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LeBron James, Donovan Mitchell Named Players Of The Week

January 9th, 2023 at 2:37pm CST by Rory Maher

Lakers forward LeBron James and Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell have been named the NBA’s players of the week, the league announced today (Twitter link).

Interestingly, both players only appeared in three of their teams’ four games, though they were both undefeated when they played. James won for the Western Conference, while Mitchell was the East’s winner.

The Lakers had a 4-0 week, with James averaging 35.0 points, 8.7 rebounds and 7.7 assists while shooting 54.8% from the field and 76.7% from the free throw line. The 38-year-old has been playing incredibly well lately, but he continues to be cold from deep, shooting just 12.5% from three last week.

The Cavs went 3-1 last week, with Mitchell averaging 37.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 7.7 assists and 1.0 steal on .530/.353/.861 shooting in his three appearances. The highlight of Mitchell’s week, of course, was his 71-point outburst against the Bulls, as he became just the seventh player in NBA history to score 70-plus points in a game. He also contributed 11 assists, eight rebounds and a block during that performance.

According to the NBA (Twitter links), the other nominees in the West were Thomas Bryant, Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jaren Jackson Jr., while Giannis Antetokounmpo, Paolo Banchero, Jalen Brunson, Julius Randle, Kevin Durant, Tyrese Haliburton, Myles Turner and Zach LaVine were nominated in the East.

Anthony Davis Could Return In A Couple Weeks

January 9th, 2023 at 1:43pm CST by Rory Maher

The Lakers are optimistic that Anthony Davis could return to the lineup in a couple weeks, sources tell ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.

Davis will begin ramping up his rehab when the team returns to Los Angeles later this week, McMenamin reports. The Lakers play in Denver tonight, but then have a five-game home stand starting Thursday against Dallas.

The 29-year-old is dealing with a bone spur fractured off the navicular bone in his right foot, as well as a stress reaction in that same bone. However, it’s the stress reaction that has been Davis’ primary focus, with the bone spur considered an old injury that he’s been unknowingly playing through for several years.

Davis sustained the stress reaction on December 16 against Denver. He was dominating on both ends of the court leading up to the injury, averaging an eye-popping 35.0 points, 14.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 2.5 blocks, and 1.3 steals on 64.1% shooting in his last 12 full games.

Both Davis and head coach Darvin Ham told reporters at the end of last month that the pain from the stress reaction had subsided, with Davis hopeful that he might be able to return in around four weeks, though he wasn’t committed to that number. Still, McMenamin’s report lines up with what Davis said, so it appears things have been going well since the last update.

Center Thomas Bryant, who is on a one-year deal for the veteran’s minimum, has excelled in Davis’ absence, McMenamin notes. In the 12 games since Davis got injured, Bryant is averaging 16.9 points and 10.6 rebounds while shooting 66.9% from the floor and 74.2% from the line.

The Lakers have gone 7-5 during that span. During the team’s five-game winning streak, Bryant is averaging 21.2 points and 13.6 rebounds while shooting 71.9% from the floor and 86.7% from the line.

Superstar forward LeBron James believes the three players can be successful together, though Bryant and Davis have yet to share the court this season, according to McMenamin.

“I’ve already kind of had visions of what that could possibly look like with the frontcourt of myself, AD and Thomas on the floor together,” James said of Bryant’s contributions. “I think it could be extremely beneficial for our ballclub.”

Speaking of James, he has been downgraded to questionable for Monday’s contest due to left ankle soreness, tweets Jovan Buha of The Athletic.

The Lakers are currently 19-21, the No. 11 seed in the West, but only trail the No. 5 seed Kings by two games.

Pacific Notes: LeBron, R. Jackson, Ayton, Dozier

January 9th, 2023 at 10:00am CST by Arthur Hill

LeBron James is disputing the nature of a weekend report by Sam Amick of The Athletic that he’s becoming impatient for Lakers management to upgrade the roster. The story suggests that James was sending a message to the front office with his comments after Saturday’s game, but in a response on Twitter, James said that wasn’t his intention.

“Hey Sam actually my patience isn’t waning,” he wrote. “You make it sound like I’m frustrated when I’m really not. I told you over and over, my job is focused on the guys in the locker room, my job isn’t the roster. That’s the reality of that conversation. And I said what I said with the Upmost respect and calmness cause that’s the mood I’m in! Your welcome! 5 game winning streak.”

While L.A. has climbed back into the playoff race with its recent hot streak, speculation is starting to build around the league that James may want to finish his career somewhere else, according to Sean Deveney of Heavy. Executives have told Deveney that multiple teams are preparing for the possibility that James will try to force a trade this summer, if only so they don’t get caught off guard like they did with Kevin Durant‘s trade request last year.

One executive tells Deveney that the Lakers are hoping to get through this season without trading their first-round picks in 2027 and 2029 and then use their cap room, which could top $30MM, to acquire free agents who would appeal to James, such as Kyrie Irving or Draymond Green. If that doesn’t happen, league executives see the Cavaliers, Heat and Suns as the most likely destinations if James does force his way out.

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

Coach Tyronn Lue tinkered with the lineup as the Clippers dropped their sixth straight game on Sunday night, writes Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. Reggie Jackson, who has been the starting point guard for the past two-plus seasons, played just eight minutes, all in the first half, as Lue turned to Terance Mann to improve the team’s defense. Lue explained that the change isn’t necessarily permanent. “No, I just think tonight it was Reggie,” he said. “Then tomorrow, it could be somebody else. Just kind of experimenting with different things. When you lose five games in a row, you want to try some different things.”
The Suns were missing four rotation players due to injuries as they fell below .500 Sunday night, so Deandre Ayton is determined to keep playing despite tweaking his left ankle late in the game, per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. “I finished the jump hook and my left leg just drifted off behind me and twisted it. So it feels like it’s a day-by-day thing,” Ayton said. “No ankle is stopping me right now. I’m on a mission so I’m going to be up on my feet. No worries about that.”
Coach Mike Brown was upset about the Kings‘ defense in Saturday’s loss to the Lakers, and the team sees potential help in PJ Dozier, who’s expected to sign a 10-day contract, writes Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee.

LeBron James Again Hints At Desire For Roster Upgrades

January 8th, 2023 at 12:09pm CST by Luke Adams

Lakers star LeBron James hasn’t come right out and said he believes the front office should be shopping its 2027 and 2029 first-round picks in an effort to upgrade the roster via trade. However, he hinted shortly after Christmas that he’d welcome that approach and reiterated that point in stronger terms to Sam Amick of The Athletic following Saturday’s win over Sacramento, despite still not saying it outright.

When he spoke to Amick following his postgame press conference, James repeatedly stated that his job is to play the games and let the front office handle roster moves, suggesting that he’ll leave any trade suggestions up to the media.

“If you guys know, then you guys know,” James replied when Amick asked whether it makes sense for the Lakers to stand pat until the offseason when the four-time MVP is playing at such a high level at age 38. “You guys know. I don’t need to talk about it. You guys know.”

Pressed on whether he needs to say anything publicly or privately to the Lakers’ top executives to encourage them to act, James added, “Listen, you guys know. It’s not rocket science. It’s not rocket science.”

Before parting ways with Amick, James added, “Y’all know what the f–k should be happening. I don’t need to talk.”

As we’ve discussed ad nauseam in recent months, there seemed to be an understanding after James signed a contract extension in August that the Lakers would be more aggressive in their efforts to improve this year’s roster. But multiple reports have indicated that head of basketball operations Rob Pelinka and the organization’s top decision-makers have been unwilling to part with those 2027 and 2029 first-rounders unless there’s a move that significantly improves the team’s title chances.

When Anthony Davis went down with a foot injury last month, the odds of the Lakers making a major move seemingly dropped. However, the team has gone 7-5 since Davis’ injury and is actually closer to a play-in spot than it was when the big man went down.

Given the level James and Davis have played at this season and the contributions the Lakers are getting from some of their role players, including Thomas Bryant, Dennis Schröder, Austin Reaves, Lonnie Walker, and sixth man Russell Westbrook, the club may be able to talk itself into the possibility of contending — especially if Davis returns sometime this month. After all, none of the Western Conference’s top teams have pulled away and established themselves as clear frontrunners to make the NBA Finals.

Still, finding a suitable trade won’t be easy. Westbrook ($47MM), Patrick Beverley ($13MM), and Kendrick Nunn ($5.25MM) are the only logical trade chips earning more than the minimum on the Lakers’ roster and none are considered positive assets. That means it might be a challenge for L.A. to get an impact player in return for any of those vets even if the team becomes more willing to give up a future first-rounder or two.

Pacific Notes: LeBron, Zeller, Clippers, Bridges

January 7th, 2023 at 10:56pm CST by Arthur Hill

Lakers star LeBron James is getting closer to the career scoring record, but there’s plenty of motivation for him to keep playing after he passes Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. In an interview with Dave McMenamin of ESPN, James, who recently turned 38, reiterated that he’s determined to stay in the NBA until his oldest son arrives, which would be the 2024/25 season at the earliest.

“I need to be on the floor with my boy, I got to be on the floor with Bronny,” he said. “Either in the same uniform or a matchup against him. I don’t mean like [guarding one another all game] — because he’s a point guard and I’m a, at this point now I’m playing center or whatever the team needs from me. But I would love to do the whole Ken Griffey Sr. and Jr. thing. That would be ideal for sure.”

James is also determined to lift the Lakers back into title contention. He said individual records don’t mean much to him anymore, citing his decision to sit out the final five games of last season with an ankle injury, which prevented him from qualifying for the scoring title.

“I want to win. [The losing is] not sitting well with me,” James said. “I don’t like having accomplishments, and it don’t feel right, when it comes in a losing effort. … So as we sit here right now as a franchise and as a team that’s below .500 — we’ve been playing some good basketball as of late, but we want to and I want to win at the highest level. Breaking records or setting records or passing greats in a losing effort has never been a DNA of mine.”

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

Cody Zeller is among the free agents who have worked out for the Lakers recently, Marc Stein tweets. The longtime Hornets center held his audition when L.A. visited Charlotte last week, according to Stein.
The Clippers continue to be careful with the health of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, but a five-game losing streak may bring some urgency to the team, per Dan Devine of Yahoo Sports. L.A. was so thoroughly outplayed Thursday in Denver that coach Tyronn Lue benched his starters for the entire second half.
Mikal Bridges still hasn’t missed a game in his NBA career, but the Suns forward may be wearing down as he tries to compensate for injured teammates, observes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Bridges had a wrap on his right knee Friday as Phoenix dropped its fifth game in a row. “Just makes us stay together even more,” Bridges said of the losing skid. “That’s what we’ve got to do. It’s easy when you win to stay together. So our true selves is going to show when we’re losing. We just keep fighting. I think you stay together more as a team when you lose. That’s going to show if you’re a really good team or not and I think we have that.”

Lakers Notes: Draft Picks, LeBron, Walker, Davis, Brown, Schröder

January 5th, 2023 at 10:00am CST by Luke Adams

Speaking to Chris Mannix of SI.com on The Crossover NBA Show, SI.com’s Howard Beck observes that the Lakers‘ front office vowed after LeBron James signed an offseason extension to upgrade its 2022/23 roster, but now seems less inclined to trade the team’s 2027 and 2029 first-round picks for win-now pieces.

“I’ve heard rumblings, and these are only rumblings, I don’t want people to go too far with this or go crazy with the aggregation,” Beck said. “But a couple people around the league have told me in recent weeks that they believe that the front office has essentially been told not to trade the picks. That they’re guarding those.

“If that’s the case, that speaks to a couple things. One, you’re feeling pretty insecure about your future, post-LeBron. You think those picks are going to be so valuable in 2027 and 2029 that giving them up would be catastrophic for you. You’re also showing a lack of faith in your ability to trade those picks and find another way to rebuild in whatever the post-LeBron years are.

“You’re also indicating — again, if it’s true that they are just completely unwilling to put those picks on the table, then that means you’re also, by definition, willing to flush this season, because those are your best tools… for improving in the immediate term.”

Reports in recent months have indicated that the Lakers are only interested in moving both of those future first-round picks if there’s a deal that significantly improves their title chances. Anthony Davis‘ foot injury also reportedly lowered the chances that the club will trade one or both picks in a major trade, though if L.A. can stay in the play-in mix in the coming weeks and Davis returns later this month, perhaps the club will reconsider that stance at the February 9 trade deadline.

Here’s more on the Lakers:

Head coach Darvin Ham said on Wednesday that he doesn’t expect either James (non-COVID illness) or Lonnie Walker (left knee soreness) to be out much longer, according to Kyle Goon of The Southern California News Group. Ham stated that LeBron is dealing with a “common cold,” while Walker has “a little bit of tendonitis.”
Ham also shared a minor update on Davis’ recovery, indicating that everything is “going right according to plan,” Goon adds. The Lakers have been conducting continuous MRIs on Davis’ injured foot and he hasn’t experienced any setbacks in his recovery process.
Lakers wing Troy Brown left Wednesday’s game due to a left quad strain and didn’t return, tweets Dave McMenamin of ESPN. The club has yet to issue an update on Brown’s status going forward, so it’s unclear whether he’ll miss additional time.
With the Lakers already shorthanded due to injuries, Dennis Schröder was determined to stay in Wednesday’s game after rolling his right ankle in the fourth quarter, McMenamin writes for ESPN.com. Schröder not only finished the game — he scored a season-high 32 points and helped lead the Lakers to an improbable win over Miami. “I just try to be there for my teammates,” he said. “I felt pretty good after (turning the ankle). Of course, it was sore, and it hurt. But I know my limits.”
Schröder was one of several Lakers on minimum-salary contracts to play a major role in the victory, alongside Thomas Bryant (21 points, nine rebounds), Austin Reaves (11 points), and Wenyen Gabriel (10 points). “I just think different guys are settling into their roles, getting more comfortable with more reps, more minutes,” Ham said, per McMenamin. “When we do get our big dogs back, whether it’s Bron, AD, both of them back — Lonnie, as well — it just makes us that much stronger, that much deeper, because now guys have confidence. They have the ultimate confidence because they’ve gotten the reps.”

Health Updates: LeBron, Walker, Prince, Bucks, SGA

January 4th, 2023 at 4:04pm CST by Luke Adams

LeBron James has been helping to keep the Lakers in the play-in race, averaging 36.6 points per game on 58.5% shooting during the club’s 3-2 road trip that wrapped up on Monday.

However, James won’t be available when the Lakers return home and host the Heat on Wednesday. He has been ruled out for the game due to a non-COVID illness, tweets Dave McMenamin of ESPN.

Lakers guard Lonnie Walker will also miss his third consecutive contest, McMenamin adds. Previously listed as out due to a tailbone contusion, Walker is now on the injury report with left knee soreness.

Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:

Timberwolves forward Taurean Prince intends to make his return to action on Wednesday night vs. Portland, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter). Prince, who was dealing with a right shoulder subluxation, last played on November 23 — he has missed Minnesota’s last 20 games.
After playing on Tuesday night vs. Washington, Jrue Holiday (non-COVID illness) and Joe Ingles (left knee injury management) have been ruled out for the second half of the Bucks‘ back-to-back set on Wednesday in Toronto, tweets Eric Nehm of The Athletic. Khris Middleton (right knee soreness) and George Hill (non-COVID illness) will also remain sidelined.
Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander missed Tuesday’s game due to a non-COVID illness, but he’s not on Wednesday’s injury report, so it appears he’ll be available tonight in Orlando, tweets Rylan Stiles of Locked on Thunder.

Injury Updates: Beal, Martin, Bol, Gilgeous-Alexander, James

January 3rd, 2023 at 11:00pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Bradley Beal returned to action on Tuesday after missing three games due to left hamstring soreness. However, the Wizards’ franchise player aggravated the injury and didn’t finish out the game, Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington tweets.

We have more injury news:

The Hornets’ Cody Martin is listed as questionable to play against Memphis on Wednesday, Rod Boone of the Charlotte Observer tweets. Martin played one minute in the season opener, then was sidelined by a knee injury that required arthroscopic surgery in November, but it appears he’s on the verge of returning.
Magic big man Bol Bol was placed in the league’s health and safety protocols on Tuesday, according to Khobi Price of the Orlando Sentinel. He will miss Wednesday’s home contest against the Thunder and possibly more games beyond that.
Thunder star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander missed the team’s game against Boston on Tuesday due to a non-COVID illness, Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman tweets. Oklahoma City did just fine without him, setting a franchise record with 150 points.
LeBron James is listed as questionable to play against Miami on Wednesday due to left ankle soreness, Jovan Buha of The Athletic tweets. The Lakers’ superstar scored 43 points in 40 minutes against Charlotte on Monday.

Lakers Notes: LeBron, Supporting Cast, Davis

December 31st, 2022 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Just two days after he made comments widely interpreted as a call to the Lakers‘ front office to improve the roster, LeBron James had his best game of the season on Friday in Atlanta. James celebrated his 38th birthday by piling up 47 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists en route to 130-121 victory.

James didn’t do it all by himself though — five of his teammates scored in double digits, with Thomas Bryant grabbing 17 rebounds and Russell Westbrook nearly registering another triple-double (14 points, 11 assists, and eight boards). As Dave McMenamin of ESPN writes, James’ teammates could’ve taken offense to his comments alluding to the roster’s shortcomings, but instead seemed to be galvanized by them.

“I don’t think anyone took that as a slight,” head coach Darvin Ham said. “I think they took it as, ‘You know what? He’s right. We need to pick up our stuff up and really try to apply it in unison, all pulling in the same direction and go compete our butts off.'”

Here’s more on the Lakers:

Rohan Nadkarni of SI.com and Bill Plaschke of The Los Angeles Times responded differently to James’ comments from earlier this week about not wanting to finish his career “playing at this level, from a team aspect.” Nadkarni believes the onus is on the front office to listen to LeBron and upgrade the roster, while Plaschke says the Lakers should tell their superstar “no” and focus on retooling the roster by trading him in the offseason. As we outlined earlier today, James is ineligible to be traded during the season.
On paper, the contract extension James signed in August seemed like it should take some pressure off the Lakers and give the front office some additional time and freedom to operate as it sought roster upgrades. However, that hasn’t really been the case, according to Kyle Goon of The Southern California News Group, who notes that the team is now under scrutiny for how it manages the end of an all-time great player’s career when he’s dissatisfied with how things are going.
The Lakers “desperately need a shooter,” an executive tells Steve Bulpett of Heavy.com, but Anthony Davis‘ recovery timeline will play a large part in dictating the team’s path at the trade deadline. “The question is, can another big-time player put them in the mix, because they’re not going anywhere with the way they are currently constructed,” the exec said. “So they have to ask, do you want to borrow against the future to see if you can maximize the present? And then you deal with the future when it comes up. But if Davis isn’t going to be able to play, or he’s playing but not himself, then none of this will really matter anyway.”
In case you missed it, Davis spoke to reporters about how his recovery from a foot injury is progressing.

Atlantic Notes: Lee, LeBron, Maxey, Grimes

December 29th, 2022 at 7:32pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

After being released from his two-way contract with the Sixers earlier this week, young point guard Saben Lee has re-joined the Raptors‘ NBA G League affiliate, the Raptors 905, writes Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link).

Lee initially joined the 905 in October before latching on with Philadelphia in late November on that two-way deal.

The 23-year-old was initially selected with the No. 38 pick out of Vanderbilt in the 2020 draft. He spent his first two NBA seasons with the Pistons, averaging 5.6 PPG across 85 games. This season, he has appeared in 15 NBAGL games between the Sixers’ G League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats, and the Raptors 905, averaging 23.3 PPG, 6.4 APG and 4.7 RPG.

There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

With Lakers forward LeBron James recently voicing his concerns about being able to compete with his current team during the twilight of his career, Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice wonders if the Sixers could work as a potential trade landing spot for the 18-time All-Star this summer. James, who just inked an extension prior to the start of this season, cannot be moved until the start of the 2023 offseason. Next summer, Neubeck notes, the Sixers could potentially trade the expiring contract of starting small forward Tobias Harris along with explosive young guard Tyrese Maxey, plus some future draft compensation, to L.A. in exchange for James.
Maxey, who has been sidelined with a fractured foot since November 18, practiced with the Sixers on Thursday, according to Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer, a positive sign that he’ll be back in action this weekend. The possibility of a potential Friday return against the Pelicans in New Orleans was recently floated, and he has been officially listed as probable to suit up for that game, Mizell reports (Twitter link).
Young Knicks guard Quentin Grimes continues to develop as a potent 3-and-D option for New York, writes Fred Katz of The Athletic. Grimes has been performing well since been promoted to a starting role for his team last month. “It’s not an easy chore to take the best perimeter player every game,” head coach Tom Thibodeau said of Grimes. “Sometimes, you can do it great, and they still can score. But he’s got the right mindset for it.”