FROM ABOVE ARTICLE:

Dark clouds rolling in, good vibes fading

The Lakers are officially in another, and arguably the deepest, crisis of their season.

The first one came on Christmas, when they lost a third straight game in disappointing fashion and also lost Austin Reaves for a prolonged period due to a calf strain. They managed to stabilize after that stretch, but now they find themselves in the middle of another losing streak after falling 124–112 to a hot-shooting Sacramento Kings team.

This one might be harder to snap out of. The Lakers are in the middle of a brutal five-games-in-seven-days stretch, with the real possibility of facing a young, rested Hawks team trending upward on the second night of a back-to-back, potentially without LeBron James and Luka Dončić, who was dealing with groin discomfort before and during tonight’s game.

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Today’s notes:

Season-long shooting woes magnified in one night

Issues that go beyond shooting luck

Luka’s 42/8/7/4 night in vain

Spacing woes and forced corner threes (VIDEO)

Another podcast, another vibe hit

1-Season-long shooting woes magnified in one night

If you want an optimistic take, you can chalk this loss up to a wild shooting disparity that is rarely seen in an NBA game. Both the Lakers and the Kings came into the night as bottom-ten three-point shooting teams, yet one played exactly like that, while the other looked like the peak Splash Brothers Warriors. The Lakers shot 8-of-36, or 22 percent, from three, while the Kings went scorched earth, making 17-of-26 for an absurd 65 percent.

If you want more geeky shot-making data, which I assume JJ Redick was referring to postgame, the Lakers finished 42 points below expected shot quality, while the Kings were 20 percentage points above.

Dave McMenamin
@mcten
“We had 50 expected assists tonight, we converted 21” – JJ Redick, who added the Lakers “just couldn’t make a shot”
9:32 PM · Jan 12, 2026 · 52.1K Views
39 Replies · 26 Reposts · 531 Likes

The concerning part for the Lakers is that their shooting struggles are not just a one-game anomaly. They’ve been a poor three-point shooting team all season, and things have gone from bad to worse recently with Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura out of the lineup and limited shooting filling their minutes.

After last night’s performance, the Lakers fell to last in the league in three-point percentage, even below the Mavericks, who had been a fixture at the bottom until then.

2-Issues that go beyond shooting luck

The thing is, the Lakers did some things well defensively last night that gave them a chance to win despite the Kings’ outlier three-point shooting. The starting five with Marcus Smart and Jake LaRavia opened the game well, getting deflections and forcing turnovers, which got the Lakers running early, scoring in transition, and building an early 19–10 lead. But once the first substitutions came in, the Lakers’ defense started to crack, with virtually no one able to do anything against DeMar DeRozan.

DeRozan torched every single Lakers defender in isolation, hitting one mid-range jumper after another. And it wasn’t just about mismatches against supposedly weaker defenders like Dončić or the much smaller Gabe Vincent, whom the Lakers again switched onto the opponent’s best perimeter threat too willingly. He had his way and scored at will even against the Lakers’ two top wing stoppers, Jarred Vanderbilt and Jake LaRavia, finishing with 32 points on 14-of-19 shooting.

Late in the game, Redick finally sent double teams at DeRozan, but the Lakers’ rotations were not crisp enough, giving up open threes. On a night when the Kings were shooting like this, that was the final death sentence.

3-Luka’s 42/8/7/4 night in vain

Dončić responded with a super-efficient scoring masterclass inside the arc, making 14 of his 16 shots from inside the three-point line. The problem for the Lakers was that nobody else could make a jump shot to save their lives. Excluding Luka Dončić and Bronny James, who made two shots in garbage time, the Lakers went 12-of-43, or 28 percent, on non-rim shot attempts.

Jake LaRavia, Marcus Smart, LeBron James, and Jarred Vanderbilt went 0-of-16 from three combined, with the Lakers also shooting just 2-of-15 on corner threes. In theory, that’s the best shot in basketball after a layup or dunk at the rim. In practice, it’s a shot opponents are more than willing to give up, loading up with two defenders on Dončić ball screens, tagging the roll, and forcing the ball out to shaky Lakers shooters in the corners.

Dončić scored 26 points in the first half and, at one point, accounted for 40 of the Lakers’ first 81 points. But without early scoring from James in transition, there was far too little support for Luka to survive on a night when the Kings were scoring at such a high rate.

4-Spacing woes and forced corner threes (VIDEO)

If you read my observations after the Bucks loss, or listened to Redick talk after practice before this game, you know that sacrificing offense and spacing for defense, and vice versa, is a real problem for this team because of the extremes on both sides of the spectrum.

I also shared data and videos showing how Vanderbilt’s shooting limitations have impacted the Lakers’ offense, and how that has evolved into a bigger issue with him playing around 25 minutes per game recently. Teams are repeatedly putting their rim-protecting big men on Vando, letting them roam and collapse the paint on Dončić or LeBron drives. The Kings did that as well last night, but also added another wrinkle: a five-defending-four zone where Vanderbilt was basically not defended at all.

I’m not putting up these videos to single out or criticize Vanderbilt. He’s not the only problem, and teams are getting more and more aggressive helping off Smart as well. But the fact is that shooting and spacing have been a big part of the recent offensive slump, and many possessions with Vanderbilt on the floor end with the Lakers being forced into a corner three by a player they don’t necessarily want taking it.

The Lakers could do better by trying to move Vando and Smart around more, including using them in the dunker spot instead of parking them in the corner. The Lakers tried that on a few possessions last night, sometimes generating open looks and sometimes making the paint even more clunky. Here are two examples of each.

No matter how innovative Redick and his staff can be with X’s and O’s, Hachimura’s pending return should push Vanderbilt’s minutes below the 20-minute threshold to minimize extended stretches with poor shooting and spacing.

5-Another podcast, another vibe hit

I consider myself a down-to-earth, rational guy, but I have to admit that when I saw Rich Paul’s most recent quotes, coming right after a tough loss like this, I couldn’t stop myself from having an impulsive reaction.

Iztok Franko
@iztok_franko
Wrong on so many levels…but I guess that is what was meant in the summer with ‘LeBron and his representatives will be monitoring the Lakers’ moves’. We just didnt know it will be LIVE.
Heat Central @HeatCulture13

Rich Paul says if he ran the Lakers, he would call Memphis Grizzlies to trade for Jaren Jackson Jr for a package with Austin Reaves

“If I was the Lakers I would be targeting the Memphis Grizzlies as a trade partner for Jaren Jackson… If you’re building around Luka you need
12:40 AM · Jan 13, 2026 · 691 Views
1 Reply · 3 Reposts · 21 Likes

So I can only imagine the effect these things have on a Lakers player scrolling through their phone with their head still hot in the locker room. I try to dissect this team from a rational perspective and avoid psychological breakdowns without actually seeing the intra-team and interpersonal dynamics from the inside on a day-to-day basis.

But you don’t have to be an insider, although my friend and Lakers insider Jovan Buha did confirm on his recent show that Paul’s comments are raising more and more eyebrows within the organization, to understand that an agent playing hypothetical trade machine with another star player in a contract year doesn’t help what already feels like shaky team vibes at the moment. A sharp contrast to the super-positive early-season stretch, with Dončić and Reaves thriving while playing with, off, and next to each other.

Russell Westbrook in a Kings WIN against the Lakers tonight: 22 points8/16 FG (50%)4/8 3PT (50%)5 rebounds 7 assists1 steal 73.8 TS% +/- +10 Russ is still that guy in Year 18 🔥 pic.twitter.com/aRKrsGolyS https://t.co/TSBGqfZ8vO— Beastbrook (@Beastbr00k0) January 13, 2026

Malik Monk torching the Lakers in the 1st half🫣18 pts, 6/8 FG, 5/6 3pt‼️ pic.twitter.com/apgLNE04lW— Kings Lead (@KingsLeadSM) January 13, 2026

FROM ABOVE ARTICLE:

Time to right the ship

The Lakers opened 2026 with three straight wins, but spoiled the start with two consecutive losses against the Spurs and the Bucks. The latest one, in particular, left a sour taste. Late-game breakdowns down the stretch resulted in the first clutch loss of the season, and it was also one of Luka Dončić’s worst games of the year. Dončić’s latest nemesis, Dennis Schröder—who was just suspended following a post-game altercation after their last matchup—won’t play tonight. Still, motivation shouldn’t be an issue, as Dončić and the Lakers will be eager to avoid a three-game losing streak.

The Kings, who hold the third-worst record and the second-worst point differential in the league, will be playing on the second night of a back-to-back, but with a bit of momentum after snapping a seven-game losing streak by beating the Houston Rockets last night.

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Lakers (23-13) @ Kings (9-30) game facts
Rest: LAL on 2 days of rest; SAC on 0 days of rest

Ranking: LAL 16th in Point Diff (-0.4), SAC 29th in Point Diff (-11.0)

LAL vs SAC 2025-26 record: 2-0 (see Game 3 observations here, see Game 30 observations here)

LAL injuries: Austin Reaves (OUT), Adou Thiero (OUT)

SAC injuries: Domantas Sabonis (OUT), Keegan Murray (OUT), Dennis Schröder (OUT)

LAL projected starting five: Luka Dončić (G), Marcus Smart (G), Jake LaRavia (F), LeBron James (F), Deandre Ayton (C)

LAL key reserves: Rui Hachimura, Jaxson Hayes, Jarred Vanderbilt, Maxi Kleber, Nick Smith Jr., Dalton Knecht

SAC projected starting five: Zach LaVine (G), Russell Westbrook (G), DeMar DeRozan (F), Precious Achiuwa (F), Maxime Raynaud (C)

SAC key reserves: Malik Monk, Nique Clifford, Dylan Cardwell, Keon Ellis, Drew Eubanks

SAC rotation:

Key storyline: how will Luka and the Lakers respond, and how will the new rotation look?
With all due respect to the Kings, this game is all about the Lakers. Sacramento is one of the worst teams in the NBA and is playing on the second night of a back-to-back, while the Lakers will have plenty to prove. The Lakers have already beaten the Kings twice this season, with the most recent win coming as a high-effort response to the disappointment on Christmas. Now, they need to repeat that exercise.

The other thing to look for is the return of Rui Hachimura and its impact on the Lakers’ rotation. JJ Redick said the Japanese forward will be on a minutes restriction and will likely come off the bench. Rui in a sixth-man role is what most fans and analysts wanted from the start of the season, and now we’ll get to see how that unfolds, at least for a couple of games.

Regardless of his limitations as a defender, Hachimura’s return will bring much-needed shooting and spacing and will likely reduce the minutes of Jarred Vanderbilt, whose playing time climbed into the twenties with both Hachimura and Reaves out.

During the weekend, I shared some data on X showing how Vanderbilt’s shooting limitations have impacted the Lakers’ offense, and Redick essentially confirmed that, acknowledging that finding the right balance between offense and defense has been one of the biggest challenges of the season so far.

Lakers on offense | Kings on defense

Zach LaVine, who missed the last matchup against the Lakers, is back in the starting five. That should help the Kings’ offense, but it could make the task of defending Luka Dončić and LeBron James even more difficult. LaVine replaces Keon Ellis, who was the primary defender on Dončić in the last game. I assume Russell Westbrook will get that assignment tonight, but he can be overeager and overaggressive, which could lead to fouls and early penalty situations.

Even with Keon Ellis on Dončić, the Kings mostly opted to blitz or show two defenders on most of Dončić’s ball screens. The goal was to protect their rookie big-man duo of Maxime Raynaud and Dylan Cardwell from being exposed, whether in isolation matchups against Luka or in 2-on-2 situations playing drop coverage. Nique Clifford is the third rookie getting extended minutes with the Kings’ recent shift toward youth, which means Dončić and James should have both a size and experience advantage when manipulating matchups. The Kings are not an aggressive on-ball pressure team, something the Lakers have struggled against at times this season. That should make getting into their actions early—and running a more organized offense, as they did in the previous matchup—a clear priority.

Without Sabonis, the Kings are one of the worst rebounding teams in the league, ranking second-worst on the season. This is another area the Lakers should exploit. LA is not a dominant offensive rebounding team, but Deandre Ayton has shown he can do damage on the glass when focused, and Jake LaRavia and Jarred Vanderbilt have both had the green light to crash the glass during the recent stretch of games.

Kings on offense | Lakers on defense

Sacramento is not a good offensive team, and without Sabonis they lack any real paint presence to balance their guard-heavy attack featuring LaVine, DeRozan, Westbrook, and Monk. This is the game for the Lakers to impose their physicality, set the tone early, and not let the Kings get loose or too confident, because—as the Rockets learned yesterday—the Kings’ guards possess enough shot-making to win a close game on a good night. Containing the drives and DeRozan isolations, which presented the Lakers with some problems in the previous game, will be the biggest challenge for the Lakers.

Sacramento has the most analytics-unfriendly shot profile in the NBA. They rank first in mid-range frequency, last in three-point frequency, and third-worst in rim frequency. Nevertheless, contesting DeMar DeRozan’s and others’ mid-range shots will still be a must.

Final thoughts
The Lakers are in the midst of a very condensed, road-heavy January schedule. They’ll also play the Hawks tomorrow on the second night of a back-to-back, a game LeBron James could sit out. That makes taking care of business against bottom-feeders like the Kings a must if the Lakers don’t want to lose ground in a tight Western Conference race near the top.

“Waiting my turn was 𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑩𝑬𝑺𝑻 thing for me.” – Peyton Watson 🗣️🎱 https://t.co/QDeNgcMVDF pic.twitter.com/zBbUFaVbTp— DNVR Nuggets (@DNVR_Nuggets) January 10, 2026

It took a massive Giannis Antetokoumpo steal on LeBron James and a bad foul by Luka Doncic for this to finally happen https://t.co/lYn8tI9uyI— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) January 10, 2026

FROM ABOVE ARTICLE:

The Lakers’ unbeaten streak of 13 clutch wins finally came to an end with a 105–101 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. The game looked similar to many of those past wins, with the Lakers mounting another comeback push and giving themselves a chance to close it out down the stretch, but this time the ball bounced the other way.

Luka Dončić fouled out on a key possession with the game tied and 16 seconds left after closing out on a Kevin Porter Jr. three-point attempt. After Porter Jr. made two of his three free throws, Giannis Antetokounmpo stripped LeBron James on a final drive attempt to send the game to overtime.

The Lakers were able to mask some of their early season issues with often great, and sometimes lucky, execution down the stretch of close games. But when you find yourself in clutch situations so often, some of those games are eventually going to swing the other way.

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Today’s notes:

LeBron and second-half defense were enough for a win…

…but a terrible day for Luka wasn’t

An unusually terrible from two, good from three night for the Lakers

Sacrificing offense and spacing for defense (VIDEO)

1-LeBron and second-half defense were enough for a win…

The Lakers opened the game fairly well defensively, but a couple of bad first quarter turnovers turned it into another game where their mistakes were punished repeatedly in transition early. They cleaned up the turnovers and battled Antetokounmpo well, but it was the others who punished the Lakers’ switching defense by attacking mismatches in a first half in which Los Angeles gave up 61 points.

However, as they often have this season, the Lakers turned up their defensive intensity and focus in the second half, especially in the fourth quarter. A group led by James, Jarred Vanderbilt, Marcus Smart, and Jaxson Hayes held the Bucks to just 19 points by pressuring the ball, fighting on switches, and showing consistent hustle across the board. Notably, Deandre Ayton was benched again in favor of Hayes, who played the final 17 minutes of the second half, including the entire fourth quarter without a break.

Source: https://www.nba.com/game/mil-vs-lal-0022500541/game-charts

Offensively, it was James who led another inspiring fourth quarter comeback, scoring 13 points in the final period while also making several hustle plays, collecting five rebounds and two steals in the fourth. James eventually ran out of gas, getting blocked and stripped by Antetokounmpo on the final two Lakers possessions.

2-…but a terrible day for Luka wasn’t

The game looked similar to a few recent ones where James led a fourth quarter push, setting the stage for his partner to finish the job. But unlike the recent games against the Grizzlies and Pelicans, when Dončić made two clutch threes, this just wasn’t his day. Dončić called it a terrible one afterward and attributed his struggles to poor finishing inside the arc, an area of the game where he had been so dominant in the previous game against the Spurs and for most of the season. In a way, this was the inverse Dončić game. On a night when he made four of his six three point attempts, he went completely cold inside the arc, making just four of 19 shots inside the three point line.

Source: Luka Dončić shot chart against the Bucks (source NBA dot com)

The problem for Dončić was that the missed shots, and what he felt were plenty of missed calls on contact during his foul seeking attempts, affected the rest of his game.

Just one game after JJ Redick praised his disposition, leadership, and body language for inspiring confidence in his teammates, Dončić had a performance on the other end of the spectrum. It was a spiraling effect we have seen Dončić struggle with in the past, when initial no-calls turn into an emotional uphill battle against the referees and eventually against himself, leading to missed shots, free throws, even layups, and a loss of composure.

Dončić’s unnecessary swipe, which resulted in his fifth foul on Porter Jr. in the closing seconds of the third quarter while the Bucks were in the bonus, sent Milwaukee to the free throw line and made his life much more difficult, as he had to play the key moments of the game one foul away from elimination. That eventually happened on the key play of the game, a moment that summed up a long night of frustrations.

A season of a couple of steps forward, followed by a step back, continues for Luka.

3-An unusually terrible from two, good from three night for the Lakers

The Lakers’ recipe for wins all season has been dominating inside the arc, by being the best team in the NBA in mid-range and at-the-rim accuracy, and by leading the league in getting to the free throw line. None of that happened last night. In fact, this was the Lakers’ lowest output of the season in both free throw rate and mid range accuracy.

Source: Cleaning the Glass

In a game where the Lakers actually won the hustle categories, offensive rebounding and turnovers, and shot the ball better than a strong shooting Bucks team from three, it was their usual strengths that ultimately became their downfall.

Dončić missing shots inside the arc was the main culprit, but not the only one. The two big men, Ayton and Hayes, otherwise elite finishers this season, combined to go just 5 of 12.

4-Sacrificing offense and spacing for defense (VIDEO)

Before getting into this, it’s important to make a few things clear:

Luka missed plenty of shots last night that he usually makes.

Jarred Vanderbilt was a key part of the Lakers’ turnaround, serving as the primary Giannis defender in the fourth quarter.

And many of us have been calling for Redick to lean more into defense-minded lineups, and the defense was good enough last night to win.

But last night was one of those games that showed why Redick values Rui Hachimura’s floor spacing so much. In Hachimura’s absence, Vanderbilt has often been playing minutes in the high 20s, and he logged 27 last night. And as I’ve been pointing out over the last couple of games, the Lakers are essentially playing five on four on offense when Vando is on the floor.

That becomes even more problematic when the opposing team has multiple long defenders like Antetokounmpo or Myles Turner, who can be used as roaming free safeties helping off Vanderbilt.

Again, the Lakers’ defense was solid enough in the second half for them to win if Luka had converted one or two of his looks down the stretch. Lately, though, those looks have been even more contested than usual.

In the bigger picture, the Lakers’ recent offensive struggles have come at the cost of better defense and significantly worse spacing, with Vanderbilt and Smart playing extended minutes.