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Lakers Revert To Opening Night Lineup, Intend To Stick With It

January 16th, 2024 at 9:05am CST by Luke Adams

Against the Thunder on Monday, Lakers head coach Darvin Ham turned back to the starting lineup that he used to open the season: LeBron James, Anthony Davis, D’Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves, and Taurean Prince.

That was the Lakers’ starting group for five of the first seven games of the season, including the first four. However, those players hadn’t started together since November 6, as Ham first moved Reaves to the bench and later did the same with Russell. After Los Angeles came away with a 112-105 victory over Oklahoma City, Ham indicated he plans to stick with his original starting five going forward, writes ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.

“Just wanted to put as much skill and shot-making on the floor around our two captains,” Ham said, referring to James and Davis. “And those five, they’ve been pretty much our most consistent guys throughout the season thus far. So just put them together. For the foreseeable future, that’s going to be our lineup, barring any type of injury.”

The Lakers have used 11 different starting lineups so far this season, leaning most frequently on a group consisting of James, Davis, Russell, Prince, and Cam Reddish. Reddish is a stronger defender than Reaves, but didn’t provide as much on the offensive end of the court. He’s currently unavailable due to a knee issue.

Los Angeles also experimented with a starting five that featured Reaves in Russell’s place alongside the two star forwards, Prince, and Reddish, but that group has posted a -13.2 net rating in 99 minutes of action. The opening night lineup, which Ham turned back to on Monday, has a +1.3 rating in 150 total minutes.

In spite of Monday’s impressive victory, the Lakers remain below .500 (20-21) at the season’s midpoint and are feeling a sense of urgency to pick up some more wins during their current stretch of games in L.A., writes Khobi Price of The Orange County Register. That stretch of games, which includes four more home games and a “road” contest vs. the Clippers, runs through next Thursday.

Last season, a series of moves at the trade deadline helped kick-start the Lakers to a second-half surge and two playoff series wins, but Ham doesn’t necessarily think the team needs to seek out similar moves this winter.

“People talk about trades and this and that. No one’s sugarcoating anything. You have an opportunity to get better, you’re going take advantage of it,” Ham said, per McMenamin. “But that said, what we have in that locker room, we just need to buckle down, focus, take care of the details. We have more than enough in that locker room to make some things happen.”

Pacific Notes: Green, Brown, Clippers, Reddish

January 15th, 2024 at 9:59am CST by Arthur Hill

Draymond Green will return to the court today after missing 16 games during his suspension and reconditioning process, but it might take some time before the Warriors look like a cohesive unit, writes Kendra Andrews of ESPN. Golden State had the second worst defense in the league during Green’s absence, according to Andrews, giving up 123.8 points per 100 possessions. The Warriors have allowed opponents to score at least 70 points in the first half in four of their last six games.

“Nothing ever just flips,” Green said. “I don’t look at myself as some savior, like this is going to save our defense or anything like that. I think I can help with communication. And like with everything else, it’s contagious.”

Green stayed away from the Warriors while he underwent counseling and didn’t rejoin the team until his suspension was lifted on January 6. He believes the break from basketball helped with his mental health, and coach Steve Kerr indicated that it could be beneficial for everyone.

“He’s still obviously a huge part of this thing and a huge part of our leadership,” Kerr said. “But he needs the awareness that comes with what he’s just gone through and what he has put the team through as well.”

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Mike Brown is the latest coach to vent about officiating, but he found a creative way to do it after the Kings‘ overtime loss Sunday at Milwaukee, per Rich Rovito of The Associated Press. Brown brought the team’s video coordinator and a laptop to his post-game press conference to show reporters the calls that led to his ejection. “The referees are human, and they’re going to make mistakes, but you just hope that there’s some sort of consistency and there’s some sort of communication between the refs,” Brown said. “The refs tonight, they were great, they communicated with me all night. But in terms of consistency, you guys saw it right here. In my opinion, the consistency wasn’t here tonight.”
Seerat Sohi of The Ringer looks at how the Clippers were able to get all their stars on the same page after a rough start to the James Harden era. Coach Tyronn Lue believes they were too deferential to one another following the trade that brought Harden to L.A. “I think not wanting to step on each other’s toes. I think having respect, all four guys having a huge respect for each other,” Lue said. “Sometimes that can be a negative because now they don’t want to do what they’re capable of doing.”
Cam Reddish could miss multiple games after leaving each of the Lakers‘ last two contests with knee soreness, tweets Dave McMenamin of ESPN.

Lakers Notes: Davis, LeBron, Russell, Hachimura, Reddish

January 14th, 2024 at 10:47am CST by Arthur Hill

After getting off to a 19-21 start last season, Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka was able to remake the team before the trade deadline. He’ll face the same challenge this year as L.A. has an identical record at the 40-game mark following Saturday’s loss at Utah.

The difference, as Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times points out, is that the Lakers were already moving in the right direction by the middle of last season, winning five in a row to reach 19-21. Saturday’s loss was their 12th in their last 17 games as they’ve fallen into 11th place in the Western Conference.

“I don’t remember last year at the 40-game mark,” Anthony Davis said. “But I think for us right now, we’re not in a bad spot. It could be worse. Just our injuries just piled up over and over. As soon as we think we get a couple guys back, guys go down. So that’s the toughest thing, but we still have enough to win basketball games. Even though (LeBron James) doesn’t play, we have enough to win. But we just got to keep going — 40 games, 42 left. We got to make a push. These next five or six games at home are going to be a big stretch of games for us.”

The latest injury issue involves James, who missed his fourth game of the season Saturday due to pain in his left ankle. Davis took on more play-making responsibilities in James’ absence, posting his second career triple-double with 15 points, 15 rebounds and 11 assists, but he still felt like he didn’t do enough.

“Everyone did their job except me. I didn’t do my job,” Davis said. “Obviously, Bron was out and everyone has to step up and those guys did. Except myself. So this one’s on me.”

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D’Angelo Russell returned to the starting lineup Saturday, making his first start since coach Darvin Ham shook up his rotation 10 games ago, Turner writes. Russell responded with his best game of the season, delivering 39 points and eight assists while shooting 15-of-26 from the field and 6-of-11 from three-point range. “I mean, it’s just fun. Just hoopin’, as simple as that,” Russell said. “They had some coverages that tried to take AD out the game, allowed us to play off the catch-and-attack closeouts all game. We missed some. We made some. I thought we had a lot of good looks. Just try to take this aggression and add it to the next game.”
Rui Hachimura returned after missing five games with a strained left calf and didn’t wear the mask he had been using since undergoing nasal surgery, Turner adds. Hachimura talked to Dave McMenamin of ESPN about the need for more energy in the first quarter because rival teams are so focused on beating the Lakers (video link).
Cam Reddish had to leave the game in the second half due to soreness in his left knee, tweets Khobi Price of The Orange County Register. Knee pain also forced Reddish out of Thursday’s game, and Ham said the team will have a “definitive plan by Monday going forward” on how to handle his condition.

Lakers Notes: Ham, Backcourt, Murray, Reddish, Schröder

January 12th, 2024 at 4:01pm CST by Luke Adams

After ESPN’s Dave McMenamin and Substack reporter Marc Stein suggested earlier this week that Lakers head coach Darvin Ham isn’t in any immediate danger of losing his job, two more reports have confirmed as much — in even stronger terms.

According to Sam Amick of The Athletic, Lakers owner Jeanie Buss sent a “long text message” to Ham reiterating her support for him. Meanwhile, Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report says that both Buss and president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka have informed Ham that his job isn’t in any jeopardy.

“I speak to Rob every day and we’re always discussing ways to improve our team and what we can do better as a coaching staff,” Ham told Haynes after the Lakers dipped back below .500 with a Thursday loss to Phoenix. “It’s an open dialogue that I embrace and that is helpful. We’re all trying to get this right and we will.”

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As they scour the trade market, the Lakers are seeking “speed and quickness” in their backcourt, according to Haynes, who adds that the team would like to be able to play faster offensively and to acquire a guard who plays solid point-of-attack defense. Rival executives expect the Lakers – along with the Raptors, among others – to begin talking more seriously to Atlanta about Dejounte Murray in the near future, Haynes writes, though he cautions that the Hawks are making it known they’d be comfortable hanging onto Murray and revisiting his trade market in the offseason.
The Lakers appeared to have broken out of their recent slump with victories over the Clippers and Raptors earlier this week, but Thursday’s blowout loss at home to the Suns was a discouraging setback, writes Jovan Buha of The Athletic. “I think it’s just a lot of holes in our system right now,” D’Angelo Russell said. “You use the regular season to figure those things out, the ups and downs, the digression, the setbacks, all these things. Injuries just keep playing a part in our success. … I think we can still find the light at the end of the tunnel. We just got to get better, got to keep getting better.”
Lakers forward Cam Reddish, who missed games in December due to right knee and left groin ailments, continues to deal with leg issues. He left Thursday’s contest early after experiencing left knee soreness, tweets Dave McMenamin of ESPN.
As part of a larger conversation with Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, Raptors guard Dennis Schröder looked back on the 2021 extension offer from the Lakers that he turned down. The guard’s former representatives advised him to pass on it, Fischer writes. “I would have signed it,” Schröder said. “I would never just leave money on the table. My mom didn’t raise me that way.” While reports at the time indicated the offer was worth $80MM+ over four years, Fischer suggested in a follow-up tweet that that figure may have been overstated.

“Deepening Disconnect” Between Darvin Ham, Lakers Players

January 4th, 2024 at 10:55am CST by Arthur Hill

Darvin Ham‘s frequent lineup changes have led to a “deepening disconnect” between the Lakers coach and his players, according to Shams Charania and Jovan Buha of The Athletic.

Six sources with direct knowledge of the situation spoke to the authors about a “disjointedness” that has arisen as Ham has adjusted roles of various players to try to shake the team out of its current slide. L.A. is 3-9 since winning the in-season tournament and has fallen to 10th in the West with a 17-18 record.

Ham used his 10th different starting lineup of the season in Wednesday night’s loss to Miami, making Austin Reaves a starter again in place of the injured Rui Hachimura. Sources tell Charania and Buha that the changes have led to “a fluctuating rhythm” for several players. The authors add that the adjustments have prevented the team from establishing any continuity or determining its best lineup combinations.

After Wednesday’s game, Ham said injury problems are responsible for his frequent changes. Cam Reddish has been in and out of the lineup due to a groin issue, Hachimura is sidelined with a Grade 1 left calf strain and D’Angelo Russell sat out his second straight game with a bruised tailbone.

Ham also suggested that the Heat, who were playing without Jimmy Butler, were in a better position than the Lakers.

“I think the multiple (rotation players) are more impactful than … if you lose one of your big dogs, you’re going to figure out how to try and manage without them,” Ham said. “… And when you have your key role players, your key rotation players – this guy misses three or four. This guy misses three or four. And they’re happening one right after another, that’s what makes it difficult. … We’ve got to figure it out. I’m disappointed, but I’ll be damned if I get discouraged.”

L.A. held a team meeting after Wednesday’s loss, Charania and Buha add, and many of the players were gone by the time the media were admitted to the locker room. Among those who talked to reporters, Reaves and Anthony Davis both emphasized that injuries are no excuse for losing, which the authors note is part of the disconnect between Ham and his players.

Ham has two full seasons beyond this one remaining on his four-year contract, so the Lakers will likely be reluctant to make a coaching change. He has also shown an ability to overcome adversity, leading the team to the Western Conference Finals after a 2-10 start to last season. However, Charania and Buha write that “time is of the essence” for L.A. to start winning and “patience is beginning to run thin.”

Lakers Notes: Starting Lineup, Reaves, Hachimura, Russell, LaVine

January 4th, 2024 at 8:58am CST by Arthur Hill

Injuries forced Lakers coach Darvin Ham to try another new starting lineup Wednesday night, but nothing seemed to click in a home loss to Miami, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Cam Reddish returned from his groin injury, but Rui Hachimura is sidelined with a Grade 1 left calf strain and D’Angelo Russell missed his second straight game with a bruised tailbone.

“We can’t find any consistency until we get healthy. It’s as simple as that. We’ve got to get healthy,” Ham said. “When you’re dealing with different guys being in and out of the lineup that frequently, it’s damn near impossible to find a rhythm. That’s just being real.”

McMenamin observes that L.A.’s starting five of Reddish, LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Taurean Prince and Austin Reaves looked “disjointed” on offense and “disconnected” on defense. The Lakers committed 10 turnovers and shot 6-of-18 from the floor in the first quarter as the Heat built a double-digit lead. They closed the game by allowing 38 points in the final quarter.

“It’s a little bit of everything right now,” said Ham, whose team is on a 2-8 stretch and has fallen below .500. “We’re not executing. That team played harder than us tonight, executed better than us tonight, more physical than us tonight. We got outworked tonight, so it’s a bit of everything right now. If we keep on this train, it’s not going to be good for us.”

Ham added that once everyone is healthy, he might go back to starting Russell alongside James, Davis, Reaves and Vanderbilt, which is the lineup that sparked the team’s playoff run last season.

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Reaves contributed 24 points and eight assists while being used as a starter for the first time in weeks, but it’s not clear how long that role will last, McMenamin adds. Reaves told reporters that the team’s “vibe” is off, then later clarified his remarks. “When I say the vibe is off, it’s not like we don’t like each other,” he said. “It’s we’re losing. … But I don’t want to get that twisted on us not liking each other. Everybody in the locker room gets along.”
Ham said Hachimura underwent an MRI and is “pretty much day to day,” McMenamin tweets. Russell is also considered day to day as Ham said he has “soreness that he’s trying to work through.” (Twitter link)
Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today is the latest reporter to list Bulls guard Zach LaVine as a possibility for the Lakers. Sources still consider that move unlikely, according to Kurt Helin of NBC Sports, but he notes that the team’s recent slide could raise pressure on general manager Rob Pelinka to shake up the roster.

Lakers Notes: New Starting Lineup, Hachimura, LeBron

January 1st, 2024 at 10:57am CST by Arthur Hill

Lakers coach Darvin Ham made another change to his starting lineup Sunday night and indicated that the new unit might be together for a while, writes Khobi Price of The Orange County Register. With Cam Reddish unavailable for the second time in three games due to groin soreness, Ham replaced him with Rui Hachimura, who started alongside LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Taurean Prince and Jarred Vanderbilt.

“This lineup that you see, we’re going to stick with for the foreseeable future,” Ham told reporters prior to Sunday’s game. “[We’re] starting there, and hopefully everyone gets on the mend and we’ll try to get guys as much time as possible to get back healthy. [We’re] definitely trying to figure out a more consistent lineup as we proceed through this next portion of the season.”

Ham also tinkered with his starting five last week, swapping Vanderbilt in for D’Angelo Russell. A tailbone contusion that Russell suffered on Saturday forced him to miss Sunday’s game, and Ham indicated that he and Reddish are both considered day-to-day.

“It’s something we have to manage,” Ham said of Reddish’s condition. “There’s nothing structurally wrong with it, but there’s something that’s alive and well that he feels based on the workload.”

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Ham’s lineup plans could be disrupted by a calf strain that forced Hachimura to leave Sunday’s game after just eight minutes, tweets Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Ham said there’s a “high level” of concern about the injury, but he doesn’t want to jump to any conclusions before Hachimura undergoes further testing.
James was critical of the NBA’s replay system after he was awarded two points instead of three on a late shot in Saturday’s loss at Minnesota, McMenamin states in a full story. James thought he had tied the game with 2.3 seconds left and was livid when officials ruled that his foot was barely on the three-point line. “What the hell do we got replay for?” James said afterward. “What do we have replay for if even the replay gets it wrong? It’s just like, who is a part of the replay center? Like, do we got robots in there making Teslas? Like, what’s going on?” The NBA confirmed the call Sunday in its Last Two Minutes Report (Twitter link).
In his latest Substack column, Marc Stein looks at what the future might hold for James, who became the NBA’s only active 39-year-old when he celebrated his birthday on Saturday.

Lakers Notes: James, Starting Five, Christmas Game, Injury Report

December 24th, 2023 at 9:56pm CST by Dana Gauruder

LeBron James scored a season-high 40 points against Oklahoma City on Saturday as the Lakers snapped a four-game losing streak. James looked at it as a meaningful victory, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN.

“We needed this win,” James said. “We didn’t want to end the road trip in a losing effort. … To come in here to play versus a team that’s been playing extremely well throughout this season, it was a big win for us.”

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They made a significant lineup move prior to the contest, as forward Jarred Vanderbilt replaced guard D’Angelo Russell. The starting lineup of James, Taurean Prince, Cam Reddish, Vanderbilt and Anthony Davis doesn’t have a true guard, but it allows them to switch more often on defense, Jovan Buha of The Athletic notes. “When you have that type of size, and you start that type of size, length and athleticism, and you can switch down the line, they basically gain no advantage,” coach Darvin Ham said. Offensively, the ball flowed through James and Davis, though it creates issues in terms of three-point shooting.
Ham believes the Christmas Day game against the Celtics can be used as a measuring stick, Khobi Price of the Orange County Register relays. “They’re one of the teams that’s at the top of the food chain in our league,” Ham said. “A team that’s definitely a championship contender. We get a chance to see where we are. You don’t have to have a Knute Rockne speech for this one. It’s a classic Lakers-Celtics game. Both teams are playing – for the most part of the year – playing at a high level. It’ll be a great chance to see where we are against the best of the best in terms of competition.”
James and Davis are listed as questionable to play on Monday due to left ankle injuries, Price tweets, though they’ve often been listed with that designation in recent games and have suited up. Rui Hachimura is also listed as questionable due to left groin soreness.

Knicks Notes: Sims, Centers, Reddish, Hart

December 19th, 2023 at 4:03pm CST by Luke Adams

Knicks center Jericho Sims sprained his right ankle after just three minutes of action in Monday’s win over the Lakers. Head coach Tom Thibodeau didn’t have an update after the game about the severity of the injury, per Fred Katz of The Athletic (Twitter link), but Sims was in a walking boot, tweets Steve Popper of Newsday.

Still, it sounds like the injury may not be significant. According to Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link), the Knicks are listing Sims as questionable to play in Wednesday’s contest vs. Brooklyn, which suggests he may not have to miss any time at all.

If Sims is forced to the sidelines, his absence figures to result in a significant role for reserve center Isaiah Hartenstein, who had already been getting the majority of playing time at the five since Mitchell Robinson went down.

On Monday, Hartenstein logged an impressive 39 minutes off the bench and played a key role in the victory — he grabbed a career-best 17 rebounds and the Knicks outscored the Lakers by 15 points when he was on the court. Recently added big man Taj Gibson was a minus-8 in his six minutes of action.

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Prior to Monday’s win and Sims’ ankle injury, Stefan Bondy of The New York Post questioned whether Hartenstein should simply be moved into the starting lineup, since the groups with Sims at center haven’t been particularly effective, especially defensively. Since Robinson’s injury, New York has a +11.5 net rating with Hartenstein on the court and a -16.9 mark (including a 131.1 defensive rating) when Sims is playing.
Facing his former Knicks team for the first time this season on Monday, Lakers forward Cam Reddish wasn’t willing to revisit the past, Bondy writes in another New York Post story. “I’ve got nothing for you,” Reddish said on his way out of the locker room. “My time in New York is over.” Asked about the former Knicks forward, who fell out of favor in New York and reportedly sought a trade, Thibodeau lauded the 24-year-old for being willing to accept his role in Los Angeles: “I think the first thing is to embrace the role, and I think he’s done a really good job of that.”
Speaking to Mark Medina of Sportskeeda, Josh Hart attributed his bumpy start to this season to adjusting to a new role and to not being in his usual rhythm after spending a long summer with Team USA. Still, Hart suggested he’d happily accept an invitation to the 2024 Olympic team — though he’s not necessarily holding his breath for that invite. “I’d be very pleasantly surprised if I get a call. If I do, I’ll go cheerlead LeBron (James), KD (Kevin Durant) and all of them and I would love every minute of it,” he said with a laugh.
After seven straight lottery seasons from 2014-20, the Knicks are now a “fully functional” franchise and a solid playoff team, according to Chris Mannix of SI.com, who considers what it will take for the club to become more than that.

Pacific Notes: Beal, Toscano-Anderson, Murray, Lakers

December 16th, 2023 at 11:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Suns expect Bradley Beal to be sidelined for two to three weeks with the ankle injury he suffered Friday night, sources tell Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Friday marked just the second time all season that Beal, Kevin Durant and Devin Booker were able to start a game together, but Phoenix’s “big three” didn’t last long as Beal’s injury occurred in the first quarter.

“Twisted his ankle, but he’s a strong-minded player, person,” Durant said. “Get ready for the rehab and looking forward to having him back. It’s a tough situation, but he can deal with it.”

It was only the sixth game of the season for Beal, who has been dealing with back soreness since training camp. Rankin notes that Beal missed the first seven games of the season, then played in the next three before re-injuring his back in a November 12 contest. The team rested Beal for three weeks to allow him to heal, and Friday was his third game since returning. The inactivity has affected his scoring as he’s averaging 14.7 PPG, the lowest figure since his rookie season.

“Super unfortunate,” Booker said. “Been waiting on him to get back. Uncontrollable incident. Hate to see it.”

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Juan Toscano-Anderson is thrilled to be back in the NBA after signing with the Kings on Friday, tweets Marc J. Spears of Andscape. The veteran swingman, who had been with the G League’s Mexico City Capitanes, sees numerous ways he can help his new team. “I’m just hella grateful and blessed to get another opportunity,” Toscano-Anderson said, before listing the attributes he brings to the club. “Leadership. Energy. Toughness. Versatility. Camaraderie. Defense.”
If the Kings make a trade before the February 8 deadline, it’s extremely unlikely to include second-year forward Keegan Murray, according to James Ham of The Kings Beat. A source tells Ham that Murray hasn’t been included in any trade talks is “considered part of the franchise’s foundation moving forward.”
The Lakers were missing three starters for Friday’s loss at San Antonio and only had eight available players on standard contracts, notes Khobi Price of The Orange County Register. None of the starters’ absences appear to be long-term as Anthony Davis rolled his left ankle in Wednesday’s game, Cam Reddish had soreness in his right knee and D’Angelo Russell was dealing with a non-COVID illness.