5 THINGS

It has begun. The Age of Luka is upon us. The great thing about this transition is that the Lakers were already one of the hottest team in hoops right now. Maybe THE hottest team. So they’re not expecting Luka to ride in like The Riders of Rohan and save the day. Rather he has the luxury of working his way slowly back into game shape and with the ASB giving the staff to take a 1-2 game sample size back to the film room and some post ASB practices we’re looking at potentially dynamite second part of the season. It’s the beginning of a new age, my friends.

1. The true star of the team shined, again….the defense. The lakers have slowly but surely built themselves into an elite defensive squad this season. Even after losing Max Christie it feels like we didn’t miss a beat on D with DFS being absolutely instrumental coupled with the return of Jarred Vanderbilt. It’s not all these two , however, the entire team has bought into and is executing a much more precise and physical defensive set of schemes. Gone are the soft hedges on the screener and we’re seeing bodies pass each other more fluidly on the switch. Gone is one the stop shop of “switch everything” but rather a hybrid man/switch (depending on the situation) and we’re seeing guys calling out coverages. This is what an elite defense does on the reg. To see us find this level is truly heartening because it doesn’t just bode well for the regular season but the playoffs, as well.
2. LeBron playing like a young man. After he took that charge, which ended up knocking him out of the game (and possibly the next one, too) you could see how pumped the team was. To see the oldest player in the game today step in and take that charge…when you’re up big…is an emboldening maneuver. It may have cost LeBron a good night’s sleep but the inspiration it provides the squad is invaluable. In general LeBron has been playing at a pretty incredible level since we hit mid-January and it’s coincided with the best Laker basketball we’ve seen all season long. While not an All Defense candidate he is moving and communicating on D and that’s enough. His offense is still elite so when he puts forth some effort on the other end you’re instantly reminded of just how far LeBron can still take a team when his body lets him.
3. The Vanderbilt/DFS effect. DFS played 26 minutes, Vanderbilt played 17. between the two of them they managed the pedestrian stat line of 4 points, 6 rebounds (none offensive), 2 assists, 2 steals (both DFS) and a turnover (Vando). They didn’t make a three pointer in 4 tries between them and shot 1-7. They were a combined +17 (+13 for DFS and +4 for JV). I bring this up to illustrate how a player can choose to impact winning without putting the ball in the basket or even filling the stat sheet. These 2 are helping stabilize the Laker bench as defensive unit and allowing Gabe Vincent and whomever is playing with them from the starting 5 to shine while they grind and defend. Hard. They deflect, they push, shove, grab and scrape for position. They are vital cogs in the Lakers winning machine. I don’t care what the stat line says, the W/L record speaks for itself. Vando hasn’t lost since he came back, by the way. 8-0 with Vando.
4. Reaves and Rui still balling. It’s worth noting how well both Rui and Reaves played last night because after we traded AD they both have been going off. If you were worried about some slippage due to new faces and acclimating the games of everyone they put that to rest fairly quickly. Reaves looks like a borderline All Star. Rui should be in the three point shooting contest. Both guys have come up absolutely huge since the calendar turned over to 2025 and it’s been awesome to watch.
5. Oh yeah, Luka. 14 minutes and all of it knocking rust off and just getting back on the court. He shot poorly but still has the elite vision and audacity to make ridiculous passes. He connected with Hayes for dunks, got to the line a bit, shot some 3’s-made 1, and looked a lot like a guy who hadn’t played in a couple of months. It was amazing to see Dirk at the game, makes me wonder how much that will happen and if we can maybe bring Dirk into the fold lol.

You figure this has to be it, right? With not many draft assets or players you can see a reason to trade this feels like the end of the Lakers trade maneuvers. Right? Anyhow, I’m calling it. As someone who has been very critical of the Rob Pelinka front office and they’re lack of acumen regarding the value of first round draft picks and propensity to overpay simply to get a deal done, this season has shown us that the Laker front office under Rob is coming into it’s own. There may yet be another move to be made in the form of getting an un-signed player or elevating a two-way contract but, in terms of NBA trades this feels like the end.

1. The Luka trade. I am still at a loss for words. Say what you want about his commitment to conditioning and his availability, AD was no All Star in that department, either, although he had been largely available for the last season and a third…when you get a chance to acquire a talent like Luka for the price we paid you do it. 10 out of 10 times I make that trade. More on AD next. For the price we paid, this was a steal now and in the future. Barring the kind of injury that can happen to any athlete Luka will be leading the Lakers to the playoffs for the next 5-7 years if we’re willing to pay him. Hint: we will. Luka fits into everything about the Lakers internal mythology and global brand. He’s a planet-wide superstar on a planet-wide sport team. He’s flashy, audacious, and wins. Even when he’s on mediocre teams he wins. Paired with LeBron and a supporting cast he can grow with the Lakers are set until 2030, if not longer. Is his weight an issue? Sure, to a degree, but he’s always been bulky and used that mass to create space in unorthodox ways that work for him. It’s effect on his legs being the only question. If he can learn from LeBron about keeping his body in shape for his style of play this move just gets even better.
2. Good bye Anthony Davis. Dude, I cannot thank you enough for the Bubble title. Same goes for every player on that team. You took too much heat for you injuries and wanting to play the 4 and now you’ve landed in a situation where you can still compete for a title with a roster that is oddly suited to your skillset. You were a Laker great and I wouldn’t be surprised if your jersey ended up on that wall, at some point. No statue, that’s a multiple banner club, but man did you compete for us and I will always appreciate your effort.
3. The Mark Williams trade. I’m having a harder time endorsing this one as whole-heartedly as the Luka trade. While there is still as of yet untapped potential in Mark Williams (only 23 and fits the bill for our center boxes we need to check) his injury history is troubling. If we can keep him on the floor we have a really solid starting five in Reaves, Vanderbilt or Vincent, Luka, LeBron and Williams. His injury history is concerning. His limited game (not a shooter of note) is concerning, but he fits the mobile, defensive center mold perfectly. Luka asked for a mobile lob threat and het one, this move feels as much as a “welcome to the Lakers and how we do things, Luka” move as anything else.
4. Good bye Max Christie. You were on the rise, you took the challenge of becoming a legit defender and you hit the three ball well enough. Great story about how one can make the most of the opportunities in front of you. Good luck, Max. Also, good bye Dalton Knecht, you started hot and fizzled (not too sure this deal gets made if you shoot better after November).
5. What now? Now we wait and see. Might pick up an unsigned player, promote a two-way. Could use another guard/wing that shoot (Lonnie Walker 4 anyone?).

Go Lakers.

As the Lakers embark on a 6 game road trip (aka The Grammy Trip) questions surround the team, and the NBA in general, regarding trades. After the multiple LA fires last week (still ongoing), the Lakers know how to deal with distractions. Seeing entire neighborhoods wiped form the face of the planet has a way of making you appreciate that your job is to play a game. Or at least it should. So the Lakers did well in getting the roadie off on the right foot and tuning out trade chatter and that jazz.

1. AD dominated. As he should have done with Draymond Green out of the lineup. Davis had a monster game: 36 points, 13 rebounds, 3 dimes, 3 steals and a block. He got to the line 12 times meaning he was operating in the paint and was playing with force. He also had the jumper working from midrange (5-6), although he missed his three 3 pointers. When AD plays like this it makes everything so much easier for the Lakers.
2. A defensive identity. With Rui Hachimura out (calf), fans pining to see new acquisition Dorian Finney-Smith get the starting nod got their wish. He did not disappoint. His rangy arms and solid defensive fundamentals were on full display. His 3 and D role was essential in helping the Lakers overcome a dreary night from three (DFS: 2-3, rest of team: 8-26) and he did a great job on switches and help situations. While I highly doubt one game will uproot Rui from the starting five it was nice to see that, against an admittedly small team in Golden State, the starting 5 of Reaves, Christie, DFS, LBJ and AD can get it done at a high level.
3. Dalton Knecht had a solid overall game. Since December DK4 has struggled. A lot. Since December 1st he’s made 21 three pointers and taken 86 good for 24.4%. That shows you what his ceiling is because for the season he’s still shooting 35.2% which means he was hot enough from three point land early on to balance this shooting abyss out (slump seems too kind at this point). His overall aggression has suffered as a result of the shooting abyss. Since December (24 games) he’s made multiple threes in just 7 and had donuts (O fer’s) in 13 and since his 5-13 barrage to close out November when he was still in the RotY conversation he has not attempted double-digit three-pointers once. The reasons for all of this are many: defenses realigned their focus to cover him when he was on the floor, his minutes have gone down since January mainly due to his role shrinking a bit due to his defense, and he’s a rookie. He’s going to struggle to find consistency at this level of the sport. It’s also a mental issue, in my opinion. Since he had a run of bad shooting games to you’ve seen him pull back on his aggression and audacity. If you’re going to be a swashbuckling NBA sniper daring-do you need to play like a swashbuckling NBA sniper daring-do. So it was nice to see the young man have a solid overall game.
4. The Reaves/Christie back court works. They compliment each other very well, they’re fast enough to keep up with the majority of the players and they’re both high IQ players. Max has taken on the role of defensive stopper and offensive release valve a lot better than hoped for (shout out to all the Max Christie supporters who never stopped believing, all 3 of you? lol JK.). Are there better back courts in the NBA? Sure, but for this team with AD and LBJ being the focal point of the offense it’s really a luxury to have 2 players who are doing a lot of the little things to enable their success at a high level.
5. THE RETURN OF THE VANDOLORIAN!!!! After a year-ish of waiting the return of Jarred Vanderbilt couldn’t have gone much better (wish he had hit that corner three but it looked good, just a little short…which is to be expected after not playing for so long). He was the only guy off the bench that impacted winning in a positive way +/- of +6, rest of the bench all had negative ratings)despite only taking 2 shots (the other was a bunny on a put back) and he was disruptive on D which is what his role is. Again, Rui Hachimura was out, so his minutes will eventually come from someone else (a combination of Knecht and Hayes in my opinion) and I don’t see him playing much more than 20-25 MPG, in general, but to have a weapon like that in conjunction with Christie, DFS and AD makes for some really intriguing defensive line ups and combinations.

(Sigh)

Last night….eh….(sigh).

1. (sigh…)
2. Defense was OK until the 4th…eh…….(sigh).
3. Rebounding was, yet again…ah forget it…(sigh)
4. (sigh sigh sigh)
5. Hey we play the Heat, likely without Jimmy. Trap game.

Effort needs to be there for 48. Not worth my time to say much else.