- Lonnie Walker IV will miss his second straight game on Monday against the Hornets because of a tailbone contusion, Dave McMenamin of ESPN tweets. Walker is averaging 14.7 points in his first season with the Lakers.
- Lakers players are responding to the challenge LeBron James delivered last week when he said he doesn’t want to “finish my career playing at this level, from a team aspect,” per Kyle Goon of The Orange County Register. “I actually appreciate the pressure, I like the pressure,” Juan Toscano-Anderson said. “I know what championship basketball looks like, I know what high-level basketball looks like. That’s what they expect. … You gotta step up to the plate. It’s a man’s game.”
Just two days after he made comments widely interpreted as a call to the Lakers‘ front office to improve the roster, LeBron James had his best game of the season on Friday in Atlanta. James celebrated his 38th birthday by piling up 47 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists en route to 130-121 victory.
James didn’t do it all by himself though — five of his teammates scored in double digits, with Thomas Bryant grabbing 17 rebounds and Russell Westbrook nearly registering another triple-double (14 points, 11 assists, and eight boards). As Dave McMenamin of ESPN writes, James’ teammates could’ve taken offense to his comments alluding to the roster’s shortcomings, but instead seemed to be galvanized by them.
“I don’t think anyone took that as a slight,” head coach Darvin Ham said. “I think they took it as, ‘You know what? He’s right. We need to pick up our stuff up and really try to apply it in unison, all pulling in the same direction and go compete our butts off.'”
Here’s more on the Lakers:
- Rohan Nadkarni of SI.com and Bill Plaschke of The Los Angeles Times responded differently to James’ comments from earlier this week about not wanting to finish his career “playing at this level, from a team aspect.” Nadkarni believes the onus is on the front office to listen to LeBron and upgrade the roster, while Plaschke says the Lakers should tell their superstar “no” and focus on retooling the roster by trading him in the offseason. As we outlined earlier today, James is ineligible to be traded during the season.
- On paper, the contract extension James signed in August seemed like it should take some pressure off the Lakers and give the front office some additional time and freedom to operate as it sought roster upgrades. However, that hasn’t really been the case, according to Kyle Goon of The Southern California News Group, who notes that the team is now under scrutiny for how it manages the end of an all-time great player’s career when he’s dissatisfied with how things are going.
- The Lakers “desperately need a shooter,” an executive tells Steve Bulpett of Heavy.com, but Anthony Davis‘ recovery timeline will play a large part in dictating the team’s path at the trade deadline. “The question is, can another big-time player put them in the mix, because they’re not going anywhere with the way they are currently constructed,” the exec said. “So they have to ask, do you want to borrow against the future to see if you can maximize the present? And then you deal with the future when it comes up. But if Davis isn’t going to be able to play, or he’s playing but not himself, then none of this will really matter anyway.”
- In case you missed it, Davis spoke to reporters about how his recovery from a foot injury is progressing.
After head coach Darvin Ham spoke to reporters on Friday about Anthony Davis‘ foot injury, the Lakers big man held his own media session for the first time since being sidelined, echoing Ham’s optimism about how the recovery is progressing.
“Feeling a lot better, pain has subsided tremendously,” Davis said, per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “I think the next step is (the foot) healing right now. I don’t want to use timetables because that’s a whole different thing, but it’s healing pretty quickly. So when we get back to L.A., we’ll do another image of the foot, and see how far it’s healed.”
According to Davis, the injury initially felt like a nine out of 10 in terms of pain, but that number has decreased to a one or two within the last couple weeks. He’s dealing with a bone spur fractured off the navicular bone in his right foot, as well as a stress reaction in that same bone.
“The stress reaction (can lead to) a stress fracture, and that’s a whole different ballgame,” Davis said in explaining why he and the Lakers are being careful with his recovery process.
As McMenamin details, the plan is for Davis to undergo another MRI on the injury next week — if it comes back clear, he’ll begin to undergo treatment on the injury, including shockwave and bone stimulation therapy.
When Davis first underwent an MRI on the injury earlier in the month, the Lakers shared the results with five different doctors and foot specialists in an effort to determine a recovery plan, McMenamin writes. Undergoing a procedure to remove the bone spur was one option presented, but Davis doesn’t view the bone spur as the most pressing issue in the short term, explaining that he hopes to avoid surgery for now, though he’s open to going under the knife after the season.
“Something to consider, in the offseason, to remove (the bone spur),” he said. “I think the biggest thing is the stress reaction though, just monitoring that. Because that can definitely lead to six, seven, eight months out — I would rather take four weeks than seven months. I’m not saying I’ll be back in four weeks — but hopefully.”
Davis was playing some of the best basketball of his career prior to suffering the injury on December 16 vs. the Nuggets. In his last 12 full games, he had averaged an eye-popping 35.0 points, 14.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 2.5 blocks, and 1.3 steals on 64.1% shooting.
The 29-year-old admits that it has been “tough mentally” to deal with this ailment just as he was rounding into peak form, but expressed confidence that he’ll be able to pick up where he left off once he returns.
“I’m just really excited to get back on the floor,” Davis said. “(It) hasn’t been a ‘Man, it’s going to take me X amount of games to get back in rhythm,’ or, ‘Might not be the same.’ That’s not even been a thought in my mind. My thought has been, ‘Whenever that day is, it’s go time.'”
Lakers head coach Darvin Ham provided an encouraging update on the status of injured star Anthony Davis on Friday, per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin (Twitter link).
“The biggest thing is, his pain has just about dissipated,” Ham said, adding that Davis was trending in a positive direction as far as a possible ramp-up to return to action.
According to Kyle Goon of The Southern California News Group (Twitter link), Davis told reporters that he has multiple injuries in his foot, including a bone spur and a stress reaction, but the latter is what has been causing him pain and it has been healing well with rest. Davis added that he has been encouraged by the recovery process, tweets McMenamin.
Davis also said he would “probably” have the bone spur surgically repaired in the offseason, Goon notes (via Twitter).
The 29-year-old big man sustained the stress reaction in a win over Denver on November 16.
There were mixed reports as far as possible timetable for Davis’ return in the aftermath of the injury. Shams Charania of The Athletic wrote that he would be out for at least a month, but Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN said the Lakers planned to reevaluate Davis in a week-to-10 days because his pain was subsiding. That was seven days ago.
While the updates from Ham and Davis are certainly positive, it has already been two weeks since he last played, and it’s hard to say how much additional time he’ll miss. The Lakers were vague in their initial press release regarding the injury and there wasn’t even a rough timetable given today.
The Lakers’ season basically hinges on how quickly Davis can recover. They have gone 2-5 since he went down and now hold a 14-21 record, trailing the Warriors by three-and-a-half games for the final spot in the play-in tournament.
Davis was having an outstanding season prior to his latest injury, averaging 27.4 PPG, 12.1 RPG, 2.6 APG, 1.3 SPG and 2.1 BPG while shooting a career-high 59.4% from the field and 82.6% from the charity stripe. His impact is felt on both ends of the court, but the team’s defense in particular has absolutely cratered without the eight-time All-Star.
Because Lakers guard Austin Reaves only received a two-year contract when he had his two-way deal converted in September 2021, he’ll be eligible for restricted free agency after the 2022/23 season. During an episode of the Late Night Lake Show podcast, Jovan Buha of The Athletic suggested that Reaves will be in line for a substantial raise on his current minimum-salary contract.
“From what I’ve heard on that, it’s going to be more than (Alex) Caruso money, that’s for sure,” Buha said, according to Jacob Rude of Silver Screen and Roll. “It’s going to be double digits.”
When Caruso left the Lakers for Chicago last summer, he signed a four-year deal worth just shy of $37MM. Buha’s comments indicate he expects Reaves to receive at least $10MM annually on his second NBA contract.
While the Lakers haven’t been in position to make competitive offers to certain standout role players, including Malik Monk this past offseason, they’ll hold Reaves’ Early Bird rights in the summer of 2023, giving them more flexibility to make a strong bid. As Rude points out, the Gilbert Arenas provision will also apply to Reaves, so rival suitors won’t have the ability to make an offer the Lakers can’t match.
Here’s more from around the Pacific:
- Asked before Wednesday’s game if Devin Booker‘s return from a groin injury on Christmas Day felt rushed, Suns head coach Monty Williams pushed back against that notion, writes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. “In this case with Book, every box, to my knowledge, was checked,” Williams said. “Before you put a guy back on the floor, you have to do that.” Booker, who suffered a setback four minutes into his return, is now expected to miss at least four weeks.
- Donte DiVincenzo has a championship ring, is in his fifth NBA season, and is respected by the Warriors‘ young players, but he’s also just 25 years old and feels like he’s still developing, according to Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic. As Thompson writes, that makes DiVincenzo something like a “middle child” in Golden State, falling between the team’s older veteran generation and its younger prospects.
- Before becoming the Kings‘ associate head coach under Mike Brown this season, Jordi Fernandez spent six years in Denver on Michael Malone‘s staff. As Chris Biderman of The Sacramento Bee relays, Malone still thinks highly of his former assistant, who is coaching the Kings while Brown is in the NBA’s health and safety protocols. “I think one day Jordi will be a head coach in this league,” Malone said. “He’s been a head coach in the G League. He’s got great international experience. This team is on the right path with the right coaches, so I’m really happy for them.”
LeBron James will turn 38 years old on Friday, but he continues to play at an All-NBA level, averaging 27.8 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 6.6 assists in 27 games (35.7 MPG) so far this season. He’s on track to surpass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA’s all-time leading scorer sometime later this winter.
From a team perspective, however, 2022 has been perhaps James’ worst year as a pro. After missing the playoffs in the spring, the Lakers are off to a 14-21 start this season and currently rank 13th in the West.
Following Los Angeles’ loss to Miami on Wednesday night, James reflected on where his career stands and his goals going forward, telling reporters – including Dave McMenamin of ESPN and Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press – that he feels like he has plenty left in the tank from a physical perspective.
“I don’t have a number,” James said, when asked how many more seasons he might play. “I know as long as my mind stays in it, I can play at this level for a minute. Now, that’s up to my mind. My body is going to be OK because if my mind is into it, I will make sure my body is taken care of and I’ll continue to put in the work.”
What will it take for LeBron’s mind to remain focused on basketball for the next few years? He suggested that he’d want his team(s) to be more competitive than the Lakers have been this season.
“I don’t want to finish my career playing at this level, from a team aspect,” James said. “I want to still be able to compete for championships because I know what I can still bring to any ballclub with the right pieces.
“… I’m a winner. And I want to win. I want to win and give myself a chance to win and still compete for championships. … Playing basketball at this level just to be playing basketball, it’s not in my DNA. It’s not in my DNA anymore. So, we’ll see what happens. We’ll see how fresh my mind stays over the next couple of years.”
James is under contract with L.A. through at least the 2023/24 season, with a player option for ’24/25, so he won’t have the ability to leave the team as a free agent this summer — he also hasn’t shown the desire to do so, even if he could. His comments seem intended more to keep the pressure on the Lakers’ front office to make the sort of moves that could get the team back to title contention.
Reports in recent months have repeatedly suggested that the Lakers don’t intend to make a trade involving their tradable 2027 and 2029 first-round picks unless there’s a deal they believe makes them a legitimate championship threat. Thus far, that deal hasn’t materialized, and with Anthony Davis sidelined for the foreseeable future due to a foot injury, Rob Pelinka and his group appear less inclined to go all-in this season.
With Russell Westbrook‘s massive contract coming off the books at the end of the 2022/23 season, James may have to wait until the ’23 offseason for the Lakers to make major roster changes.
- In the past, LeBron James‘ comments to the media about his teams’ shortcomings have often spurred his front offices into action, but his calls for help this season appears to be falling on deaf ears, according to Kyle Goon of The Southern California News Group, who explores whether any roster moves are coming for the Lakers.
The Lakers are hoping to remain in the Western Conference playoff race until Anthony Davis returns from a foot injury, but Sunday’s game provided further evidence of how hard that’s going to be, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN. L.A. had an 11-point lead at halftime, but gave up 51 points in the third quarter of a 124-115 defeat at Dallas. It’s the Lakers’ fourth straight loss, and they have surrendered at least 124 points in each of them.
“Reality is, without AD, we lose a lot of length, which we don’t have already,” LeBron James said. “So, we have to make up in ways that, without AD, is very difficult, very challenging. So, I think at one point we had a lineup of I think (Austin Reaves, at 6-5) was the tallest guy on the court. So, you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure it out (that Davis is sorely missed).”
Coach Darvin Ham has been trying different lineup combinations to break the slump, but he’s limited by a lack of size throughout the roster. The starting backcourt features two 6’1″ guards in Patrick Beverley and Dennis Schroder, and 6’3″ Russell Westbrook saw some time at center on Sunday.
“You throw everything up against the wall and see what sticks,” Ham said. “It’s one of those types of situations. AD’s not here, not in the lineup. We’re not going to start using that as an excuse. Hell yeah, it’s a big hole in our lineup. But now, we’re pros. We’ve got to step up.”
There’s more from the Pacific Division:
- The Lakers are in danger of wasting the end of James’ phenomenal career, says Jovan Buha of The Athletic. With his 38th birthday arriving this week, James is putting up unprecedented numbers for someone his age, but it might not matter if Davis doesn’t return soon or if the front office can’t find some way to upgrade the roster. After scoring 38 points Sunday, James was candid about the challenge his team faces. “How many times are you going to try to dig yourselves out until it’s too much dirt on you?” he asked.
- Suns guard Devin Booker was forced to make an early exit from Sunday’s game after reaggravating a groin injury, according to Zach Harper of The Athletic. Booker was returning after missing the team’s previous three games, but he was only able to play four minutes before being ruled out.
- With the Clippers playing on back-to-back nights, Kawhi Leonard will be held out Monday at Detroit due to injury management for his right knee, tweets Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. Leonard is expected to face his old team on Tuesday in Toronto.
- With Anthony Davis injured, the Lakers need more from LeBron James than he’s capable of providing at nearly age 38, per Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports. Goodwill points out that James is taking the second-most shots of his career, while his efficiency is at the lowest point since 2015. He’s also attempting more three-pointers and fewer free throws this season and doesn’t appear capable of leading L.A. to the playoffs without another star on the court.
- Thomas Bryant, who left Friday’s game with a shoulder injury, isn’t on the Lakers’ injury report for Sunday, tweets Kyle Goon of The Orange County Register.