RSS Lakers Team Notes

[Los Angeles Lakers]

JJ Redick Believes Jarred Vanderbilt Can Be Impactful Two-Way Player For Lakers

The story has been the same for Los Angeles Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt for nearly the entire time he’s been with the franchise. When healthy, he is an extremely impactful defensive player that can guard multiple positions and can even be assigned opposing team’s best players. But his offense has, at times, made him borderline unplayable.

That’s been the battle for head coach JJ Redick, to figure out how to best utilize Vanderbilt on offense so the team can have what he brings on defense. But the scrappy forward has not been healthy enough to take strides on that end of the floor, leaving Redick unable to use him at all in some big spots.

But he has looked like a different guy so far in the preseason. Vanderbilt had a highly impactful 13 minutes on Thursday night before taking a knee to the quad, and had strong showings in previous preseason games as well. Redick spoke about what he’s seen from Vanderbilt that gives him high hopes for the upcoming campaign.

“He can be a really impactful guy on both ends,” Redick said. “You can see he’s moving better than he was last season. You can clearly tell that he’s spent a lot of time working on his game this summer. I know he’s spent a lot of time with AJ Diggs who was one of my coaches in New Orleans.

“I said this a lot early in the preseason, I put him in a tough spot last year by necessity of playing him at the five. And having him be able to guard multiple positions at the perimeter and be a crasher and hopefully a high-level corner spacer and a cutter. He got a corner cut tonight against their zone. He can do a lot. I like him as a playmaker. He can make the right read and I thought he did a good job tonight pushing pace.”

Vanderbilt has been at his best when he can be at least a marginal threat from the corners on offense. Beyond just shooting 3-pointers, that also means cutting and playmaking out of those spots, as Redick describes. But if he is shooting as poorly as he has at some points, then defenses can completely ignore him, making his cutting ineffective as well.

Improving at the corner 3 would be a massive upgrade for the Lakers. But they more so need Vanderbilt to be a threat to make some sort of play out of the corner to get defenses to respect him. If he can do that, the Lakers no longer play 4-on-5 when he’s on the floor, and his defense can be utilized to its fullest effect.

It remains to be seen if any of this will carry to the regular season. But if it does, L.A.’s rotation gets that much deeper and more effective.

JJ Redick discusses starting lineup decisions​

Since training camp began, one of the biggest questions surrounding the Lakers is what their starting lineup will be. Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, LeBron James and Deandre Ayton are basically locks, but the fifth spot seems to be up in the air for JJ Redick.

There are multiple different options for Redick, including Rui Hachimura who started all last year, as well as newcomers Marcus Smart or Jake LaRavia. Perhaps Jarred Vanderbilt, who has been one of the standouts of preseason, is an option as well.

Whatever Redick’s decision ultimately is, there will be a lot that goes into the thought process in determining the lineups and he broke down everything that is considered in figuring out the starters and any other lineup he puts on the court.

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/jj-redick-...t-can-be-impactful-two-way-player-for-lakers/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

Recap: Luka Doncic & Lakers End Preseason With Close Loss To Kings

The Los Angeles Lakers hosted the Sacramento Kings at Crypto.com Arena on Friday night in what was their final of six preseason games.

Players have been in and out of the lineup for various reasons all preseason, but JJ Redick’s plan going into the preseason finale was for all of the healthy guys to suit up for a dress rehearsal before Opening Night. Redick stuck to that plan but the Lakers weren’t able to close out the preseason on a high note, blowing a fourth quarter lead and losing 117-116.

Redick started Gabe Vincent, Austin Reaves, Luka Doncic, Rui Hachimura and Deandre Ayton in this one, which likely will be the team’s first five to begin the season. Doncic and Hachimura had five early points each to give the Lakers a 10-6 lead, although the Kings then went on a run to take their first lead.

Marcus Smart, who didn’t attempt a shot in his first preseason game, made his first triple coming off the bench in this one. Doncic also got hot from deep, but the Lakers didn’t play much defense and found themselves trailing 36-34 at the end of the first.

Vincent, who has been red-hot this preseason, continued that to start the second quarter as he and Doncic hit back-to-back triples to regain the lead. The 3-point shot was keeping the Lakers in front as they went 9-for-20 from deep in the first half to take a 61-58 lead into the locker room.

The Lakers announced that Jaxson Hayes was ruled out for the second half due to a right wrist contusion. Meanwhile on the court, Doncic and the Lakers came out strong to begin the third quarter, extending the lead to double digits.

Their defense did not allow them to build on that, however, with Zach LaVine, Keon Ellis and Dennis Schroder keeping the Kings within striking distance, trailing 90-86 going into the fourth quarter.

Redick left his starters in for the first shift of the fourth quarter and Doncic continued to do what he does. He finished with 31 points, five rebounds and nine assists in 32 minutes.

The game was still close heading into the final stretch though, making for a fun finish. The Kings regained the lead in the final minute and then the Lakers couldn’t get a stop due to their inability to get a rebound.

The Lakers had one final chance trailing 116-113 with 10.8 seconds to go, and Dalton Knecht drilled a triple. The Kings then got a look ahead of the buzzer, and Nick Smith Jr. committed a costly foul as Isaac Jones sealed the game with a free throw with 0.8 on the clock.

What’s next for the Lakers​

Now that the preseason has come and gone, the next time the Lakers take the court it will count for real as they are hosting the Golden State Warriors on Opening Night this coming Tuesday.

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/recap-luka-doncic-lakers-end-preseason-with-close-loss-to-kings/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

JJ Redick Feels Lakers Took ‘Step In Right Direction’ In Preseason Finale

After key players were in and out of the lineup all preseason, JJ Redick used the final exhibition game on Friday night against the Sacramento Kings as a dress rehearsal for the Los Angeles Lakers ahead of Opening Night on Tuesday.

That meant playing starters and regular rotation players for almost the entire game, including Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and others.

Unfortunately, the result was another loss as the Lakers fell to the Kings 117-116 and will end their preseason with a 1-5 record.

The Lakers were ahead for most of the night though and Redick assessed both the positives and negatives of the team’s final preseason tuneup.

“The biggest thing from tonight was just our passing,” Redick said. “Twenty-eight assists, 10 turnovers, nine dead-ball turnovers, one shot clock violation. The reality is we should’ve had about 35 assists. We gotta figure out our lobs and then we had a couple of Harlem Globetrotter plays when the simple play was right there. But we had multiple possessions where everybody touched it, we created multiple advantages and got good shots, some of which we didn’t make. But I just liked our offensive flow and execution for most of the game.

“Not a great defensive start but there were some good things in the second and third quarters. I challenged guys to be into the basketball more, we were just so far off the body every time we got an ice or weak call. They were better in the second half. Not perfect, but better. I think just overall, good to have like a Marcus Smart game. Did some really good things, that’s a positive sign for us going into the regular season. Our starting five was all in the plus in plus-minus and three of them in double figures. So I liked overall that group together. Again, another game where I think we took a step in the right direction.”

The Lakers will be without superstar LeBron James to begin the season, but all of their other key players looked healthy and ready to go on Friday night.

L.A. will have two practices before Opening Night to clean some more stuff up, but Redick and the coaching staff have done what they can this preseason with the cards they were dealt and now it’s just about going out and executing.

JJ Redick explains Lakers’ starting lineup decision​

With LeBron James out, JJ Redick chose to include Gabe Vincent in the starting lineup to begin the season and explained why.

“I don’t know anything about who I’m going to be starting the rest of the season because, again, there’s injuries and there’s things that happen throughout a year,” Redick said. “I have a pretty good idea who’s going to start Game 1. After that, I don’t know. But I do think in that lineup there’s lot of shooting around Luka and DA, and Gabe is another ball handler, another tough defender. I think he fits in well, but you have to take a look at every matchup we play against and have to make a decision there.”

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/jj-redick-feels-lakers-took-step-in-right-direction-in-preseason-finale/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

Lakers News: Gabe Vincent Discusses His Strong Preseason

The Los Angeles Lakers are going to be shorthanded to start the 2025-26 season with LeBron James sidelined, meaning players like Gabe Vincent are in line for bigger roles.

Vincent is coming off a solid year for the Lakers, but stepped up in the preseason for the Lakers as both a bench player and starter.

In Los Angeles’ final preseason game, head coach JJ Redick named Vincent as one of the starters and he responded with 14 points on 5-of-6 shooting in including 4-of-5 from the 3-point line.

After preseason action concluded, Vincent discussed how he approached the offseason.

“Unfortunately we got an early exit in the playoffs and had a long offseason, but I did what I could to take advantage of it. Preparing my body, working on my game and I’m feeling good about the start of the year,” Vincent said.

As far as his hot shooting in the preseason, Vincent said he’s trusting all the hard work he put in working on his jumper.

“Well first of all it’s just a lot of work. I put a lot of work in,” he said. “There have been a lot of shots made and a lot of shots missed behind the scenes, so I got a lot of trust in myself with what I’m doing, a lot of confidence in what I’ve put forth.”

Vincent also emphasized his teammates have also contributed to how well he shot the basketball.

“Shot’s feeling good. I’ve just been trying to make it as repeatable as possible. But credit to my teammates, they’ve been working to get my shots as well especially in Vegas,” Vincent said. “They were working to get me all my looks, so it wasn’t just me coming across casting away. So credit to them, just trying to my job and be as efficient as I can be.”

With how effective Vincent was, he’s nearly cemented himself in the rotation and should expect to see heavy minutes. Redick expressed how much he appreciated Vincent’s effort on both ends of the floor in preseason, and it’ll be interesting to see how that translates in the regular season.

Luka Doncic enjoys playing with Gabe Vincent​

Luka Doncic has even more of a load to carry on his shoulders with LeBron James out to start the 2025-26 season. However, Doncic can rest easy knowing that teammates like Gabe Vincent look ready to contribute.

Vincent has endeared himself to Doncic, who said he enjoys playing with the veteran.

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/lakers-news-gabe-vincent-discusses-his-strong-preseason/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

Lakers News: Luka Doncic Enjoys Playing With Gabe Vincent

Opening Night is just around the corner for the Los Angeles Lakers as they will host the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night.

With LeBron James out of the lineup, Lakers head coach JJ Redick has to choose a fifth starter alongside Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura and Jaxson Hayes, and he appears to have landed on Gabe Vincent.

It may be a matchup-based decision against Stephen Curry and the Warriors, but nonetheless, Vincent earned the spot with his stellar play this preseason.

The guard was injured for a majority of his first season with the Lakers and then was working his way back in the second. Vincent is coming off a healthy offseason though and it has looked like it this preseason.

While Redick’s decision to start Vincent may be a controversial one given his lack of size, one person who enjoys playing with him is Doncic.

“As you can see, I always like playing with Gabe,” Doncic said after the Lakers’ preseason finale. “I mean, obviously his shooting is gonna help me a lot. We have that connection. He made four 3s out of five, so we he’s hot like that, we need to get him some more touches. But he brings a defensive intensity too so I think that’s gonna help us a lot.”

It’s no secret that Doncic needs shooting around him to be at his best, and Vincent can definitely provide that as he continues to shoot at the level his did in the preseason. Vincent also provided some point of attack defense, which is a big need on this Lakers roster.

It remains to be seen if Vincent will stay in the starting lineup beyond Opening Night, but regardless of his role, it looks like the 29-year-old is primed to make a big impact for L.A. in his third season with the team.

Lakers coach JJ Redick praises Gabe Vincent’s preseason​

Gabe Vincent has been one of the Lakers’ standouts this preseason and head coach JJ Redick recently praised him for his play.

“Yeah, he’s been fantastic,” Redick said. “Really as an on-ball guy. He’s created advantages for us, I think his movement in early offense sets and then his movement in our half-court has been really good. I think he’s pushing himself right now to get in fantastic shape and be able to do that, sustain that, for a longer period. That would be the goal for him.”

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/lakers-news-luka-doncic-enjoys-playing-with-gabe-vincent/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

Lakers Injury Report: LeBron James & Adou Thiero Out; Maxi Kleber Questionable Vs. Warriors

The Los Angeles Lakers released their injury report for the season opener against the Golden State Warriors and LeBron James (right sciatica) and Adou Thiero (left knee surgery recovery) have been ruled out. Meanwhile, Bronny James and Jaxson Hayes are both not on the injury report and good to go while Maxi Kleber (abdominal muscle strain) is questionable.

LeBron has been dealing with the sciatica on his right side and is expected to miss the first few weeks of the regular season with he and the Lakers targeting a mid-November return. That would be in line with the initial Lakers’ report that he would be re-evaluated in 3-4 weeks. Of course, the team will continue to be cautious with LeBron in their ramp up process, especially as he missed the entire preseason and was very limited throughout training camp.

Likewise, Thiero missed all of the preseason as well while dealing with a knee injury. While he has been able to progress into more on-court activity, the rookie is still working with the Lakers’ training staff to build more strength in his knee and is expected to be re-evaluated in another week or two.

Bronny is dealing with an ankle sprain, which kept him out of the team’s final two preseason games. However, head coach JJ Redick revealed he was a full participant in practice on Monday and he is now ready to suit up against the Warriors.

The same can be said for Hayes, who suffered a wrist contusion in the Lakers’ preseason finale against the Sacramento Kings. However, X-rays were negative and the Lakers will get their energetic big man in uniform on Tuesday night.

Kleber’s injury is a new one as he missed time during training camp due to a minor quad issue but then was able to suit up for the preseason finale. Kleber likely won’t be in the Lakers’ rotation to start, so they can be cautious to assure this doesn’t become a long-term injury that lingers.

JJ Redick expects Luka Doncic to be in MVP conversation if Lakers are winning​

The Lakers may be without LeBron James, but the team does still have superstar guard Luka Doncic to lead the way and there will be even more on his plate to carry the offense in LeBron’s absence. There are many who believe Luka has a chance to be the MVP of the entire NBA and head coach JJ Redick believes that to be the case as well, as long as the Lakers are winning at a high level.

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/lakers-injury-report-lebron-james-maxi-kleber-questionable-vs-warriors/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

Lakers News: Rui Hachimura Marvels At Dodgers Star Shohei Ohtani’s ‘Crazy’ Performance

While the Los Angeles Lakers begin the 2025-26 season this week, the sports world can’t stop talking about Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani.

Ohtani led the Dodgers to a four-game sweep against the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLCS, pitching six shoutout innings with 10 strikeouts to go along with three solo home runs. Ohtani set several new records in his dominating performance, highlighting him as the best player in baseball.

Prior to his Game 4 breakout, Ohtani had largely struggled at the plate but he answered the call. The Dodgers will now attempt to become the first team in 25 years to repeat as champions, with Ohtani showing what he can do on the biggest stage.

Fellow countryman Rui Hachimura has developed a friendship with Ohtani and revealed that he and the Lakers were tuning into Game 4 before their preseason finale against the Sacramento Kings. Even though they’re also professional athlete, Hachimura and his teammates couldn’t help but marvel at what Ohtani did.

“Oh, it was crazy,” Hachimura said. “We were watching it, it was right before the game. We were watching it, it was amazing. Oh my god, everybody was just literally watching it and was like, ‘What is this? This is crazy.’ He’s the guy, for sure. I’m happy for him, the whole team and all the Japanese guys, shoutout to them. Hopefully they gonna get the next one, too.”

What Ohtani is doing on the baseball field is unprecedented and it only adds to his case as MLB’s GOAT. Ohtani has been compared to baseball legends like Babe Ruth and Barry Bonds, but neither player ever displayed the kind of prowess he has on the mound.

When it comes to watching the Dodgers, all eyes are on Ohtani no matter what he does because there’s always the slight possibility he does something never seen before. Every team in MLB would have been beyond thrilled to have him solely as a hitter or pitcher, but because he does both at an elite level it truly makes him arguably the greatest athlete across sports today.

Lakers legend Magic Johnson congratulated his Dodgers, but also made sure to shout out Ohtani who continues to make history. Hopefully the Dodgers can bring home another World Series as the Los Angeles community is eagerly waiting another championship to celebrate.

Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman featured in Lakers’ promotional videos​

With Mark Walter’s acquisition of a majority stake in the Lakers, he is now the controlling owner for Los Angeles’ top-two sports franchises. The synergy between the two organizations is already showing fruit as Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman were featured in Lakers’ promotional videos.

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/lakers-new...dodgers-star-shohei-ohtani-crazy-performance/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

Lakers Rumors: Third-Year Rookie Scale Team Option On Dalton Knecht Picked Up

The Los Angeles Lakers are hoping to see a sophomore leap from Dalton Knecht, their 17th overall pick from the 2024 NBA Draft. The sharpshooter from Tennessee had an uneven rookie campaign, shooting 43.9% from beyond the arc between October and November and 42.7% from deep between March and April, but only 28.5% in the months in between.

Knecht’s showing at the California Classic and Las Vegas Summer League did not inspire much confidence either, but that was explained by both him and the Lakers. The second-year wing put in so much work in the weeks after the season ended, that he was burnt out by the time the summer came around.

As is the case with all rookie scale first round contracts, though, the Lakers had a decision to make before the start of the 2025-26 season regarding Knecht. They could lock in Knecht for a third season with the team, or allow him to enter free agency in the summer of 2026. They made the obvious choice to retain him, via Keith Smith of Spotrac:

The Los Angeles Lakers have picked up the 2026-27 rookie scale team option for Dalton Knecht, a league source told @spotrac.

Knecht will be on the Lakers books at $4.2M for next season.

— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) October 21, 2025

It is very rare for teams not to pick up the third-year team option on a rookie scale deal, unless the team firmly no longer sees that player as a viable piece either for their rotation or via trade. Knecht could still very easily rehab his value with some strong early play, even if he isn’t seen as a top prospect right now.

Knecht will now make $4.2 million in 2026-27 and is one of only five players on a guaranteed contract with the Lakers next season, joining Luka Doncic, Jarred Vanderbilt, Jake LaRavia and Adou Thiero.

JJ Redick: Lakers have lots of excitement for 2025-26 season​

Head coach JJ Redick had a successful Year 1 leading the Lakers and now hopes to improve upon last season’s mark.

Redick preached the importance of building championship habits this preseason and he felt like the Lakers took a step in the right direction in their finale against the Sacramento Kings. Now, Los Angeles gears up for an Opening Night matchup against the Golden State Warriors who are also looking to prove they belong in the contender conversation.

While Redick would have preferred to have his entire roster healthy for training camp and preseason, Los Angeles has to make due with the players they have. A healthy and motivated Luka Doncic is a good place to start, so the supporting cast will need to step up in LeBron James’ absence.

With the regular season around the corner, Redick discussed how much he’s looking forward to another year coaching.

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/lakers-rum...scale-team-option-on-dalton-knecht-picked-up/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

JJ Redick: Lakers Need To Fix Trend Of Terrible Third Quarters

The Los Angeles Lakers were unable to pick up a win in their regular season opener, falling to the Golden State Warriors 119-109 despite an outstanding individual performance from Luka Doncic, And unfortunately for JJ Redick’s squad, a familiar issue popped up as the Lakers came out of halftime slow and were never able to recover.

The Lakers were outscored 19-4 to start the second half, falling behind by as many as 17 points in the contest. This has been an issue for multiple years now and Redick feels the Lakers must figure out how to come out of halftime better.

“The trend I see is that we continue to be a terrible third-quarter team to start,” Redick said after the game. “That was last year, that was the preseason. Gotta rethink some things, and it’s a two-way thing with the guys. What do they need at halftime to make sure they’re ready to play? They’re not ready to play to start the third quarter.”

But despite that, Redick still saw some positives from the Lakers. Particularly when it came to the team’s discipline defensively against certain Warriors sets. “Pretty good, actually, outside of a few buckets there in the third quarter,” Redick noted. “Pretty good.”

In the end, however, Redick felt the Lakers came up short mostly due to self-inflicted wounds.

“It’s like the times … you make your own thing up,” Redick added. “Steph Curry gets a back cut for a layup. Gary Payton [II] slips and gets a dunk. We don’t [switch] a small-small pick-and-roll, and Jimmy [Butler] turns the corner, they get a layup… It’s mostly self-inflicted.

“If you look at this game, like a microcosm of this game was we did enough good things to put ourselves in a position to win for most of the game. And when we didn’t do those things, they were self-inflicted. That’s not being organized in early offense. That’s having the wrong guy bring it up. It’s not anything Golden State did to us.”

The Lakers’ 19 turnovers led to 24 Warriors points and that is something this team will have to clean up. But the thing with self-inflicted wounds is that they are fixable and Redick and this coaching staff will work with these players on getting these things together so the Lakers can be a real competitor this season.

Lakers’ Luka Doncic says groin injury is ‘probably nothing’​

If there was one major concern for the Lakers it was the fact that superstar Luka Doncic was seen limping late in the contest with what looks to be a groin issue. But Doncic brushed it off after the game.

“It’s probably nothing,” Luka said. “Just felt it a little bit because my hip went the opposite way. Felt it a little bit, but it’s probably nothing.”

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/jj-redick-lakers-need-to-fix-trend-of-terrible-third-quarters/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

Lakers News: JJ Redick Credits LeBron James For Speaking Up In Film Session

The Los Angeles Lakers began the 2025-26 season with a loss to the Golden State Warriors, which wasn’t a huge surprise considering LeBron James was not in the lineup on Opening Night for the first time in his career.

There were a lot of takeaways from the loss, but one of them was James’ body language on the bench with many people believing he wasn’t engaged.

It appears that wasn’t the case on Wednesday morning’s film session though as head coach JJ Redick discussed what the team went over and credited James for being vocal.

“I thought our intent on a lot of game-plan stuff was there,” Redick said of what the film session showed. “That team is a very unique team and it starts with Steph Curry. He just bends you in different ways and so, you never are going to have a perfect game in terms of game-plan execution against them. You’re just not. But I thought our intent was really good. Things we cleaned up in film and the things we cleared up in practice was very simple. Our intent to run back in transition defense and establish our first priority, which was the basket, was overall pretty good.

“We did a poor job of locating the lasers in transition, which was a point of emphasis for our defense. Buddy Hield got two 3s off in the second half. Steph got one right in front of our bench in the first half. That was literally the second priority of the game, was locating those guys in transition. So, clean that up and again talk through that.

“LeBron was very helpful. All of us kind of talked about that in film. And then the second thing was our shift. We need to, I think as a coaching staff, for the guys returning need to re-enforce and repeat some things from our shifts and what that looks like, what our close-out looks like and for the new uys creating clarift for that for them. Saw it on film. It wasn’t good. So that stuff is really controllable. So, I think… I did a 10-minute teach/talk and we drilled it just to shift and close-out clarity I think is going to be helpful for us going forward. Sometimes as a coach you say things and you drill things, but then you realize that if it’s not showing up in a game then it’s not clear. We just got to continue to re-enforce things on a clear basis.”

Redick added that James and other players speaking up during film sessions will be good for the team in the long run.

“Well I told them him asking questions, him giving his input, us having a back-and-forth is so healthy,” Redick said. “I would like to have dialogue and back-and-forth and questions every single time we do film and teach. You got a question, speak up. If you want to make a point, speak up. It was good.”

James isn’t expected back in the lineup until mid-November, but until then, he can still be a valuable resource to the team as a coach on the bench. He has arguably the highest basketball IQ of all-time, so the hope is that he will stay engaged and help out his teammates until he is able to suit up.

Austin Reaves: Lakers third quarter issues are on players​

The Warriors outscored the Lakers 19-4 to begin the third quarter, which was the difference in the game. This has been a problem for this team for years and Austin Reaves puts that blame on the players themselves, not the Lakers coaches.

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/lakers-news-jj-redick-credits-lebron-james-for-speaking-up-in-film-session/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

Luka Doncic & Austin Reaves Not On Lakers’ Injury Report Vs. Timberwolves

The Los Angeles Lakers released their injury report for Friday night’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves and Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic are both not on it despite getting banged up in the season opener.

LeBron James (right sciatica), Adou Thiero (left knee surgery recovery) and Maxi Kleber (abdominal muscle strain) continue to be ruled out due to their injuries. James, in particular, isn’t expected to make his season debut until the middle of November.

Doncic hurt his groin and Reaves hurt his ankle in the Lakers’ season opening loss to the Golden State Warriors. Lakers head coach JJ Redick expressed caution with Reaves after Thursday’s practice, although with him not being listed on the injury report that is obviously a good sign.

“Luka was a full participant. Austin was a modified participant. He kind of tweaked his ankle,” Redick said after practice on Thursday. “Yesterday was no live so he was able to do everything. Today, he did everything but live. It’s not really like a thing where I can say he’s gonna be out a couple games or he’s gonna play tomorrow. It literally will be how he feels tomorrow. I know Austin, I’m gonna expect him to play.”

As Redick alluded to, Reaves doesn’t like to miss games and will surely do whatever he can to be on the court against Minnesota. He played 36 minutes in the Lakers’ season opener and finished with 26 points, five rebounds, nine assists and two steals on 9-of-16 shooting and 1-of-5 from deep.

With James already out of the lineup, the Lakers can’t really afford to be without Reaves and/or Doncic. They scored or assisted on 97 of the team’s 109 points against the Warriors. Others will need to step up regardless, but the Lakers’ backcourt not being on the injury report for the big matchup with Minnesota is good to see.

JJ Redick credits LeBron James for speaking up in Lakers film session​

There were a number of issues that the Lakers have to correct after their season opener and they addressed them in a film session. Head coach JJ Redick credited LeBron James for his involvement despite currently being out with an injury.

“Well I told them him asking questions, him giving his input, us having a back-and-forth is so healthy,” Redick said of James. “I would like to have dialogue and back-and-forth and questions every single time we do film and teach. You got a question, speak up. If you want to make a point, speak up. It was good.”

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/luka-doncic-austin-reaves-not-on-lakers-injury-report-vs-timberwolves/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

NBA To Return To Painting Larry O’Brien Trophy & Script Logo On Home Court During NBA Finals

Last season’s NBA Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers was one of the best and most competitive series’ in recent memory. The two teams battled it out for seven games with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leading the Thunder to their first championship in franchise history.

One of the things that was noticeable during the Finals, however, was the aesthetic, or rather the lack of it. As opposed to in the past when the courts had custom things added on so that it looked different from the regular season, the Thunder and Pacers’ home courts looked just like any other game and it was noticeable to many watching.

But that is now set to change back to how it was in prior years as, for the first time since the 2009 NBA Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and Orlando Magic, the NBA will return to painting the Larry O’Brien trophy as well as the Finals script logo on home courts, via Shams Charania of ESPN:

The NBA will return to painting the Larry O'Brien trophy at center court and Finals script logo on the home team's floor for the Finals starting this season, per sources. The last time the large trophy was painted on court was 2009. pic.twitter.com/QsFOTFZCSa

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 22, 2025

It may not seem like a big deal, but this move by the NBA shows that they are listening to the people when they speak. There is a certain feel and aura that should be surrounding the NBA Finals and differentiating the court and making it clear that this is the biggest stage in basketball really matters.

As some have pointed out, the league goes out of its way to change up the courts during the Emirates NBA Cup both during the group stages on each team’s home court, as well as the tournament semi-finals and finals in Las Vegas. That really adds to the feel of these games and to not make that effort for the NBA Finals just makes no sense.

Of course, the last time the Larry O’Brien trophy was on the court for the NBA Finals, the Lakers raised that trophy and yet another banner behind the late, great Kobe Bryant. Perhaps with the return, the Lakers will be able to replicate that feeling behind Luka Doncic and LeBron James.

LeBron James, Lakers involved in NBA gambling scandal?​

The NBA world was shocked at news coming down of arrests being made of current and former NBA players and coaches as part of an FBI investigation into gambling. The Lakers were mentioned as one of the teams that were bet on with LeBron James’ playing status being part of it, but it sounds as if both LeBron and the team were unaware of what was going on.

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/nba-to-ret...-script-logo-on-home-court-during-nba-finals/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

Recap: Luka Doncic Drops 49 To Lead Lakers To Revenge Victory Over Timberwolves

After dropping their season opener, the Los Angeles Lakers were back in action on Friday night, hosting the Minnesota Timberwolves at Crypto.com Arena.

This, of course, was a rematch of last year’s playoffs when the Lakers were eliminated in five games. They were looking for some revenge on the Timberwolves, and they were able to get it with a 128-110 victory to improve to 1-1 on the season.

The Timberwolves jumped out to a quick 10-4 start, although Luka Doncic scored seven straight points for the Lakers to keep it from getting out of hand early. Minnesota was unconscious from deep though as they immediately responded with another run, forcing JJ Redick to use a timeout with his team trailing 21-13.

Anthony Edwards kept the Timberwolves run going out of the timeout to get the lead to double digits before Austin Reaves got going to join Doncic offensively. Despite the hot shooting from Minnesota, the Lakers cut their deficit to 40-36 at the end of the first thanks to a 23-point quarter from Doncic.

The lack of defense continued for both teams in the second quarter, but back-to-back triples by Rui Hachimura and Reaves tied the game at 52.

JJ Redick challenged a foul call on Gabe Vincent and was unhappy that it was unsuccessful, picking up a technical in the process. That seemed to give the Lakers some energy though as Marcus Smart and Jarred Vanderbilt were making plays on the defensive side of the ball.

Meanwhile, Doncic continued his red-hot first half and went into the locker room with 32 points and the Lakers leading 68-63.

Third quarters have been a struggle for the Lakers, but they came out strong this time, outscoring the Timberwolves 8-5 to force a timeout. Doncic and Deandre Ayton then found some chemistry in the pick-and-roll and then Reaves completed a three-point play to extend the lead to double digits. They kept the pressure on to close the third and took a 108-94 lead into the fourth.

It was more domination from Doncic to begin the final quarter, scoring five straight points to effectively put the game out of reach. He continued pouring it on an finished the night with 48 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists on 14-of-23 shooting.

What’s next for the Lakers​

After playing their first two games at home, the Lakers will now hit the road for the first time for a matchup with the Sacramento Kings on Sunday evening. They will then return home and host the Portland Trail Blazers in the second night of a back-to-back on Monday.

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/recap-luka...-lakers-to-revenge-victory-over-timberwolves/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

Lakers News: Deandre Ayton Letting Game Come To Him

Deandre Ayton was the subject of a lot of criticism after the Los Angeles Lakers’ season opening loss to the Golden State Warriors due to his lack of aggression.

He was able to flip the script in the Lakers’ second game though, finishing with 15 points and eight rebounds on 7-of-11 shooting to help the team earn its first victory of the year against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

While everyone wants Ayton to be more aggressive though, he explained how he takes a different approach.

“I’m super poised when it comes to the game,” he said after the win. “Everybody wants me to be this number guy, but I let the game come to me. These teams are watching some film on us and they know what we want and they’re making us play a different way. I’m glad they’re showing coverages like this early in the season as well where we can’t just get to a pick-and-roll and execute it. We have to move the ball quite a bit and Luka has to really dissect their defense to really open up the floor.

“So being poised is really all I can do and getting my guards open and rolling to the rim. Seeing shooters like my guy Rui really makes teams be honest. I’m just glad they’re respecting the roll still though, I’m seeing how much gravity me and Luka pull as well, including AR. That’s Lakers basketball right now, running the pick-and-roll and getting the ball moving.”

The Lakers didn’t have a true center when they lost to the Timberwolves in the playoffs last year and after just one matchup between them this season, it’s clear how big of an impact Ayton can make.

Deandre Ayton still building chemistry with Luka Doncic & Austin Reaves​

Deandre Ayton looked good on Friday night, but him building chemistry with Lakers guards Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves is admittedly still a work in progress.

“I was realizing, I’m probably a confusing big whether I can roll and stand in the pocket, probably gets a little difficult for them sometimes,” Ayton recently said. “I’m so used to having that low man on me. Sometimes I can’t even finish a roll, and I tiny bit linger around the free-throw area just to be available for him.

“There’s times where I can finish my roll. We just gotta play some more and play against some more great teams, like how we did [on Tuesday], to really see what’s the common coverage of these teams, really trying to put us on their personnel, what they got on us.”

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/lakers-news-deandre-ayton-letting-game-come-to-him/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

Lakers News: Dirk Nowitzki Predicts Luka Doncic Will Lead NBA In Scoring This Season

Expectations were high for Luka Doncic coming into his first full season with the Los Angeles Lakers. A core component behind this was him getting into the best shape of his career and the solid performances for Slovenia in EuroBasket that followed.

On Opening Night, Doncic set the tone with 43 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists. Unfortunately, L.A. suffered a loss to the Golden State Warriors, but it was clear that the 26-year-old was motivated to put together an MVP-caliber season.

On Friday night, the All-NBA guard followed up his 43-point performance with 49 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists to lead L.A. to its first victory. Seeing these two scoring outputs, Doncic’s mentor and close friend Dirk Nowitzki predicted that the Lakers star would lead the NBA in scoring this year, via NBA on Prime:

“He’s been looking incredible the first two games. I’m gonna call it now: He’s gonna be the top scorer of the league this year. He’s gonna lead the league in scoring. What are you gonna do about it?”

The Minnesota Timberwolves, as showcased last year in the postseason, are a physical team and one of the top defenses in the league. They had nothing for Doncic though as opposing teams will find themselves in predicaments trying to stop him all season due to his ability to score and pass.

With LeBron James expected to miss time due to injury, L.A. is seeing what it would be like with Doncic solely in charge. Obviously, it is only two games, but this is the ceiling of the five-time All-Star.

Parity is a driving point in today’s NBA and multiple players have already dropped 40 or more points so far on the young season. Most of those have been in the Western Conference, so the Lakers need to be able to keep up and the Slovenian star seems eager to do so.

Lakers star Luka Doncic makes history with back-to-back 40-point games to open regular season​

When L.A. traded for Luka Doncic, general manager Rob Pelinka found his new star to lead the franchise for years to come. However, he missed extensive time with a calf injury last season so he was not in game shape when he made his Laker debut.

After an offseason in which Doncic transformed his body though, he looks like a completely new player, both physically and mentally. Dropping back to back 40-point performances is impressive and Doncic ended up making history with his scoring outputs to begin the season.

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/lakers-new...ncic-will-lead-league-in-scoring-this-season/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

Recap: Austin Reaves Has Career Night To Lead Shorthanded Lakers To Win Over Kings

After picking up their first win of the season against the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Los Angeles Lakers hit the road for the first time this season to take on the Sacramento Kings on Sunday night.

Luka Doncic has gotten off to a historic start to the season, but the Lakers were unfortunately without him in this one as he will miss the next week due to a pair of injuries. The Lakers were already missing LeBron James due to injury and now with Doncic also on the shelf, they were severely shorthanded. That didn’t matter though as Austin Reaves had a career night to lead an impressive 127-120 victory.

L.A. was in need of a scoring punch and Rui Hachimura provided it with six early points. Deandre Ayton was also active early, and the Lakers locked in defensively. That allowed them to get out in transition and take a 36-27 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Former Lakers guard Russell Westbrook bought the Kings some much-needed energy to begin the second as they quickly cut their deficit to just two. As hot as the Lakers were offensively in the first quarter, they cooled off in the second while DeMar DeRozan heated up to give his team its first lead.

Reaves getting rest was a big reason for the Lakers’ offensive drought, and when he returned he immediately drained a triple and a floater. Reaves wound up scoring 21 points in the first half alone, but the Kings kept matching him so the game was tied at 62 going into the locker room.

Ayton, who had a strong first half, kept that up with back-to-back buckets to begin the third quarter.

The injuries kept piling up though as Gabe Vincent rolled his ankle and was forced to head back to the locker room. The Lakers were even more shorthanded from there as he was ruled out for the night, but the Kings couldn’t stop fouling Reaves, who was living at the free throw line.

Reaves was leading the way on both ends of the floor and the Lakers closed the third quarter strong to take a 95-90 lead into the fourth.

With Reaves on the bench, the Lakers offense struggled once again and the Kings flipped the script with an 11-2 run.

As was the case in the first half though, Reaves immediately went back to work offensively when he came back in the game. He was scoring from all areas of the floor and all of a sudden the Lakers had an 8-0 run of their own.

Down the stretch, Reaves and Ayton were finding some success in the two-man game and then Jake LaRavia buried a triple to extend the lead to double digits.

The Kings tried to make one final comeback and got within three going into the final minute, but Reaves some free throws to ice it.

Reaves was sensational on the night, finishing with a career-high 51 points to go along with 11 rebounds, nine assists and two steals.

What’s next for the Lakers​

The Lakers will now return home to host the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday night in the second game of a back-to-back before heading back on the road for a rematch with the Timberwolves on Wednesday.

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/recap-aust...to-lead-shorthanded-lakers-to-win-over-kings/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

Lakers News: Austin Reaves Holding 51-Point Performance Over Luka Doncic’s Head

There are some who questioned whether the backcourt combination of Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves is one that can work long-term, especially defensively. But one thing that is for sure is that the two Los Angeles Lakers guards enjoy playing together.

Reaves and Doncic have already established a great relationship both on and off the court and that was put on display following Reaves’ historic night in the Lakers’ win over the Sacramento Kings. Reaves scored a career-high 51 points in the win, something Doncic failed to do in the Lakers’ prior victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves as he missed a late free throw to finish with just 49.

And that was on Reaves’ mind as he went to the line on Sunday to ice the game as he revealed that he and Doncic do nothing but talk trash to each other, so he feels good being able to hold this 50-point night over the Lakers superstar, via Dan Woike of The Athletic:

“I ain’t gonna lie, I went to the free-throw line, I’m like, ‘[expletive], I better not miss,’” Reaves said. “I texted him [Sunday morning]. Me and him, the whole relationship is just talking trash back and forth. And towards the end of the conversation, he was like, ‘I need 60.’ And I was like ‘ha ha ha.’ And that was the end of the conversation. But I’m definitely holding that one over his head.”

Doncic is a natural trash talker and Reaves is never one to back down either, so it makes a lot of sense that the two regularly go back-and-forth with each other. The fact that Luka asked for 60 and Reaves gave him 50 is basically the reverse of Kobe Bryant’s final game when Shaquille O’Neal asked for 50 and he one-upped him with 60.

This relationship allows the duo to constantly push each other while still having fun. And Reaves will be sure to continually remind the superstar that he has a 50-point night with the Lakers, which Doncic still has yet to do so, at least for the time being.

Austin Reaves happy Lakers got the win in career performance​

While scoring a career-high 51 points while nearly dropping a triple-double is worth celebrating on its own, and Austin Reaves is happy to be able to rub that in Luka Doncic’s face, the most important thing for the Lakers guard is the fact that the performance came in a win as it wouldn’t have meant as much otherwise.

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/lakers-new...-51-point-performance-over-luka-doncics-head/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

Lakers Injury News: Gabe Vincent To Miss 2-4 Weeks With Ankle Sprain

Los Angeles Lakers guard Gabe Vincent drew rave reviews from people like head coach JJ Redick during training camp for his leadership on and off the floor, earning him a role in the rotation.

Vincent’s first year with the Lakers was ruined by a lingering knee injury, but he bounced back last season as a valuable contributor off the bench. Heading into the 2025-26 season, Redick praised Vincent as a player he trusts and someone that he expects to have a tangible impact on the team’s success.

Through three games, the guard looked much like the player Los Angeles saw last year but things quickly turned after he injured his ankle in the win against the Sacramento Kings.

Vincent was ruled out for the remainder of the game, and he is set to miss extended time with a sprained ankle, via Shams Charania and Dave McMenamin of ESPN:

Lakers guard Gabe Vincent is expected to miss 2 to 4 weeks after undergoing an MRI on his sprained left ankle, sources tell me and @mcten.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 28, 2025

The injury bug has hit the Lakers hard as they are already without LeBron James and Luka Doncic. Vincent was ruled out for the game against the Portland Trail Blazers along with Marcus Smart and Jaxson Hayes, who are also dealing with their own ailments.

Without Vincent, head coach JJ Redick will be forced to lean on the likes of Dalton Knecht, Bronny James and even two-way players like Nick Smith Jr. and Chris Manon. Smart should be back soon to help anchor the guard rotation, but Vincent’s presence will be sorely missed.

Although Vincent is undersized and can’t guard up a position, he remains a useful defender because of his understanding of rotations and help. Offensively, he’s primarily used as an outside shooter though he can also run the offense if needed.

Although the Lakers have a softer schedule on paper the next couple of weeks, treading water until Doncic and James got much harder now that Vincent joins them on the bench. Hopefully he’s able to come back sooner than later or else Los Angeles could find themselves behind the 8 ball when it comes to the standings.

Gabe Vincent is all-in on 2025-26 Lakers​

Gabe Vincent may not be a star player, but he’ll be heavily relied on to soak up minutes and play hard on both ends of the floor. The Lakers might not be considered a top-tier contender, but Vincent is still all-in on the current roster.

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/lakers-injury-news-gabe-vincent-to-miss-2-4-weeks-with-ankle-sprain/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

Lakers News: Dalton Knecht Feels Good & Finding Rhythm After Playing Big Minutes

With so many injuries throughout the roster, the Los Angeles Lakers had just 10 players in uniform for their game against the Portland Trail Blazers on the second night of a back-to-back. Three of those were two-way players leaving second-year guard Dalton Knecht as the only player off the Lakers’ bench who has gotten regular rotation minutes in the past.

Knecht has often shined when put into a larger role and he undoubtedly had his best game of the young season with 16 points off the bench, all coming in the second half. It wasn’t enough to help the Lakers get a victory as they fell to the Trail Blazers, but after the game Knecht said he felt good and is thankful for his teammates and coaches always having belief in him.

“I feel good. All my shots are right they’re just not falling,” Knecht said. “I’m a confident shooter and gonna keep shooting no matter what and all the guys got belief in me to go out there and keep shooting. So I gotta shout out my teammates for all that and the coaching staff.”

Knecht has never been shy and is always willing to put up shots when he feels he is open, which is a great quality to have. Though he did shoot just 2-of-8 from 3-point range, many of those shots were good looks. The Lakers guard also felt that making plays on the defensive end helped him get in more of a rhythm.

“For sure. Kind of got into a rhythm with that sequence and like I said, just being out there confident,” Knecht added. “That was our stint where we were getting stops and beating them up as well, so something just to build off of.”

There is no doubt Knecht can score at this level, but it’s the other parts of his game, particularly his defense, that must improve in order for him to be a regular contributor. So having two steals and a block against the Blazers was a good sign. Unfortunately, the Lakers didn’t have enough firepower to get the win, but Knecht wasn’t willing to use the Lakers injuries as an excuse.

“A little bit but also at the same time, we just gotta play Laker basketball at the end of the day,” Knecht responded when asked if things would’ve been different. “We did against Sacramento and we played great, but just fell short today. We’ll bounce back.”

It is good to see the Lakers embracing this mindset of no excuses regardless of who is suiting up as their opponents won’t have any mercy when they take the floor against them.

Lakers’ guard Gabe Vincent to miss 2-to-4 weeks with ankle sprain​

Because of these injuries, Dalton Knecht could find himself remaining in the Lakers’ rotation going forward. The latest of these concerns veteran guard Gabe Vincent, who will be out at least a couple of weeks due to a sprained ankle.

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/lakers-new...ood-finding-rhythm-after-playing-big-minutes/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

Lakers News: JJ Redick Seeing Growth In Austin Reaves As Communicator & Leader

With both Luka Doncic and LeBron James injured, Austin Reaves has become the focal point of the Los Angeles Lakers’ offense. Head coach JJ Redick has put the ball in Reaves’ hands and the guard has responded averaging 46.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 7.0 assists while shooting 56.8% from the field and 50% from deep in the last two games.

But while the Lakers obviously miss the skills that Doncic and James provide on the court, those two are also the leaders of this team in terms of communication and replacing that is just as important. Thankfully, Reaves is also stepping up in that facet as well.

“Yeah, I have,” Redick said when asked if he’s noticed Reaves being more vocal. “Just a great example of it, but they challenged that call in the fourth on the block. I think it was [Jerami] Grant that blocked it on DK [Dalton Knecht]. We just had set up a pretty simple baseline out-of-bounds play. That call had gotten overturned with 1.3 on the clock and he’s coming out of the timeout [saying], ‘DK, work your way in under, I’ll throw the lob over the top.’

“It’s just it’s simple stuff like that that I’m seeing again and again. Whether it’s on defense or offense, he’s been great in the huddles. Yesterday, [it was] just as connected as our huddles have been, player to player, during timeouts. So yeah, I see it constantly.”

These are the things that aren’t spoken on nearly as much, but are so important in the growth of a player like Reaves. Stepping up with his play on the court is one thing, but being a vocal leader is a real next step for him and he is doing that as well.

The Lakers are fighting to stay afloat despite so many injuries this early in the season and Reaves is literally doing everything in his power to lead this team without its two superstars, and Redick is noticing. And these are the types of things that continue to endear Reaves to the Lakers organization and have him in line for a big payday next offseason.

Austin Reaves: Lakers played hard, but didn’t execute well enough to win​

The Lakers were unable to pick up a win on the second night of a back-to-back against the Portland Trail Blazers with their extremely shorthanded roster. While Austin Reaves feels the Lakers didn’t lack for effort, he thinks the team just didn’t execute well enough.

“Obviously, we didn’t play as good as we wanted to tonight, but like JJ said after the game, it’s tough with short rotations. We got seven guys, I think, was out. So, we played hard. We played hard enough to win. We just didn’t execute as good as we needed to.”

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/lakers-new...owth-in-austin-reaves-as-communicator-leader/