RSS Lakers Team Notes

[Los Angeles Lakers]

Luka Doncic: Lakers Could’ve Matched Pistons’ Physicality Better

The Los Angeles Lakers ended 2025 with yet another blowout loss, this time to the Detroit Pistons. Luka Doncic led the way with 30 points and 11 assists and the Lakers stuck with Detroit for most of three quarters before getting dominated in the fourth as things fell apart.

The Pistons own the best record in the Eastern Conference on the back of an extremely physical style of play, one that the Pistons franchise is traditionally known for. And while Doncic feels the Lakers played well for three quarters, they just didn’t match Detroit’s physicality as well as they could have.

“It could have been better for sure,” Luka said after the loss. “I think in the fourth quarter, I think we were playing great basketball for three quarters and then they just went on an insane run. So, I think we played good basketball for three quarters. We gotta definitely match their physicality. That’s the whole point. We gotta match how they play and see the refs let it go. We should play with more physicality for sure.”

A three-point play from Doncic tied the game at 79 with 5:47 left in the third quarter, but it was all downhill from there as the Pistons pushed the lead back to eight by the end of the quarter and quickly moved it into double-digits just a couple minutes into the fourth.

“Yeah, I think we just let off on the rope a little bit,” Doncic added. “Like I said, I think we played good basketball for three quarters, physical basketball and then we just kind of let go of the rope.”

The Pistons had 74 points in the paint to just 44 for the Lakers while also having 31 fast break points. The Pistons have a roster full of young, physical, athletic players and Luka feels the Lakers just didn’t match them.

“Yeah, they were playing physical. Like I said, we’ve got to match that physically.”

It has unfortunately been a familiar theme for the Lakers throughout this rough stretch of the season and one that Luka and many others have spoken about. The fight and energy of this Lakers team can not afford to dip and they just couldn’t quite muster enough to stick with one of the best teams in the NBA.

Lakers’ Luka Doncic admits he had ‘too many turnovers’ vs. Pistons​

Another issue for the Lakers in the loss to the Pistons was an inability to take care of the ball. Doncic had eight of the team’s 20 turnovers and he admitted that was far too many.

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/luka-doncic-lakers-couldve-matched-pistons-physicality-better/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

Lakers Injury Update: Adou Thiero To Be Re-Evaluated In 4 Weeks With Right MCL Sprain

The Los Angeles Lakers announced rookie forward Adou Thiero has been diagnosed with a right MCL sprain. He will be re-evaluated by team doctors in approximately four weeks.

It’s unclear when Thiero injured his knee, but it is worth nothing that he recently worked his way back from left knee surgery, which forced him to miss Summer League, the preseason and the start of the regular season.

The Lakers have been cautious with Thiero in his rookie season to make sure his body was 100% healthy and in NBA game shape. He has appeared in 15 games, averaging just 5.8 minutes, 1.3 points and 1.2 rebounds.

When the Lakers traded up to draft Thiero in the second round out of Arkansas they knew he already had surgery on his left knee, but they saw enough potential in him that they were willing to take that risk.

Now, he is dealing with a separate MCL sprain in his right knee and the Lakers again will surely be cautious with his long-term health in mind.

The injury comes at an unfortunate time as Thiero may have otherwise gotten a look in the rotation with the Lakers’ need for defense and athleticism.

L.A. is currently without a number of key players as Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura are dealing with calf injuries while Gabe Vincent is still nursing a back issue, with Thiero now joining them.

Marcus Smart reveals advice for Adou Thiero​

Marcus Smart has mentored Thiero a bit during his rookie season with the Lakers and he recently shared the advice he gave the forward.

“Keep going,” Smart said after a recent practice. “In this league, everyone comes into this league as a star and then you got to adjust to the role that you’re given. Not everybody is going to be a star or that guy in this league the way that they want to so you gotta figure out a way to be that guy and to be able to get yourself on the court. We got a lot of talent here, so it’s going to be hard for a dude to come in and just take spots. He has to go out and prove and show that, hey, he deserves to be on the court and he deserves to find some playing time for him.

“And that’s the way he’s gonna be able to do it. Let the scoring come second and that’s all I’ve been telling him. We got a lot of guys that can score the ball, there’s not a lot of guys that want to play defense. So being able to go out there and play that defensive role gets you on the court, everything else you can add it to it.”

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/lakers-inj...e-evaluated-in-4-weeks-with-right-mcl-sprain/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

Lakers Video: Luka Doncic Drops Video Recapping His Wild 2025 To Celebrate New Year

The year of 2025 will go down perhaps the most pivotal in the career of Luka Doncic. The superstar guard was traded in perhaps the most shocking blockbuster trade not only in basketball, but arguably in all of sports, going from the Dallas Mavericks to the premier franchise in the NBA, the Los Angeles Lakers.

That, of course, went down in February and there was plenty that happened for Doncic both on and off the court. It has been an emotional roller coaster for Luka, who has been open about how tough it was to accept being traded, but has now gotten comfortable with his new home in Los Angeles.

It has truly been a year Doncic will never forget and with the calendar flipping over to 2026, the Lakers superstar dropped a video on social media detailing his year to remember:

2025. A lot happened. Thank you for everything

Happy New Year! pic.twitter.com/xDzo5avZKu

— Luka Doncic (@lukadoncic) December 31, 2025

The video is exceptionally done and really does an outstanding job at reminding everyone just how insane 2025 was for Doncic. Starting with the trade itself, and the reactions of everyone being absolutely shocked at just the idea of dealing a player like Luka in his prime.

From his Lakers debut to his emotional return to Dallas where he was embraced by Mavericks fans and torched his former team, and signing his three-year max extension with the franchise, there were so many memorable moments in his first year with the Lakers. And then there were the off-court things as well.

Donating $500,000 to LA wildfire relief just weeks after joining the franchise showed how important embracing the community was to Doncic. Of course, there was the offseason body transformation and getting into the best shape of his life, and even recently welcoming his second daughter, Olivia, into the world.

Last year was just the beginning for Luka with the Lakers and there are many great things ahead in the coming years on the court and in the LA community as well. Everyone is looking forward to the great successes of both Doncic and the Lakers as we move forward.

Luka Doncic looking to get Lakers teammates more involved to start games​

When it comes to the on-court product, Doncic and the Lakers are trying to figure out how to turn around their recent slide and get back to the success they saw at the beginning of the year. For Luka, one thing he is trying to do now is get his teammates going to start the game.

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/lakers-vid...ecapping-his-wild-2025-to-celebrate-new-year/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

Mark Williams Still Holds Grudge Against Lakers For Rescinded Traded

When the Los Angeles Lakers swung the blockbuster trade to land superstar guard Luka Doncic last season, the front office knew they needed some reinforcements inside after sending away Anthony Davis in the deal. And it didn’t take long for them to do so as the Lakers agreed to a trade for then-Charlotte Hornets center Mark Williams.

However, in a surprising move, the deal that would’ve brought Williams to the Lakers in exchange for Dalton Knecht, Cam Reddish and draft picks, was rescinded after the big man failed his physical. Williams has had a lengthy injury history since entering the NBA and even though he was playing prior to the deal, the Lakers medical staff didn’t like what they saw in his physical.

This was something that bothered Williams and the big man, who has since been traded to the Phoenix Suns, recently opened up about what went down and the grudge he still holds against the Lakers on an episode of “The Young Man and the Three” podcast:

“And then they tell me [about the failed physical/rescinded trade]. I’m like, that can’t be, like, I just played the Bucks that night that I got the call I’m getting traded. I’m out here. They’re like, ‘Yeah, it’s done. Like, we’re not going back.’ I was like, y’all can’t undo the undo? Like, what you mean? They’re like, ‘No, it’s done.’ So I’m hot. Like, I was excited. I was, like, you know, it’s time. You know, Charlotte wanted to trade me, whatever. Like, I’m excited. We play them first game out the break, and then I got to go back to Charlotte. So All-Star break, I’m just like, ‘What the f–k?’ “And then, first game out is L.A, of course, like, you can’t write it any other way… I’m just trying to show, like, the rest of the time, like. Honestly, like, f–k y’all. Like, I was I was just want. I mean, really, I was excited to go there. I thought I was, like, a piece that could really help them. Obviously, going into the playoffs, and then once they lost, obviously I tweeted little smiley face. Like, I was I was hating. I was hating. I was hating.”

Williams’ feelings about this situation are valid as it is hard to understand how someone who has been playing could fail a physical. And to have to return to a team after they agreed to trade you away is a difficult position, as Knecht also found out in returning to the Lakers.

Even Williams’ tweet after the Lakers were dominated in the paint in their playoff loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves is understandable and at least he admits to being a hater. In the end, what’s done is done and both Williams and the Lakers have moved forward from what was an awkward situation for everyone involved.

Jaxson Hayes says Lakers must keep stepping up to make up for injuries​

Unfortunately, the Lakers have been hounded by injuries so far this season. Many players have had to step up to make up for the absences and big man Jaxson Hayes says this team must continue to do so.

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/mark-williams-still-holds-grudge-against-lakers-for-rescinded-traded/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

Lakers News: LeBron James Reveals Advice He Would Give To 18-Year Old Self

The life and career of Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James is truly something that no one will ever witness or experience ever again. From being the most hyped prospect in the history of basketball, if not American sports period, to joining the NBA at 18 and surpassing those wild expectations, and now still being an excellent player at a stage of his career that no one else has even reached, 23 years in the league.

As is the case with any human being, the person James is now is not the same person he was at 18 years old. Every person can look back at their life and wish they knew things then that they know now and LeBron is no different. And the Lakers star recently opened up about what advice he would give his younger self if he could.

“It’s a lot of advice I would give him. I would just say keep the main thing the main thing,” James said on his 41st birthday. “Work hard. There’s no substitute for hard work. Hard work and dedication, if you want to be great, is going to pay off. Keep the blinders on. As much as they praise you, it’s even triple, quadruple of people trying to bring you down and want to tear you down every single day. Protect your family. Protect your mental space. That’s a lot more. Just go out and have fun. Enjoy the ride because you never know when it comes to an end. It goes fast.”

There are a lot of basic principles in those words that anybody can apply to their life. Working hard constantly, protecting your family and mental space are important things for anyone to embrace, and especially so for someone like LeBron who has had a microscope on his life unlike anyone else since the age of 18.

Perhaps the advice older James would give to his younger self might have made some things easier on him. But it is hard to imagine anyone being placed in the position LeBron was at his age, and handling it any better than he did as he is truly a one-of-a-kind player and human being.

LeBron James won’t use injuries as excuse for Lakers struggles​

As it currently stands, James is still committed to trying help this Lakers team be a true contender, but injuries to numerous players throughout the season has hindered this team, especially as of late. But LeBron is refusing to use that as an excuse for their recent struggles.

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/lakers-news-lebron-james-reveals-advice-he-would-give-to-18-year-old-self/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

Recap: Lakers Close Out Grizzlies To Begin 2026 On High Note

After a rough month of December, the Los Angeles Lakers were looking to get back on track to start the new year when they hosted the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday night.

Both teams were missing a number of key contributors due to injury, but it was the Lakers that came out on top with a 128-121 win to improve their record to 21-11.

Marcus Smart kicked off the scoring with a 3-pointer against his former team, and then Christian Koloko had a dunk against a former team of his own.

After that though it was all Lakers to start as Luka Doncic had four straight points and then Jake LaRavia hit a triple, forcing the Grizzlies to take a timeout trailing 12-4.

LaRavia is another guy that was taking it to his former team as a thunderous dunk in transition gave him nine points and put L.A. up double digits.

Memphis’ bench brought them some live as Cam Spencer and Santi Aldama came in and immediately hit triples. That helped them get back in the game, although LeBron James and Nick Smith Jr. ended the first quarter with back-to-back 3-pointers to give L.A. a 39-31 lead.

James was playing with energy to start the second as the Lakers reestablished their double-digit lead. With Doncic on the bench, Smart was running point and found Jaxson Hayes and Jarred Vanderbilt for easy buckets down low.

LaRavia’s big first half continued as he was making hustle plays and finishing layups in transition. Again though, the Lakers let go of the rope with the Grizzlies getting hot from deep again to take their first lead.

LaRavia ended an 18-0 run by the Grizzlies with a triple, and then James had a strong close to the half to send L.A. into the locker room with a 66-60 lead.

The Grizzlies began the second half on a 6-0 run to immediately tie the game once again.

There were a lot of fouls calls in the third quarter, which killed the flow of the game a bit. Doncic started to get going offensively again though with the Lakers trying to build the lead back up. After a spurt by Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to end the third though, the game went into the fourth tied at 96.

The teams exchanged buckets for the first half of the final quarter, setting up for what looked to be an exciting finish.

Hayes brought some energy to the Lakers with a thunderous dunk on a feed from James, and then Vanderbilt and LaRavia did the same with triples. L.A. started to get some separation at that point and then James finished a layup for good measure to close it out.

What’s next for the Lakers…​

This was the first of two straight meetings between these teams as the Lakers will host the Grizzlies again on Sunday night before heading out on a road trip.

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/recap-lakers-close-out-grizzlies-to-begin-2026-on-high-note/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

JJ Redick: LeBron James Was ‘Phenomenal’ In Lakers Win Over Grizzlies

The Los Angeles Lakers got back in the win column on Friday night with a 128-121 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies. L.A. got the win despite missing Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura and Gabe Vincent, with head coach JJ Redick turning to Jake LaRavia and Jaxson Hayes for more expanded roles. LeBron James was one of the heroes of the night for the Lakers.

He finished with 31 points on 12-of-18 shooting to go along with nine rebounds and six assists. It was one of LeBron’s best games of the 2025-26 season thus far, and among the best showings of the James and Luka Doncic duo, as the Slovenian star dropped 34 points, six rebounds and eight assists in the winning effort.

The Lakers have needed LeBron to step up in the absence of Reaves, and Redick was ecstatic to see that type of performance from the now-41-year-old star.

“Yeah, he did; he was phenomenal,” Redick said. “There was just a few stretches there where they made runs and the response from him. It felt like nearly every time we needed a bucket, he just willed, whether it was driving the basketball, getting into the paint, getting to two feet and he just was phenomenal tonight.”

James spoke about his performance in the win, attributing some of it to having two full days off between L.A.’s last loss to the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday and Friday night.

“I mean a couple days helped. We did come in the morning of the 31st, got some work in and then had the rest of that day off and then yesterday we had off. But got a great workout in this morning. I felt pretty good about how I felt physically and mentally. So, try to give what I got.”

At this stage, it has become increasingly unlikely that James is going to give these types of performances every single night. He picks and chooses his battles, and focuses more on being a distributor when the game script calls for it. But it’s important for the Lakers’ success that — when needed — he can still provide efficient scoring pop.

LeBron James gives advice to 18-year-old self after turning 41​

James turned 41 years old on Dec. 30 — when the Lakers lost to the Pistons — and immediately became the first player in NBA history to score 30 points in a game after turning 41. He looked back on the last 23 years and gave some advice to his teenage self.

“It’s a lot of advice I would give him. I would just say keep the main thing the main thing,” James said on his 41st birthday. “Work hard. There’s no substitute for hard work. Hard work and dedication, if you want to be great, is going to pay off. Keep the blinders on. As much as they praise you, it’s even triple, quadruple of people trying to bring you down and want to tear you down every single day. Protect your family. Protect your mental space. That’s a lot more. Just go out and have fun. Enjoy the ride because you never know when it comes to an end. It goes fast.”

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/jj-redick-lebron-james-was-phenomenal-in-lakers-win-over-grizzlies/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

Lakers News: Jake LaRavia Continuing To Trust Jump Shot Despite Struggles

Jake LaRavia got off to a start start in his first season with the Los Angeles Lakers, establishing himself as a solid two-way wing off the bench.

It didn’t take long for head coach JJ Redick to trust LaRavia on both ends of the floor as he was often a staple of lineups alongside the stars and held up well guarding scoring wings. While LaRavia will never be a household name, he’s an ideal glue guy on a Los Angeles roster that needs people who can fill in multiple gaps.

LaRavia unfortunately fell into a slump shooting the basketball, which in turn coincided with the Lakers’ recent losing stretch. Going into Friday night’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies, he was shooting just 30.9% from 3 this season and 22.6% in his last 10 games.

He finally broke out with a huge performance in the win against his former team, however. Following the 128-121 victory, LaRavia admitted it felt good to finally see his outside shots fall even though he has remained confident.

“To be honest, I feel like I go into every game with that mentality. Some games it happens, some games it doesn’t, it really just depends. Tonight, I got going pretty early and the ball was finding me, especially in that first half, and I was just able to get going and stay aggressive and finally knock down some shots,” LaRavia said.

“So, that felt good, and just got to continue to trust my shot and I tell all the guys just to continue to trust in me and my offensive game.”

In order to get back on track shooting it from deep, LaRavia credited his work with Lakers assistant coach Beau Levesque.

“The amount of work that I put in, I think I said this last time, I started working with Beau [Levesque], and he says control the input and the output’s going to show for itself. So that’s kind of what I’m doing right now. I’m just working on my shot, starting with the basics again, and just kind of going from there, and hopefully I can find my rhythm again, and tonight was just the start.”

Against the Grizzlies, LaRavia was a catalyst early as he worked the defensive end and glass to earn scoring opportunities. However, the most encouraging part of his performance was the 3-point shooting as he knocked down 3-of-6 of his attempts. Overall, LaRavia scored 21 points and they came within the flow of the offense, positive signs for him moving forward.

It’s hard to expect LaRavia to be this efficient scoring the basketball every night, but being able to drain open threes would go a long way in him earning an even bigger role. Luka Doncic and LeBron James demand a defense’s undivided attention, so having someone like LaRavia who can make them pay from distance is a massive plus for a Lakers offense that needs the role players to step up more.

Jake LaRavia pleased with Lakers’ response after being called out​

LaRavia’s rough shooting stretch didn’t help the Lakers at the end of 2025 as they lost in embarrassing fashion to several teams. For example, Los Angeles were thrashed by the Houston Rockets on Christmas Day, prompting head coach JJ Redick to plan a more intense practice.

Redick made sure to point out mistakes in their film session and LaRavia ended up pleased with his and the team’s response as they bounced back with a win agains the Sacramento Kings.

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/lakers-news-jake-laravia-continuing-to-trust-jump-shot-despite-struggles/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

JJ Redick Calls Out Lakers For Lack Of Execution On ATOs

One could argue JJ Redick is in for his first major challenge as an NBA head coach with the Los Angeles Lakers.

His team has not been great defensively, inconsistent offensively and is currently last in bench scoring. Los Angeles has shown flashes of improvement on defense, but there is still more work to be done in that area.

In terms of offense, Redick was not satisfied with the execution of plays against the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday night. After their film review on Saturday, the second-year coach revealed his players incorrectly ran eight of 12 plays called after a timeout, via Dave McMenamin of ESPN:

“The other thing that stood out was we ran 12 ATOs last night, eight of which we didn’t run correctly. We tried to run two of them again and still didn’t run them correctly. One we tried to run a third time, didn’t run that correctly. So, just a lot of slippage with execution. You should be able to transfer 30 seconds of time delay from the clipboard to [the court]. So, that was kind of frustrating.”

To further clarify, these are not new concepts Redick is trying to install mid-game, these are plays his team should be familiar with after 30-plus games:

“Yeah, the only time we ever really run an ATO for the first time is like first play. We’ll do something different for first play.”

Frankly, nothing frustrates a coach more than drawing up a play for it not to be run correctly shortly after. Especially for a Lakers team that aspires to be championship-caliber, these are not the championship habits Redick coined to begin training camp.

Injuries have fostered lineups with no chemistry together and bench players have been elevated to fill roles. There will be growing pains in that regard, but each player needs to be aware of schemes and plays if they hope to go where they want this season.

JJ Redick wants to see Dalton Knecht play hard during minutes​

In a bit of a surprising move, Redick revealed Dalton Knecht would be in the rotation against the Grizzlies. Seeing how his bench production has been lackluster, Redick is searching for answers.

While Knecht possesses the ability to be a flamethrower, he has yet to recapture that flame since last season. However, Redick is not looking for points out of his second year forward, he simply wants him to play hard whenever he is out there.

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/jj-redick-calls-out-lakers-for-lack-of-execution-on-atos/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

Lakers Highlights: Luka Doncic & LeBron James Lead Second Straight Win Over Grizzlies

The Los Angeles Lakers were back in action on Sunday night when they hosted the Memphis Grizzlies for the second straight game.

The Lakers took care of business in the first meeting and were looking to do so again, especially with the Grizzlies extremely shorthanded without Ja Morant and others. L.A. was missing some key pieces too, of course, but that didn’t matter as they overcome a 16-point deficit to earn a 120-114 victory and improve to 22-11 on the season.

JJ Redick’s team has been impeccable in clutch time games this season and that continued here as the Lakers pulled away in the final minutes for the win. They are now 12-0 in games that have had clutch time, which as defined as five points or closer in the final five minutes.

As usual, it was Luka Doncic and LeBron James that led the way for L.A. Doncic got out to a hot start offensively and overcame some early turnovers for another strong performance.

The Slovenian star led all scorers with 36 points on 10-of-20 shooting to go with nine rebounds, eight assists and one block. When the Lakers needed some buckets late, Doncic buried back-to-back triples to close it out.

James was steady for his team all night with some impressive two-way play. He seems to be rounding into form in his 23rd season, finishing with 26 points, seven rebounds, 10 assists and one steal.

LeBron was out of rhythm when he first returning from injury, leading many to believe he is finally declining as a player at age 41. That isn’t the case just yet, however, as he is now averaging 25.2 points in his last 11 games since his double-digit scoring streak came to an end.

It wasn’t just Doncic and James that led the way though as Jake LaRavia had his second straight strong performance against his former team. He had 26 points of his own to go along with five rebounds, four assists and a steal in 34 minutes as he continues to get more and more comfortable in the starting lineup.

And finally, Deandre Ayton had an exceptional two-way game with 15 points, eight rebounds, one assist and three blocks in the victory. The Lakers made it a point to get him early touches and he responded with his best game in a while.

What’s next for the Lakers…​

The Lakers will now head out on the road for a back-to-back against the New Orleans Pelicans and San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively, before returning home on Friday.

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/lakers-hig...ames-lead-second-straight-win-over-grizzlies/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

Lakers’ Deandre Ayton On Lack Of Touches: ‘Bigs Can’t Feed Themselves’

One of the news stories surrounding the Los Angeles Lakers this week has been head coach JJ Redick saying that Deandre Ayton has expressed some frustration with a lack of touches.

The Lakers played back-to-back games against the Memphis Grizzlies, and the difference between them was stark for Ayton. In the first game, he scored four points on 2-of-4 from the field with six rebounds in 25 minutes of action. Redick went with Jaxson Hayes over Ayton to close that contest for the first time this season.

But then on Sunday night, he had 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting with eight rebounds in 34 minutes.

Ayton got more opportunities across the board against the same team just two days apart. He then, in a way, confirmed the rumors that he was frustrated and wanted to be more involved.

“Bigs can’t feed themselves and I just try my best to do what I can to bring effort and I trust my playmakers out there to find me,” Ayton said after the win when asked about his frustration that Redick mentioned.

The Lakers need Ayton to be his most engaged in order for the team to be successful. They already lack significant big man depth and already struggle defensively. Ayton feeling slighted or checking out would be disastrous to any hopes the team has of a turnaround to contention this season.

L.A.’s offense is certainly better when everyone is getting involved. The ball stopping with Luka Doncic or LeBron James or Austin Reaves for too long has shown to slow everything down and ultimately hurt the Lakers, so getting everyone involved is a winning maneuver as well.

But this was one of the potential risks of bringing Ayton in as the starting center. He’s a supremely talented player with all the tools to be a successful center in the NBA, but he has — at times — let his frustrations get the best of him and mentally checked out on the team he’s playing for.

If it happens alongside Doncic and James in L.A., it would reflect worse on Ayton than the Lakers. But it would still lead to bad results for the team this season.

JJ Redick calls out Lakers for lack of execution on ATOs​

Redick has dealt with plenty of challenges in his second season as the head coach of the Lakers. He’s dealt with significant rotational injuries and poor defensive output, but one of his biggest frustrations is on after timeout actions.

He admitted after Friday’s win against the Grizzlies that the team ran eight out of 12 ATOs incorrectly, despite having kept the same playbook the entire season so far.

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/lakers-deandre-ayton-on-lack-of-touches-bigs-cant-feed-themselves/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

Lakers News: LeBron James Believes Being ‘Complete’ Player Has Helped Him Stay Effective

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is rounding into form as he gets his legs under him. He missed all of training camp, the preseason and the first month of the regular season, and it showed when he returned to the lineup. But he now looks to be his normal self, scoring 26 points on 8-of-14 from the field on Sunday night to go along with seven rebounds and 10 assists in a win over the Memphis Grizzlies.

He also got to the free throw line 10 times, going 8-of-10 on the night. In his last 11 games, he is getting to the free throw line seven times a game, despite significantly fewer touches than LeBron has become accustomed to over the years.

As he goes through this season — even in a new role coming off of a more significant injury-filled summer — James’ focus remains on just enjoying the ride and not thinking too much about the future.

“Just appreciating every moment, obviously, and just, you know, excited about what the next moment has, if it’s during the game or if it’s tomorrow or whatever the case might be. So just for me, like I said, it was the first time I’ve ever not been ready for the start of the season. I missed the whole preseason, the whole training camp, missed the first 14, whatever, 15, whatever games it was. So, behind the eight ball and I couldn’t really train like I’m accustomed to training in the summertime,” James said.

“So, I was behind the eight ball but just being able to appreciate it and getting another opportunity to be able to get my body where it needs to be to go out and perform with these guys, perform against the opposition but also knowing that, like I said, my time is definitely on, I’m on the other side of the hill than the first part of the hill. So, I mean, I just appreciate it all.”

LeBron does believe, though, that his work to become a complete player has allowed him to shift into different roles while still remaining effective once his legs are under him.

“I don’t know, just being a complete basketball player,” James said. “I have to be able to change the landscape of how I play up according to how our team wants to play. So, you know, I’ve been playing off the ball obviously pretty much the majority of the season. So, picking spots and figuring out ways how I can still be productive to help us play winning basketball when I’m on the floor both offensively and defensively. So, I don’t know. I don’t have any holes in my game. So, it helps to be able to be able to do whatever the team needs at that particular moment.”

LeBron has been asked to shape-shift in a pretty significant way since the acquisition of Luka Doncic. For the first time in his career, the team he’s on wasn’t built entirely around him. However, he has shown that when he’s at full strength, he has no problem adapting his game to better serve Luka and the Lakers.

That should only continue to grow as the season progresses and James gets further removed from the injury that started his season late.

LeBron James compares Luka Doncic & himself to quarterback & receiver​

James and Doncic have begun to figure it out together in recent games, especially as injuries mount and the duo has been forced to carry the roster together. And one way that LeBron felt his relationship with Luka was describable was as a football duo.

“One of the best quarterbacks and I’m a pretty good receiver, when it comes to that,” James said. “It’s my job to not allow the defense to break that up or steal the ball. And he put it right on target, and made it a lot easier for me.”

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/lakers-new...omplete-player-has-helped-him-stay-effective/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

2026 NBA All-Star Voting Returns: Luka Doncic Still Leading Way, LeBron James Rises But Austin Reaves Falls

The first fan voting returns for the 2026 NBA All-Star Game saw all three of the Los Angeles Lakers’ superstars in the top 10. Luka Doncic led all players in votes while LeBron James and Austin Reaves were ninth and tenth, respectively.

Now with the second voting returns in, there have been some changes in status for the top Lakers players.

Doncic has remained the leading vote-getter for all players and James moved up one spot to eighth. Reaves, however, has fallen down one spot likely due to his calf injury, via NBA PR:

Luka Dončić and Giannis Antetokounmpo remain the leaders in their conferences in the second fan returns in NBA All-Star Voting 2026.

Fans (50% of the vote) join NBA players (25%) and a media panel (25%) in selecting five players in each conference honored as starters. pic.twitter.com/u8tlbj9GA8

— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) January 6, 2026

Doncic keeping that top spot makes complete sense as he has continued to be an absolute star for the Lakers. He has been basically unguardable all season long and continues to lead the league in scoring. LeBron has also been outstanding as of late and seems to have found his groove this season. With Reaves being out due to injury, James has again become one of the Lakers’ primary creators and his play has bared that out.

Unfortunately for Reaves, his injury status seems to have negatively affected his standing amongst the fan votes. It may simply be a case of out of sight, out of mind for the guard as Houston Rockets big man Alperen Sengun has surpassed him by more than 150,000 votes.

Reaves being named an All-Star starter was always a long shot so his standing in the Western Conference voting doesn’t necessarily mean he won’t ultimately be on the team. Reserves are selected by the coaches and his outstanding play throughout the year could still see him make his first career All-Star appearance.

The top five in the West remains the same with Nikola Jokic, Stephen Curry, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Victor Wembanyama, all following Doncic in the same order. The Eastern Conference top five is also the same group of players, though Jalen Brunson did pass Tyrese Maxey for second behind Giannis Antetokounmpo with Cade Cunningham and Donovan Mitchell rounding things out. There is still time remaining to vote as fan voting lasts through Jan. 14.

Lakers’ LeBron James compares himself and Luka Doncic to quarterback and receiver​

Luka Doncic and LeBron James have continued to build their chemistry together over the past couple of months and LeBron even comparing them to a quarterback and wide receiver in football.

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/2026-nba-a...y-lebron-james-rises-but-austin-reaves-falls/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

Lakers Highlights: LeBron James & Luka Doncic Score 30 Each To Beat Pelicans

The Los Angeles Lakers looked to keep things rolling on Tuesday night as they hit the road to take on the New Orleans Pelicans in the first night of a back-to-back.

The Lakers have not lost yet in 2026 and that continued as they pulled away from the Pelicans late to earn a 111-103 victory. That improved their record to 23-11 and 13-0 in clutch games this season.

As usual, it was LeBron James and Luka Doncic leading the way for the Lakers as they took over down the stretch. L.A.’s star duo is really building some chemistry with their two-man game and that was evident again in this one.

With the Lakers trailing entering the fourth quarter, James ripped off an 8-0 run and they never looked back. He had some big-time dunks, including a windmill in transition and an alley-oop from Doncic, to finish with 30 points, eight rebounds, eight assists, two steals and one block on 10-of-19 shooting.

Doncic was ice cold from deep early but came alive late to score 30 points of his own to go along with two rebounds, 10 assists, two steals and one block on 11-of-22 shooting. In the fourth quarter, he hit a circus 3-pointer falling out of bounds as the shot clocked expired to essentially put the game out of reach.

While James and Doncic put the game away, they got some help from their teammates as well. Deandre Ayton had his second straight strong performance with 18 points, 11 rebounds, three assists, one steal and two blocks on 9-of-16 shooting. Whenever the Lakers needed a rebound late, Ayton was there to secure it.

Marcus Smart also had a solid all-around game with 13 points on 5-of-10 shooting with six rebounds, four assists, one steal and one block. He provided a much-needed boost from deep by making 3-of-7 attempts while the rest of the team struggled in that department.

On the Pelicans side of things, Trey Murphy III was a thorn in the Lakers’ side all night. He led all scorers with 42 points on 14-of-26 shooting and added five rebounds and three assists in the loss. Zion Williamson also contributed 15 points, suiting up against L.A. for the first time in three games this season.

What’s next for the Lakers…​

The Lakers will close out their quick two-game road trip with a tough matchup against the San Antonio Spurs in the second night of a back-to-back on Wednesday before returning home and hosting the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday.

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/lakers-highlights-lebron-james-luka-doncic-score-30-each-to-beat-pelicans/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

Lakers Injury Update: LeBron James Out, Gabe Vincent Available Vs. Spurs

Gabe Vincent (lumbar back strain) will make his return for the Los Angeles Lakers against the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night. Additionally, LeBron James (left foot joint arthritis and right sciatica) has been ruled out after being listed as questionable earlier in the day.

Vincent has not played in nearly a month, missing the Lakers’ last nine games with the back issue. Prior to that, he was one of head coach JJ Redick’s most trusted reserves off the bench so it will be interesting to see how he is utilized in his return and whether he may be limited in his first action back.

James is coming off an excellent outing on Tuesday against the New Orleans Pelicans as he finished with 30 points, eight rebounds and eight assists in the Lakers’ third consecutive victory. The Lakers have been cautious with him on back-to-backs all season long, however, and that continues with him being ruled out in San Antonio.

Meanwhile, Austin Reaves (left calf strain), Rui Hachimura (right calif strain) and Adou Thiero (right MCL sprain) all remain out for L.A.

Facing the Spurs without James and other key players in the lineup will not be an easy task. The last time these two teams met, the Spurs dominated the Lakers in the Emirates NBA Cup quarterfinals, ending their run in the tournament. And superstar big man Victor Wembanyama returned to the court on Tuesday as well, so the Lakers will need to be locked in.

It will be interesting to see how Redick adjusts his rotation with James out and Vincent back in uniform. Nick Smith Jr. and Dalton Knecht have been getting consistent minutes as of late and while both have had some solid performances, there have been some rough nights as well. With Vincent being a more reliable defender, Redick could be more inclined to go with the the veteran at the expense of minutes for the younger guards.

If nothing else, Vincent’s return gives Redick another much-needed backcourt option as the team’s depth has been strained with so many injuries to account for, now adding James to the list.

LeBron James emphasizes Lakers must bend their game to fit around Luka Doncic​

One thing that the Lakers can rely on this season has been the greatness of Luka Doncic, who has been playing at an MVP level. And James made it clear that the Lakers players must bend their games to fit next to Doncic and not the other way around.

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/lakers-injury-update-lebron-james-out-gabe-vincent-available-vs-spurs/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

Lakers News: LeBron James Considered ‘TBD’ For All Back-To-Backs

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James looks like he’s turning a corner physically as he has started to resemble more of himself as the 2025-26 season unfolds.

With Austin Reaves out, James has gone back to being a primary scorer and playmaker and he’s rewarding the Lakers with his best basketball of the year.

While LeBron has been rounding into form, Los Angeles still has to find ways to manage the 41-year-old superstar. With that in mind, James was ruled out for the Lakers’ primetime matchup against the San Antonio Spurs due to his foot and sciatica issues.

Los Angeles played San Antonio on the second end of a back-to-back and the 41-year-old declared that his status for those situations will be played by ear the rest of the year, via Dave McMenamin of ESPN:

“Every back-to-back, for the rest of the season, is TBD,” James said. “I am 41. I got the most minutes in NBA history. Bank [that answer] right now.”

Head coach JJ Redick added that the team is being mindful with James’ workload considering the upcoming schedule:

“A lot of it is based on his injuries and just the management of those,” Redick said. “His foot typically after a game is sore. So that’s the primary thing. I talked to him today in the meal room. We were hoping that he gets to the point where he can play in back-to-backs with his body. But this stretch and this month, it’s going to be tough to say that.

“We hope he’s available, but a lot of it is how he wakes up the next morning.”

James hasn’t been ruled out entirely of playing back-to-backs this season, but with how many injuries he’s managing it’ll be difficult for him and Los Angeles to predict when he’ll be available. LeBron is well-known for his ability to keep his body in pristine basketball shape, so it’s fair to trust his judgment as the season progresses.

For now, Los Angeles can survive without James in back-to-back games as they currently reside in the top of the Western Conference standings. However, the purple and gold are a losing streak away from tumbling down and making it even more difficult to sit LeBron in a potentially tight playoff race.

LeBron James emphasizes Lakers must bend their games to Luka Doncic​

While James still demands the basketball, it’s no question that the Lakers run through Luka Doncic. James acknowledged the shift in power as he emphasized the team needs to bend its game to Doncic.

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/lakers-news-lebron-james-considered-tbd-for-all-back-to-backs/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

Lakers Injury Report: LeBron James & Rui Hachimura Questionable Vs. Bucks

The Los Angeles Lakers released their injury report for Friday’s home game against the Milwaukee Bucks and LeBron James (left foot joint arthritis and right sciatica) and Rui Hachimura (right calif strain) are questionable while Austin Reaves (left calf strain) and Adou Thiero (right MCL sprain) remain out.

The hope is that James will return to the lineup after a one-game absence, but it likely will depend on how he feels on Friday. At his age and mileage, the Lakers will surely be cautious with LeBron if he is not feeling 100% healthy.

It also appears that Hachimura has a chance of returning after missing the last five games with a calf strain. Considering how many guys have been out in recent weeks, the Lakers have needed a scoring punching so getting Hachimura back for their matchup with the Bucks would be ideal.

After Friday’s game, the Lakers’ schedule gets extremely tough as they have five games in seven days starting on Monday. That includes separate trips to Sacramento and Portland along with three home games, which surely will be taxing on the players.

Because of that, getting a win against the Bucks is important as their could be some schedule losses coming down the road.

Nonetheless, both James and Hachimura’s statuses will be worth monitoring leading up to the game and if they are unable to go, others like Jake LaRavia, Marcus Smart and Dalton Knecht will need to keep stepping up.

Lakers’ LeBron James status for all back-to-backs is TBD​

James missed the Lakers’ most recent game against the San Antonio Spurs with his current ailments given it was the second night of a back-to-back. And the 41-year old noted that his status for all back-to-backs this season should be considered TBD given his age and injury history.

“Every back-to-back, for the rest of the season, is TBD,” James said. “I am 41. I got the most minutes in NBA history. Bank [that answer] right now.”

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/lakers-injury-report-lebron-james-rui-hachimura-questionable-vs-bucks/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

Marcus Smart ‘Comfortable’ With Direction Lakers Are Heading In

The Los Angeles Lakers remain in the thick of the Western Conference standings race, with players like Marcus Smart helping out in bigger roles.

Smart has started in place of Austin Reaves and he’s helped reinvigorate a defense that had slipped to one of the worst in the league. Aside from his defensive effort, the veteran also serves as a capable ball-handler to help out Luka Doncic and LeBron James.

Although Los Angeles has steadied itself a bit, the team still experiences lulls that can be frustrating to watch at times.

However, Smart takes the ups and downs in stride and tries his best to stay even-keeled, via Mark Medina of Essentially Sports:

“That’s part of it. That’s part of the game and part of life that we live and the sport that we play. That’s no different than living life. There are going to be ups and downs. So it’s just about making sure that we don’t get too high on the highs or too low on the lows.”

As far as the direction the Lakers appear to be heading in, Smart likes where they’re at and believes things are starting to click:

“It’s pretty comfortable. We know we have some things to work on. We’re still working. But we’re starting to get it. There are times that it doesn’t look great. But we’re starting to get it. You’re starting to see that we are picking up on it.”

Smart also acknowledged that in order to continue improving the players need to continue developing their chemistry:

“For us, it’s about personnel. We got a lot of guys out here figuring it out and being able to understand the chemistry with certain guys. It’s about knowing what they like to do on both ends. It’s not just about offense. It’s also about defense. It’s about knowing guys’ strengths and weaknesses, and trying to put them in the right position to help the team and help them succeed as well.”

Veteran players like Smart are experienced enough to know chemistry takes time, though he also believes that he and the other older players have certainly helped close out games.

While the purple and gold appear to be trending up, the Lakers’ schedule gets far tougher in the coming months so it’ll be interesting to see how they respond.

LeBron James happy to have Marcus Smart on Lakers​

LeBron James spent years battling against Smart in the Eastern Conference, but the two now find themselves as teammates in Los Angeles. Suffice to say, but James admitted he’s happy to have Smart on the Lakers instead of playing against him.

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/marcus-smart-comfortable-with-direction-lakers-are-heading-in/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

Lakers Injury Update: LeBron James Available, Rui Hachimura Out Vs. Bucks

The Los Angeles Lakers announced LeBron James (left foot joint arthritis and right sciatica) has been upgraded to available while Rui Hachimura (right calif strain) has been ruled out Friday night’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks after both were originally listed as questionable.

In addition to Hachimura, Austin Reaves (left calf strain) and Adou Thiero (right MCL sprain) also remain out for L.A.

James is coming off a one-game absence on Wednesday night against the San Antonio Spurs, a game in which the Lakers greatly struggled offensively without him. With two days off though, it appears he recovered nicely and is ready to go for what should be a tough matchup against Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks at home.

Getting Hachimura back would have been a big boost for the Lakers as he is their best 3-point shooter, knocking them down at a 44.5% clip on 4.1 attempts in 27 games so far this season. A lot of L.A.’s struggles come down to the team’s inability to convert on open 3-point looks, which Hachimura would definitely help with.

Hachimura practiced with the South Bay Lakers earlier in the week, but he needs at least a couple of more days before potentially returning when L.A. next takes the court on Monday. In his absence, players like Jake LaRavia and Marcus Smart will need to continue stepping up.

Lakers’ LeBron James status for all back-to-backs is TBD​

James missed the Lakers’ most recent game against the Spurs with his current ailments given it was the second night of a back-to-back. And the 41-year old noted that his status for all back-to-backs this season should be considered TBD given his age and injury history.

“Every back-to-back, for the rest of the season, is TBD,” James said. “I am 41. I got the most minutes in NBA history. Bank [that answer] right now.”

The Lakers have two back-to-backs coming up next week, so LeBron’s status will continue to be monitored to see if he can play in either.

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/lakers-injury-update-lebron-james-available-rui-hachimura-out-vs-bucks/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

Lakers News: JJ Redick Discusses Poor Late-Game Execution Against Bucks

Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick is his biggest critic as he’s shown time and time again that he’ll take accountability when it’s warranted.

Redick recently admitted he wasn’t at his best during the Lakers’ rough stretch in December, attributing it to a rough patch mixed in with the holidays. Fortunately, Redick and the coaching staff have started to get back into a groove as they’ve found ways to get the group to play better on both ends recently.

Against the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday, the Lakers had a real chance to come back and steal a victory after trailing for most of the night. Los Angeles and Milwaukee went back and forth in the final minutes, though it was the latter that wound up taking home the 105-101 victory.

There were several sloppy possessions in the final minute and Redick discussed what went wrong in the team’s first clutch time loss of the season and explained why he didn’t call a timeout before the final possession.

“I have to go back and watch it, but at the top of my head, we took the lead to go up four and then we came up empty on a number of possessions,” Redick said. “They weren’t like empty possessions, we were getting good looks. Didn’t score. Then we put them on the free throw line for the Kevin Porter play and the other, I think it was LeBron that fouled. So they end up getting four points there at the free throw line when we were quite frankly playing great defense for most of the entire second half. And then there’s a certain process that you follow in those situations, end of game. The first thing is always you tell the ref, make or miss I’m gonna call timeout. Not to make excuses, but Luka fouls out, I gotta get a sub in. Then we’re discussing if we want Vando in for rebounding, so we get another sub in.

“There’s one shot left and it’s like, we know it’s a short timeout, 16 seconds, need two (points), need three, felt like there was enough time to do a need two. So it’s like alright, then they miss and I jump up and I call timeout, they didn’t hear me, which I get. That’s like the third time this season that’s happened. And again, the process, I skipped a step there. And then once it got down, it was about six, seven seconds, maybe eight tops when it got across half court. I liked kind of what I saw, we won a game in Toronto like that. But coulda, woulda, shoulda, the reality is that the one step of the process, didn’t follow it. So I’ll take the blame on that.”

Redick also made sure to shout out Giannis Antetokounmpo, who came up with a block and steal on LeBron James in the closing moments to seal the win for the Bucks.

“Yeah, again the last play, I said to the team like we got a good advantage,” Redick said. “We created an advantage with the best player, our best player on the floor. And he made a hell of a play to get the back tap. And then the block was, again, we have that on the scouting report. You gotta have awareness on him and, I like the take and he made a hell of a defensive play. We’ve seen him do it a number of times.”

While it’s encouraging to hear Redick hold himself accountable for not putting the Lakers in better spots in crunch time, the result still stings. Los Angeles did a great job of battling back, but they wound up costing themselves the game after some unfortunate plays.

The momentum swung when Luka Doncic fouled Kevin Porter Jr. on a 3-point attempt and while the latter missed one of the free throws, James lost the basketball on the ensuing possession after Antetokounmpo poked it out.

It was a frustrating loss and one that Redick probably wants back, but it also serves as another reminder that the Lakers don’t have much margin for error. The upcoming schedule will be a gauntlet of matchups, so Redick needs to figure out how to steer the team back in the right direction.

JJ Redick praises Jake LaRavia and Jaxson Hayes​

Part of the Lakers’ recent turnaround has been thanks to role players stepping up in Austin Reaves’ absence. Redick highlighted Jake LaRavia and Jaxson Hayes in particular, also going on to explain that great teams need at least nine or 10 guys to be successful.

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/lakers-news-jj-redick-discusses-poor-late-game-execution-against-bucks/