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Lakers Notes: Vanderbilt, Davis, Whitmore, LeBron

January 30th, 2024 at 2:58pm CST by Luke Adams

Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt was ejected in the first half of the team’s Monday loss to Houston after some back and forth with Rockets forward Dillon Brooks. Vanderbilt earned his first technical foul for shoving Brooks in the chest, then picked up another technical just seconds later for jabbing a finger into the back of Brooks’ head (Twitter video link via Bleacher Report).

After the game, Vanderbilt’s teammates defended his actions, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN, who notes that Brooks pushed the Lakers forward in the back as he was going airborne for a dunk a moment earlier (video link). A Lakers player also told McMenamin that Brooks called Vanderbilt a “p—y” during the exchange leading up to the ejection.

“He’s going for a wide-open dunk and (Brooks) just pushed him in the back,” Anthony Davis said. “It’s not a safe play. Guys get hurt like that. And you got to know what type of player (Brooks) is. (The referees) kind of let that just keep going on and (Brooks) kind of provoked it.

“He talks and says whatever he wants to the refs, to players and at the end of the day, we’re men. No man is going to talk towards another man the way he was talking to Vando. So, Vando did what he had to do.”

Brooks received a flagrant 1 foul later in the game for hitting LeBron James in the face as he went over his back on a rebound attempt (video link). Lakers head coach Darvin Ham suggested to reporters in his postgame media session that either that play or the earlier push on Vanderbilt could’ve warranted an ejection for the Rockets forward.

“Being competitive is one thing,” Ham said. “But … putting players at risk of injury with certain plays — I just watched it again before I came in here, (Brooks) pushes him in the back, a guy that’s in the air. Airborne, defenseless. Then Bron’s play, Bron goes to the basket and it’s a double move with his arms. One arm trying to deflect the ball and it goes back and then it goes across (James’) face. So maybe Dillon Brooks shouldn’t have been in the game, either.”

Ham added that “my hat’s off to Vando” for how he responded to Brooks’ physical play.

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Anthony Davis has been ruled out for Tuesday’s contest vs. Atlanta, the second game of a back-to-back set for the Lakers (Twitter link via Brad Turner of The Los Angeles Times). According to Jovan Buha of The Athletic, Davis (bilateral Achilles tendinopathy and left hip spasm) said he felt “a little sore” on Monday and “couldn’t move how I usually move,” so he’ll get a night off.
Cam Whitmore‘s performance on Monday (20 points and six rebounds in 18 minutes) was a tough pill to swallow for the Lakers, who could’ve drafted the 19-year-old last June. Los Angeles used the No. 17 overall pick on Jalen Hood-Schifino, while Whitmore fell to the Rockets at No. 20. “The kid is going to be special, man,” Ham said of Whitmore before the game, per Buha. Ham also noted that the Lakers had a pre-draft workout with the former Villanova standout and referred to him as “another bright, young superstar that’s going to be in our league for a long time.”
Given LeBron James‘ age and the Lakers’ up-and-down play this season, Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer posits that the two sides are facing a crossroads and explores what might be next for the franchise and for one of the NBA’s all-time greatest players.

Lakers Notes: LeBron, Davis, Vanderbilt, Trade Deadline

January 28th, 2024 at 8:58am CST by Arthur Hill

LeBron James added another memorable chapter to his long-running rivalry with Stephen Curry in a double-overtime thriller Saturday night, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN. The 39-year-old James collected 20 rebounds for the first time in his career as part of a triple double that also included 36 points and 12 assists. After sinking two game-wining free throws with 1.2 seconds remaining, James reflected on his many battles with Curry, which include four NBA Finals.

“It’s been a treat to go against one of the greatest to ever play this game,” James said. “For us to continue to push each other at the state of our careers, you don’t take it for granted because you don’t know how many times you’re actually going to get the moment to actually be on the same floor with such a talent.”

Both players continue to amaze late in their careers, even though the Lakers and Warriors are struggling to reach the play-in tournament. Curry, who scored 46 points and hit a late three-pointer to give Golden State the lead, also talked about what it means to face another all-time great.

“Every year that we get to do this and go back and forth, the battles — the Finals runs, the playoff battles last year — after the horn sounded tonight there was a little laugh of, I can’t imagine a scenario where a game like tonight happens, [with] him in Season 21 and me in Year 15,” Curry said. “You look forward to the battles, but you also appreciate the mutual respect of what it takes to keep doing what you’re doing at this level. Only a few people know how hard it is. I’m happy to be in that group.”

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Anthony Davis had to leave Saturday’s game due to hip spasms, but he was able to return and told reporters, “I’m good,” tweets Jovan Buha of The Athletic. Davis explained that it’s the same area of his body where he’s experienced a groin injury for most of the season.
Even though he came off the bench, Jarred Vanderbilt played more than 40 minutes with 14 points, nine rebounds, five assists and four steals. According to Buha (Twitter link), coach Darvin Ham deflected a question about whether he’ll consider returning Vanderbilt to the starting lineup. “Well, right now, I’ll consider getting me something to eat, a nice glass of wine and consider sleeping very soon here,” Ham said. “Getting a good night’s sleep. No lineup questions, please.”
Saturday marked the opener of a six-game road trip that could determine how active the Lakers will be at the trade deadline, notes Khobi Price of The Orange County Register.

Pacific Notes: Kings Rumors, Suns, LeBron, Davis

January 25th, 2024 at 9:49pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The Kings have expressed trade interest in Nets forwards Dorian Finney-Smith and Royce O’Neale, according to The Athletic’s Sam Amick, who made his comments during The Carmichael Dave Show with Jason Ross (hat tip to HoopsHype). Amick said the Kings are a bad defensive team looking to get better, and those two in particular could help.

Finney-Smith and O’Neale are both valued assets leaguewide and Sacramento’s interest is the latest in a series of rumors surrounding Brooklyn’s pieces. The two players — along with Spencer Dinwiddie, who’s also involved in trade rumors — are the oldest on the Nets’ roster, and win-now teams seem to be targeting them for their veteran presence and two-way versatility.

Finney-Smith, making about $13.4MM this year, is averaging 8.9 points and 4.8 rebounds per game while shooting 37.8% from beyond the arc. He’s under contract through at least 2024/25, and has a player option for the following season. O’Neale is making $9.5MM this year and is set to be an unrestricted free agent after this season. He’s averaging 7.1 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.0 assists this year.

It’s unclear what Brooklyn would covet from Sacramento’s side in a potential trade. Kevin Huerter and Davion Mitchell are among players who could help fill out a trade from a salary standpoint.

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Huerter, Mitchell and Harrison Barnes have been mentioned in possible trade packages for weeks now, and The Sacramento Bee’s Jason Anderson writes that it could be weighing on a Kings team that recently went on a season-long four-game losing streak. “Everybody’s human, so everybody feels it in some way shape or form,” head coach Mike Brown said. “You can talk about it as much as you want or as little as you want, but at the end of the day rumors and speculation are rampant as the trade deadlines nears every year for every team. It’s part of our business. You’ve just got to deal with it and keep moving forward as best you can.”
Given how the team’s payroll is structured, the Suns don’t have many contracts that would be useful for salary-matching. The three maximum-salary stars aren’t going anywhere, and the team values Jusuf Nurkic ($16.9MM) and Grayson Allen ($8.9MM), per Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports, which leaves Nassir Little ($6.3MM) as potentially the biggest available salary on the books. Bourguet sifts through 30 trade scenarios, sorting them based on their likelihood.
Lakers superstars LeBron James (ankle) and Anthony Davis (Achilles) were both listed as questionable ahead of Thursday’s game against the Bulls (Twitter link via Los Angeles Times’ Brad Turner). However, both were upgraded to available ahead of the game and started (Twitter link). James didn’t play the previous contest against the Clippers, but Davis hasn’t missed a game since Dec. 15.

2024 All-Star Starters Revealed; LeBron Sets Selection Record

January 25th, 2024 at 6:33pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The NBA revealed the 2024 All-Star Game starters on Thursday night, with Lakers forward LeBron James leading the pack with his record-breaking 20th straight selection. James has been a starter since 2005, his second season in the league, and broke his tie with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most selections in league history (Twitter link via NBA PR).

James and Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo will serve as captains. Joining James as Western Conference starters are Suns forward Kevin Durant, Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, Mavericks guard Luka Doncic and Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. James is a captain for a seventh straight year.

Joining Antetokounmpo as Eastern Conference All-Star starters are Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton, Bucks guard Damian Lillard, Sixers center Joel Embiid and Celtics forward Jayson Tatum.

Thursday’s selections represent milestones for several players. Antetokounmpo is making his eighth career start and was the top vote-getter. Lillard is making his first career All-Star start. Haliburton is the fourth player in Pacers history to be named an All-Star starter, joining Paul George, Reggie Miller and Jermaine O’Neal (Twitter link). Embiid is a starter after not being named one in his MVP season a year ago. Tatum is making his fifth All-Star Game.

In the West, Doncic set the Mavs’ franchise record with four All-Star Game starts. Jokic was first in player and media voting en route to his sixth straight selection. Gilgeous-Alexander is making his first start. Durant is making his 14th All-Star appearance.

The starters are selected by a weighted voting process with the fan vote accounting for half of the final outcome. The player and media portions of the vote each counted for 25 percent. Three frontcourt players and two guards were selected from each conference.

ESPN’s Tim Bontemps writes there was little drama in the selections for the starting positions. The voting totals from fans didn’t vary much from week to week, with Embiid, Haliburton, Tatum, Antetokounmpo, James, Jokic and Durant well ahead in their respective positions. The second guard spot in the East was more competitive, with Lillard and Hawks guard Trae Young going back and forth in fan voting. The guard spots in the West were also tight, with Doncic, Gilgeous-Alexander and Warriors guard Stephen Curry close in voting. Bontemps points out Lillard finished well ahead of Knicks guard Jalen Brunson in fan voting to earn the starting nod.

Full voting results can be found here.

The coaches for each All-Star team will be determined via the standings on Feb. 4, with the top-seeded coach taking the reins for each conference. However, Boston’s Joe Mazzulla and Denver’s Michael Malone are ineligible by virtue of the fact that they coached the two teams last season. Entering Thursday, the Thunder and Timberwolves are tied atop the West while the Bucks are next up behind the Celtics in the East, with the Sixers one game behind Milwaukee.

This year, the league is returning to the East vs. West format, so these players are suiting up for their respective conferences in the 73rd NBA All-Star Game on Feb. 18.

The reserves, who are picked by the league’s coaches, will be announced Feb. 1.

Team USA Announces 41-Player Pool For 2024 Olympics

January 23rd, 2024 at 3:54pm CST by Luke Adams

USA Basketball has officially announced a pool of 41 players who are in the mix for the 12 spots on the 2024 Olympic men’s basketball team.

While the pool is subject to change, Team USA’s 12-man roster for the 2024 Paris Olympics will, in all likelihood, be made up of players from this group.

The list figures to shrink as the summer nears due to players suffering injuries or opting not to participate for other reasons, but at some point prior to the July event the U.S. decision-makers will have to choose a final roster from the remaining candidates.

Here’s the full list of 41 players, 28 of whom have represented Team USA in a previous World Cup or Olympics:

Bam Adebayo (Heat)
Jarrett Allen (Cavaliers)
Paolo Banchero (Magic)
Desmond Bane (Grizzlies)
Scottie Barnes (Raptors)
Devin Booker (Suns)
Mikal Bridges (Nets)
Jaylen Brown (Celtics)
Jalen Brunson (Knicks)
Jimmy Butler (Heat)
Alex Caruso (Bulls)
Stephen Curry (Warriors)
Anthony Davis (Lakers)
Kevin Durant (Suns)
Anthony Edwards (Timberwolves)
Joel Embiid (Sixers)
De’Aaron Fox (Kings)
Paul George (Clippers)
Aaron Gordon (Nuggets)
Tyrese Haliburton (Pacers)
James Harden (Clippers)
Josh Hart (Knicks)
Tyler Herro (Heat)
Jrue Holiday (Celtics)
Chet Holmgren (Thunder)
Brandon Ingram (Pelicans)
Kyrie Irving (Mavericks)
Jaren Jackson Jr. (Grizzlies)
LeBron James (Lakers)
Cameron Johnson (Nets)
Walker Kessler (Jazz)
Kawhi Leonard (Clippers)
Damian Lillard (Bucks)
Donovan Mitchell (Cavaliers)
Chris Paul (Warriors)
Bobby Portis (Bucks)
Austin Reaves (Lakers)
Duncan Robinson (Heat)
Jayson Tatum (Celtics)
Derrick White (Celtics)
Trae Young (Hawks)

Adebayo, Booker, Durant, Holiday, Lillard, and Tatum were part of the Olympic team that won gold in Tokyo in 2021. Jerami Grant, Draymond Green, Keldon Johnson, Zach LaVine, JaVale McGee, and Khris Middleton were also on that roster, but aren’t part of the preliminary pool this time around. It’s possible some of them turned down invitations.

“The United States boasts unbelievable basketball talent and I am thrilled that many of the game’s superstars have expressed interest in representing our country at the 2024 Olympic Summer Games,” national team managing director Grant Hill said in a statement. “It is a privilege to select the team that will help us toward the goal of once again standing atop the Olympic podium. This challenging process will unfold over the next several months as we eagerly anticipate the start of national team activity.”

USA Basketball also announced today that Team USA will face Team Canada in Las Vegas on July 10 in an exhibition game. It sounds like that contest will take place during the NBA’s 2024 Summer League.

Los Angeles Notes: Russell, James, Westbrook, Harden

January 22nd, 2024 at 10:57pm CST by Dana Gauruder

If the Lakers make a major move before the trade deadline, D’Angelo Russell could be part of the package. He’s on a two-year contract that includes an $18.7MM player option.

Russell’s strong recent play shows that he’s not distracted by trade rumors, Khobi Price of the Orange County Register notes. The veteran guard averaging 27.2 points on 55.9% shooting and 6.4 assists in his last five games since being reinserted into the starting lineup.

“You’ve got to be aggressive around these guys,” Russell said, referring to Anthony Davis and LeBron James. “You complement these guys by being aggressive – not passing to them. That’s easy to guard. You’re easy to guard when it’s like that. Just watching it and watching a lot of guys on the team make those decisions, when I came back, I was like ‘I’m going to be aggressive in those instances’ and I’ll see how it complements them. And it’s been complementing them so far.”

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The Lakers and Clippers will square off on Tuesday but a key player won’t suit up. James has been ruled out by the Lakers due to left ankle soreness, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN. It will be James’ fifth missed game this season. The Lakers have a 2-2 record without him.
Clippers guard Russell Westbrook had a 23-point outing in the comeback victory against the Nets, his largest output since a 24-point game against the Lakers on Nov. 1. Westbrook essentially played center in a small-ball lineup on Sunday during the rally. “I’ve been emphasizing defensively for me, it’s huge this year,” Westbrook told Law Murray of The Athletic. “Guarding one through five, no matter what it is. Position, time, score, possession. Being help side. Rebounding, boxing out. All the small things that need to be done. I’ll do it. Whatever it takes to win basketball games. And tonight, my job was to guard the five and do a great job of being in coverage, reading defenses, communicating. And, you know, I did the best of my abilities to be able to close the game out.”
James Harden feels vindicated after forcing his way out of Philadelphia and demanding a trade to the Clippers. Many people were skeptical how Harden would fit in with the Clippers’ stars but the team has surged up the Western Conference standings. “Obviously it didn’t start off well,” said Harden, per Janis Carr of the Orange County Register. “It gave people so much to talk about in a negative way and now those people that were talking are nowhere to be found. Like, literally nowhere to be found.”

Lakers Notes: Disappointing Loss, Hachimura, Murray, LeBron

January 20th, 2024 at 5:12pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Lakers had an opportunity to climb above .500 on Friday night, but they collapsed defensively in an 18-point home loss to the reeling Nets, writes Khobi Price of The Orange County Register. The defeat, coming off back-to-back wins against Oklahoma City and Dallas, continues a recent pattern of mixing great games with poor performances. Anthony Davis called the loss “more frustrating than concerning,” but he was unhappy with the breakdowns that allowed Brooklyn to score 102 points over the final three quarters.

“Kind of been like a constant thing for us, but like I said, when you get two, you’re trying to find a rhythm and you have two great games on both sides of the floor,” Davis said. “And then you kind of just revert back in the second half of this game and practically play no defense against these guys. Guys are getting wide-open shots, wide-open layups, wide-open dunks, we’re fouling, wasn’t rebounding. Everything on the defensive end we just didn’t do. And allowed them guys to get into rhythm and now you’re playing with confidence and the rims are a lot bigger for those guys.”

The Lakers have been inconsistent since winning the in-season tournament six weeks ago, and they’re currently on the edge of the play-in tourney with a 21-22 record. Coach Darvin Ham has tinkered with the starting lineup and the overall rotation, but he said Friday that the best solution is for everyone to play better.

“We’ll watch this game and make it more about our principles and, again, the type of team we want to be,” he said. “It’s over for the excuses, man. We gotta play basketball.”

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In a separate Orange County Register story, Rui Hachimura tells Price that he’s still feeling some effects from a calf injury that forced him to miss time earlier this month. “My calf is still not 100%, but it’s been great,” Hachimura said after Friday’s shootaround. “I’m moving well.”
On the Hoop Collective podcast (video link), ESPN’s Brian Windhorst and Bobby Marks discuss ways the Lakers could trade for Hawks guard Dejounte Murray and still avoid the luxury tax. Windhorst suggests L.A. may be more willing to part with a future first-round pick in a deal that saves the team money.
Dylan Hernandez of The Los Angeles Times wonders if playing on the same NBA team as his son is still a priority for LeBron James. LeBron has a $51.4MM player option for next season, and Hernandez states that the organization should factor any uncertainty about his future into its decisions at the trade deadline.

Lakers Rumors: Murray, D-Lo, Hood-Schifino, Reaves, More

January 19th, 2024 at 1:04pm CST by Luke Adams

The buzz connecting Hawks guard Dejounte Murray to the Lakers has increased to “noisy levels” as of late, according to Jovan Buha of The Athletic, who hears that the two teams have discussed possible frameworks for a trade.

One concept the Lakers and Hawks talked about late last week would’ve included guard D’Angelo Russell, rookie Jalen Hood-Schifino, the Lakers’ 2029 first-round pick, and additional draft compensation, multiple team and league sources tell Buha.

Los Angeles can only currently trade one future first-rounder (either the 2029 or 2030 pick), so any additional draft assets would’ve been second-rounders. Plus, as Michael Scotto reported on Thursday, Atlanta has little interest in Russell, so he may need to be rerouted to a third team.

Talks between Los Angeles and Atlanta have since stalled, but the two clubs are expected to revisit those negotiations prior to the February 8 trade deadline, says Buha.

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Unless an unexpected opportunity arises, the Lakers are expected to take at least a couple more weeks to evaluate their trade assets and options before pulling the trigger on any deal, according to Buha. As Buha explains, the team would like to address various needs – including three-point shooting, speed, and athleticism – but is still weighing whether it makes more sense to make a smaller move or to do something bigger that would more significantly reshape the rotation.
No Lakers players besides Anthony Davis and LeBron James are untouchable, but Jarred Vanderbilt is ineligible to be dealt this season and Austin Reaves is “close” to being off the table, says Buha. Team and league sources tell The Athletic that L.A. values Reaves highly and has no interest in moving him, even though almost every trade discussion starts with a prospective trade partner asking for Reaves and a first-round pick. If the Lakers were to part with Reaves, they’d want the deal to net them a clear All-Star (ie. someone a tier above Murray or Zach LaVine) or multiple rotation upgrades, Buha adds.
Russell, Rui Hachimura, and Gabe Vincent are generally considered to have neutral-to-negative trade value, per Buha. Second-year guard Max Christie is viewed by some teams as an underrated three-and-D prospect, but the Lakers would prefer to keep him, Buha notes.
The Lakers, who had interest in Bruce Brown during the offseason, would still be interested in Brown if the Raptors make him available, Buha reports. Other potential targets the Lakers have discussed in recent weeks include Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant, Hornets guard Terry Rozier, Raptors wing Gary Trent Jr., and Nets forwards Dorian Finney-Smith and Royce O’Neale, says Buha.

Lakers Notes: Irving, LeBron, Russell, Reaves, Lineup

January 18th, 2024 at 7:43pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Mavericks star guard Kyrie Irving had interest in reuniting with LeBron James in either Dallas or Los Angeles over the offseason, according to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne. Irving said as much to James before the Lakers‘ first-round Game 6 against the Grizzlies last year.

As detailed by Shelburne, the Lakers had internal discussions about whether to pursue Irving via trade or free agency last year and had called the Nets several times since June 2022, when Irving and the Nets didn’t come to terms on a contract extension. James was open to the idea of pairing up again with Irving, but didn’t want to push anything while the franchise was still recovering from the Russell Westbrook experiment, Shelburne writes.

The Mavericks held Irving’s Bird Rights and were determined to keep him and Luka Doncic together, re-signing him to a three-year, $126MM deal. After bringing back Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura and signing the likes of Taurean Prince, Gabe Vincent and Cam Reddish, there was internal debate about whether or not the Lakers had the speed to keep up with the top guards of the Western Conference, but they decided it wasn’t a concern to address at the time, according to Shelburne.

Flash forward several months and Irving has avoided any off-court incidents that plagued him in Brooklyn while James and Anthony Davis are enjoying a healthy season at the top of their game. However, the Lakers lack consistent point guard play. The Mavericks sit at 24-18 and seventh in the west entering Thursday while the Lakers are 21-21, and 10th in the standings.

With the trade deadline approaching, the Lakers have roster questions to sort out to help alleviate some of the burden for James and Davis moving forward, Shelburne writes.

“It’s just too much on Bron right now,” one rival player whose team recently defeated the Lakers said. “Everyone is just going to pack the paint and try to frustrate him because they need a lot. Speed. Play-making. Shooting.”

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The Lakers recently turned back to their opening-night starting five for the foreseeable future after coach Darvin Ham experimented with lineups through the first half of the season. That means Reaves and D’Angelo Russell are once again starting next to each other, and the team is hoping that duo can be a catalyst for future success, Khobi Price of The Orange County Register writes. While Reaves and Russell have complementary skill sets, Price writes the defense needs some cleaning up if the Lakers want to start stacking wins.
That lineup is helping the Lakers reach a new offensive ceiling, according to Jovan Buha of The Athletic. After beating the Mavericks on Wednesday, Los Angeles has won four of its last six games after dropping 10 of its previous 13. Buha writes the ball movement and aggression were elements of L.A.’s offense that stood out in that game. The Lakers also boast an improved offensive rating since making the switch back to their original starting five. “We’re just moving the basketball,” Davis said. “Trying to play the right way. When we share the basketball, good things tend to happen.“
When asked if his team needs to make trades before the deadline, James said he doesn’t “play fantasy basketball,” tweets ESPN’s David McMenamin. “It’s too disrespectful to think about what we need or what we don’t have,” James said. “I don’t do that to my teammates. We’ve been putting in the work and that’s what we’ve got to continue to do.“

Lakers Revert To Opening Night Lineup, Intend To Stick With It

January 16th, 2024 at 9:05am CST by Luke Adams

Against the Thunder on Monday, Lakers head coach Darvin Ham turned back to the starting lineup that he used to open the season: LeBron James, Anthony Davis, D’Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves, and Taurean Prince.

That was the Lakers’ starting group for five of the first seven games of the season, including the first four. However, those players hadn’t started together since November 6, as Ham first moved Reaves to the bench and later did the same with Russell. After Los Angeles came away with a 112-105 victory over Oklahoma City, Ham indicated he plans to stick with his original starting five going forward, writes ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.

“Just wanted to put as much skill and shot-making on the floor around our two captains,” Ham said, referring to James and Davis. “And those five, they’ve been pretty much our most consistent guys throughout the season thus far. So just put them together. For the foreseeable future, that’s going to be our lineup, barring any type of injury.”

The Lakers have used 11 different starting lineups so far this season, leaning most frequently on a group consisting of James, Davis, Russell, Prince, and Cam Reddish. Reddish is a stronger defender than Reaves, but didn’t provide as much on the offensive end of the court. He’s currently unavailable due to a knee issue.

Los Angeles also experimented with a starting five that featured Reaves in Russell’s place alongside the two star forwards, Prince, and Reddish, but that group has posted a -13.2 net rating in 99 minutes of action. The opening night lineup, which Ham turned back to on Monday, has a +1.3 rating in 150 total minutes.

In spite of Monday’s impressive victory, the Lakers remain below .500 (20-21) at the season’s midpoint and are feeling a sense of urgency to pick up some more wins during their current stretch of games in L.A., writes Khobi Price of The Orange County Register. That stretch of games, which includes four more home games and a “road” contest vs. the Clippers, runs through next Thursday.

Last season, a series of moves at the trade deadline helped kick-start the Lakers to a second-half surge and two playoff series wins, but Ham doesn’t necessarily think the team needs to seek out similar moves this winter.

“People talk about trades and this and that. No one’s sugarcoating anything. You have an opportunity to get better, you’re going take advantage of it,” Ham said, per McMenamin. “But that said, what we have in that locker room, we just need to buckle down, focus, take care of the details. We have more than enough in that locker room to make some things happen.”