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Lakers Notes: Davis, LeBron, Schröder, Free Agents

June 4th, 2021 at 8:33am CST by Luke Adams

Although Lakers big man Anthony Davis was cleared to return for Game 6 vs. Phoenix, he clearly wasn’t himself on Thursday night, leaving the game for good midway through the first quarter due to his strained groin. According to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link), Davis’ injury didn’t get any worse on Thursday, but his pain intensified whenever his mobility was tested.

“It never really felt good, but the competitive nature in me wanted to go out there and help the team as best as I could,” Davis said following the loss that ended the Lakers’ season (Twitter link via Mark Medina of USA Today). “My body didn’t agree.”

The Lakers’ loss on Thursday ended a season of “what ifs” for the franchise, according to Bill Oram of The Athletic. After flying out of the gates to a 21-6 start, the team dealt with lengthy injury absences to its two stars (Davis and LeBron James), while other key players were affected by COVID-19 (Marc Gasol and Dennis Schröder). Los Angeles never regained its early-season momentum. After winning 21 of its first 27 games, the club won just 21 of its next 45 to finish the regular season, then was eliminated in short order in the playoffs.

It was the first time in LeBron’s 18-year career that he has been knocked out in the first round of the postseason, and while the four-time MVP was disappointed with the loss, he’s looking forward to taking full advantage of a longer offseason. According to Marc Stein of The New York Times (Twitter link), James suggested after Thursday’s game that he won’t participate in the Tokyo Olympics this summer.

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Dennis Schröder reportedly turned down a four-year extension worth over $80MM earlier this year, but he said on Thursday that his desire to remain with the Lakers remains strong and is “not even a question,” as Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times details. “It wasn’t about money, because everybody who knows me, it’s not about money either,” he said. “Of course, you want to be fair. But at the end of the day, not everything is about money — for me and my family. At the end of the day, if everything is good, we gonna come back and win a championship next year.”
Sources tell Ramona Shelburne of ESPN that some people in the organization were frustrated by Schröder’s play on the court this season, prompting the team to include him in trade talks for Kyle Lowry at March’s deadline.
The Lakers will have to determine which players are their top priorities in free agency, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Insider link), who notes that Schröder is just one of several rotation players up for a new contract. Alex Caruso, Talen Horton-Tucker, Andre Drummond, and Markieff Morris are among those headed for unrestricted free agency, and Montrezl Harrell could join them by declining his $9.7MM player option.
The Lakers need to upgrade their supporting cast around LeBron James and Anthony Davis this offseason, but don’t have a ton of tools at their disposal to do so, says John Hollinger of The Athletic. The club projects to be over the cap and has already traded multiple future first-round picks.
Asked after Thursday’s loss about his history of injuries, Davis replied, “I don’t need to prove anything to anyone that’s outside this Lakers organization,” per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. However, Bill Plaschke of The Los Angeles Times argues that Davis’ health and James’ age are growing concerns for the franchise.

Lakers Notes: Davis, LeBron, Caldwell-Pope, Drummond

June 2nd, 2021 at 7:33pm CST by Arthur Hill

Anthony Davis told reporters he’s feeling better today, but the decision on whether he plays in Thursday’s Game 6 will be made by the Lakers‘ medical staff, tweets Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Davis was held out of Game 5 with a left groin strain, and L.A. wasn’t able to stay close without him, falling behind by 30 points at halftime.

Davis said the groin injury was a result of overcompensating for a hyperextended left knee that he suffered in Game 3. He is averaging 21.8 points, 8.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists in four games, but L.A. has been ineffective when he hasn’t been on the court.

Davis had been hoping to play in Game 5, but determined during a second warm-up session that he wasn’t able to go, tweets Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Davis said he went through 20 minutes of shooting and the injury still felt the same.

Lakers coach Frank Vogel replied, “We’ll see,” when asked about Davis’ chances of returning for Game 6, saying it will be a game-time decision (Twitter link from McMenamin). “He’s doing everything he can to get back out there,” Vogel said.

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LeBron James cautioned Davis against trying to return too soon, according to Chris Haynes of The Athletic. James had a similar injury during the 2018/19 season that kept him out for several weeks.
Vogel also expects Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to be a game-time decision on Thursday night, Rankin adds (via Twitter). Caldwell-Pope returned in Game 5 after missing Game 4 with a sore left knee, but he played just 15 minutes in the lopsided loss. He said the knee tightened up in the second half and affected his ability to move.
The Lakers appear determined to keep Andre Drummond beyond this season, McMenamin said this week on Zach Lowe’s podcast (hat tip to Brad Sullivan of Lakers Daily). Drummond was widely considered to be a rental when he signed with L.A. in late March after a buyout with the Cavaliers, but L.A. reportedly believes the 27-year-old center is worth a long-term investment. He’s rumored to be seeking a max deal in free agency this summer, so he would have to significantly scale back those demands for a deal with the Lakers to be realistic. Marc Gasol is the only center L.A. has under contract for next season, although Montrezl Harrell has a $9.72MM player option.

And-Ones: Jokubaitis, Banton, LeBron, R. Paul

May 31st, 2021 at 8:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Point guard Rokas Jokubaitis has declared for this year’s draft, Lithuanian journalist Donatas Urbonas tweets. Jokubaitis is currently ranked No. 42 on ESPN’s Best Available list. Playing for Žalgiris Kaunas of the Lithuanian Basketball League and the EuroLeague, the 20-year-old averaged 7.0 PPG and 2.5 APG in 20.9 MPG in 31 games this season.

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Nebraska’s Dalano Banton has declared for the draft, according to his Twitter feed. The sophomore swingman averaged 9.6 PPG, 5.9 RPG and 3.9 APG last season. Banton played a season at Western Kentucky.
LeBron James‘ agent, Rich Paul, explained in a feature written by the New Yorker’s Isaac Chotiner why his top client didn’t skip this year’s All-Star Game after expressing dismay about playing the game during the pandemic. “You have to value what drives our business,” Paul said. “All-Star weekend is a very important part of our business. To not have the All-Star Game, or not have all-stars playing in the All-Star Game, I think that would be a form of doing bad business. You don’t have to like it, and you don’t have to always feel up to doing something.”
In the same piece, a current NBA general manager said James’ decision to leave Cleveland for Miami, which ushered in an era of player empowerment, was the “worst thing” to happen to not only the NBA but sports in general. “Player empowerment is a catchall for the fact that the league has done a terrible job of empowering teams,” he said. “The players have all of the leverage in every situation. I think it’s the worst thing that ever happened to professional sports on all levels.”

Lakers Notes: Davis, LeBron, Schröder, Kuzma, Caruso

May 31st, 2021 at 2:43pm CST by Luke Adams

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.

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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.

Lakers Notes: LeBron, Davis, Kidd, Three-Point Shooting

May 28th, 2021 at 9:56am CST by Arthur Hill

LeBron James is still dealing with the effects of a high-ankle sprain, but it’s becoming less obvious in his on-court performance, writes Kyle Goon of The Orange County Register. James had 21 points and nine assists Thursday night and even threw down a vintage dunk in the third quarter as the Lakers took control of their series with the Suns by posting a double-digit win in Game 3.

James, who aggravated the ankle injury a couple of times since originally hurting it in March, admits he needs “round-the-clock treatment” to be able to play.

“Obviously it’s been a rough year on me as far as physically with my ankle and dealing with that and still trying to get it where it was before the injury,” he said. “But every day is a step forward.”

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Anthony Davis may have hyper-extended his left knee while trying to block a shot in the second quarter, Goon adds. Coach Frank Vogel considered taking Davis out of the game in the second half, but the medical staff said it was safe for him to keep playing, even though it was painful. “Just keeping it warm, keeping it loose and wanted to keep going,” Davis told Dave McMenamin of ESPN. “It felt fine throughout the rest of the game. Really didn’t have any problems with it. … It was all full of adrenaline, so we’ll see how I feel tomorrow. Get some treatment and get some treatment Saturday and be ready to go Sunday.”
Jason Kidd is in his second season as a Lakers assistant, and he tells Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated that hopes to become a head coach again some day. Kidd compiled a 183-190 record with three playoff appearances in five seasons with the Nets and Bucks. “I would love to have another opportunity at it,” Kidd said. “Being here with Frank, understanding his strengths and watching him and how he handles different situations, is a big key that I’ve learned. Patience, communication is really key to understanding where everybody stands. Not just your top players, but the end of the bench.”
Jovan Buha of The Athletic examines the Lakers’ three-point shooting, which he says is becoming an X-factor for the team in the postseason.

Lakers Notes: Davis, Drummond, Gasol, LeBron

May 25th, 2021 at 12:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

Anthony Davis‘ subpar game in the Lakers’ playoff opener may be linked to a lineup problem, suggests Zach Kram of The Ringer. Davis is known to be more comfortable at power forward than center, but playing alongside Andre Drummond is making him less effective, according to Kram.

Davis managed just 13 points in the Game 1 loss and shot 31% from the field, his career low for a playoff game. Kram notes that Davis played more than half his minutes at center in last year’s postseason and has been more productive at that position this season because it enables to get better shots.

The numbers since Drummond signed with the Lakers in late March are particularly bad, Kram adds. Starting lineups with Davis and Drummond were outscored by 3.5 points per 100 possessions during the regular season. Drummond’s presence forces Davis farther away from the basket, leaving him with midrange shots, where he is less efficient. Kram points out that the Suns were able to exploit spacing issues when Drummond was on the court in Game 1.

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Bill Oram of The Athletic also examines L.A.’s frontcourt situation and states that backup center Montrezl Harrell presents the same issues as Drummond. Marc Gasol, who was signed during the offseason to be a floor-spacing center, didn’t play in Game 1 and neither did Markieff Morris, who solved a similar problem against the Rockets in last year’s playoffs. “I think with the lineups, with the big lineup, we just didn’t have enough time to work on it (during the regular season),” Drummond said. “So it’s something we’re just kind of throwing out there with little time and little experience. I think we’re doing a good job of figuring it out on the fly.”
LeBron James is obviously feeling the effects of his high-ankle sprain, writes Ethan Strauss of The Athletic, who contends the Suns should probably be considered favorites to win the series. Strauss points out that James hasn’t dunked since re-aggravating the ankle in the third quarter of the regular season finale.
The NBA has issued a statement (via Twitter) explaining why James didn’t have to quarantine after violating health and safety protocols this week. The league determined that James’ appearance an event promoting his tequila brand “did not create risks related to the spread of COVID-19 and therefore no quarantine was necessary.”

Lakers Notes: Davis, James, Dudley, Vaccinations

May 24th, 2021 at 5:22pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Anthony Davis took responsibility for the Lakers’ loss in their playoff opener to the Suns and promises there won’t be a repeat in Game 2, ESPN’s Dave McMenamin relays. Davis was limited to 13 points on 5-for-16 shooting to go along with seven rebounds.

“There’s no way we’re winning a game, let alone a series, with me playing the way that I played,” Davis said. “So, I mean, this is on me. I take full responsibility, for sure. We’ll be better Game 2.”

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Davis shrugs off detractors he plays too soft at times, writes Kyle Goon of the Orange County Register. “If there are people who say that, most of them probably were never in the game,” he said. “I really don’t care.”
LeBron James turned aside a postgame question regarding his league protocols violation, per Mark Medina and Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today. James avoided a suspension despite attending a promotion event in which an excess of 25 people were in attendance. “I’ll be ready for Game 2,” was all that James offered to the media on that subject.
Jared Dudley takes pride in his ability to return from a torn right MCL while avoiding surgery, Goon reports in a separate piece. Dudley opted for plasma injections while dropping 20 pounds with a strict diet over the past two months. “I put this up as being the best achievement of my career,” Dudley said. “I could have been done. Now, maybe I can play another year. It means a lot that I can even be back out on the court.”
Monday marked the first day that the team was at least 85% vaccinated, Medina tweets.

LeBron James Violates Protocols, Will Not Face Suspension

May 22nd, 2021 at 9:50am CST by marksuleymanov

Lakers superstar LeBron James violated the NBA’s COVID-19 health and safety protocols by attending an event promoting his tequila brand, ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reports.

James was reportedly one of several big-name guests at the event, which included rapper Drake and actor Michael B. Jordan, per McMenamin. Attendees were required to provide proof of vaccination or a recent negative COVID-19 test.

“It’s a violation of the agreed upon protocols, and, as we have in other comparable instances around the league, it has been addressed with the team,” an NBA spokesman said to ESPN.

Despite the violation, James will not be suspended, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). James’ attendance at the event did not rise to “a threat level of virus spread” and he will be available for the team’s first-round series against the Suns, which tips off on Sunday.

As McMenamin notes, James has declined to outright state whether or not he has yet to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Teammate Dennis Schröder recently told German outlet N-TV last month that he and James both had not been vaccinated, but later amended that statement, telling reporters, “I’m the only guy that didn’t get vaccinated. I’ll just leave it at that.”

The Lakers as a team have yet to reach the 85% threshold for fully vaccinated players and personnel, which would loosen several health and safety protocols.

“We have not reached it yet, but we’re still hopeful,” head coach Frank Vogel said recently. “And I think there’s obvious benefits from the standpoint of us being able to do more things with each other in the cities that we’re going to. Something that’s been absent leaguewide in terms of team building and team bonding for all of us. “

Play-In Tournament Notes: LeBron, Curry, Grizzlies, Ratings

May 20th, 2021 at 9:04am CST by Arthur Hill

After two lopsided games on the first night of the NBA’s play-in tournament, the league got the drama it had been hoping for on Wednesday. The Grizzlies defeated the Spurs by four points in an elimination game, then the Lakers and Warriors delivered an instant classic with LeBron James posting a triple-double and Stephen Curry scoring 37 points.

The outcome was in doubt until the final play, and the game-winner turned out to be a desperation three-pointer that James hit from about 30 feet away with 58 seconds remaining. James had been poked in the eye moments earlier and said his vision was blurry on the shot, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.

“After (Draymond Green‘s) finger to the eye, I was literally seeing three rims out there,” he said. “I just shot for the middle one.”

Sources tell Shelburne that the NBA’s competition committee had discussed the idea of a play-in tournament for five or six years before trying it out last year in the Orlando bubble. The original plan was to have the ninth- and 10th-place teams meet for a chance to face the eighth team for the final playoff spot. That never happened, but last year’s setup was so successful that the league expanded it to include four teams in each conference.

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The Warriors won 15 of their last 20 games to finish eighth in the West, but they now face a must-win game Friday night against the Grizzlies to avoid an early elimination. Curry promises the team will “come out swinging” with its season on the line, writes Nick Friedell of ESPN. “We’ve had to do it the last 20 games, so it’s no different,” he said. “It is a win-or-go-home scenario, but we’ve had a high confidence and put together a string of wins and had a tough loss and had to bounce back, so we’ve been there.”
Memphis is also very confident heading into Friday’s game, states Evan Barnes of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. The winner will travel to top-seeded Utah for the first two games of a first-round series. “Our plan is to pack for a three-game road trip,” Ja Morant said after Wednesday’s win. “No matter who we’re facing … our goal is to go out and win.”
The first night of the new tournament was a success in the ratings, according to Sports Media Watch. The Hornets-Pacers matchup averaged an 0.8 rating and had 1.39 million viewers, and the Wizards-Celtics game had a 1.5 rating with 2.5 million viewers, making it TNT’s most-watched game since opening night.

Pacific Notes: Curry, LeBron, Walton, Ibaka

May 17th, 2021 at 10:20am CST by Luke Adams

While Nikola Jokic is considered the odds-on favorite to win this season’s NBA MVP award, Lakers forward LeBron James has endorsed a division rival for the honor, telling reporters on Sunday night that Warriors guard Stephen Curry would get his vote.

“I mean, just look at what he’s done this year,” James said of the NBA’s leading scorer (link via Dave McMenamin of ESPN). “I don’t know anything else if you’re looking for an MVP. If Steph is not on Golden State’s team, what are we looking at? … We get caught up in the records sometimes. We get caught up in the, ‘OK, who has the best record?’ instead of just saying who had the best season that year. And Steph has had, in my opinion, the best season all year.”

Curry has won two MVP awards, but his performance this season may have been his most impressive yet, considering the Warriors didn’t have high-scoring options like Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant available to draw attention away from him. Despite facing double-teams and traps for much of the season, Curry averaged a career-best 32.0 points per game on .482/.421/.916 shooting in 63 games (34.2 MPG). His 5.3 three-pointers per game also represented a new career high.

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Bill Shea of The Athletic explores what life after basketball might look like for LeBron James, who will turn 37 later this year. The Lakers star, who has already ventured into the media and business worlds during his playing career, also aims to one day own an NBA franchise.
After expressing last week that he was “very confident” about keeping his job as the Kings‘ head coach, Luke Walton explained on Sunday why he’s not worried, as Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee relays. “It doesn’t weigh on me because it’s the same thing I always talk about — it’s control what you can control — the same message I give my players every day,” Walton said. He added that he felt the story of Sacramento’s season should be the growth of the team’s young players. “I’m excited about this group and excited about our future,” the Kings’ coach said.
Having returned on Friday after missing two months due to a back injury, Clippers big man Serge Ibaka told reporters that he has played with back pain since the start of the season, per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN (Twitter link). It’s a nerve issue, according to Ibaka, who admitted he’s still not back to 100%.