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Lakers Notes: LeBron, Davis, Bamba, Reaves, Hachimura

May 20th, 2023 at 7:11pm CST by Arthur Hill

General manager Rob Pelinka reshuffled the Lakers‘ roster to give LeBron James and Anthony Davis their best shot at another NBA title, but the two stars haven’t lived up to expectations so far in the Western Conference Finals, writes Sam Amick of The Athletic.

L.A. trails the series 2-0 after letting a pair of winnable games slip away in Denver. James missed a layup and botched a wide-open dunk in the second quarter Thursday, while Davis shot just 4-of-15 from the field after a 40-point night in Game 1. Amick notes that neither player is as dominant as they were when L.A. defeated Denver in the 2020 conference finals, which is understandable with James considering that he’s 38, but it’s more puzzling for Davis, who should still be in his prime at age 30.

“I got the same looks,” Davis told reporters after Game 2. “… I liked all the looks that I got today. Just a lot of them (were) short. I’m going to continue to shoot those shots and I’ve got to be better, more efficient, (to) help the team win. So, I’ll be better.”

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James isn’t concerned about his three-point shooting, even though he’s off to an 0-for-10 start in the series, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN. James shot 32.1% from beyond the arc this season, his lowest figure in seven years, but his teammates are encouraging him to keep shooting whenever he’s open. “It’s LeBron James. I don’t think anybody bats an eye when he shoots a shot or questions his shot,” Austin Reaves said. “We want him taking whatever he feels comfortable with, just because he’s a winning basketball player for his whole career and that’s all he wants to do, he wants to win.”
Coach Darvin Ham altered his starting five for Game 2, but the change he made wasn’t the one he needed, contends Kevin Pelton of ESPN. There was speculation that Rui Hachimura might start after he did an effective job guarding Nikola Jokic late in Game 1, but Ham opted to replace Dennis Schröder with Jarred Vanderbilt instead. Although Vanderbilt controlled Jamal Murray early on, he bogged down the offense due to his lack of shooting range. Pelton argues that Ham should consider starting Hachimura and Schröder while bringing D’Angelo Russell off the bench.
Mohamed Bamba, who hasn’t played since April 28 because of left ankle soreness, may be able to return in Game 4 or 5, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
The Lakers are virtually certain to match any offer sheets signed by Reaves or Hachimura, who are both restricted free agents, Wojnarowski states on the latest edition of his podcast (hat tip to Silver Screen and Roll). “I don’t see any scenario where the Lakers would not match on both,” Wojnarowski said. “They have to. … They’ve proved themselves to be win-now players with LeBron and Anthony Davis on their timeline (and) these are both starting-level players.”

Lakers Notes: James, Davis, Bamba, Schröder, Vanderbilt

May 15th, 2023 at 7:32pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Despite his age and two decades as an NBA player, Lakers superstar LeBron James continues to defy Father Time with his All-Star level performances. Teammate D’Angelo Russell has a simple explanation for why James continues to excel at an age when most NBA players have already retired, according to Greg Beacham of The Associated Press.

”Bron’s niche has always been preparedness,” Russell said. ”A lot of guys’ niches is shooting the ball, working hard, outworking guys. LeBron is a film junkie, a basketball junkie, a leadership junkie. To be able to watch it all from the front row, it’s almost like a cheat code.”

James has played in a league-record 278 postseason games, and his 7,912 career postseason points are nearly 2,000 more than Michael Jordan (5,987) atop the NBA’s career playoff scoring list, Beacham adds.

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The team’s Game 1 injury report didn’t have any surprises. James and Anthony Davis were both listed as probable for Tuesday’s game, as they were for much of the Warriors series, Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports tweets. Both have been playing through right foot ailments. Mohamed Bamba is listed as out due to left ankle soreness.
Bamba wasn’t at Monday’s practice in Denver because he’s back in Los Angeles after getting a PRP injection in his ankle earlier this postseason, Jovan Buha of The Athletic tweets. He has a follow-up appointment there on Tuesday and will rejoin the team afterward, Buha adds. Bamba has only made three cameo appearances during this postseason.
Coach Darvin Ham tweaked his lineup in the series finale against the Warriors, inserting guard Dennis Schröder in favor of small forward Jarred Vanderbilt, Elliott Teaford of the Orange County Register notes. Will Ham stick with the lineup switch for the Nuggets’ series? That’s TBD, though Ham liked how Schröder hounded Stephen Curry, which could lead to a similar defensive assignment against Jamal Murray. “Dennis came in and set an unbelievable tone defensively,” Ham said.

Western Notes: Lakers, Reaves, Curry, Miller

May 14th, 2023 at 8:26pm CST by Dana Gauruder

On paper, the Nuggets are the favorites to reach the NBA Finals. But Lakers guard Austin Reaves doesn’t view his team – the West’s No. 7 seed – as the underdog, Jovan Buha of The Athletic relays.

“I think the seeding thing is, it’s just a number,” the Lakers guard said. “When you have guys like Bron, AD, that’s won championships … (you) always feel like you have a chance, especially with the roster that we have and the talent that we have.”

Lakers forward Anthony Davis echoed those sentiments: “Our expectations inside are way higher than showing up to the Western Conference Finals.”

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The Lakers need to do whatever than can to retain Reaves, who will be a restricted free agent after the season, Mirjam Swanson of the Orange County Register writes. Reaves is averaging 15.4 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.3 assists during the playoffs. The Lakers hold his Early Bird rights and are limited to an $11.4MM offer in the first year of a new contract, but they can match an offer sheet.
Stephen Curry is still hopeful of getting another championship with the Warriors, Vince Goodwill of Yahoo Sports writes. “You can’t win it every year, but you wanna be in the position to be serious contenders,” Curry said after the Warriors were eliminated by the Lakers. “Final eight, you can retool and be back.”
A scout told Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle that if the Rockets wind up with Brandon Miller, he can immediately be inserted into the team’s lineup. “His overall package is sort of the modern, NBA wing-type player,” the scout said. “I think he’ll be able to plug that in wherever he goes fairly quickly.”

Lakers Notes: Davis, Lineup, Flopping, Bamba

May 12th, 2023 at 9:16am CST by Luke Adams

The latest updates on Anthony Davis, who exited Game 5 of the Lakers‘ series against Golden State on Wednesday due to an apparent head injury, continue to bode well for the big man’s status going forward.

Head coach Darvin Ham told reporters on Thursday that Davis didn’t have to enter the NBA’s concussion protocol and should be available for Game 6 on Friday, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Davis has been formally listed as probable to play — his designation on the official injury report refers only to an existing right foot issue, not any sort of head injury.

Davis, who was inadvertently hit in the head by Kevon Looney on Wednesday, was taken out of the game because he was feeling “woozy,” a source told ESPN, but Ham said on Thursday that the 30-year-old is “not showing any signs of anything.” The Lakers’ coach added that he was relieved by Davis’ prognosis.

“It’s huge,” Ham said. “He’s the centerpiece of what we’re trying to do on both sides of the ball and for us just in general for our success rate. So that was great, great news.”

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Ham admitted that there’s a temptation to make minor changes to the Lakers’ starting lineup for a crucial Game 6 on Friday, but also pointed out that the team has won three games with its current starters, per McMenamin. “We’ll sleep on some things, some suggestions and some ideas that we have and then wake up in the morning ready to make a final decision,” Ham said on Thursday. L.A. has used the same starting five in all 11 playoff games so far.
Ham and star forward LeBron James were among those who pushed back against Steve Kerr‘s claim that the Lakers are flopping to get foul calls, with Ham taking exception to the accusation, writes Josh Peter of USA Today. “We play a physical brand of basketball,” Ham said after the team’s Game 5 loss. “We don’t teach flopping, we don’t teach head snaps. You see (James), he’s got a thousand scratches on his arms, same with (Davis), same with Austin Reaves, same with Lonnie Walker. It’s unfortunate that it comes to that, but we hadn’t done it all year, and we’re damn sure not going to start now, looking for a third party to dive in and help us.”
Lakers center Mohamed Bamba, who has missed the entire second round due to a left ankle injury, told Marc J. Spears of Andscape (Twitter link) that he thinks he could return to action if the team advances to the Western Finals. Even if he’s healthy and available, Bamba wouldn’t be a regular part of the Lakers’ postseason rotation, but he’d provide some additional emergency depth up front.

Early Reports Indicate Anthony Davis Avoided Concussion

May 11th, 2023 at 10:56am CST by Arthur Hill

10:56am: League sources tell Haynes that Davis is expected to play in Game 6 (Twitter link).

8:57pm: The Lakers are hoping Anthony Davis will be ready for Friday’s Game 6 after leaving Wednesday night’s contest when he took an inadvertent elbow to the side of his head (video link), writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN.

Davis and Warriors center Kevon Looney were battling for rebounding position midway through the fourth quarter when Looney’s elbow accidentally struck Davis in the temple. He doubled over in pain and was removed from the game on the next dead ball.

Davis was checked by the team’s trainer before being taken to the back for additional evaluation. He was transported to the locker room in a wheelchair after reporting that he was feeling “woozy,” but he was able to leave the arena along with his teammates without any help (video link).

McMenamin hears from a source close to the Lakers that there was no mention of a concussion during Davis’ examination. NBA on TNT sideline reporter Chris Haynes also stated that the early diagnosis appears to show that Davis didn’t suffer a concussion (video link).

“Obviously everyone saw he took a shot to the head, but we just checked on him,” Lakers coach Darvin Ham said. “He seems to be doing really good already. That’s just where he’s at. That’s the status of it right now.”

According to McMenamin, a Lakers spokesman didn’t specify why Davis was taken out of the game and didn’t comment on his chances to play in Game 6. McMenamin adds that if further testing reveals that it is a concussion, Davis will have to complete the league’s protocol, which includes frequent monitoring along with exertion exercises, before being cleared to play again.

Lakers Notes: James, Reaves, Injury Report, Walker

May 9th, 2023 at 10:51pm CST by Dana Gauruder

LeBron James isn’t concerned about the Lakers getting complacent after taking a 3-1 series lead against the Warriors, Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times writes.

“I think we’ll be ready. One thing about when you play Golden State, you don’t have an opportunity to relax. You just don’t,” James said. “So I’m not worried about us going in there comfortable. You just can’t do it versus Golden State. It’s not possible.”

Game 5 will be played Wednesday night.

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Austin Reaves broke out of a shooting slump to contribute 21 points in Game 4, six fewer than he had in the first three games combined against Warriors, Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times notes. Reaves went 7-of-15 from the field and made half of his six 3-point tries. “He just has to stay fearless, stay aggressive and stay locked in like he always has been,” coach Darvin Ham said of Reaves, who will enter restricted free agency after the season. “He’ll make it through the rough patches of the game.”
The Lakers’ injury report for Game 5 hasn’t changed at all from Game 4. James and Anthony Davis, who have dealt with right foot ailments, are listed as probable by the team’s PR department (Twitter link) and it would be a big surprise if either missed the game. Mohamed Bamba is questionable again with left ankle soreness. Bamba hasn’t appeared in the series.
Lonnie Walker IV, a free agent after the season, is brimming with self satisfaction after scoring 15 fourth-quarter points in Game 4. Walker has given the club a huge boost in the last two games. “The greatest feeling you could ever imagine,” Walker told ESPN’s Dave McMenamin and other media members. “As a kid, this is something I’ve been dreaming of doing. Not just being a part of the playoffs, but impacting it, let alone winning in the playoffs. I’m truly proud of myself. It really shows my capabilities. Just my mental fortitude. I think the hardest thing of being able to play a lot and then not playing at all is sticking with it.”

Lakers Notes: Walker, Davis, James, Defense, Free Throws

May 8th, 2023 at 7:47pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Lonnie Walker IV finally got some significant minutes on Game 3 of the Lakers’ second-round series against the Warriors and he gave the team a lift, Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times notes.

Walker played 25 minutes in Game 3 after logging just 28 in the previous eight games combined. His 12 points were five fewer than he contributed in the previous five postseason contests. Walker, an unrestricted free agent after the season, stayed razor sharp despite those limited minutes.

“I’m in love with this game. I’m obsessed with this game and most importantly I’m only 24 so what’s yet to become always keeps me optimistic in life,” he told Turner. “So, day to day, giving it the best I can and understanding once my time is called, once my number is called, just being ready. Can’t make no excuses. At the end of the day, no one is going to feel bad for you. So, you got to go out there and play.”

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Anthony Davis (right foot stress injury) and LeBron James (right foot soreness) are listed as probable for Game 4, Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times tweets. Mohamed Bamba (left ankle soreness) has the questionable tag.
The Lakers’ defense was dominant on Saturday, a major turnaround after Golden State’s Game 2 win. Jovan Buha of The Athletic breaks down the Lakers’ defensive strategy for the game, as coach Darvin Ham notes that the playoffs require continued focus. “I think once you get to a certain point within a series, then there’s no more fooling anyone,” Ham said. “It’s just who does what they do the best. … The more you get deeper into a playoff series headed towards seven games, it’s just the more disciplined you have to be with the little things, the intangibles.”
Free throw shooting has helped the Lakers neutralize the Warriors’ perimeter game, Law Murray of The Athletic writes. The Lakers outscored the Warriors 28-12 from the free throw line in Game 3 after the teams each made 10 free throws in Game 2. The Lakers won Game 1 in large part due to a 25-5 advantage in made free throws.

Lakers Notes: Davis, Pelinka, Schröder, Bamba

May 3rd, 2023 at 5:11pm CST by Arthur Hill

LeBron James and Stephen Curry represent the marquee matchup in the Lakers-Warriors series, but Game 1 belonged to Anthony Davis, writes Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports. Davis posted 30 points, 23 rebounds and five assists Tuesday night as L.A. picked up a road victory in the series opener. He also had five blocks and provided a deterrent to Golden State shooters on numerous other attempts.

“He’s one of the few guys that can defend laterally and vertically,” coach Darvin Ham said. “By that I mean he can get down in a stance and move his feet, keep a guard in front of him, force a tough, contested shot. I knew watching him during his days in New Orleans, watching him in the bubble, he’s an elite defender.”

Davis’ most significant number on Tuesday may have been the nearly 44 minutes that he played. He had a few days of rest after the Lakers closed out their first-round series on Friday, so Ham felt comfortable leaving him in the game longer than usual, including the entire second half.

Goodwill notes that the injuries that limited Davis to 56 games this season prevented him from making the All-Star Game and will likely keep him from earning an All-NBA spot. But when he’s healthy, Davis has always been recognized as one of the league’s best talents.

“He’s doing exactly what I anticipated him to do,” Ham said. “He’s playing like the top-five NBA player that he is.”

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Rob Pelinka’s 11th-place finish in the Executive of the Year voting doesn’t reflect the job he did in turning the team around at midseason, states Sam Amick of The Athletic. L.A. got off to a miserable start and wasn’t able to reach .500 until the end of March, but Pelinka’s rebuilt roster now looks like it can compete with anyone in the league. “I mean, we went 2-10 to start the year,” Austin Reaves said. “Darv wrote it on the board the other day, where I think they gave us like a 0.3 percent chance of making the playoffs at that time. For us to really just keep our head down and grind through it, like you said — it’s felt like a long year. But you look up, and you’re 1-0 against the defending champs. Anybody in the world would take that scenario.”
Dennis Schröder made several clutch plays late in Game 1 to help the Lakers hold off a Golden State rally, per Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times. Schröder, who’s headed back into free agency this summer, said he’s feeling good after being slowed by an Achilles issue in the first-round series.
Mohamed Bamba missed Tuesday’s game with soreness in his left ankle, tweets Dave McMenamin of ESPN. The backup big man received an injection to help ease the pain before the start of the series, McMenamin adds.

Lakers Notes: James, Curry, Davis, Bamba, Russell, Roster

May 1st, 2023 at 7:05pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The playoff matchup between the LeBron James-led Lakers and Stephen Curry-led Warriors should be a thriller. James has great respect for what Curry, who scored 50 points on Sunday to close out the Kings, has accomplished, Dave McMenamin of ESPN writes.

“[Curry] puts in the work,” James said. “And when you put in the work, nine times out of 10 you’re going to see the results. And he’s done that throughout his whole, entire career. I have nothing but the utmost respect for Steph and everything he’s been able to accomplish, not only on the floor but also off the floor, too. It’s just great to have people like that in this league to set an example for the generation to come.”

James says that Curry presents an imposing defensive challenge for the entire team.

“You’ve seen some of the shots, the routine shots, that Steph was making in Game 7 that everybody was going crazy after,” James said. “That’s just Steph. When you’re that great, you make tough shots like that. So, we’ve got to be locked in and not hurt ourselves.”

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The team comes into the second round in relatively good health. James (right foot soreness) and Anthony Davis (right foot stress injury) are listed as probable for Game 1 on Tuesday, Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times tweets. Mohamed Bamba (left ankle soreness) is listed as questionable.
D’Angelo Russell, who will be a free agent after the season, poured in 31 points when the Lakers knocked out the second-seeded Grizzlies in Game 6. Performances like that could enhance Russell’s chances of re-signing with the team, Joe Vardon of The Athletic writes. The Lakers are reportedly not interested in signing Kyrie Irving and reuniting him with James.
Thanks to the changes made in-season, the new-look Lakers have all the pieces in place to win the championship, Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer opines. The club now has shot creators who can provide a spark and take pressure off of James and Davis.

Lakers Notes: LeBron, Davis, Reaves, Irving

April 29th, 2023 at 5:18pm CST by Arthur Hill

LeBron James said the Lakers brought a “Game 7 mentality” to the court Friday night as they eliminated the Grizzlies with a 40-point win, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN. It was only Game 6, so L.A. had two chances to close out the series, but the players were determined not to return to Memphis. The Lakers took control right from the start and held a 17-point lead at halftime.

“We understood that we had an opportunity to play in front of our fans, and we wanted to try to end it tonight,” James said.

James had promised to play better following a subpar Game 5, and he kept his word, hitting seven of his first eight shots on the way to 22 points, along with six assists and five rebounds. The victory gave James another career milestone, tying him with former Laker Derek Fisher for the most playoff series wins with 40.

“He’s playing with a sense of urgency,” coach Darvin Ham said of his 38-year-old star. “He knows there’s only so many more of these (postseason runs) he’s going to be able to participate in. So he’s definitely been in the moment.”

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L.A. seems almost unbeatable when Anthony Davis is at the top of his game, states Jim Alexander of The Orange County Register. Along with his 16 points and 14 rebounds on Friday, Davis blocked five shots and affected numerous others. He showed throughout the series that he can dominate the game on defense even when his shot isn’t falling. “No matter what I’m doing, I want to be able to leave a mark on the game defensively and that can kind of fuel my offensive game and the team’s offensive game, and also fuel the defensive end for us as a collective,” Davis said. “So you know, I just (think) next play mentality and just keep going and keep playing and the rest will take care of itself.”
The Lakers can expect strong competition for Austin Reaves when he becomes a free agent this summer, McMenamin adds in another ESPN story. An unidentified Western Conference executive said Reaves would be a good fit on “literally every team in the league” because of his age, skills and salary. The Lakers hold his Early Bird rights and are limited to an $11.4MM offer in the first year of a new contract, but Reaves expressed a desire to stay in L.A. “I would love to be here my whole career,” he said. “Just the way that the fans treat me, the love they have for me, as an undrafted player, it’s kind of like they raised me type of vibe. … It feels like it’s meant to be. It feels like this all happened for a reason and this is where I should be.”
Kyrie Irving was among the fans at courtside for Friday’s game, McMenamin tweets. The Lakers reportedly had interest in acquiring the impending free agent last summer and again before he was traded to the Mavericks in February. Irving left in the third quarter because of the lopsided score, but not before visiting with James’ close friend and business associate Maverick Carter (Twitter link).