Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

At 20-15 and sitting fifth in the Western Conference (as of Monday night), the Lakers are very firmly in that cluster of teams that have shown themselves to be better than the fringe-y teams but not as good as the elite ones. 

As Rob Pelinka shifts into high gear (or at least Trade Season does), the Lakers have a very narrow window to pass through when it comes to making impactful moves. They've already used their most straightforward trade chip, D'Angelo Russell (along with a handful of second round picks) to acquire Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton. They don't have much inventory left. 

One of the biggest things the Lakers can do, then, is maximize the assets they have. And with every day that passes since DFS arrived in LA, it seems like the Lakers are on a path to do just that. Or try to, at least. It would mean swapping Finney-Smith and Rui Hachimura in the starting lineup. Why? 

For defense, for better bench scoring, and to make the best use of what the Lakers have. There are other compelling reasons, as well. Will JJ Redick pull the trigger? 

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky

SEGMENT 1: Why the second half against Houston was very important. 

SEGMENT 2: Rui or Finney-Smith in the starting lineup? 

SEGMENT 3: Do the Lakers need to trade for positions or skill sets? 

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As the saying often goes, this 119-115 loss to the Houston Rockets was “a tale of two halves” for the Lakers. 

In the first half, the Lakers looked like a team either experiencing some undefeated nightlife in Houston or that had gotten a little too high on their own supply of “The Lakers are back and playing defense, baby!!!” coverage over the last couple of weeks. Even acknowledging the very obvious age and athleticism advantage that anybody would have expected on the Rockets’ side, the Lakers spent the opening 24 minutes in a much slower (and seemingly more disinterested) gear. The first half featured various Houstonians streaking down court in transition off every Laker turnover or missed shot. The Lakers got absolutely crushed in the second chance points battle. (They didn’t record *any* until the second half.) Jalen Green scored 18 of his 33 total points in the FIRST QUARTER, inside and out, with precious little resistance from Lakers defenders. 

Frankly, it felt lucky that the Lakers were only down 18 entering halftime. The game hadn’t even felt that close. 

But something must have been effectively (or angrily) stated by JJ Redick in the visitor’s locker room, because the Lakers were a completely different team during the final 24 minutes. Especially defensively. (Redick made a curious early substitution, pulling Rui Hachimura for Dorian Finney-Smith, which could be a preview of Tuesday’s starting lineup in Dallas, and either way, was indicative of the more successful defense the Lakers coach was clearly trying to crank up.) The ball was moving to better effect. The rebounding became less lopsided. And the Lakers looked like a team that was capable of matching this upstart Rockets team bounce for bounce. 

However, that disastrous start left the Lakers too little of a cushion to absorb any mistakes, and there were a few critical ones in the last couple of minutes. 

LeBron James was called for an offensive foul with 38.1 seconds left in the game.  

Down three with 5.1 seconds left, inbounder Max Christie (who I’d argue isn’t experienced enough for this job in crunchtime to begin with) either panicked or forgot the team had another timeout left, and turned the ball over trying a pass to LeBron. (Who, to his credit, tried to call timeout, but none of the refs noticed.) 

A few seconds later, now down four and looking for a miracle, the ball was successfully inbounded to LeBron, who hit a three… that was wiped out because of Anthony Davis’ illegal screen. 

In the end, the final score was a reinforcement of what’s become evident all season. The Lakers are a good team… but not yet at a level with a high margin of error. 

Are they capable of beating a team like the Rockets despite a halfa**ed first half? 

Possibly. 

But not nearly capable enough that you’d ever want to bet on them pulling it off.  
 

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Anthony Davis scored 30 points and grabbed 13 rebounds to go along with 5 blocks, but it wasn’t enough, as the Houston Rockets outlasted the visiting Lakers 119-115. Jalen Green led the Rockets with 33 points, while Amen Thompson added 23 points and 16 rebounds. The Lakers will look to get back on the winning side of things Tuesday in Dallas against the Mavericks.

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The Lakers entered Friday's game against the Hawks at the Crypt with some tangible momentum, having won three of their last four, and six of their last eight. They used a very efficient effort on both sides of the ball to keep it going, picking up their 20th win of the season, 119-102. 

Offensively, LA was led by LeBron James, who followed up Thursday's 38-point effort against Portland with 30 points tonight. Anthony Davis was a monster, with 18 points, 19 rebounds, plus six "stocks" (steals+blocks). Austin Reaves? 20 points, seven boards, six assists. Off the bench, Dalton Knecht broke out of his shooting slump, hitting three of four from downtown. And as a team, the Lakers shot nearly 50 percent from the floor (48.9%), including 43% from 3-point range. They hit 80 percent of their free throws. Put all of that together, and it's a winning formula on offense, assuming you bring the requisite defense. 

And that they did. 

Beyond the impact of Anthony Davis's blocks and steals, the Lakers used solid defensive pressure to hold Atlanta to 41% shooting. 

There wasn't anything particularly flashy about what the Lakers did, which is one of the reasons the win was noteworthy. They just delivered a solid, efficient game to overwhelm a Hawks squad that had been playing well heading in. 20-14 is where the Lakers needed to be as they head to Texas for two games before returning home for an extended homestand. 

They have some winnable games upcoming, and the Lakers are playing in a way where you'd expect wins to come. 

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky

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LeBron James set another NBA record, breaking Michael Jordan’s record of scoring 30 points or more for the 563rd time in his career. LeBron finished with 30 points and 8 assists, while Anthony Davis added 18 points and 19 rebounds to go along with 20 from Austin Reeves as the Lakers beat the visiting Atlanta Hawks 119-102. With the win, the Lakers closed out their 4-game homestand with a 3-1 record and will look to continue their winning ways in Houston on Sunday.

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Anthony Davis, who is now a fixture on the injury report before every game thanks to plantar fasciitis, was on the shelf for Thursday's tilt with Portland at the Crypt. 

On paper, it was a good game for him to miss, because the Lakers ought to be able to beat the Blazers—among the worst teams in basketball—without him. And that's exactly what happened, though it turned into a nailbiter down the stretch. LA runs its record to 19-14, with an opportunity to get to 20 tonight against the Hawks. With Davis in street clothes, the Lakers needed, and got, big performances from LeBron James, who finished with 38 points including a blistering 7-10 from 3-point range. While he shot poorly (5-15), Austin Reaves did point guard stuff, with 11 assists. 

Quietly, though, the Lakers also rode a career high 28 points from Max Christie. 

Inserted into the starting lineup in order to improve the team's performance defensively, Christie has made major strides in his offensive output, as well. Thursday's career high surpassed the one he set about 10 days ago, and put Christie in double figures as as scorer in four of the last five games. As he piles up consistent playing time, it's not surprising to see Christie improve. This is the first time in his career Christie has been getting big minutes on a consistent basis. It's a trend that could have a significant impact on the team over the second half of the season, should it hold. 

And it comes just in time for the Lakers, who need to use a home-heavy schedule to solidify their place in the top six of the Western Conference. Counting tonight's game, the Lakers will play eight of their next 11 at the Crypt, and one of the three road games is a trip to Steve Ballmer's new building for the Clippers. The opponents aren't easy (which puts a major premium on winning tonight), but LA has been very good at home. 

One of the major issues facing the team is scoring. The offense continues to struggle, particularly in key moments of the game. If they're not going to have a lot of playmaking on the roster, the Lakers need secondary scorers who can convert the opportunities the team manages to create. 

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky

SEGMENT 1: LeBron does LeBron stuff, while Christie sets a career high. 

SEGMENT 2: The offense still gets stuck in the mud. 

SEGMENT 3: The January opportunity. 

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LeBron James scored 38 points and added 8 assists, and Max Christie had a career high in points, 28, knocking down another career high five three-point shots as the Los Angeles Lakers held on to beat the visiting Portland Trail Blazers 114-106. The Lakers will look to continue their winning ways Friday night, when they’ll welcome Trae Young and the visiting Atlanta Hawks to town.

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• FAN DUELGet ready to tackle the NFL action with FanDuel America’s – Number One Sportsbook! Because right now, new customers can bet FIVE DOLLARS and get ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY in BONUS BETS, if you win!
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Nobody thinks the weekend deal bringing Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton to Los Angeles makes the Lakers title favorites, or even places them among the most elite teams in the NBA.

The Cavs, occupants of that elite space, made the distinction clear on New Year's Eve. 

But how much does the trade improve the team, and their chances of a better record in the regular season? Of a higher seed in the Western Conference? If that's the question, the impact could be significant. There is a huge difference between fighting just to make it into the top 10, and trying to slide into the top 6 to avoid the play-in altogether. What about the difference between avoiding the play-in and earning home court for the first round of the playoffs? 

It's pretty clear the Lakers won't be catching Oklahoma City at the top of the conference. Houston and Memphis would likely have to fall off in a big way to be caught from behind by the Lakers. But as games close on Wednesday, the gap between the Nuggets at the 4-seed and Golden State in 10th is three games. The Lakers, at seven, are one game behind Denver. In a conference race this close, a trade that makes the team one or two games better could have a profound impact on their seed, and the entry path into the playoffs. A top-6 finish becomes a stronger possibility. A top four finish isn't out of the question (especially with Luka Doncic expected to miss extended time for the Mavs). 

All of this is to say that the margins matter. Incremental improvements are critical, because that one bold move that would make the Lakers instant contenders likely doesn't exist. 

None of this will comfort fans who expect only titles, and see no value in competing with a roster that won't eventually lead to one. But for others, fans who are a bit more realistic and want to see the Lakers playing meaningful games in April and May, even if June feels like a long shot, the trade has the potential to be positive. 

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky

SEGMENT 1: The Lakers need Shake Milton, too. 

SEGMENT 2: What's the new upside? 

SEGMENT 3: Is there a new focus for anger and ire now that D'Angelo Russell is gone? 

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The Lakers brought a different look to the floor Tuesday night at the Crypt to face the Cleveland Cavaliers, but the ultimate result was the same as it's been for most teams against the Cavs this season: A loss. 

Cleveland ran its record to 29-4, the Lakers fall to 18-14. 

The Lakers played hard, and did some good stuff, but more than anything, the game illustrated the gap that still remains between them and the NBA's ultra-elite, a gap that was even more apparent on a night where the Lakers had to integrate two new players (Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton, with Gabe Vincent in street clothes) and didn't shoot well (9-35 from downtown). The gap was apparent every time the Lakers made a push to erase multiple double-digit deficits—when the Cavs needed a bucket, they got one, showing why they're the league's best offense. (Cleveland was just a tick below 40% from 3-point range, and had five players in double figures.) 

This wasn't a bad game for the Lakers. They played hard. They had some highlights (including 35/9/10 from Austin Reaves, 28/13/4 from Anthony Davis, only nine turnovers). They did some stuff that would have bothered a lesser offensive team (Max Christie in particular was putting in work). And at the very least, the Lakers put in a better effort than the one they delivered in Cleveland at the end of October. In the end, the game confirmed what most people already knew: The Cavs are better. 

Ultimately, a game like this can serve as a marker for a team like the Lakers, who are quality, have some ambitions, but also know they're not where they need to be. There can be value in playing well and losing, especially if the Lakers can carry the good stuff into Thursday and Friday's games (Portland and Atlanta, respectively. If they do, they'll enter the weekend 20-14. 

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky

SEGMENT 1: The Lakers lose to Cleveland 122-110.

SEGMENT 2: New guys make their debut.

SEGMENT 3: Starting 2025 with some optimism. 

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Jarrett Allen scored 27 points and grabbed 14 rebounds as Cleveland won its 8th straight game and improved to an NBA best (29-4) as the Cavaliers beat the Lakers 122-110.  

Austin Reeves led the Lakers with a career-high 35 points, while Anthony Davis chipped in with 28 and LeBron James added 23.  

The Lakers will look to get back on the winning side of things Thursday night when they host the Portland Trail Blazers.

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