Lakers Notes: Ayton, Bennett, Front Office, Reaves
While Deandre Ayton has had some big games for the Lakers this season, including a 21-point, 13-rebound outing in Tuesday’s 110-109 loss to Orlando, there are still questions about whether he’s fully committed to the role the team wants him to play, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN.
That disconnect between what the former No. 1 overall pick believes he’s capable of and what the Lakers want from him – starting with screen-setting and rim-running – was on display after Ayton wrapped up his post-game media session following the loss to Orlando, McMenamin notes.
“They’re trying to make me Clint Capela,” Ayton said as he made his way toward the showers, referring to the veteran NBA center who has a reputation as a solid rim-runner and rebounder. “I’m not no Clint Capela!”
Now 27 years old and in his eighth NBA season, Ayton hasn’t become a star at the NBA level, having developed a reputation as a “talented but unserious” player who can be engaged and productive in one game before disappearing in the next game, McMenamin writes. Still, the Lakers have been happy with his performance when’s willing to do the sort of “dirty work” the team wants him to focus on, a source told ESPN.
“When he’s at his best, and we’ve seen it, we’ve seen glimpses of it, he’s playing with force,” that team source said. “And that’s playing with great force on both ends of the floor when it comes to screening. Then rolling and putting pressure on the rim; (when the) shot goes up, crashing the glass; sprinting back in transition; loading to the basketball; calling out your communication; being in the right positioning; contesting shots; boxing out. Those things for a big are just really thankless when you’re a skilled big. But on this team, that’s what his role is. He has to be a dirt worker.”
As McMenamin writes, when Ayton commits to doing those little things that don’t involve scoring, he’s often rewarded for it, earning more minutes and getting more looks from his teammates. However, there’s still a sense that he doesn’t care as much about “the grind” as he does about putting the ball in the basket.
“He picks and chooses when he wants to lock in and play,” a Western Conference scout told McMenamin. “Which is not what most dominant centers do.”
Ayton had two points and four rebounds and was a -24 in 23 minutes in the Lakers’ 113-110 loss to Phoenix on Thursday.
We have more on the Lakers:
- Following up on the Lakers’ hiring of Tony Bennett as a draft advisor, Dan Woike of The Athletic reports that the longtime UVA head coach won’t be leading the organization’s draft room or scouting department. As Woike explains, Bennett will be playing more of a supporting role, with his track record of identifying players who possess “toughness, energy and IQ” viewed as an asset for a Lakers team looking to restock its collection of young talent.
- Woike adds in the same story that reforming the college scouting staff, building up a “modern” pro scouting department, and expanding the current analytics department are among the Lakers’ goals as they bring in more front office executives under new majority team owner Mark Walter.
- After the Lakers wrapped up 4-4 home stand with Tuesday’s loss to Orlando, head coach JJ Redick referred to the club as a “work in progress,” according to Benjamin Royer of The Southern California News Group (subscription required). Thursday’s game provided a reminder of that point, as the Lakers lost a tight contest to a Suns team playing without its two leading scorers, Devin Booker and Dillon Brooks. As Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times relays, guard Austin Reaves said after the latest loss that the team’s level of frustration is “very high.”
Pacific Notes: Santos, Green, Ayton, Kings
Power forward Gui Santos has seen his role expand with the Warriors in recent weeks and it’s given a major confidence boost to the 2022 second-round pick, he said on 95.7 The Game’s Willard and Dibs show.
“I’m not going to lie to you, I’m feeling really good right now about the shooting, you know the confidence,” Santos said (story via Kevin Borba of NBC Sports Bay Area. “I think especially when you know that you’re going to play every night when you know that like your team trusts you, the staff trust you, that gives you way more confidence to go out there. You take shots with confidence, you take shots that you think like, ‘yes this shot is one shot that I got shoot it and I’m going to make it.’ And I feel good right now I’m in this position.”
In the month of February, Santos is averaging 29.7 minutes, 15.0 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game. He’ll be eligible for restricted free agency after the season.
Here’s more from the Pacific Division:
- As with his past teams, Deandre Ayton is frustrating the Lakers with his inconsistent play. Ayton has a minimal offensive role but the team is trying to unlock his potential as a rebounder and defender. Coach JJ Redick also sees plays where the ball should go inside to Ayton. “There’s positive trends,” Redick said after practice Monday, per Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times. “We did watch some film today. There was some real positive trends defensively. I think his spirit and engagement and stuff has been really good. I think for all the guys, if he has a smaller player on him, that’s an advantage for us. Let’s just get him the ball. I think it’s just thematically across the team, we have to pass it to each other more and trust each other more. … In terms of him running and putting pressure on the rim and offensive rebounding, particularly against switches and smaller players, he could be better there.” Ayton is averaging career lows in points (13.0), rebounds (8.4) and minutes (28.1) per game.
- Jalen Green has missed a good portion of his first season with the Suns due to hamstring injuries. He’s now in a position to make a major impact with both Devin Booker and Dillon Brooks out due to injuries. “I think I bring a little bit of everything,” Green told Kelly Iko of Yahoo Sports. “Play faster, get some steals and get into the open lane. I think that’s where my biggest impact is, getting to the rim, the three and scoring.” Green is averaging 16.8 points over his last four games.
- The Kings‘ franchise-record losing streak of 16 games was finally snapped on Monday, as Russell Westbrook scored 25 points in a 123-114 road victory over Memphis. Precious Achiuwa matched his season-high with 20 points and also grabbed 12 rebounds. “We needed this,” Achiuwa told NBC Sports California, as Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee relays. “It’s been a bit of a rough path for us the past couple games. We’ve played really well a lot of those games. We were just unfortunate not to come out with a win, but tonight we’re glad. It feels good to win.”
Lakers Notes: Doncic, Injuries, Ayton, Front Office
Luka Doncic believes the trade that sent him from Dallas to the Lakers last year put him in a better position to compete for championships, writes Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal (subscription required). After making a brief appearance in Sunday’s All-Star game, Doncic conducted an interview with Slovenia’s SportKlub in which he was asked to compare the two teams.
“I think the organization here is better,” Doncic replied. “The Lakers are a truly legendary club, and the organization is legendary too.”
The Lakers have won 17 NBA titles and are regularly filled with star power, so there’s plenty of history to back up Doncic’s claim. The Mavericks reached the Finals with Doncic in 2024, but have gone sharply downhill since the trade and appear likely to miss the playoffs for a second straight season.
Sources close to Doncic told Afseth that it’s unlikely he’ll ever consider returning to Dallas. Doncic and other members of his camp were unhappy with negative comments from the Mavs regarding his conditioning and other internal rationale for the trade. Afseth states that Doncic remains close to some of his former teammates and staff members, including interim co-general manager Matt Riccardi, but points out that he hasn’t embraced Dallas coach Jason Kidd since being dealt.
There’s more from Los Angeles:
- It’s not easy to determine if the Lakers are legitimate contenders this season, states Law Murray of The Athletic. L.A. entered the break at 33-21 despite only having Doncic, LeBron James and Austin Reaves together for 10 games. All three of their stars have been sidelined for extended stretches, with 12 missed games for Doncic, 18 for James and 26 for Reaves. Despite being 12 games over .500, the Lakers have a negative point differential and have relied on a league-best 15-3 record in clutch games to build their winning record.
- Deandre Ayton was briefly detained but not arrested Tuesday at an airport in the Bahamas on suspicion of being in possession of a small amount of marijuana, according to Jasper Ward of Reuters. “The investigators saw that the actual very small amount of marijuana wasn’t in Deandre’s bag, but they still went through their investigations and he was released expeditiously,” said Ayton’s attorney, Devard Francis, who added that the substance was actually in someone else’s luggage.
- President of business operations Tim Harris told staff members Monday that this is his last season with the team, per Dan Woike of The Athletic (Twitter link). Woike notes that Harris has been with the organization for more than 35 years and describes him as the “driving force” behind the Lakers’ “massive” local TV deal with Spectrum SportsNet.
Lakers Notes: LeBron, Doncic, Ayton, Bronny
LeBron James‘ future beyond this season, whether with the Lakers or elsewhere, has been a subject of speculation in recent months. And much of that speculation has centered on a specific hypothetical, according to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, who says there is widespread talk about James returning to the Cavaliers for a final reunion with his hometown team.
“I don’t know if LeBron knows what he’s going to do,” MacMahon said on NBA Today (YouTube link; hat tip to RealGM. “I certainly don’t know what he’s going to do. I know what the rampant speculation is around the league and that is this summer there’s going to be a reunion and potentially a retirement tour for the ages back home again with the Cleveland Cavaliers next year.”
While the financial realities of adding James could be complicated for the Cavs, he would fit a positional need, as Cleveland has long struggled to find a permanent wing starter to play between Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley.
James has also been linked to the Warriors and Knicks, though other teams would surely have interest if he became available on the free agent market.
We have more from the Lakers:
- James added another record to his collection on Thursday, becoming the oldest player in NBA history to record a triple-double, writes ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. The record had previously been held by Karl Malone, who was 40 years and 127 days old when he accomplished the feat. James was 41 years and 44 days old on Thursday as he put together a 28-point, 12-assist, 10-rebound performance to lead Los Angeles to a 124-104 victory over the Mavs. “To be able to do it and get the win is, that means more to me than anything,” James said. “But I’m very blessed to play this game, play it at a high level.”
- Luka Doncic was traded to the Lakers just over a year ago, a move that has had massive implications for the franchise — notably, switching from a team built around James’ timeline to one built around Doncic’s, writes Kevin Pelton for ESPN. As Pelton notes, this year’s record of 33-21 is not dissimilar to the team’s record last year, when they were 32-19 after winning the first game of the Doncic era. But while the team’s record and the Slovenian star’s statistical production might not be vastly different from their pre-trade levels, L.A.’s team-building approach has shifted to be more future-facing. After previously being very aggressive to put complementary pieces around James, the team has chosen not to send out first-round picks since the voided Mark Williams deal collapsed, Pelton points out. The Lakers are prioritizing flexibility, and will head into the 2026/27 season with just four players on guaranteed deals: Doncic, Dalton Knecht, Jake LaRavia, and Jarred Vanderbilt, though Deandre Ayton, Marcus Smart, and Austin Reaves hold player options.
- Doncic remains day-t0-day for the Lakers with a left hamstring injury, Benjamin Royer writes for the OC Register. “He’s progressed really good,” coach JJ Redick said of the decision to sit him on Thursday’s game against the Mavericks. “I think part of him, you know, wanted to push to get back part of the break, but, you know, we just got to be cautious with the soft tissue injuries … We all feel comfortable with the decision to hold him out and should be good to go post-All-Star (break).” Redick declined to comment on whether Doncic needed to check off certain recovery boxes before he could suit up for Sunday’s festivities, but Marc Stein reports that the star guard is expected to play a short stint (Twitter link).
- Ayton underwent imaging due to the lingering right knee soreness that has caused him to miss the last two games, reports Dan Woike of The Athletic (Twitter link). The tests came back clean and the Lakers are hopeful that the time off will allow the veteran center to recover and return to play following the All-Star break, per Woike.
- Bronny James‘ counting stats might not look wildly different in year two than they did in his rookie season, but he can feel his own growth when he’s on the court, Royer notes in a separate story. “(I) feel different. Feel way more comfortable,” Bronny said. “My teammates believe in me, my coaches believe in me. That’s all I’ve wanted. It’s just good to get out there and take advantage of the minutes I get.” The younger James had his best game of the season on Tuesday, recording 12 points and six assists in 25 minutes and even taking some matchups against Victor Wembanyama that impressed Redick. “In terms of the physicality we wanted on defense, he had two really good possessions in the first half against Wemby,” Redick said. While his shot has been much more efficient this season, James knows that if he wants to carve out a role on this Lakers team, it will start on the defensive end.
LeBron James Ruled Out Tuesday, Will Be Ineligible For Awards
Facing the Spurs on Tuesday on the second night of a back-to-back set, the Lakers will find themselves lacking star power.
In addition to being without Luka Doncic (left hamstring strain), Los Angeles also won’t have LeBron James (left foot arthritis), Austin Reaves (left calf injury management), or Marcus Smart (right ankle soreness) available, the team announced (Twitter link via Khobi Price of the California Post). Starting center Deandre Ayton is considered questionable to play due to right knee soreness.
James’ absence is the most notable of the bunch, since it will be the 18th game he has missed this season. That means he won’t reach the 65-game threshold this season, which is the minimum required for a player to be eligible for end-of-season awards.
James’ numbers this season – 21.8 points, 6.9 assists, and 5.7 rebounds per game on 50.2% shooting – are a step down from the ones he has put up in recent years, but they were still enough to earn him an All-Star berth and could’ve potentially gotten him into the All-NBA conversation if he had stayed healthy and helped lead the Lakers to a playoff spot.
However, as a result of his various injury absences, including a bout with sciatica that cost him the first 14 games of the year, we know now that James’ record-setting streak of All-NBA nods will come to an end after 21 consecutive seasons.
The shorthanded Lakers will be looking to bounce back after losing at home on Monday by a score of 119-110 to a Thunder team missing Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. According to Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times, James suggested in his post-game media session that the outcome showed how far away Los Angeles is from being a legitimate title contender.
“That’s a championship team right there, we’re not,” James said. “We can’t sustain energy and effort for 48 minutes and they can. That’s why they won a championship.”
Lakers Notes: Front Office, Pelinka, Kennard, Ayton, Hayes
Speaking to reporters ahead of Saturday’s win over Golden State, Lakers president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka said the team expects to make several additions to its front office in the offseason. As Dan Woike of The Athletic writes, the Lakers — who have one of the leanest front office staffs in the NBA — plan to emulate the MLB’s Dodgers, the other L.A.-based team owned by Mark Walter.
“The baseball system and the NBA system are totally different in terms of how you can build a roster and what you can do to spend. That said, I think just their draft process and sort of how they’ve established their farm system is amazing,” Pelinka said. “And I think there’s best practices in that as we evolve and get better going forward in those areas.
“And then, just the way they’ve sort of built out their front office, how deep it is. There is no expense they’ll spare in being the best sort of front office in the world. And you could just see that in the way they operate.”
According to Dave McMenamin of ESPN, Pelinka said he has been in communication with Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman.
“[It’s] been great to have sort of outside allies and advocates looking at the Dodgers and the success they’ve had and what they’ve built over there, and being able to tap into a person like Andrew Friedman for best practices,” Pelinka said. “He’s so incredibly smart and has done such an amazing job bringing championships to the Dodgers. So just to have another head of another team that you can, whether it’s a roster move, whether it’s a staff move, just someone that you can talk to has been an incredible resource.”
Pelinka also made it clear what the hierarchy of basketball operations decision-making would be for the foreseeable future, McMenamin adds. Governor Jeanie Buss will continue in that role for the next five years despite being a minority stakeholder following the October sale.
“Led by myself and Jeanie,” Pelinka said, “and with Mark’s support.”
Here’s more on the Lakers:
- The Lakers made one trade ahead of the deadline, sending Gabe Vincent and a second-round pick to Atlanta for sharpshooter Luke Kennard. “When you get to add the best shooter in the game to your group at the deadline, it’s a great opportunity. So, we seized it,” Pelinka said, per McMenamin.
- Although they only made a single deal, Pelinka said countless other possibilities were discussed, writes Benjamin Royer of The Southern California News Group. “We were very aggressive,” Pelinka said. “We worked incredibly hard. We evaluated numerous things. … I can’t go into specific players or conversations with other GMs that would impede the trust of our business going forward, but we were super aggressive, had multiple conversations. Had lots of them, got close on some things, but ended up making the move we made and we feel good about it.”
- Head coach JJ Redick said he was “excited” to have Kennard on the roster and emphasized he was going to encourage the impending free agent to take more shots, which has long been a criticism of Kennard’s game, according to Law Murray of The Athletic. Kennard had a solid debut, finishing with 10 points (on 4-of-7 shooting), two rebounds and two assists in 26 minutes. “I don’t want to say it’s not playing the right way, but I like to try to make the right play at all times,” Kennard said. “I feel like I know the game of basketball very well, and I will shoot it. I will be aggressive. I know that’s what they want me to do. I’m just having conversations with those guys, and I’m excited to do that.”
- Starting center Deandre Ayton missed Saturday’s game due to knee soreness and is considered day-to-day moving forward, Redick said after the victory (Twitter link via McMenamin).
- Backup center Jaxson Hayes apologized to his teammates and to the Wizards‘ mascot, whom he pushed during pregame introductions on January 30, resulting in a one-game suspension, per McMenamin (Twitter video link). Hayes said he was upset that the mascot stepped on his foot when he was stretching before the game.
Lakers Notes: Hachimura, Doncic, Smart, Starting Lineup
The Lakers are getting healthier, which means Rui Hachimura may continue to come off the bench, writes Dan Woike of The Athletic. The power forward was used as a starter in his first 27 games this season before being switched to the second unit over the last seven. It might be helpful to establish himself as a consistent starter heading into free agency this summer, but Hachimura said he’s not concerned about that and is willing to do whatever is best for the team.
“A lot of people think about stats and all that, but for me it’s like winning. That’s gonna help us to everybody get paid,” he said. “… And especially with this second unit, I get more touches too. … I don’t mind. It’s more so like, who’s finishing the game? Or who’s playing more? For me, that’s more important.”
Austin Reaves could return this week after being out of action since Christmas Day with a strained calf. Woike suggests that coach JJ Redick could opt for a stronger defender like Jake LaRavia or Marcus Smart in his starting five while continuing to bring Hachimura off the bench. Redick hasn’t made any lineup decisions yet, but he called Hachimura “easy” to work with and said he’s willing to adapt to any situation.
“I like my role here,” Hachimura added. “The things that I like to do, I’m doing here. I just gotta embrace doing whatever it takes to win for the team.”
There’s more on the Lakers:
- Luka Doncic improved to 2-0 in Dallas since being traded last winter and his defense made the difference late in Saturday’s comeback victory, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Redick said the Mavericks targeted Doncic on six straight possessions in the fourth quarter and he was able to get a stop each time. Doncic saluted the Dallas fans and thanked them for braving a hazardous storm to attend the game. “That was really special,” he said. “I didn’t know what to expect before, because I know how this city gets when the weather is bad. I really appreciate a lot of people showing up.”
- Smart dislocated his right index finger late in Saturday’s game, McMenamin adds. He reacted in pain but then popped it back into place and continued playing. Smart had surgery on the finger during the offseason.
- In a look at what the Lakers need to do to become legitimate contenders, Khobi Price of The New York Post advises staying away from the starting lineup of Doncic, Reaves, Hachimura, LeBron James and Deandre Ayton that Redick used earlier in the season. That unit had a minus-19.9 net rating and often put the team in an early hole.
Pacific Notes: Kuminga, Clippers, Lakers, Leonard, Ayton
Jonathan Kuminga‘s best chance to move on from the Warriors by the trade deadline is to keep taking advantage of his newfound opportunity, Sam Gordon of The San Francisco Chronicle writes in a subscriber-only story. A season-ending ACL injury to Jimmy Butler has enabled Kuminga to rejoin the rotation, and he responded Tuesday with 20 points and five rebounds in 21 minutes.
League sources tell Gordon that Kuminga, who issued a trade demand last week, hasn’t changed his mind about wanting out. He hasn’t received consistent playing time during his five years with the organization, and he continues to believe he could be more productive with another team where he could be a regular starter at power forward.
Gordon confirms that the Kings, who pursued a sign-and-trade last summer when Kuminga was a restricted free agent, remain the “most interested suitor.” Gordon also lists the Lakers, Mavericks and Bulls as teams that could make serious bids over the next two weeks.
General manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. confirmed to Gordon that the Warriors would consider giving up future first-round picks in a potential deal if they believe the return justifies it. He also said they’re willing to accept contracts that run past next season, as Moses Moody is currently their only player with guaranteed money for 2027/28. Gordon adds that the front office is approaching the trade market with the hope of landing an established star like Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo or a rising talent such as Pelicans wing Trey Murphy III.
“There’s still time left here,” Dunleavy responded when asked about Kuminga. “He’s on our roster. I know the trade has been requested, but nothing is imminent and things in this league can change in a heartbeat.”
There’s more from the Pacific Division:
- The Clippers and Lakers, who will square off Thursday night at Inuit Dome, have moved in different directions since their last meeting on December 20, notes Janis Carr of The Orange County Register (subscription required). After a disastrous start, the Clippers put together a 13-2 stretch and have a slight lead in the race for the West’s final play-in spot. The Lakers have dropped five of their last eight and are heading into the second leg of an eight-game road trip that’s necessitated by the Grammy Awards. “I never been a part of a road trip that’s eight games, but it’s definitely very important to get the first one,” Luka Doncic said after Tuesday’s victory at Denver. “It’s never easy to play here. And the way we stayed together the whole game was impressive. And I think that builds us up.”
- Kawhi Leonard is listed as questionable on the Clippers‘ injury report, three days after being sent home from the team’s road trip for treatment on his left knee. Leonard is dealing with a contusion that he suffered in a January 10 game at Detroit.
- Deandre Ayton didn’t return to Tuesday’s contest after being poked in the eye before halftime (Twitter link from ESPN’s Dave McMenamin), but he’s not on the Lakers‘ injury report for Thursday.
Pacific Notes: LeBron, Ayton, Melton, Green, Kings
For the first time in 22 seasons, Lakers superstar LeBron James was not named an All-Star starter, observes Tim Bontemps of ESPN.
The news isn’t surprising, given James missed the first 14 games of 2025/26 due to sciatica and understandably had to work his way into shape and form when he did return, having missed training camp and the preseason with the injury. But it’s still noteworthy, given that the 41-year-old has made the All-Star game a record 21 times — Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is second with 19 appearances.
As Bontemps writes, the league’s coaches will have to select James as a reserve in order for him to extend the record streak, which dates back to 2005. To this point in his career, the only season when James didn’t make the All-Star game (or an All-NBA team, for that matter) was in 2003/04, when he won Rookie of the Year.
While James has played much better lately and has put up impressive statistics (22.6 points, 6.9 assists, 5.9 rebounds and 1.1 steals on .509/.328/.757 shooting), especially considering he’s the NBA’s oldest player, it seems fairly unlikely that the 6’9″ forward will be selected. He has missed 17 of Los Angeles’ 41 games, and there are lots of other worthy candidates in a stacked Western Conference.
Here’s more from the Pacific:
- Lakers center Deandre Ayton missed Saturday’s loss to Portland due to left knee soreness but he returned to action on Sunday and had a huge night in the victory over Toronto, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN. The former No. 1 overall pick recorded 25 points (on 10-of-10 shooting) 13 rebounds and no turnovers, becoming the first player in team history (since individual turnovers became an official statistic in 1977/78) to score 25-plus points on 100% shooting with zero turnovers, per ESPN Research. Ayton also became the third Laker to make 10-plus field goal attempts without missing a shot while grabbing at least 10 rebounds, joining Wilt Chamberlain and Mitch Kupchak, McMenamin adds.
- Warriors guard De’Anthony Melton will miss Monday’s game against Miami, which is the front end of a back-to-back, tweets ESPN’s Anthony Slater. While it’s a small sample size (373 minutes), Golden State has outscored its opponents by a staggering +19.6 points per 100 possessions when Melton is playing, compared to a -0.7 net rating in the 1701 minutes the 27-year-old has been off the court. Melton missed most of last season as well as the start of ’25/26 due to a torn ACL in his left knee. Forward/center Draymond Green will also miss Monday’s game after being downgraded to questionable and then out because of a right ankle sprain, notes Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints (Twitter link).
- Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee lists some surprising statistics from the Kings‘ four-game winning streak, which was snapped with Sunday’s loss to Portland.
Pacific Notes: Luka, Lakers, Achiuwa, Kawhi, Santos
The Lakers are coming off a disappointing home loss to Charlotte and will be without the NBA’s leading scorer for Saturday’s matchup in Portland, as Dave McMenamin of ESPN relays. Star guard Luka Doncic will miss Saturday’s game due to left groin soreness, while centers Jaxson Hayes (left hamstring tendinopathy) and Deandre Ayton (left knee soreness) are questionable to play.
Veteran guard Marcus Smart was critical of the Lakers’ defensive effort on Thursday after the Hornets shot 53.5% from the field and 46.5% from three-point range en route to 137 points, per Janis Carr of The Orange County Register.
“It doesn’t matter who it is. The team or the player doesn’t matter. When they play [against] us, everything goes through the roof,” Smart said. “If they were shooting 20%, they shoot 50% [against us]. It’s unfortunate, but that’s part of the game. It’s tough. We have to figure it out.
“We must play [with] a little bit more urgency on that end, especially, and kind of impose our will. Teams are doing a really good job of picking straight matchups and picking certain plays that they want.”
We have more from around the Pacific:
- Precious Achiuwa is embracing the opportunity to log most of his minutes at power forward with the Kings, he tells Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (subscriber link). “This is how I’ve always played. All throughout high school, college. First couple years in the league in Toronto, that’s how I played. Mainly playing the four position, which is my natural position,” Achiuwa said. “And that’s how I had a lot of success my first year in New York. Just the ball is able to move around a lot better. Guys are able to play the game with a sense of freedom better. Well, for me at least, I would say a better sense of freedom. Instead of just being pigeonholed.”
- In addition to a right ankle sprain, star forward Kawhi Leonard is also battling a left knee contusion he suffered last weekend, according to the Clippers (Twitter link via Law Murray of The Athletic). Leonard, who missed Friday’s overtime win in Toronto, is considered day-to-day.
- Warriors forward Gui Santos will be sidelined for Saturday’s game against Charlotte after spraining his left ankle in the first quarter of Thursday’s win over New York, writes Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area. It’s possible Santos, who has been a rotation regular of late, could miss additional time as well. “It’s a big loss,” head coach Steve Kerr said after Friday’s practice. “The energy, the offensive rebounding but also the size. When we go to him and Gary [Payton II] we’re generally playing him at the four next to Draymond [Green] at the five. He’s a rebounder, especially on the offensive side, and a great screener. But the size that he brings will be missed.”