Smart should start but Rui should be 6MOY candidate coming off bench. Lakers need to optimize Rui against reserves. He should get more touches off bench than as a starter. Doncic and Reaves need to be surrounded by three players who can defend.

FROM ABOVE ARTICLE:

The Dallas Mavericks have fired Nico Harrison, the general manager who drove the decision to trade Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers in February, league sources said Tuesday.

Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont signed off on firing the 52-year-old former Nike executive with two seasons remaining on his contract amid the Mavericks’ disappointing start to the season. The Mavericks are 3-8 and in 14th place in the Western Conference. Dallas ranks 29th in the NBA in scoring, unfamiliar territory for a franchise that finished in the top 10 in offense four times in six years under Dončic.

Anthony Davis was the centerpiece of the package the Mavericks got back in the deal from the Lakers on Feb. 1. Even though Davis was six years older than Dončic at the time of the trade and had a more extensive injury history, Harrison defended his decision amid overwhelming backlash and puzzlement from Mavs fans as the deal rippled throughout the sport.

“If you pair him with Kyrie and the rest of the guys, he fits with our time frame to win now and in the future,” Harrison said in February. “The future to me is three, four years from now. Ten years from now, I don’t know. They’ll probably bury me and J(ason Kidd) by then. Or we bury ourselves.”

The decision to trade Dončić remains viewed as irrational and impulsive. But those who know the Mavs’ GM best paint a far different picture.

The morning after the trade, Mavericks fans protested the decision outside the American Airlines Center, with a small group of fans holding a mock funeral. Fans inside the building called for Harrison’s firing. “Fire Nico” chants at the American Airlines Center began in February, and they kept up even after the Mavericks miraculously won the NBA draft lottery, which allowed them to take Cooper Flagg at No. 1. There were more “Fire Nico” chants at the team draft party in June.

The Mavericks’ loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday was a tipping point. Fans continued their “Fire Nico” chants during the fourth quarter, even as P.J. Washington was at the free-throw line with 1.2 seconds left with a chance to tie the game. Washington missed his second free throw, and Dallas lost. By Tuesday morning, word began to circulate that Harrison would be terminated.

Dallas fans have chanted “Fire Nico” since the Luka Dončić trade in February. They may soon get their wish, according to league sources.

Back in February, at the time of the Dončić trade, Davis was recovering from an abdominal strain. In his first game with the team on Feb. 8, he suffered a left adductor strain, which kept him out for six weeks. Roughly three weeks later, Kyrie Irving tore the ACL in his left knee, which left the Mavericks without a reliable shot-creating guard.

In July, the Mavericks signed D’Angelo Russell as a stopgap solution in the backcourt. Harrison seemed happy with the signing, telling Russell, “I like you with a chip on your shoulder” in a video Russell released on his YouTube channel. However, Harrison and coach Jason Kidd had different opinions about how much Russell could impact games. Kidd brought Russell off the bench in Dallas’ first eight games of the season. The Mavericks only turned to Russell to be a starter after suffering a home loss to the lowly New Orleans Pelicans on Nov. 5 that dropped them to 2-6.

Making matters worse for Dallas, Davis has been sidelined since Oct. 29, when he suffered a left calf strain in a game against the Indiana Pacers. Davis’ injury occurred after he reported to Mavericks training camp at 268 pounds, according to Dallas’ training camp roster, 15 pounds heavier than his listed weight last season. That was an ironic twist, considering the Mavericks traded Dončic while he was recovering from a left calf strain he suffered on Dec. 25, the last time he ever wore a Dallas uniform.

Harrison leaves Dallas in a tricky place. The Mavericks have a tentpole player in Flagg but don’t control any of their own first-round picks from 2027 to 2030, the result of trades Harrison made to strengthen the roster around Dončic.

Those moves worked. The Mavericks had all the makings of a contender after reaching the NBA Finals in 2024. However, Harrison upended everything by trading the person who was most essential to the team’s championship pursuit.

Surprise Factor: Zero. The fans were never going to forgive him, not unless they started on a 10 game winning streak. Cooper is going to be a major talent but this season is all about growing pains out of a, for them, painful transition.

The Lakers should do a video tribute to Nico when the Mav’s come to town 🙂

Rui is not even in your rotation Tom? Bench one of the best shooters in the NBA? What a basketball mind you have.

Just for lineup purposes snd size it might have to be Rui. I think they’ll start off by having Smart come off the bench but that might change. Could be matchup driven, to some degree, as well.

LUKA DONCIC TONIGHT: – 38 PTS – 6 REB – 7 AST – 5 3PM pic.twitter.com/bHyOVSVhXO— LakersMuse (@LALMuse) November 11, 2025

AUSTIN REAVES TONIGHT:- 24 PTS- 5 REB- 7 AST- 2 STL pic.twitter.com/51bFUsgMHG— LakersMuse (@LALMuse) November 11, 2025

RUI HACHIMURA TONIGHT 35 minutes 21 points 3 rebounds 9/12 FG 3/3 3PTBEST SHOOTING IN THE NBA pic.twitter.com/cJ73XrSg8P— Lakers Lead (@LakersLead) November 11, 2025

Marcus Smart tonight:13 Points7 Steals6 Assists 4 Rebounds +15 +/-37 Minutes pic.twitter.com/e7bnmn2yln— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) November 11, 2025

FROM ABOVE ARTICLE:

Today’s highlights:

Quick look at the Western Conference race

Lakers point differential and Four Factors check

Unusual shot profile and how sustainable is the hot shooting?

Can this be a top 5 offense?

Is average, passable defense the ceiling for this group?

Offense is defense: the turnover problem

Need for speed and transition deficit

Look at the future: the fifth starter and the problematic Ayton–Hachimura pairing

…

8-Look at the future: the fifth starter and the problematic Ayton–Hachimura pairing

Chart context: Before getting into lineup combinations and numbers, it’s important to note that the possession totals are still very small and should be viewed with a great deal of skepticism. A few negative stints can heavily skew the current lineup data, so this and other context need to be kept in mind when analyzing it.

Now, what the lineup data does not erase is the doubt about whether the Lakers have truly found their answer to the question of who the fifth starter should be once James returns. I’m not even sure that dilemma exists for Redick and the coaching staff, given Hachimura’s history and preference as a starter, along with his undeniably crucial contributions at the start of the season. Also, the starting five featuring Dončić, Reaves, James, Hachimura, and Ayton is a unit with five good-to-great offensive players, three playmakers, and two elite finishers, making it potentially the most potent attack in the league.

But the ultimate lineup should strike a balance between offense and defense, and so far, the data for the Ayton–Hachimura pairing on the defensive end has been underwhelming. Ayton and Hachimura share the same positive defensive trait — strength — but neither is an exceptional athlete, and neither excels in positioning, motor, or defensive decision-making. Lineups featuring both players allow an unsustainably high number of corner threes and don’t protect the rim well, making them the main culprits behind the structural problems I highlighted earlier.

Starting both, along with James, also squeezes out any room for a true point-of-attack defender in the starting unit, which is another problem. James’s injury has delayed the decision on how to address these challenges, but once he returns, they will become a major talking point and certainly an area for future analysis.

IZTOK IS ONE OF THE BEST LAKERS REPORTERS!I don't subscribe to many analysts but reading what Iztok has to say is too valuable not to have.Great analysis of the Lakers first 10 games. Been interesting to see who the top teams are change dramatically after 10 games vs. 5… https://t.co/550vwLHpHR pic.twitter.com/DDtTjoEnsF— LakerTom (@LakerTom) November 10, 2025

FROM ABOVE ARTICLE:

NBA referees are used to hearing Luka Doncic light them up with his thoughts about their officiating on a nightly basis. That usually results in the Los Angeles Lakers superstar racking up his fair share of technical fouls. Through 10 games, JJ Redick has managed to help contain that issue.

Granted, Doncic has only appeared in six of those 10 games. It’s not like Luka is avoiding his usual conversations with the referees. The superstar point guard has his opinions, and is unafraid of sharing them.

Doncic just has not needed to cross the line yet, and his head coach is a big reason for that. Not only is Redick willing to be the guy who goes to war against the officials, but the Lakers coach sets the standard by being persistent and vocal throughout the majority of the ball game.

JJ Redick is a DEMON!!! He pressed tf outta that ref #LakeShow #COTY pic.twitter.com/36mUtETBWA

— swervo (@playboyswervo) November 6, 2025

Take a look at Doncic in the background of the video above in the Lakers’ matchup against the San Antonio Spurs. The facial expression on Luka’s face more than suggests that he is loving every bit of what is happening in front of him with Redick and the referee.

JJ Redick’s intensity matches that of Luka Doncic to a tee for the Lakers

Will Doncic avoid the whistle of a technical foul for the entire 2025-26 season? Probably not. However, fixating on that specific aspect of the situation here also misses the bigger picture scope of the situation.

Doncic should certainly be more than thankful about having a head coach who is just as passionate about every call being right. However, the Redick’s energy matching that of his superstar player is the important takeaway here.

The Lakers head coach has jokingly, and lovingly, been described as obsessed with basketball. Redick cares about every result, every detail, and is unafraid of communicating that to everyone around him.

JJ Redick was NOT feeling Jaxson Hayes’ defense on this possession ‘WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!’ level frustrationpic.twitter.com/oFWe1YRgpb https://t.co/U2vw0Zhpbs

— Basketball News (@HardwoodReportX) November 10, 2025

The second-year coach bluntly admitted how badly his team needed ball-handling after the early loss against the Portland Trail Blazers this season. Redick also did not shy away from his frustrations following an embarrassing 122-102 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday.

JJ Redick’s presser was very short

He’s clearly pissed pic.twitter.com/nYpsxgodNB

— Oh No He Didn’t (@ohnohedidnt24) November 9, 2025

With the Hawks missing so many vital members of their rotation, the Lakers should have enjoyed a giftwrapped victory. Instead, Atlanta crushed Los Angeles in terms of the effort. That was never going to sit well with Redick.

The culture being built by the former NBA sharpshooter in Los Angeles will simply not let that slide. That should be music to the ears of Doncic.

Luka is an openly fiery competitor. Doncic is just as hungry to win as Redick is. That is a formula for long-term success between a superstar and his bench boss.