• Lakers Fast Break- NBA Playoff Ideas To Make Your Eyes Roll…with LakerTom!

    LakerTom from lakerholics.net returns with more insight and opinions as he always does as he and Gerald ponder the NBA’s season and playoff format when the league returns to play on July 31. They break down all the questions being asked about the format, the challenges, and the proposed ideas being bandied a…Read More

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    • Very nice post, Gerald. Like the embedded audio. I’m surprised you got the read more to work. I’ve had problems with it. Also, don’t know how you created a post without a title, since I’ve tried to make titles required.

    • OK. I see you used the Front-End Editor above to create this post. This timeline is from Youzer, which is a version of BuddyPress, which adds social media features to WordPress and treats entries created by the above Front-End Editor as Activities rather than Posts. You should test using the Gutenberg Editor to create posts. You can make the posts FEATURED and add a FEATRURED IMAGE.…Read More

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    5 Things: Lakers Finding A Way

    While we’re still in the “too early to form a concrete opinion” stage of the season, there are some trends in the Lakers play we can identify and analyze. Ball movement, offensive flow: good. Defensive intensity and rebounding: mediocre, especially on the break where it gets downright bad. Let’s take a look at some of the ways the Lakers could maybe start to improve on the solid early-season foundation they’ve put down.

    1. Getting buckets. As of this post the Lakers are the #4 ranked offense based on overall offensive rating. In the NBA, “offensive rating” refers to a statistic that measures how many points a team scores per 100 possessions, essentially representing their offensive efficiency over the course of a game; a higher offensive rating indicates a more potent offense. The shot profile is balanced, we’re #11 in Assist % (which is pretty solid considering we have 2 elite iso players in AD and LeBron), and we’re improving our assist to turnover ratio by the game (we currently sit at #5) which means we’re maximizing our possessions by not coughing it up but still using the pass effectively, and we’re not addicted to three point shooting nor are we treating it like a toxic asset. We’re #8 in points in the paint which we should be considering that our 2 best players rely on paint points. We’re #9 in scoring in transition. We’re right in my personal sweet spot for three point FGAs at 33.6 and improving on our accuracy from the beginning of the season at 37.4% (making 12.6). In short, when we lose, offense isn’t the problem.
    2. Getting stops. This isn’t quite as rosy of a picture but the good thing is some of this is very fixable. Our net defensive rating (how many points we give up/100 possessions) is bad, we’re 25th in the league and that’s with AD playing at a high level. Most of that stat was based on the first iteration of the starting five which included D’Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves in the back court. I’d be curious to see what that number looks like with another 5-10 games of Cam Reddish starting in DLO’s place. Swapping Cam for DLO in the starting five has brought balance to both the bench and starting units, balance we sorely need if we want to get to at least middle of the pack defensively. Cam has been ultra solid on D and taken the open shots that come his way on offense without pressing. Early on, when we were a top 5 or so turnover team, we were giving up a lot more fastbreak points and points off of turnovers. We’ve cleaned up the points of TO’s…but we’re second to last in giving up points on the break. In some ways that’s a little more worrisome as it means teams are just running at us and we’re not adjusting very well off of makes or misses. The good thing is we can work on that as a team and get better on getting back. LeBron will not be a part of that effort and, based on his age and usage, this may be the biggest concern for the regular season. Come playoff time, when the game slows down, I expect this to matter a little less. Depending on matchups.
    3. The Knecht Effect. After starting the first 8 or 9 games slowly DK4 has come on like gangbusters and is shooting lights out (last night was awesome against the Jazz). Inserting him into the starting 5 along with Cam has led to some of our best basketball and really opens up the door to a debate about if Rui should go back to starting once he’s available. I think the sample size is too small, it’s early in the season and DK hasn’t really been scouted, yet, so there’s still a lot of unknown factors but it’s certainly a conversation worth having. Starting DK (a rookie) would normally come with some defensive ability questions but, while he won’t be in any kind of NBA All Defense convos he can hold his own because he moves his feet rather than reaches. That in and of itself is huge. Add that a willingness to crash the glass at least as much as Rui does and you have a pretty nice problem for the coaches to unravel. I think that DK is probably the better shooter in that his release is quicker and he’s not shy about putting it up but both are efficient and you get a better iso/post player in Hachimura. Ideally a 2nd unit of Hachimura and DLO would be the way to go as that opens up a lot of options to run through both those guys whose overall skill sets are wasted a little bit as starters with our current roster composition. Both DLO and Rui can get their own shots in a variety of ways, strengths that augment the team more if Cam (or possibly Vando when he’s ready) and DK4 can serve as role-players in the starting five. The fact that Dalton has made this into a conversation is awesome.
    4. The factor that affects everything and every team: injuries. With Wood, Hayes, Rui and Vando out one would expect the lakers to be at a disadvantage. Instead we’ve gone on a 6 game winning streak since our disastrous road trip. Getting those guys back is important and will ultimately make the Lakers better. Since they’re out it’s opened the door for more playing time and a starting spot for Cam and DK4 which has been a revelation on both ends of the court for the reasons above and also opened up some PT for Koloko. I like his energy and he competes well but there’s no denying this guy is both raw and rusty. I don’t need him to shoot threes, either, get good at the three things you need to be good at: rim protection, rebounding and screening. Do those well and you open a lot of doors for the team and us to feel more confident about potentially trading Hayes at some point. Other than that it’s been nice to see LBJ playing in every game so far and to see AD managing his five falls/game and eye injury well.
    5. Wish the Emirates Cup was a little later in the season. We’re undefeated in Cup games dating back to it’s inception. Need more of ’em lol.

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    • Excellent fiver, Jamie.

      1. I still believe we have lots of room to improve offensively, especially when it comes to taking and making more threes. We’re just starting to see how important volume 3-point shooting could be with players like Dalton Knecht imo.

      Our trade priority has to be to trade for a starting center to free up Anthony Davis to roam on offense and defense. I think Koloko has been great as our backup center for when AD goes to the bench.

      I’d like to see us trade for a POA point guard like Smart and great rim protector and perimeter defensive center like Williams. They would not only dramatically upgrade defense but also our offense.

      2. The switch of Reddish for Russell has worked great for the bench but not as good as thought for the starting lineup. Be interesting to see how these numbers change as sample size increases.

      In fact, season to date, here are the stats for DLO/Reaves starting lineup. This fivesome played a total of 96 minutes this season, posting a 110.4 Offensive, 105.7 Defensive, and +4.7 Net rating.
      The Cam/Reaves starting lineup played just a total of 40 minutes and posted a 116.7 Offensive, 116.5 Defensive, and +0.2 Net rating. Reddish also posted a team worst 11.3 net rating last 6 games.

      I think Knecht will end up being a shooting guard rather than a small forward because it will give him a size, height, and athleticism advantage over most opposing shooting guards.

      3. The Knecht Effect. For me, there’s no way Redick does NOT start Knecht. I suspect the initial substitution will be for Rui rather than for Reddish, although I do believe Cam will give way to a new starting center as we opt to go with a two-bigs lineups. Dalton will become the third best player on this team. He will start from now on. He will become our version of Steph or Klay.

      4. Injuries and trade are the Lakers two opportunities to upgrade their starting lineup and rotation. Personally, I think all we need is to trade for Smart and Williams and open up roster spots for Koloko and Olivari, whom I think can become a second Dalton Knecht.

      We are now #4 seed in West and 5th best record but we lack size and struggle every time we face a team that plays two bigs. I do not think the return of Wood and Vando will solve that problem as neither is a center. So I do expect the Lakers to trade DLO and Rui for a point guard and center. Need to go all-in for the last two years of LeBron.

      5. The NBA Cup? Lakers will win it again.

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    The Lakers are 9-0 in the NBA cup

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    10-4 Lakers win 6th straight, now top-3 in West and top-5 in League

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    LeBron James in the 4th quarter this season:

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    D'Angelo Russell blocks John Collins at the rim!!!

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    • This was an excellent defensive game by DLO. That block on Collins was extraordinary. DLO also was instrumental in getting Dalton to go off. Russell personally made sure Knecht went off.

      I’m loving what DLO brings to the bench offense. Moving him to the bench has been a difference maker. While Cam’s done a good job at two guard, he’s still a negative plus/minus on the starting lineup. What’s working is DLO on the bench and LeBron and AR starting playmakers.

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    DALTON KNECHT SHOULD START FOR LAKERS

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      • Knowing how bad our bench has been at the start of the season, I wouldn’t mind a good bench with Rui and D’lo. How about if Gabe Vincent discovers his role and starts giving us quality minutes? We may start calling them the “bench mob.” Remember that name?

      • Get off X and onto BlueSky man. I don’t do any of those but, y’know, don’t give Musk more money.

        • Re: “Get off X and onto BlueSky man. I don’t do any of those but, y’know, don’t give Musk more money.”
          Hahaha! That is very funny but true, Jamie. I agree.

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    How D’Lo orchestrated offense to get Dalton Knecht open.

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    • DLO assisted on all of Knecht’s 3rd quarter explosion.
      Man, Knecht has become Lakers secret weapon.
      Big question is how can they NOT start him at this point?

    • And the Jazz couldn’t find any effective defense to stall Knecht, who exploded for 21 points in the final 3:29 of the third quarter to double the Lakers’ lead from 11 to 22 heading into the fourth.

      Knecht hit four straight 3s — the first three coming off assists from D’Angelo Russell — and with each make, the Crypto.com Arena crowd got louder and louder.

      With seemingly everyone in the building anticipating his next attempt, Knecht got Utah’s Cody Williams to bite on a move and foul him beyond the 3-point line, earning three free throws. He made all three.

      To cap the flurry, he hit another 3 — again off a pass from Russell — with 26.3 seconds left in the third, to finish 6-for-6 for the quarter.

      He finished going 12-for-16 from the field, including 9-for-12 from 3, with five rebounds and a steal.

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    Knecht Goes Crazy as Lakers Beat Jazz & Stay Undefeated In NBA Cup

    As the Los Angeles Lakers look to defend their title in the Emirates Cup, they continued group play on Tuesday night, hosting the Utah Jazz.

    The Lakers beat the San Antonio Spurs in their first game so were looking to remain undefeated in group play. They did exactly that, beating the Jazz, 124-118, to earn their sixth straight win overall and improve their record to 10-4.

    With Rui Hachimura missing a third straight game, Dalton Knecht got another start and kicked off the scoring for the Lakers with a corner triple. He then made another one from the same extra spot to give his team an early 10-4 lead.

    It wasn’t long before the Lakers took their first double digit lead at 18-8 after buckets inside by Austin Reaves, LeBron James and Knecht. Overall, it was a dominant defensive first quarter for the Lakers, who took a 34-22 lead into the second after Gabe Vincent beat the buzzer with a 3-pointer.

    Lauri Markkanen and Jordan Clarkson led a Jazz run to begin the second, quickly getting their deficit back down to six. Knecht continued his strong half with a pair of dunks though, including one on an alley-oop from Reaves.

    The Lakers regained control from there as James led a run to end the half, taking a 57-44 lead into the locker room.

    After a relatively quiet scoring first half, LeBron got going in the third quarter with a three-point play and then a triple. He then had a dunk top put L.A. up 75-56, forcing a Jazz timeout.

    Knecht had another insane stretch to end the third quarter, making four triples in a row and then getting fouled on his fifth attempt. His next attempt also went in as he was at a career-high 33 points through three quarters with the Lakers leading comfortably, 97-75. His play had the entire Crypto.com Arena on their feet as all of his teammates were looking to find him for triples.

    Knecht made one more 3-pointer for good measure to begin the fourth and his ridiculous stretch seemed to put the game out of reach, although the Jazz were actually able to cut their deficit to 16, forcing a timeout by Redick.

    Given the point differential aspect of the Emirates NBA Cup, the hope was for a blowout to ensure L.A. would clinch all tiebreakers. The Jazz kept fighting though and got their deficit to seven at one point.

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    Lakers Center Targets Ranked

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    Lakers Should NOT trade for Jonas

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    https://x.com/LakerTom/status/1858982419380269378

    Dalton Knecht was viewed as one of the biggest steals in this year’s draft, falling to the Los Angeles Lakers with the 17th overall pick. And recently, he has begun to find his stride after a bit of a slow start, giving the Lakers the offensive boost off the bench the team needs.

    He has also endeared himself to his teammates and the coaches, all of whom have spoken highly of him since the offseason. But perhaps his closest relationship is with guard Austin Reaves.

    In fact, this stretches back to Knecht’s time in college at the University of Tennessee as Reaves revealed that he noticed his play there and began texting him after games.

    “I just randomly one day saw him going crazy doing what he did in college and obviously I was very impressed with the way he scores the ball,” Reaves said after practice on Monday. “The way he willed his Tennessee team to a lot of wins was special and I like to show my respects when I really like guys that have a lot of talent, and he’s one of those guys. I would text him after games that I saw and congratulate him on the accolades that he was putting up. That’s really it.”

    Reaves and many others were impressed by Knecht’s season in Tennessee, where he would win SEC Player of the Year. Most expected Knecht to be drafted in the top 10, but as he continued to drop and eventually the Lakers were on the board, Reaves felt the choice was obvious.

    Austin Reaves Talks Origin Of Relationship With Dalton Knecht

    Dalton Knecht was viewed as one of the biggest steals in this year’s draft, falling to the Los Angeles Lakers with the 17th overall pick. And recently, he has begun to find his stride after a bit of a slow start, giving the Lakers the offensive boost off the bench the team needs.

    He has also endeared himself to his teammates and the coaches, all of whom have spoken highly of him since the offseason. But perhaps his closest relationship is with guard Austin Reaves.

    In fact, this stretches back to Knecht’s time in college at the University of Tennessee as Reaves revealed that he noticed his play there and began texting him after games.

    “I just randomly one day saw him going crazy doing what he did in college and obviously I was very impressed with the way he scores the ball,” Reaves said after practice on Monday. “The way he willed his Tennessee team to a lot of wins was special and I like to show my respects when I really like guys that have a lot of talent, and he’s one of those guys. I would text him after games that I saw and congratulate him on the accolades that he was putting up. That’s really it.”

    Reaves and many others were impressed by Knecht’s season in Tennessee, where he would win SEC Player of the Year. Most expected Knecht to be drafted in the top 10, but as he continued to drop and eventually the Lakers were on the board, Reaves felt the choice was obvious.

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    • There’s a part of me that would like to see a Lakers backcourt of Marcus Reaves and Dalton Knecht with LeBron, AD, and Robert Williams in the front court.

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    Lakers get first look at their NBA Cup Court

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    https://x.com/LakerTom/status/1858944430960767198

    The Los Angeles Lakers are looking to make a push to bring another championship to LA while Lebron is still playing at as high a level as he is. Anthony Davis isn’t getting any younger and after Austin Reeves, the Lakers don’t have anyone else that should be trusted to score consistently. Adding another high level player that is still only 24 that they can also build around for the future would be a home run.

    For the Chicago Bulls, they are in need of a true rebuild and while it might make the most sense to most for that to start with Lavine and Vucevic being traded, White will be the easiest to trade and get the most return. It would be hard on the Bulls and Bulls fans to move him, but there are multiple reasons it could be a great move for the franchise moving forward.

    Potential Trade:

    Los Angeles Lakers:
    -Coby White
    -Torrey Craig

    Chicago Bulls:
    -Jarred Vanderbilt
    -Jalen Hood-Schifino
    -Maxwell Lewis
    -2029 1st Round Pick
    -2031 1st Round Pick

    Proposed Lakers Trade for Bulls' Coby White

    The Los Angeles Lakers are looking to make a push to bring another championship to LA while Lebron is still playing at as high a level as he is. Anthony Davis isn’t getting any younger and after Austin Reeves, the Lakers don’t have anyone else that should be trusted to score consistently. Adding another high level player that is still only 24 that they can also build around for the future would be a home run.

    For the Chicago Bulls, they are in need of a true rebuild and while it might make the most sense to most for that to start with Lavine and Vucevic being traded, White will be the easiest to trade and get the most return. It would be hard on the Bulls and Bulls fans to move him, but there are multiple reasons it could be a great move for the franchise moving forward.

    Potential Trade:

    Los Angeles Lakers:
    -Coby White
    -Torrey Craig

    Chicago Bulls:
    -Jarred Vanderbilt
    -Jalen Hood-Schifino
    -Maxwell Lewis
    -2029 1st Round Pick
    -2031 1st Round Pick

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    LAKERS ACTIVELY LOOKING FOR A BIG MAN

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    • Lakers are likely prioritizing center over guard for trade market. That is their top priority. Doesn’t believe they have targeted a specific name yet. Robert Williams and Walker Kessler should be top targets.

        • I get annoyed by these click bait guys that don’t pay attention. The Pacers 2nd and 3rd string centers both are out for the season. They just signed Moses Brown off the scrap heap to back up Turner. I doubt they will trade him. And Drummond starts more than Embid. Probably not going anywhere either.

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    Could DLO have long term role as Lakers 6MOY off bench?

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