Anthony Davis Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Lakers Notes: Westbrook, Three-Point Shooting, Davis

October 19th, 2022 at 9:38am CST by Luke Adams

Lakers guard Russell Westbrook was back in the starting lineup for the team’s regular season opener on Tuesday after playing a reserve role in last Friday’s preseason finale and leaving after just five minutes of action due to a hamstring strain. Asked on Tuesday whether coming off the bench may have been a factor in injuring his hamstring, Westbrook didn’t hesitate to draw a link between the two.

“Absolutely. I’ve been doing the same thing for 14 years straight,” Westbrook said, per Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports. “Honestly, I didn’t know what to do pregame, I was trying to stay warm and loose.

“I felt something, didn’t know what it was. Wasn’t gonna risk it in a preseason game. But definitely wasn’t something I was used to. Wasn’t warm enough. It was something I wasn’t accustomed to.”

Westbrook has started over 1,000 regular season games since last coming off the bench as a rookie in 2008. While he has spoken publicly about embracing whatever role new head coach Darvin Ham asks him to play, it sounds like he’s still not enthusiastic about the idea of not being part of the starting five.

It’s possible the concept of bringing Westbrook off the bench is one the Lakers will revisit in the coming days, weeks, or months following the aborted experiment last Friday. But Ham spoke before Tuesday’s game about wanting to establish a consistent starting lineup, as ESPN’s Dave McMenamin relays.

“We don’t want to be one of those teams,” he said, “where teams are swaying according to who their opponent is starting.”

Here’s more on the Lakers, who dropped their first game of the regular season on Tuesday in Golden State:

The Lakers’ Big Three of Westbrook, LeBron James, and Anthony Davis combined for 77 points on Tuesday, but they made just 4-of-16 three-pointers, and the rest of the team was no better from distance. After facing some criticism for not prioritizing outside shooting in free agency, the Lakers made just 10-of-40 threes on the night. “I think we got great looks, but it also could be teams giving us great looks,” James said, according to Goodwill. “To be completely honest, we’re not a team that’s constructed of great shooting. Truth of matter is not like you know, we (have) a lot of lasers on our team. We’re not sitting here with a bunch of 40-plus (percent) career 3-point shooting guys.”
The 2022/23 season represents a fork in the road for Davis, contends Jovan Buha of The Athletic. As Buha outlines, there’s a general consensus within the organization that Davis’ success this season will determine the Lakers’ success, so if he can stay healthy and have a big year, he can re-establish himself as one of the game’s top players after a couple disappointing, injury-plagued seasons.
In case you missed it, two projected Lakers rotation players – Dennis Schröder and Thomas Bryant – each underwent thumb surgery and will miss the first few weeks of the season.

Western Notes: Lakers, Nuggets, Rockets, Potter, Liddell, Spurs

October 17th, 2022 at 12:57pm CST by Luke Adams

Although he didn’t play in the Lakers‘ preseason finale on Friday due to lower back soreness, Anthony Davis will have “no restrictions, whatsoever” when the team’s regular season tips off on Tuesday in Golden State, head coach Darvin Ham said (link via Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times).

Russell Westbrook, who sustained a left hamstring injury in Friday’s game, could “definitely” be available for the opener, according to Ham, but reserve point guard Dennis Schröder likely won’t be, as Turner writes.

Ham said that Schröder’s thumb ligament injury was still being evaluated as of Sunday, and while he’s still considered day-to-day, the ailment may take a little time to heal, tweets Kyle Goon of The Southern California News Group.

Here’s more from around the Western Conference:

Nikola Jokic (wrist) and Jamal Murray (hamstring) are both expected to be available for the Nuggets‘ regular season opener on Wednesday in Utah, writes Mike Singer of The Denver Post. Barring an unexpected setback, it will be the first time Denver’s two stars have shared the court in a regular season game since April 2021.
The Rockets will likely have a handful of players on the injury report to start the season, but head coach Stephen Silas said on Sunday that he’s hopeful rookie Jabari Smith (ankle) will be available for the team’s opener, according to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Silas added that Garrison Mathews (illness) and Daishen Nix (back) are “close” to being ready too. Jae’Sean Tate (ankle) is the least likely of the group to be available for the opener, Feigen writes.
The two-way contracts signed in recent days by Jazz center Micah Potter and Pelicans forward E.J. Liddell both cover two years, Hoops Rumors has confirmed. As our tracker shows, those are the fifth and sixth two-way deals signed this offseason that are for two years instead of one.
Noting that the Spurs have had “so many guys over the years” develop their games in the G League, head coach Gregg Popovich said two-way players Dominick Barlow and Jordan Hall will likely spend most of their time in Austin this season, per Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News. “He’ll spend some time in the G League and play lots of minutes,” Popovich said, specifically addressing Barlow’s situation. “If he was with us right now, he’s not going to get on the court that much, which doesn’t help him develop.”

L.A. Notes: Walker, Lakers, Davis, Clippers, Batum

October 13th, 2022 at 8:05am CST by Luke Adams

Lakers swingman Lonnie Walker, who earned a second consecutive start on Wednesday, sustained a “mild” left ankle sprain in the third quarter, per head coach Darvin Ham. Walker will be reevaluated on Thursday, but he’s not experiencing any swelling or overt pain, a source tells Dave McMenamin of ESPN (Twitter link).

The Lakers, having started Walker and Patrick Beverley on Wednesday alongside LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook, continue to search for the right starting lineup fit as the preseason winds down, writes Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times.

“We get an opportunity to throw some stuff at the wall and see what sticks,” Ham said prior to the game. “We already know our three main guys — Russ, Bron, AD. Those guys as well are getting used to playing with one another. That was very limited last year. So we look at it as an opportunity to just shake the rug and just shake things up and see what makes sense once it all starts to come together.”

The Lakers will play one more preseason game on Friday before next Tuesday’s regular season opener.

Here’s more on the NBA’s two Los Angeles teams:

Anthony Davis still prefers to play power forward, but is willing to start and finish games at center if that’s what the Lakers and Ham ask of him. “I trust Coach’s decision,” Davis said on Wednesday (Twitter link via McMenamin). “I mean, I’m pretty sure he heard AD wants to play the four, so he knows where I stand, but at the end of the day, I want to win, so if that’s me playing the five, that’s what it’s got to be.“
Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue said he thought going into Wednesday’s game that he knew who would start at point guard, but he’s less certain about that spot after being displeased with how the team opened the game (Twitter link via Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN). Starting point guard Reggie Jackson had just one point in 12 minutes, while John Wall had eight points and four assists in 10 minutes off the bench.
In an interview on the French television channel Canal+ (video link), Clippers forward Nicolas Batum spoke about the mental health challenges he has faced during his NBA career, as Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops relays. Batum, whose father died of an aneurysm at age 31, was diagnosed with a heart issue before he entered the NBA and worried about his own health and family. “I was convinced the same would happen to me and that I was going to leave my family,” he said. “I asked my wife to not come to the games because I did want to see them in the stands.”

Lakers Notes: Schröder, Davis, Wembanyama

October 10th, 2022 at 9:15pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Dennis Schröder claims he never declined a four-year, $80MM offer from the Lakers during his first stint with the club, according to Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times.

“There never was a contract, never rejected anything,” said Schröder, who signed a one-year, $2.64MM contract last month. “I don’t know who brought it up, but that’s the media, you know? But at the end of the day, no contract and I’m just happy to be here. Like you said, unfinished business and we just got to take care of the stuff and win a chip [championship]. That’s, I think, the goal, and other than that, with the contract, that’s not true. “

As Dave McMenamin of ESPN notes, it’s likely a case of semantics. When L.A. broached a conversation about an extension in February 2021, Schröder’s reps said they would rather wait until the offseason to discuss a contract. In other words, the Lakers were presumably willing to put a lucrative extension offer on the table, but may not have been given the chance to formally do so.

Schröder, who wound up signing a one-year, $5.9MM deal with Boston in 2021, hopes he’ll get another contract offer from the Lakers.

“Of course, it would be great to sign a big deal and a longer-term deal, and that’s my goal still,” he said. “But the end of the day, we are here now and I’m going to do everything I can right now to just help my teammates win ballgames.”

We have more on the Lakers:

Schröder practiced for the first time on Monday and will see a few minutes of action in Wednesday’s preseason game against Minnesota. He looks forward to fighting for minutes with Patrick Beverley, Turner writes. “I’ve played against him a couple of times. I seen today already he’s a little different, and I mean, I like it,” he said. “We all competitors, and we try to get after it.”
Will Anthony Davis start at power forward or center? New coach Darvin Ham said that Davis playing the ‘five’ spot is a real possibility, Kyle Goon of the Orange County Register tweets. As Ham put it, it’s “definitely on the table.”
The stir caused by probable 2023 top pick Victor Wembanyama could benefit the Lakers, Goon opines. Non-contenders may be more willing to move quality veteran players. Salary matching with Russell Westbrook’s $47.1MM contract would still be a challenge but potential trade partners might be less demanding regarding Los Angeles’ 2027 and 2029 first-rounders.

Lakers Notes: Davis, James, Westbrook, Brown, Ryan

October 10th, 2022 at 7:42am CST by Luke Adams

With Anthony Davis, LeBron James, and Russell Westbrook sitting out at least two games apiece so far this preseason, the Lakers have yet to get an extended look at their three stars together. The trio was available in the first preseason contest last Monday, but Davis missed the next two before returning on Sunday, while James and Westbrook have rested for the last two games.

Injuries often prevented Davis, James, and Westbrook from sharing the court last season, but head coach Darvin Ham isn’t worried about his stars not getting enough time together before opening night. As Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times writes, Ham said that the team is sticking to its plan and that the rotations in the final two games of the preseason will look more like what we should expect in the regular season.

Davis, who was dealing with some lower back tightness last week, looked good in his return on Sunday vs. Golden State, pouring in 28 points in 21 minutes en route to a 124-121 win. As Woike observes, it was the Lakers’ first preseason victory since 2020.

Here’s more on the Lakers:

Within the same story, Woike notes that Troy Brown, signed as a free agent in July, is unlikely to be available for the start of the regular season due to a back injury. “He’s right on schedule with what he’s supposed to be doing,” Ham said. “When we do get him back…we’re excited about him. He was having a great summer before he hurt his back.”
Camp invitee Matt Ryan had a big game for the Lakers on Sunday, knocking down six three-pointers and scoring 20 points. “He may have gotten himself a job today,” Ham said after the game (Twitter link via Woike).
As Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report tweets, the Lakers have 12 players on standard guaranteed contracts, and Austin Reaves and Wenyen Gabriel look like safe bets to make the team on non-guaranteed deals. That would leave the 15th regular season roster spot available for Ryan, assuming L.A. is willing to increase its projected tax bill by carrying a 15th man to start the regular season.

Lakers Notes: Westbrook, Davis, Pelinka, Harrison

October 8th, 2022 at 9:51pm CST by Arthur Hill

Russell Westbrook didn’t change teams this offseason, but he’s adjusting to a new coaching staff for the fourth year in a row, writes Kyle Goon of The Orange County Register. Lakers head coach Darvin Ham has promised that his approach will unleash Westbrook’s talents, and the early returns have been encouraging.

“Definitely different – just the ability to be able to get in the open floor, attack with space, take my time,” Westbrook said. “Miss or make, shots will come as the season prolongs. But just get in that rhythm and know that I can get to any spot that I want to and get in-rhythm shots for sure, so far.”

Westbrook is coming off a difficult season that began with a trade from the Wizards to the Lakers, which meant far less time as the primary ball-handler. Westbrook is working to embrace Ham’s vision for him as a screener and a cutter and is hoping to cut down on turnovers after committing 295 last season.

“My speed sometimes speeds me up and lets me get to a place fast,” he said. “But my patience and understanding of my spacing and my spots are important to my efficiency and how I can improve in finishing around the rim, making shots and not rushing.”

There’s more on the Lakers:

Anthony Davis was able to practice today after lower back tightness prevented him from playing in Wednesday’s game, Goon adds. The team hasn’t determined if Davis will try to play Sunday against the Warriors. After resolving a visa issue, Dennis Schröder is in Los Angeles and is expected to join the team Monday.
The contract extension for general manager Rob Pelinka was worked out early this offseason, a source tells Sam Amick of The Athletic. Once the decision was made in April to fire head coach Frank Vogel, Lakers management decided to extend Pelinka so his contract would align with the new head coach’s.
After the Lakers signed Shaquille Harrison earlier today, their G League affiliate completed a trade to obtain his returning rights, tweets Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report. The South Bay Lakers sent the rights to Mac McClung and Jared Wilson-Frame to the Delaware Blue Coats (the Sixers‘ affiliate) in exchange for the rights to Harrison and Naz Mitrou-Long.

L.A. Notes: Clippers, Coffey, George, Lakers, AD

October 6th, 2022 at 12:36pm CST by Rory Maher

John Hollinger of The Athletic previews the Clippers for the 2022/23 season, writing that with the league’s deepest roster and stars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George back and healthy, they should be among the best teams in the league. Hollinger predicts the Clippers will go 54-28 and finish as the No. 1 seed in the West, but thinks the Warriors have a better shot of making the NBA Finals.

There are a couple of question marks on the roster, even though it’s very deep, especially on the wing. According to Hollinger, the Clips need either John Wall and/or Norman Powell to step up and be a “third star” to complement Leonard and George, with shot creation and getting to the free throw line top priorities.

The other weakness of the roster is center, with only Ivica Zubac as a true five on the 15-man roster. Hollinger thinks it might be a tall order to have Robert Covington play full-time backup center in the regular season, and wonders if the team might use its last standard roster spot on a traditional center.

Here’s more on the two Los Angeles teams:

Amir Coffey, a Minnesota native who played college ball for the Golden Gophers, says he fulfilled a lifelong dream by signing a three-year, $11MM contract as a restricted free agent. “It’s a dream come true,” Coffey told Marcus Fuller of The Star Tribune. “Just playing in the league and doing something I’ve been wanting to do since I was a kid. Just putting all that work in and having it pay off is a good feeling.” Coffey had a breakout third season in ’21/22 after spending the bulk of his career on two-way deals, averaging 9.0 PPG, 2.9 RPG and 1.8 on .453/.378/.863 shooting in 69 games (30 starts, 22.7 MPG).
George recently sat down for an interview with Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN (video link) and discussed a number of topics, including joining forces with Leonard, his health, leadership, recruiting Wall, and more.
The Lakers started Patrick Beverley and Austin Reaves in place of Kendrick Nunn and Damian Jones during Wednesday’s preseason game against Phoenix as coach Darvin Ham was taking a look at a small-ball lineup, tweets Kyle Goon of The Southern California News Group. Star Anthony Davis sat out the game for “precautionary” reasons due to lower back tightness, Goon notes (via Twitter).

Lakers Notes: Westbrook, Ham, Davis, Ryan

October 4th, 2022 at 1:27pm CST by Arthur Hill

Hours after the release of a story revealing how close he came to being traded to the Pacers, Russell Westbrook was in the Lakers‘ starting lineup Monday night for their preseason opener, writes Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times. Woike confirms that the team has been considering trades for the embattled guard all summer, but it’s not willing to part with unprotected first-round picks in both 2027 and 2029.

Speaking after Monday’s game, Westbrook sounded ready to accept his future, whether it’s with the Lakers or another team.

“I’m super blessed and thankful for what I have and what I’ve been given,” he said. “I’ve got an unbelievable support system, family, leaning on my faith. Everything else will take care of itself. So, all summer, my whole life, I’ve been hearing the stories about myself. That’s not going to change today. So, nothing new for me. I’m going to continue to keep my head down, focus on competing. And everything else will take care of itself.”

Amid the offseason trade talks, the Lakers have been publicly supportive of Westbrook as he enters his second season with the organization. New head coach Darvin Ham said Westbrook has been doing everything he’s asked to in practice, including finding ways to contribute without the ball in his hands.

“Any outside noise, that’s par for the course,” Ham said. “I mean, it comes with the business. But he’s a Los Angeles Laker, the last time I checked. And I’m really not mad at that. And he showed tonight, like, he’s gonna thrive in this system.”

There’s more on the Lakers:

Ham made his head coaching debut Monday, and it came against one of his mentors, who was also coaching his new team for the first time, notes Kyle Goon of The Orange County Register. Kings coach Mike Brown gave Ham his first coaching opportunity, hiring him as an assistant on his staff with the Lakers in 2011. “Throw the coaching out and the other stuff, a fantastic human being that deserves a chance and I’m glad he got a chance,” Brown said. “The Lakers gave him an opportunity and knowing him, he’s going to fight, claw, do whatever he needs to do to make this thing right for him, his family, the organization and the city.”
Ham sees a healthy season from Anthony Davis as vital to making the Lakers a playoff team again, tweets Kurt Helin of NBC Sports. Injuries have limited Davis to 36 and 40 games the past two seasons. “None of this works if he’s not available and he’s not hitting on all cylinders,” Ham said. “He’s a big piece. The biggest piece of our success.”
In a separate story, Lakers camp invitee Matt Ryan talks to Woike about the unusual preparations he had to take to get ready for the NBA after COVID-19 interrupted his final season in college.

Lakers Notes: Ham, Davis, LeBron, Westbrook, D. Jones

October 1st, 2022 at 10:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

Last year’s disappointment for the Lakers began with an 0-6 preseason, and new coach Darvin Ham wants his team to be focused from the start, according to Jovan Buha of The Athletic. Anthony Davis agrees, citing the need to quickly build continuity after an offseason filled with change.

“I think our team got put together a little later than most teams,” Davis said. “New coach. New system. So we’re kind of behind the eight ball, and we’re trying to speed that process up by doing it the right way. Not by skipping steps. And we’ve been doing that. We’ve been having competitive practices, getting up and down. We’re locking in on our stations on offense and defense, and it’s been good.”

Although Ham wants to start winning right away, he hasn’t decided if Davis, LeBron James and Russell Westbrook will play against the Kings in Monday’s preseason opener.

“I mean, if possible, yeah,” Ham said when asked about their status. “We’re gonna sit down (Sunday) as a staff and talk about what the rotation is gonna look like on Monday. But definitely. Definitely.”

There’s more on the Lakers:

Free agent addition Damian Jones has only attempted 43 three-point shots in six NBA seasons, but Ham believes he can develop into a reliable long-range shooter, Buha states in the same piece. If Jones does pose an outside shooting threat, it would solve some of the spacing issues for L.A.’s potential starting lineup. “If I’m open and I’m in the corner and they pass it to me, I’m shooting it,” he said. “I’m comfortable shooting there. I’ve been getting a lot of reps in. Throughout the years, my percentages have been getting better as I’m shooting them. So, it’s good.”
Lonnie Walker, who has been dealing with an ankle issue, was a full participant in today’s practice, Buha adds. Troy Brown is expected to return to full contact in about a week, and newly signed Dennis Schröder will join the team in a few days.
Davis, James and Westbrook want to prove they can co-exist after playing just 21 games together last season, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Ham has installed a new approach to try to make their partnership work. “We have a three-man package, actually a play call, that they’re going thrive in and it involves all three of them,” he said. “I look forward to that being at a very, very high level. And there’s different nuances in it that they can play around with. … I trust all three of those guys.”

California Notes: Lakers, LeBron, Hield, Turner, Klay, DiVincenzo, Mitchell

October 1st, 2022 at 11:15am CST by Dana Gauruder

While it’s still early in training camp, Lakers first-year coach Darvin Ham revealed a surprise starting lineup he’s been using in practices, Jovan Buha of The Athletic tweets. The group around Anthony Davis and LeBron James includes Russell Westbrook, Damian Jones and Kendrick Nunn. Westbrook has heard his name mentioned often in trade rumors, Jones has never been a regular starter in the league, and Nunn missed all of last season due to injury.

James plans to play more often this preseason, when he only saw action in two games, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.

We have more from the California teams:

The Pacers would almost certainly trade Buddy Hield and Myles Turner to the Lakers if Los Angeles is willing to include its 2027 and 2029 first-rounders without any protections, ESPN’s Zach Lowe said on the Lowe Post podcast (hat tip to HoopsHype). “My best intel right now is if the Lakers called Indiana right now and said ‘Both picks unprotected,’ the Pacers would do that deal, would probably do that deal.”
Klay Thompson was held out of playing in Tokyo this week because he didn’t do any scrimmaging this offseason after the Warriors won the title, according to Kendra Andrews of ESPN. “I didn’t play much this summer,” Thompson said. “With what I went through the last summer, I was healthy, popping my Achilles, it was really hard for me to get out of it, mentally. It’s hard to explain. It’s a mental block or something.”
During the preseason opener in Tokyo, Warriors guard Donte DiVincenzo played 17 minutes off the bench, contributing nine points, seven rebounds and two assists. He also didn’t commit any fouls or turnovers. Those types of contributions are why the Warriors added him, Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area writes. DiVincenzo signed a two-year, $9.3MM contract early in free agency.
Davion Mitchell‘s defensive prowess, paired with his budding talent as a creator, could lead to a breakout season for the Kings’ second-year guard, Ethan Fuller of Basketball News writes.