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Los Angeles Notes: James, Davis, Lue, Westbrook

April 9th, 2024 at 6:25pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Perhaps it’s been somewhat overlooked but the Lakers’ LeBron James is shooting better from the perimeter than he ever has, ESPN’s Chris Herring notes.

A career 34.8% shooter from deep, James has knocked down a career-best 41.3% from 3-point range this season. His overall field goal percentage of 53.6% is his best since the 2017/18 campaign. Herring breaks down how James’ form has improved, noting that the longtime star attributes the uptick to better health.

“I’ve been able to be on the floor a lot more during non-game days,” James said. “My foot has felt a lot better. I didn’t have much time to really rep a lot last year because I couldn’t be on the floor running around or put much pounding on the floor with my foot.”

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The Lakers are listing Anthony Davis and James as questionable heading into their showdown with the Warriors tonight, ESPN’s Dave McMenamin tweets. Davis has a left eye injury, while James is battling flu-like symptoms.
Tyronn Lue says he has no plans to rest players for the remainder of the regular season unless the Clippers’ seeding is already decided. “We’re still fighting for that four seed, so (not) until we are able to clinch that, or we understand that we have a chance to clinch it or we don’t have a chance to clinch it,” he told Janis Carr of the Orange County Register. “Right now, our focus is on just playing better basketball, continuing to keep getting better and ending up the best we can as far as seeding.”
Russell Westbrook has revamped his mentality. A three-time scoring champion, Westbrook has focused on the other end of the floor for the Clippers this season, according to Carr. “Well, all year long, honestly, I’ve been depending on my defense and holding people and stopping people when time is needed,” Westbrook said. Westbrook has been a bargain for the Clippers this season and holds a $4MM option on his contract for next season.

Lakers Notes: Davis, Playoff Picture, Hayes, LeBron

April 8th, 2024 at 7:59am CST by Arthur Hill

Anthony Davis left Sunday night’s game with another injury to his left eye, but the Lakers are optimistic that he’ll be available Tuesday against Golden State, a source tells Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Davis was hurt when Minnesota’s Kyle Anderson accidentally struck him in the face on a putback dunk late in the first quarter. He went to the locker room to have it examined and didn’t return.

“He’s extremely valuable,” coach Darvin Ham said. “Everyone around here knows that. Everything he brings on both sides of the ball, it’s tough. Already being without (LeBron James) and seeing him go out, it’s tough. But my hat’s off to our guys. They didn’t feel sorry for themselves. They kept competing all the way through.”

It’s the second eye issue in less than a month for Davis, who suffered a corneal abrasion in a March 16 game. McMenamin’s sources say Davis had to be treated by a specialist last month as his eye was swollen shut and his vision was impaired.

“I just couldn’t see,” Davis said of the original injury. “The corneal abrasion was actually right in the middle of my eye. It wasn’t like off to the side. So anytime I looked it was blurry. My eye was swollen. I thought my eye was like, [torn] open. But it wasn’t. It kept watering. It just felt like sand was in my eye.”

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It’s still possible for the Lakers to escape the play-in tournament, but Sunday’s loss makes it much more difficult, McMenamin adds. At 45-34, L.A. is a game-and-a-half behind Phoenix and New Orleans, and trails Sacramento by a game in the loss column as well. D’Angelo Russell is confident about the team’s postseason prospects no matter where it ends up. “I think we just finish this season strong, finish these games strong and whoever we match up with, we go full force,” Russell said. “I don’t think we care about the teams that are doing well versus how they’re going to look in the playoffs. It’s experience versus inexperience in the playoffs, that kind of gets you over the hump. So I like our chances versus anybody.”
With Davis sidelined, Jaxson Hayes played more than 32 minutes and provided 19 points, 10 rebounds and a career-best five steals. Hayes holds a $2.5MM player option for next season, and Russell believes he’ll have suitors if he decides to test free agency, tweets Jovan Buha of The Athletic. “He’s gonna make a lot of money this summer playing on this stage,” Russell said.
On his latest Hoop Collective podcast, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst predicts that James will turn down his player option for next season and seek a no-trade clause in a new deal with the Lakers (hat tip to Bleacher Report). “If he extends the contract he’s in or picks up that option, extends onto it, he can’t get a no-trade clause,” Windhorst explains. “And I think for a number of different reasons, LeBron would like, ask for, and probably be granted a no-trade clause.”

And-Ones: West, MVP Race, All-NBA, Comanche

April 3rd, 2024 at 2:51pm CST by Luke Adams

NBA legend Jerry West is being inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame for a third time, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Previously enshrined as a player (1979) and as a member of the 1960 U.S. Olympic team (2010), the 85-year-old has now been elected as a Hall of Fame contributor.

The latest induction into the Hall of Fame recognizes West’s work as a team executive, including general manager stints with the Lakers and Grizzlies, as well as time spent as a consultant for the Warriors and Clippers. West won eight championships in those roles, per ESPN, and won Executive of the Year awards in 1995 and 2004.

Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

Nuggets center Nikola Jokic is the runaway winner in the latest MVP straw poll conducted by Tim Bontemps of ESPN, earning 85 of 100 first-place votes from the media members who submitted mock ballots. If the real vote emulates Bontemps’ straw poll, the only drama may be whether presumed runner-up Shai Gilgeous-Alexander can hold off Luka Doncic for the No. 2 spot. Gilgeous-Alexander has been sidelined with a quad injury as of late while Doncic is coming off a second consecutive Player of the Month award.
Jokic, Gilgeous-Alexander, Doncic, and Giannis Antetokounmpo are all unanimous First Team picks in the tentative All-NBA teams compiled by Josh Robbins, Kelly Iko, and William Guillory of The Athletic. The trio of writers agreed on 12 All-NBA players in total, with Jayson Tatum, Anthony Edwards, Jalen Brunson, Kawhi Leonard, Anthony Davis, Kevin Durant, Jaylen Brown, and Stephen Curry also showing up on all three 15-man lists. Domantas Sabonis, Tyrese Haliburton, Tyrese Maxey, and Zion Williamson made multiple ballots, but not all three, with LeBron James earning a spot on only Iko’s ballot.
A March 10, 2025 trial date has been set in Clark County, Nevada for Chance Comanche, the former Stockton Kings player who has been charged with murder, writes Anthony Olivieri of ESPN.com. Comanche and his former girlfriend, Sakari Harnden, face murder and kidnapping charges related to the death of Marayna Rodgers, as we previously detailed.

Pacific Notes; Lue, Monk, Lyles, Vezenkov, LeBron, Davis, Vincent

April 1st, 2024 at 7:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Tyronn Lue called his team soft after a 3-6 stretch late last month. The Clippers got the message, reeling off three consecutive victories for the first time since early February, Law Murray of The Athletic writes. They’ve defeated Philadelphia, Orlando and Charlotte during the winning streak.

The Clippers will finish off a four-game road swing at Sacramento on Tuesday. “Getting a win however you’ve got to get it is the most important thing, but we’ve still got a lot to build on and get better with,” Lue said. “We’ll take the win. The Philly and the Orlando games were two good games that we needed – two gritty wins, tough wins on the road. And then (Sunday), just sticking with it even though we didn’t do a good job defensively.”

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Kings coach Mike Brown said they’ll use a committee approach to replace Malik Monk, who is sidelined with an MCL sprain. “You can’t replace Malik,” Brown said, per Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. “That’s tough. He did a lot for us and he could easily start for a lot of teams, but he was on the floor a lot of times down the stretch in our games, so to think that one person is going to come in and replace him, it’s not possible, so we have to do it by committee. It’s just the next guy up, and if your number is called, you have to go play within what you do and play your role as best you can.”
On the flip side, forwards Trey Lyles and Sasha Vezenkov were back in action for the Kings during Saturday’s win over Utah, Anderson notes. Lyles, who hadn’t played since March 12 due to a left knee sprain, had 11 points, four rebounds, three assists and one blocked shot. Vezenkov, who missed 22 games with a Grade 3 right ankle sprain, added five points, two rebounds, one assist and two steals in 10 minutes. “The size just helps especially on the glass, and both those guys, whether they come up with it or not, they’re battling,” Brown said. “They’re hitting bodies. They’re guys who are both used to taking big shots. They both are really, really good 3-point shooters. You’ve got to guard them outside that line, so it opens up the floor a little bit more for everybody else. “
Anthony Davis (left knee) and LeBron James (left ankle) are listed by the Lakers as questionable to play against Toronto on Tuesday, Jovan Buha of The Athletic tweets. Jarred Vanderbilt (foot sprain) and Cam Reddish (personal reasons) will miss the game, as will Gabe Vincent (left knee injury recovery). Vincent returned to action on Sunday after being sidelined for over three months due to knee surgery and had two points in 14 minutes against Brooklyn.

Pacific Notes: Vincent, Davis, Doncic, Green

March 30th, 2024 at 11:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

Gabe Vincent has been upgraded to questionable for Sunday’s game at Brooklyn, raising hopes that the Lakers guard can return to the court for the first time since December 20, writes Khobi Price of The Orange County Register. Vincent, who has been working his way back from knee surgery, was with the team Friday at Indiana. Coach Darvin Ham said Vincent continues to make progress, but didn’t commit to when he’ll be ready to play.

“Right now we’re just taking things one day at a time,” Ham said. “He’s increased his workload. So we’re in the process of trying to see how his body responds to that workload. And that’s as far as it goes for now.”

Vincent expected to be a rotation player in L.A. when he signed a three-year, $33MM contract last summer after helping Miami reach the NBA Finals. He played in the team’s first four games, then missed seven weeks with a left knee effusion. He returned for one game before doctors decided the knee had to be operated on.

“I really don’t want to even get into it too much,” LeBron James responded when asked about Vincent. “Don’t put too much pressure on him. When he’s ready to go, it will be a bonus for our team but he’s been out for quite a while. So, whenever he’s ready, we’ll welcome him back with open arms as a brother of ours, as a teammate of ours and we’ve been waiting on him, but at the end of the day, we’re putting no pressure on him. He needs to take his time.”

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

Lakers center Anthony Davis returned Friday after sitting out Wednesday’s game to rest his sore knee, and he doesn’t anticipate needing another night off for the rest of the season, per Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times. “Nothing serious,” Davis said. “That’s why I played tonight. I felt like I could play through it. Nothing that I plan to miss any more games for or have to be on a minutes restriction or anything like that.”
As Luka Doncic was leading the Mavericks to a comeback win at Sacramento Friday night, he was also taunting former Kings general manager Vlade Divac, who was seated at courtside, for not selecting him with the second pick in the 2018 draft (video link), according to a Eurohoops report. Divac, who resigned in 2020, opted for Marvin Bagley III in a historic draft blunder.
Draymond Green was ejected early in Wednesday’s game at Orlando, but Warriors coach Steve Kerr is confident that he learned from the experience and will do a better job of keeping himself in check, relays Sam Gordon of The San Francisco Chronicle. “We want him to play with that edge. But we want him to keep in control and he didn’t stay in control,” Kerr said. “He knows that. Thankfully we won. Had we lost, and I would tell you it would be a lot tougher for him. But we won the game and he knows he crossed a line.”

Lakers Notes: James, Vincent, Russell, Davis, Castleton

March 28th, 2024 at 11:53am CST by Dana Gauruder

With the Lakers fighting for the best possible postseason spot — most likely in the play-in tournament — LeBron James says his injured ankle may not always allow him to suit up the rest of the way.

“I got to be smart with it,” he said, per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “If I’m not healthy, or [anywhere] close to being healthy, then it’s not good for our ballclub anyway. It’s not good for me.”

James posted a triple-double — 23 points, 14 rebounds, 12 assists — in Wednesday’s victory over Memphis. He sat out the previous game vs. Milwaukee.

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Barring a last-minute setback, injured guard Gabe Vincent is expected to return to action on Sunday in Brooklyn, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (via Twitter). One of the team’s major offseason acquisitions, Vincent has been out since December 20 after undergoing knee surgery, Charania notes. He has only appeared in five games this season.
Guard D’Angelo Russell believes the Lakers may have more quality players than they know what to do with at times, he told Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. “I think we’re much better than our record,” he said. “We match up, adjust, and do all these different things in the flow of the game. The problem is we’ve got 12 different guys that can be out there. When that random group of five is out there, the familiarity with what we’re trying to do is on the fly. A lot of teams have five or six guys that know they’re always going to have an idea who’s going to be in and where’s this and that.”
The team gave Anthony Davis, who is a battling a knee injury, the night off on Wednesday, Khobi Price of the Orange County Register notes. Davis played 52 minutes in the double overtime win against Milwaukee on Tuesday.
Two-way big man Colin Castleton made a brief cameo against Memphis. He had not appeared in an NBA game since Feb. 14 due to a fractured wrist.

Lakers Notes: Russell, Vanderbilt, LeBron, Davis, Reaves

March 27th, 2024 at 9:30am CST by Luke Adams

D’Angelo Russell‘s strong play over the past few months – including 22.0 PPG and 6.8 APG with a .449 3PT% in his last 31 games – has made turning down his $18.7MM player option for 2024/25 and testing free agency a more viable option for the Lakers‘ point guard. However, he tells Michael Scotto of HoopsHype that his preference would be to remain in Los Angeles.

“I’d love to be here and continue to give it a run and be where my feet are now,” Russell said. “Obviously, I’ve been on the other side of it, and I’ve been through the roller coaster of free agency and having to sit back and wait. I’m looking forward to not having to worry about that. I’ve been blessed enough to put myself in this position with my play. I’m definitely planning on taking advantage of that. When that time comes, I feel that everything will play out how it’s supposed to play out.”

Even if he decides against picking up his player option, Russell could return to the Lakers, who would hold his Bird rights in that scenario and would be in a good position to sign him to a new contract.

Here’s more on the Lakers:

Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt, who has been out since February 1 due to a left foot sprain, is ramping up his conditioning but has yet to be cleared for contact or to participate fully in practices, head coach Darvin Ham said on Tuesday (Twitter link via Jovan Buha of The Athletic).
LeBron James sent a text message to TNT’s Chris Haynes prior to Tuesday’s game, confirming that his absence vs. the Bucks was about managing his ongoing ankle soreness rather than any sort of setback (Twitter video link). “With my injury, I have to be very strategic and smart of how I manage the rest of the season with my ankle/foot in order to get to the finish line,” James wrote. “Whatever line that lies ahead.” According to Haynes, the expectation is that LeBron will be available against the Grizzlies in Memphis on Wednesday.
With James out on Tuesday, Anthony Davis stepped up in a big way in Milwaukee, logging nearly 53 minutes and putting up 34 points and 23 rebounds in a double-overtime road win, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Austin Reaves chipped in with a 29-point triple-double to help lead the team to the comeback victory. “I just think we’re an unpredictable team,” Russell said. “So depends on which team you get, depends on which team we are defensively, offensively as a unit. Some guys are better than others (some nights). Some guys have bad nights. It just depends on what team we’re going to be. When we’re in full effect like tonight — obviously, no Bron — but, I think we’ll be hard to beat.”

Anthony Davis, Derrick White Named Players Of The Week

March 25th, 2024 at 2:39pm CST by Luke Adams

Lakers big man Anthony Davis and Celtics guard Derrick White have been named the NBA’s players of the week for the Western Conference and Eastern Conference, respectively, the league announced today (via Twitter).

Despite being voted an All-Star and building a strong case for an All-NBA spot, Davis hadn’t yet earned a Player of the Week nod this season. He earns the honor this week after leading the Lakers to victories over the Hawks, Sixers, and Pacers, averaging 27.0 points, 16.7 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 2.0 blocks in those three games and shooting 68.6% from the field.

With the 3-0 week, Los Angeles now holds a 2.5-game lead over Golden State for the No. 9 spot in the Western standings, though the Lakers remain 2.5 games back of the Kings and Mavericks, who currently rank seventh and eighth in the conference.

It’s also the first Player of the Week award this season for White, whose Celtics had a 4-0 week to extend their current win streak to nine games. White often gets overlooked on a roster that also features Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Jrue Holiday, and Kristaps Porzingis, but put up big numbers in Boston’s four most recent wins, averaging 20.3 PPG, 8.8 APG, and 6.5 RPG.

Davis beat out fellow nominees Devin Booker, Anthony Edwards, Jalen Green, and Domantas Sabonis in the West, according to the NBA (Twitter link). Jalen Brunson, Damian Lillard, Pascal Siakam, and White’s teammate Payton Pritchard were the other players nominated in the East.

Lakers Notes: James, Davis, Russell, Vincent, Reddish

March 20th, 2024 at 3:08pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Lakers are in ninth place in the Western Conference standings, three games behind the sixth-place Kings to avoid the play-in tournament. With ground to make up in the playoff race, LeBron James was locked in against the Hawks on Monday, racking up 25 points, seven rebounds and 10 assists in 29 minutes. The Lakers recorded a 31-point victory.

“Just setting a tone, trying to set a tone,” head coach Darvin Ham said of James, per Jovan Buha of The Athletic. “It’s money time right now. We have no time to waste. It starts with our two captains.”

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Anthony Davis had 22 points, 15 rebounds and six assists in a team-high 31 minutes on Monday. He returned after missing three games due to a left corneal abrasion. He played without any protection on his eyes after consulting with medical specialists, according to The Associated Press. “Obviously (I would have) if the doctors had told me I needed it, but I didn’t need it,” Davis said.
D’Angelo Russell has made 183 three-pointers this season, tying Nick Van Exel’s franchise record. Russell is shooting a career-best 41.9% from beyond the arc this season. “It’s just really cool,” he told ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “I said I don’t want to underdo it, understate it, overdo it. I just feel like it’s really cool to just be a part of something like that. I think I did something like that in Brooklyn, as well. Just to get credit for your game and what you work through and showcase it every night.”
Gabe Vincent still plans to play this season and his nearing a return, barring any setbacks, Marc Stein tweets. Vincent underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in late December. Vincent was cleared for non-contact work last week.
Cam Reddish practiced on Wednesday and Ham expects him to play on Friday against Philadelphia, McMenamin tweets. Reddish hasn’t played since March 8 due to an ankle injury.

Pacific Notes: Clippers, Davis, LeBron, Green, Kuminga, Suns

March 18th, 2024 at 9:20am CST by Arthur Hill

The Clippers have fallen back to Earth after rampaging through the league earlier this winter and doubt is starting to creep in, writes Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. There are legitimate reasons for Sunday’s loss to the short-handed Hawks, Youngmisuk notes. It was L.A.’s sixth game in nine days and the team has injury concerns of its own, but some players are pointing toward bigger issues.

“We want to be a team that’s consistent and we want to establish an identity,” Paul George said. “I’ve always spoken about having an identity and I think it’s extremely important. Right now, I don’t think we have an identity.”

The Clippers have dropped four of their last five games and are 8-10 since peaking at 34-15 on February 5. Russell Westbrook has been sidelined since the end of January with a broken left hand, and Norman Powell is dealing with a lower left leg contusion that had him on crutches Sunday night.

Tyronn Lue said the coaching staff continues to emphasize positive habits, such as protecting the ball, getting back on transition, hitting the offensive boards and spacing the court. However, the effort to do those things hasn’t been consistent.

“When they do it, it works,” Lue said. “When you have so much talent and you have guys that can do it so easily, they don’t understand that your talent is great, but the talent’s got to be for the team as well. Maybe it’s me. Maybe I got to do something a little different to make sure that we’re doing what we’re supposed to do. … [But] I’ll never really overreact because I know we’re a good team … If you want to win, I know what it looks like. I’ve been there, I’ve seen it.”

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

Lakers center Anthony Davis has shown improvement since suffering a left corneal abrasion on Saturday and is listed as questionable for tonight’s game with Atlanta, according to an ESPN report. Davis had to leave Saturday’s contest after being inadvertently hit in the face on a layup. His vision was impaired and his eye was swollen shut, but a source tells ESPN that his condition improved Saturday night and Sunday. L.A. is also listing LeBron James as questionable due to ongoing issues with his left ankle, tweets Jovan Buha of The Athletic.
While Draymond Green was away from the Warriors on his most recent suspension, he sent regular critiques to Jonathan Kuminga on his performance, per Kendra Andrews of ESPN. Those communications helped the pair form a partnership that has played an important role in Golden State’s surge in the second half of the season. Kuminga also credits Green for pushing the front office to select him in the 2021 draft. “He is one of the reasons I even ended up here,” Kuminga said. “Before they drafted me, he called [former Warriors general manager] Bob [Myers] and told him to bring me here. I think that was one of the greatest things to have ever happened.”
The Suns were unhappy with their defensive effort in Sunday’s loss at Milwaukee, notes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. With Giannis Antetokounmpo sidelined by a hamstring injury, Phoenix allowed the Bucks to score 82 points in the first half and 140 for the game.