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He won’t be coming off the bench, though. The starting 5 needs him. He makes it all work. LaRavia would be an OK approximation but Smart is an offensive black hole prone to both silly fouls and turnovers. Love him as the lead guard off the bench, when he’s feeling able to play, but there’s no version of the Lakers where he’s more than a 1-2 year guy here. Rui should be considered part of a budding core of players that augment and play well with Luka and Reaves.
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While I agree with the premise, our switch everything defensive scheme would leave someone like Marcus guarding a big. Rui is one of the best PF’s in the league when it comes to defending bigs.
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Honestly, especially the way Redick doles out minutes and roles, I’m not as concerned about the bench as the internet is. We go 8 or 9 deep, depending on how you feel about Max “Layup Master” Kleber or Marcus Smart with LaRavia, Hayes and Gabe. Add in Smart, for arguments sake, and one of Reaves, LeBron or Luka and you’ve got a serviceable bench.
Everything will get tweaked when LeBron finally hangs them up (or moves on which I don’t expect to see). So you play that game when the time comes. No need to think about how you’re going to win Uno when you’re still playing Monopoly. The LeBron question won’t be answered until this summer, at the earliest, so focus on making this team play at the highest possible level and see if you can use Kleber in some kind of cost saving move.
That all sounds pretty fanciful, to me anyhow. Unless we get a true player of impact back I don’t think using the pick for a midgrade role-player is very smart. Since I don’t think we have a snow ball’s chance in hell of getting an impact player back for the deals we’ll likely be willing to move and 1 FRP that’ll convey in 5 years, I think you’re looking at the 2025-26 Lakers folks.
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I agree. JJ has plenty of fire power on the floor at all times. The 2nd unit are not getting a lot of shots. You can not score if you are not getting shots. And we really do not have the assets to land a truly impactful player.
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They’re the highest scoring duo in the NBA no matter what 2 players on any team you put together by a significant margin. Guess we can put the “trade Reaves for pennies on the dollar” theories to rest, for a little while anyway lol.
One could argue we’re looking at the present and future of the Lakers right now: Luka, Austin, Rui, DeAndre and Jake LaRavia all play together extremely well. Jake has a ways to go to match LeBron’s sizable impact, but we can address that when LeBron eventually retires (I’m not thinking that’s this summer, btw, and I don’t think he’ll ever suit up for another team ever again).
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Monday, 12/1 – Suns 12-9
Thursday, 12/4 – @ Raptors 14-7
Friday, 12/5 – @ Celtics 11-9
Sunday, 12/7 – @ 76ers 10-9
Wednesday, 12/10 – Spurs, NBA Cup QFs 13-6-
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I want to see Lakers win next 5 to extend winning streak to 12 games and record go to 20-4.
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We’re waiting for Niyas to fix the site. Something has caused every post to be deleted after a brief delay due to some change in WordPress. Hopefully will be fixed in a day or two. My apologies.
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FROM ABOVE ARTICLE:
You know those moments in sports where someone says something simple, but it somehow clears up months of confusion? That is exactly what happened the night LeBron James finally addressed the narrative about whether he could “fit in” with this new version of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Finally, he did not dance around it. He did not leave hints on social media. He just said it plainly, and immediately, you could tell the entire conversation around the team shifted.
Bill Simmons picked it up instantly. On The Bill Simmons Podcast, he emphasized how important that clarity was, saying, “What he said I thought was very encouraging… I am glad he said it out loud.”
Zach Lowe echoed that same feeling. He admitted it was the exact thing he and everyone else had been waiting for: “That’s all we’ve been waiting to hear. How about more of that and less of cryptic statements from agents and tweets and Instagram posts from Cleveland’s practice facility.”
The NBA is seeing a different Lakers team—and it all starts with LeBron
LeBron’s timing could not have been better. He had just returned after missing the first 14 games of the season due to a sciatica injury, and instead of trying to reclaim his throne as the entire offense engine, he gave the Lakers something even more valuable: balance.
His debut was not flashy; it was just exactly what the Lakers needed. He only put up seven shots. He finished with 11 points and 12 assists, and yet the team put up 140 points with ease. He did not have to overpower the game; he just helped to shape it.
After the ball game, he addressed all the noise around the idea that he might struggle to blend in with Luka Doncic or Austin Reaves. He did not sound frustrated; he was actually more confused about why the question even existed.
“I can fit in with anybody. I don’t even understand why that was even a question. What’s wrong with these people out here? I could fit in right away with anybody,” he said.
James has earned the benefit of the doubt. He was a part of the Miami Heat’s Big Three, the Cleveland Cavaliers’ Big Three, and countless Team USA squads. LeBron has spent two decades adapting to elite talent without losing his impact. This is not something new for him.
Simmons later broke down why this version of the team might actually be perfect for LeBron right now.
The NBA podcaster said, “I don’t know what would be a better situation for his age to have two awesome offensive players… This is a nice team, and by the way, it’s good if you’re 40–41 years old to have Luka Doncic handle most of the day-to-day stuff.”
Simmons is absolutely correct. Doncic can deal with the scoring load. Reaves can continue emerging as a real second option. LeBron can conserve his energy and fill the gaps in ways few players ever could.
The postgame quote was LeBron clearing the air and showing that he knows exactly where he stands and where this team can go.
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Read MoreEverybody says don’t expect the Lakers to duplicate the Dodgers’ success under Mark Walter because the rules differ, but that wrongly implies that the Dodgers won because of money rather than enlightened ownership.
While the rules of the sports are different, how you build championship teams aren’t. Smart, rich owners hire savvy front office execs, who hire elite, visionary coaches and draft and trade for talented, winning players. While it’s a big advantage to be able to outspend your opponents, that’s not why the Dodgers won three of last six world series. They won because of Mark Walter’s ‘leave no stone unturned’ formula for succeeding in sports.
Under Walter’s ownership, the only word to accurately describe how the Dodgers operate is ‘relentless improvement,’ whether the front office, the coaching staff, marketing department, or every roster spot on the team.
Expect that same relentless upgrading of every aspect of the Dodgers to be ruthlessly replicated with the Lakers. It’s one thing to have the money to make changes, it’s another to have the iron will to relentless get better.Bottom line, the full transition from the Buss family business to the new corporate version of the Lakers is now happening as signaled by the recent firing of the Buss brothers and hiring of two Dodger execs as advisors.
Mark Walter’s hiring of Farhan Zaidi (Dodger’s analytics) and Andrew Friedman (Dodgers’ operations) as transition advisors was just the first step in expanding and modernizing the Lakers’ entire front office operation.Mark Walter will change how the Lakers’ front office works and change how the Lakers players play the game of basketball. Let’s take a closer look at why Mark Walter’s ownership matters both off and on the court.
Why Mark Walter’s Ownership Matters Off-Court
…
Mark Walter’s ownership will transform the Los Angeles Lakers off-court from a closely run family business to a corporate sports powerhouse that hopefully matches his crosstown Los Angeles Dodgers in championships.
Mark Walter isn’t wasting time as the Lakers’ new owner. Less than 30 days after the NBA approved the sale, Walter fired Joey and Jesse Buss and hired Dodgers’ execs Farhan Zaidi and Andrew Friedman as transition advisors.
The Lakers have also replaced most of the scouting department who were terminated with Joey and Jesse with 3 new highly respected NBA scouts as Walter’s team reviews and revamps every department in the organization.As a closely run family business, the Lakers have often been guilty of being unnecessarily frugal or shortsighted about investing and modernizing their front office, scouting, player development, and other key departments.
Since Dr. Buss’ death back in 2013, the Lakers have been a team without a guiding vision, on-court identity, or charismatic leader to establish a true championship culture, winning just the 1 championship in the 13 years.That will all change with Mark Walter. The Lakers will suddenly become a feature cog in the professional sports empire that Walter is building where the teams will share championship data, resources, and philosophies.
Expect every personnel move the Lakers make before the February 4, 2026 trade deadline to be part of a new analytics data-driven decision-making process where, unlike with the Busses, everybody will be on the same page.Under Mark Walter’s enlightened ownership and direction, the Los Angeles Lakers will finally fully embrace analytics and build an elite championship organization that along with the Dodgers will dominate professional sports.
Why Mark Walter’s Ownership Matters On-Court
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Mark Walter’s enlightened ownership will prove to be just as impactful for the Los Angeles Lakers as its been for the Los Angeles Dodgers, who won their 3rd World Series in the last 6 years as part of Walter’s TWG Sports.
Walter’s company, Guggenheim Baseball Management, bought the Dodgers in 2012 and immediately made them competitive but it took 7 years of ‘relentless improvement’ before they won their first title under Walter.
Mark believes he can utilize the same blueprint or organizational system he developed to optimize efficiency and synergy and transform the Dodgers into World Champions to do the same for the Lakers but much sooner.What the Lakers need right now is to fix their key roster issues, which are a poor starting lineup defense and an abysmal bench offense, which could be partly solved by a lineup change but ultimately will require a trade.
While LA needs major help defensively, they’re also struggling mightily with their long range shooting, which they cannot ignore. Right now, the Lakers are dead last in the league in 3-point shots attempted and made.Walter’s enlightened ownership and analytics team building system will dramatically upgrade whom the Lakers draft and trade for as they load up on elite 3-point shooting, defensive physicality, and basketball smarts.
Some things won’t change. The Lakers will still chase superstars. They may even be willing like the Warriors to go deep into luxury tax to win multiple championships. Like with Ohtani, Mark also likes to think outside the box.Mark Walter believes the Lakers have left championships on the hardwood. He’s confident that, through analytics and data-driven decision making, the Lakers can become just as dominant in the NBA as the Dodgers in MLB.
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Agreed. He needs a higher usage rate than either Knecht or Smart, at least until one of them starts making shots with more regularity. He’s below both at this point. Some of that is on him, he’s very deferential.