Lakers Notes: Davis, LeBron, Schröder, Kuzma, Caruso
Lakers star Anthony Davis is reportedly considered unlikely to play in a pivotal Game 5 on Tuesday due to a strained groin. But even if they’re missing their second-leading scorer and frontcourt anchor, the Lakers remain confident in their ability to hang with the No. 2 Suns, writes Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times.
“There is plenty of confidence that we have now without AD. That’s not even a question for anybody in the locker room,” center Marc Gasol said on Sunday.
“It’s just gonna be more opportunity for (LeBron James) and obviously we need more guys to step up,” head coach Frank Vogel said. “Not one other guy, but everybody. It’s gotta be a group effort. We need contributions from everyone, and we did have a stretch like this where we played without AD that we’ll draw on to take us into Game 5 if AD’s not available.”
As Jovan Buha of The Athletic writes, the Lakers had a winning record (19-17) without Davis this season, including an 11-7 mark in games that James played and Davis didn’t. The club may have also discovered an effective Davis-less lineup in Game 4, as LeBron, Gasol, Wesley Matthews, Alex Caruso, and Dennis Schröder were a plus-six in seven minutes. All five of those players can make outside shots and are solid defenders, Buha observes.
Here’s more on the Lakers:
- James is prepared to shoulder a heavier workload and more responsibilities if the team is missing Davis for the next game or two, as Mark Medina of USA Today relays. “These shoulders were built for a reason,” LeBron said on Sunday. “If it takes for me to put some more on top of it, then so be it. Win, lose or draw. I’m ready for the challenge.”
- Rival executives expect the Lakers to shake up their roster a little if they don’t make it past the first round of the playoffs, says Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report. Dennis Schröder will be perhaps the most important free agent worth monitoring — L.A. probably can’t afford to lose him for nothing, so re-signing him or working out a sign-and-trade will be a priority.
- Within the same Bleacher Report story, Fischer cites sources who say that the Lakers discussed potential Kyle Kuzma trades with teams at the deadline in March. Prior to Spencer Dinwiddie‘s ACL injury, Los Angeles inquired about a swap involving the Nets guard and Kuzma, according to Fischer.
- There’s a sense among Lakers officials that Alex Caruso has enjoyed playing alongside LeBron and will be interested in re-signing with the team in free agency this summer, reports Fischer.
L.A. Notes: Clippers, Davis, Schröder, Drummond
The Clippers insist they’re not worried about their current predicament, even though they’re halfway to a first-round loss that could be franchise altering, writes Mirjam Swanson of The Orange County Register. Calmness was the message repeated by players and coaches after dropping two games to Dallas on their home court.
“No worries,” guard Reggie Jackson said today in a Zoom session with reporters, echoing the sentiments of his coach, Tyronn Lue, who stated, “I’m not concerned.” Although the Clippers remain confident, they may be stuck with a bad matchup. With Kawhi Leonard and Paul George having to supply so much of the team’s offense, it’s difficult for them to also guard Luka Doncic, who is averaging 35.0 points, 8.5 rebounds and 9.0 assists in the first two games of the series.
“They feed off it tremendously,” Jackson said. “When (Doncic) looks like he’s having fun, they’re all cool, calm and collected. We’ve got to figure out a way to rattle him, rattle the head of the snake first and then let everybody else kind of get rattled as well.”
There’s more from L.A.:
- John Hollinger of The Athletic considers possible steps that Clippers owner Steve Ballmer might take if the team is eliminated in the first round. Those could include front office changes, trying to trade for a rim protector or possibly dealing George. The team also faces the prospect of losing Leonard, who is expected to opt out of his contract this summer.
- After a disappointing Game 1 performance, the Lakers‘ Anthony Davis made a statement with 34 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists and three blocks in the Game 2 win over the Suns. Davis’ outburst began with a spirited practice session Monday, according to Chris Haynes of The Athletic. “We knew AD was locked in and we expected this performance,” Jared Dudley said. “You could see it in him these last few days.”
- The Lakers also got a lift from Dennis Schröder and Andre Drummond, who will both be free agents this summer, writes Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times. Schroder poured in 24 points, while Drummond contributed 15 points and 12 rebounds. “Dennis was in attack mode from the very beginning,” LeBron James said. “… And I thought big Dre was amazing in the minutes he had. … He was just very decisive with his play tonight and I think it’s his sixth playoff game, maybe six or seven, that he’s had in his career, so he’s going to continue to get better and better.”
Free Agency Rumors: Holmes, Hardaway, Powell, More
Kings center Richaun Holmes is expected to be a sought-after free agent this offseason, according to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, who spoke to a number of league personnel members about the 2021 FA class. Fischer’s sources suggested that a four-year, $80MM deal wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility for Holmes.
“I think everyone’s going to be chasing him,” one team analytics staffer told Bleacher Report.
The Kings figure to make an effort to re-sign Holmes. General manager Monte McNair referred to the big man today as “an integral part of the team,” as James Ham of NBC Sports California tweets. And Ham himself made the case that retaining Holmes should be Sacramento’s top priority.
However, since the Kings only have Holmes’ Early Bird rights and don’t project to have a huge chunk of cap room, their ability to make a competitive offer may be limited if his price gets anywhere near as high as Fischer’s sources believed it could. The Hornets and Mavericks are among the other teams expected to have interest in Holmes, according to Fischer.
Here’s more from Fischer:
- One personnel evaluator who spoke to Bleacher Report referred to Mavericks wing Tim Hardaway Jr. as “one of the best pure scorers in the league,” and won’t be surprised if he receives another lucrative multiyear deal now that his four-year, $71MM contract is set to expire.
- That same personnel evaluator said he believes Trail Blazers guard Norman Powell can get $20MM annually in free agency, according to Fischer. “He’s just a guy that can play with anybody,” the evaluator said of Powell. “He doesn’t need the ball in his hands to be effective. He’s a good defender, he’s a great athlete, he gets to the rim. You can play him at the three, you can play him at the two. He’s a great character guy.”
- Multiple league executives believe that Lakers guard Dennis Schröder is aiming to be paid like a top-tier point guard and that he’ll be prioritizing a starting role. The Knicks are among the teams mulling a run at him, sources tell Fischer.
- League executives who spoke to Fischer identified Nets guard Bruce Brown, Knicks big man Nerlens Noel, and Lakers teammates Alex Caruso and Talen Horton-Tucker as some other under-the-radar free agents who could be in line for eight-digit annual salaries on their new deals.
Lakers Notes: LeBron, Schröder, Playoff Rotations
After having to delay his return earlier this week, LeBron James was back on the court this afternoon. Playing for just the third time since suffering a high-ankle sprain March 20, James posted 24 points, eight assists, and seven rebounds in 28 minutes as the Lakers topped the Pacers to stay alive in the race for a top-six seed and a chance to avoid the play-in tournament.
Coach Frank Vogel was encouraged by what he saw out of James today, tweets Mark Medina of USA Today. “He’s looked really good,” Vogel said, adding that “obviously it’s going to take time before he gets to be 100%.”
James called today’s game “a complete 180” from the last time he tried to play, which was May 2 against the Raptors, writes Kyle Goon of The Orange County Register. His ankle stiffened up at halftime in that game, but today there was just “a tiny bit” of soreness.
“I still got some more room for improvement as far as my ankle and my mobility and my strength,” James said. “But I’m 10 times better than I was in that Toronto game and I believe I can get five-to-ten times better in the future. The more games that we have, the more opportunity that I get to really just continue to strengthen it, strengthen everything around it.”
There’s more on the Lakers:
- L.A. needs a win Sunday in New Orleans and a loss by the Trail Blazers against Denver to finish in sixth place. With the stakes so high, there may be temptation to have James test out his ankle in a back-to-back situation, but he wasn’t able to offer any clues as to whether he’ll play, Medina adds (via Twitter). “It’s up to the coaching staff and training staff,” James told reporters.
- Dennis Schröder played his first game today since clearing the NBA’s health and safety protocols, but his post-game answers left reporters confused, Goon notes in the same story. Schröder said he never tested positive for COVID-19 and admitted being the only Laker who didn’t get the vaccine. “At least I can’t get it no more in the playoffs, so that’s probably the best thing,” he added. Schröder became frustrated when pressed for an explanation and refused to comment any further.
- Jovan Buha of The Athletic examines the Lakers’ potential playoff rotations to determine which combinations will work best around James and Anthony Davis.
James, Davis, Schröder To Play On Saturday
The Lakers‘ trio of LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Dennis Schröder will play on Saturday for the team’s afternoon tilt against the Pacers, head coach Frank Vogel announced.
Los Angeles has seen the aforementioned threesome all miss extended stretches as James and Davis dealt with injuries while Schröder was recently cleared from the NBA’s health and safety protocols. At 40-30, the Lakers occupy the seventh seed in the Western Conference and will need to win their remaining two games to have a chance to avoid the play-in tournament.
Schröder entered the safety protocols in early May, causing the Lakers to be without their starting point guard during a critical stretch. He has averaged 15.5 PPG and 5.8 APG across 59 contests.
Davis missed the Lakers’ last game against the Rockets on Wednesday but has otherwise been a regular for the Lakers since returning from a two-month absence due to right calf strain and tendinosis. Davis has been limited to just 34 games this season, averaging 21.9 PPG and 8.0 RPG for the defending champions.
As for James, he suffered a high ankle sprain on March 20 and returned on April 30, but then reaggravated the injury just days later on May 2. He has not played since and has seen his return pushed back on several occasions. James was in the midst of an MVP-caliber season before his injury, averaging 25.0 PPG, 7.9 RPG and 7.8 APG in 43 games.
Dennis Schröder Clears Protocols; LeBron James Questionable For Saturday
Lakers guard Dennis Schröder has cleared the NBA’s health and safety protocols, tweets Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Schröder will be eligible to play in the final two games of L.A.’s regular season — Saturday at Indiana and Sunday at New Orleans — but coach Frank Vogel hasn’t decided whether to use him.
Schröder first entered the protocols on May 2, forcing the Lakers to get by without a key backcourt piece during an important stretch of the season. L.A. is currently in seventh place with a 40-30 record and will need to win its final two games to have a chance at avoiding the play-in tournament.
Schröder is averaging 15.5 points and 5.8 assists through 59 games while shooting 44% from the field and 34% from three-point range. He will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason.
Vogel also said “there’s a chance” LeBron James will play Saturday, McMenamin adds. James had hoped to return from his ankle injury on Tuesday or Wednesday, but had to delay it. James is officially listed as questionable. Anthony Davis is listed as probable, although he didn’t practice today.
Bulls To Target Schröder, Ball In Free Agency?
Dennis Schröder and Lonzo Ball could be potential targets for the Bulls in free agency this summer, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Appearing on ESPN’s NBA Countdown on Friday, Wojnarowski indicated Chicago will be in the market for a starting point guard (hat tip to Blake Schuster of Bleacher Report).
“Point guard is going to be at a premium for them,” Wojarnowski said.
Schröder, who is currently out due to the league’s health and safety protocols, reportedly turned down a four-year, $80MM+ contract extension offer from the Lakers. It’s likely he’ll be one of the top unrestricted free agents on the market. The Knicks are among the other teams who could potentially make a run at Schröder.
Ball’s situation is a little cloudier. New Orleans must decide whether to extend a $14.36MM qualifying offer, which would make Ball a restricted free agent. If the Pelicans do that, they’ll have the right to match any offer. Chicago’s potential interest in Ball has previously been reported, as has the Knicks’ interest.
The Bulls’ cap space this summer is dependent on their decisions regarding two players with partially guaranteed contracts (Tomas Satoransky, Thaddeus Young), restricted free agent Lauri Markkanen, and Ryan Arcidiacono ($3MM team option).
Dennis Schröder Out At Least 10-14 Days Due To Protocols
MAY 3: Schröder is expected to miss at least 10-to-14 days due to the protocols, sources tell Shams Charania and Bill Oram of The Athletic (Twitter link). That’s typically the timeline associated with a positive COVID-19 test, though that hasn’t been confirmed in Schröder’s case.
The regular season ends on May 16, so it’s very possible we won’t see Schröder again until the postseason.
MAY 2: Lakers guard Dennis Schröder has entered the NBA’s health and safety protocols and will miss the team’s game against the Raptors on Sunday, according to Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated (Twitter link). It’s unclear how long he’ll be sidelined.
Los Angeles just welcomed back LeBron James (ankle) after 20 games, rolling with a starting lineup of Schröder, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, James, Anthony Davis and Andre Drummond on Friday for the first time this season.
Building chemistry is imperative for championship contenders, and the loss of Schröder will hurt the Lakers’ ability to do so just weeks before the playoffs. In 59 starts this season, Schröder has averaged 15.5 points, 5.8 assists and 32.2 minutes per game, shooting 44% from the field and 34% from deep.
The Lakers own the sixth-best record in the West at 36-27 and have lost seven of their last 10 contests. They lead the No. 7 seed Blazers by just one game.
Pacific Notes: LeBron, Schröder, Holmes, Nader
Lakers star LeBron James could be back on the court next week, a source tells Kyle Goon of The Orange County Register. The source has received reports from James’ workouts and said he has shown progress in his rehab from a high-ankle sprain. Goon lists possible return dates as Monday against the Nuggets, next Thursday against the Clippers or next Friday against the Trail Blazers.
Goon’s story echoes a report from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski over the weekend that James was close to returning. He has been sidelined since suffering the injury in a March 20 game.
Coach Frank Vogel told reporters there’s still no firm date for James to start playing again. He also refused to speculate on whether James will be used in back-to-back games for the rest of the regular season.
“He’ll tell me when he’s ready,” Vogel said. “He and the medical team will tell me when he’s ready. They’re having conversations about it each day. They’re monitoring his progression each day, seeing where he’s at and when he’s ready to play, he’ll play.”
There’s more from the Pacific Division:
- Lakers guard Dennis Schröder is playing in his 58th game tonight, which moves him closer to a couple of contract bonuses, tweets Bobby Marks of ESPN. He will be eligible to receive a $250K bonus if the Lakers make the NBA Finals and another $250K if they repeat as champions. Schröder must play in at least half of the team’s postseason games to receive the money.
- Kings center Richaun Holmes is campaigning for a spot on the All-Defensive Team, writes Jordan Ramirez of NBA.com. Holmes is valuable on both ends of the court, averaging 1.6 blocks per night and ranking second in the league in field goal percentage at 64.4%. “I just want to show the type of player that I am, just show that I’m one of the best two-way players, just show that I’m deserving of the All-Defensive Team and just continue to show (what I can do),” Holmes said. “I want to continue to get better on the floor and just let my numbers and things of that sort prove my case.”
- Suns forward Abdel Nader is out indefinitely after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his right knee this week, tweets Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic.
Los Angeles Notes: Schröder, LeBron, Zubac, Cousins
Starting Lakers point guard Dennis Schröder has played particularly well as of late, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Schröder has been the single most important element of the team’s offense without All-Stars LeBron James or, until recently, Anthony Davis, per Jovan Buha of The Athletic. As the team’s lead ball-handler without James, Schröder has taken on more of the scoring and passing burden.
“He had to,” Davis said. “But he’s been playing huge for us, since I’ve been back and when I was out, figuring it out for us while still keeping us afloat and in the mix.”
Schröder has averaged 17.4 PPG and 7.8 APG across the 20 games since James’s injury, making a push for a lucrative new contract ahead of his upcoming unrestricted free agency. The 27-year-old has reportedly turned down an extension offer from the Lakers in the range of $80MM+ over four years.
There’s more out of Los Angeles:
- Lakers All-Star forward LeBron James posted what must be a tantalizing missive to L.A. fans recently, per Kyle Goon of the Orange County Register. A black-and-white video featuring James enacting a layup drill in Dallas was accompanied by a promising quote: “Coming soon to a city near you.” James has been sidelined with a high-ankle sprain since March 20, and the Lakers officially remain cagier than James himself has been, sticking with the “indefinite” line in addressing his availability.
- Clippers center Ivica Zubac has delivered in his new role as the club’s starter with Serge Ibaka injured, writes Mirjam Swanson of the Orange County Register. A back injury has kept Ibaka on the shelf since March 14. Zubac’s play has been one reason why L.A. boasts a league-best 18-4 record since Ibaka’s last game as starter — there’s a chance Ibaka may have lost his starting slot for good.
- Veteran Clippers center DeMarcus Cousins is comfortable with his firmly-established position in the pecking order for his new team (the fourth and final California club to have signed him), tweets Andrew Greif of the Los Angeles Times. Cousins is the third center on the team, behind Zubac and Ibaka. The well-traveled former four-time All-Star praised the club’s “one of a kind” culture and organization.