year for so many people (including at times myself, my family, and many of my closest friends) and it’d be weird if, as we transition to a new year when there’s still so much going on in the world, I just sat here and wrote about an NBA game as if that, too, isn’t impacted by all the craziness that is happening right now.

So, I’m not going to. Instead, I just want to say that I’m happy we’ve persevered and made it to this point and that I’m supremely thankful to all of you who have supported me, the site, the podcast, and my work in general. By doing that, you have supported more than just me and there’s not enough words to capture my appreciation for all of that. So, in the most simplest terms, thank you.

But, yes, there is a basketball game tonight. And I hope the Lakers win it. The Blazers still have Dame, but are down a bunch of other guys. The Lakers still have Bron and Russ, and seem to be making strides towards getting more of their team back. I’m hoping for a great result tonight, but even if that doesn’t happen, I still think this team has some juice and has a run in them.

That’s a post for another day, though. For now, then, happy new year. Wherever you are out there, have fun tonight and, most importantly, stay safe.

Where you can watch: 7:30pm start time on Spectrum SportsNet.

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Probable Starters
Grizzlies: Ja Morant, Tyus Jones?, Desmond Bane, Jaren Jackson Jr., Steven Adams
Lakers: Russell Westbrook, Wayne Ellington, Avery Bradley, LeBron James, Dwight Howard

Injuries
Grizzlies: Sam Merrill; Ziaire Williams; Out due to Health & Safety Protocols: Dillon Brooks, Jarrett Culver, John Konchar, De’Anthony Melton
Lakers: LeBron James (probable); Anthony Davis (out); Kendrick Nunn (out); Austin Reaves (out); Kent Bazemore (out); Out due to Health & Safety Protocols: Trevor Ariza

—

First, the good news: the Lakers won their last game, beating the Rockets after downsizing their lineup and docking their boat on the shores of No Big Island. LeBron started at Center, neither Dwight nor DeAndre played a minute, and team ended up playing Melo and the recently signed Stanley Johnson at the back up 5 spot most of the night. Quite the turn of events for a team that began the season with DeAndre in the starting group next to both AD and Bron in the frontcourt. It was a much needed win, regardless of circumstances, and while there were things I’d have liked to have seen done better, I’ll take the result.

In other good news, both Austin Reaves and Kent Bazemore have cleared the NBA’s health and safety protocols. Neither will play vs. the Grizzlies (recovery/conditioning), but both should be available on Friday. That leaves only Ariza and Frank Vogel as still in the protocols, meaning this team is close to being whole again. Once that happens, the team will need to make some decisions on both Johnson and Darren Collison and whether they’d like to keep them and, if so, how to accomplish that considering the fullness of the roster, but that’s a conversation for another day.

As for the Grizzlies, they’re in a similar spot that the Lakers were in a week ago in terms of health and who’s available/not to play. In Brooks and Melton, they’re down two guys who could viably start at SG next to Ja Morant. In Merrill and Konchar, they’re down two role-player types who have been positive contributors in more limited minutes this season. And then in Culver they’re down a guy who barely played, but had a couple of good shifts against the Lakers the last time these teams played, mostly has a hustle and “try hard” guy who was chasing down 50/50 balls, running the floor, and defending hard.

So, while the Grizz still have plenty of their core guys around — including both Ja and JJJ — they’re not a whole team, particularly in the backcourt. Adjustments will be needed in terms of their rotation and staggering of guys, especially if Tyus Jones ends up starting next to Ja because of all their absences. Related, how this team manages their frontcourt rotation and how they deploy guys like Xavier Tillman, Brandon Clarke, and Kyle Anderson considering how much JJJ will play and that Adams will start is also something to watch. Could the Grizz turn to huge lineups that slide Anderson down to SF? Could they play JJJ, Clarke, and Tillman together in mishmash lineups just to soak up minutes?

These questions are even more important and interesting considering the shifts the Lakers made against the Rockets and how much they’ve been playing smaller in general. While I do not think LeBron will start at C against Adams (though anything is possible, I suppose), I don’t think whoever does start at C (my guess would be Dwight) would play more than two shifts. Which means a team full of bigs (Grizz) will be facing off against a team full of guards/wings (Lakers) in a weird contrast of available talents and style of play. Which side prevails and what groups can succeed vs. their counterparts will be interesting to see play out in real time.

In the big picture, though, this game will pretty much come down to the team’s stars and which duo can impact the game most. On the Grizz side, Morant is a killer and if the Lakers play drop coverages, they’ll die a slow death vs. Ja drives and finishes in the lane. JJJ, meanwhile, will mix between popping for 3’s and diving/posting vs. smaller defenders. My hope, then, is that the Lakers mix in switching and trapping vs. Ja to make him a passer and then send doubles at JJJ when necessary to keep him off balance. The hope, then, is to limit their shot attempts and then hope your defense can be sound enough to keep the likes of Bane and Anderson contained enough to limit the Grizz offense over the course of a full night.

On the Lakers side, Russ and Bron are going to need to dictate the terms of engagement via pace and transition chances. They’ll need to spread the floor and run, spacing them out and trying to get into the paint to finish vs. an emptied paint. They’ll also both need to hit some outside shots (Bron especially), greasing the wheels for those driving lanes to stay clear. If both can have efficient scoring nights, it will also help slot the role players (particularly Monk and Melo) appropriately and, if they can be productive, give the team a chance to keep it close.

Lastly, the Lakers must be better in the possessions game. The Lakers will need to gang rebound defensively, especially vs. the lineups where Adams is in the game. He’s such a load in the paint and he can get the Grizz extra chances that, over the course of the game, add up and force the Lakers to win too many defensive possessions. Additionally, the Lakers need to protect the ball and avoid turnovers. I know, I know…Russ is going to turn the ball over and you just have to live with that some. But, some of the mistakes he (and, to be fair, others) makes can be avoided with better focus. The Grizz are dynamic enough in transition to really hurt the Lakers if they’re turnover happy.

I’m not going to lie — I don’t expect the Lakers to win this game. It’s a back to back vs. a young and hungry Grizz team that will play hard. But, LeBron is playing amazing of late and if the team can commit defensively and hit some 3’s, they’ll have a shot. I’m interested to see what they have in them tonight.

Where you can watch: 5:00pm start time on Spectrum SportsNet and NBA TV.

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