Lakers

2022 - 10 - 21

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Image courtesy of "Sports Illustrated"

Lakers: How Many Clippers Would Be Upgrades Over Lakers Role ... (Sports Illustrated)

A "fun" exercise for Laker fans, courtesy of two writers from The Athletic.

"I think unequivocally John Wall would be better [than anyone on the Lakers roster beyond James or Davis]," Vecenie said. "It's just really weird, because we've seen what the recipe for success is on LeBron James teams throughout his career," Huff noted. Luke Kennard is a more important player to that team than Patrick Beverley or Russell Westbrook is," Vecenie said. "How many players on the Clippers roster do you think would be the Lakers' third-best player right now?" "So basically how many players on the Clippers do you think are better than Patrick Beverley and Russell Westbrook?" he would start on a bunch of teams," Huff opined.

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Image courtesy of "ESPN"

Kawhi Leonard to come off bench for LA Clippers' opener (ESPN)

The Clippers will have Kawhi Leonard come off the bench Thursday night against the Lakers in his regular-season return from an ACL injury.

"He has to understand that, as great as he is, that it is not going to just come overnight. "We had a chance to bring him off the bench, start him, see how he looks and feels," Lue said. There are going to be some times where he looks like Kawhi Leonard, there are going to be some times where he is just trying to get a feel and not playing well. "Just want to have him for the end of the game, if we need him," Lue said before the contest. Coming off his ACL injury, Leonard said he pretty much spent 12 to 13 months in the gym working out and adding more muscle. [San Antonio Spurs](/nba/team/_/name/sa/san-antonio-spurs) in 2013-14 when he played as a reserve on Nov.

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How did Kawhi Leonard play in his return game? Clippers forward ... (Sporting News)

Leonard hadn't played since suffering a knee injury in the Clippers' run to the Western Conference semifinals in 2021 and in his first game back, the 31-year- ...

Everybody's just trying to be great in their minutes and I think thats going to help us moving forward." "I thought he looked good," Clippers head coach Ty Lue said postgame. Outside of Leonard's return, the Clippers also got to see John Wall in the lineup for the first time as he made his regular-season debut.

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NBA Twitter reacts to Clippers beating Lakers: 'The Lakers might ... (Yahoo Sports)

Here's how NBA Twitter reacted to the Lakers losing to the Clippers, with Russell Westbrook finishing with two points.

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Image courtesy of "LakersNation.com"

Lakers News: Darvin Ham Responds To Russell Westbrook's ... (LakersNation.com)

Los Angeles Lakers head coach Darvin Ham said he and Russell Westbrook discussed him coming off the bench and reached an understanding.

So far, Westbrook has started the Lakers’ first two contests of the 2022-23 season, but they’ve yet to win a game. It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more! And again, as the coach of this team, my staff and I will do what’s best for our team to be as successful as we can. However, the experiment was short-lived as the guard tweaked his hamstring and five minutes in and missed the remainder of the contest. there has to be a willingness there to sacrifice for the team and overall good of the team. And that’s called being a professional.

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NBA: Lakers take step 'in the right direction' despite loss to Clippers (INQUIRER.net)

The Los Angeles Lakers fell to a second straight defeat to start the NBA season, but coach Darvin Ham said he liked the fight he saw from LeBron James, ...

We’ve just got to do a better job of making shots.” The Lakers have cut the lead to 2 on TNT “We did a good job on all their guys defensively.

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Lakers' long-range shooting struggles doom them against Clippers (Daily Sabah)

Yet the Clippers clamped down and the Lakers couldn't score - Russell Westbrook, Kendrick Nunn and Patrick Beverley, combined to shoot just one for 25.

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The Lakers Can't Make a 3-Pointer (The New York Times)

Russell Westbrook is getting most of the heat, but the Lakers' problem is its roster.

The Lakers and Westbrook are, for now, stuck with each other. And if the Lakers want someone other than Westbrook to be their starting point guard, there aren’t many better options on the bench. He missed all 11 of his shots against the Clippers, much to the chagrin of the crowd. The Lakers were [even better on Thursday with a rating of 100.0](https://www.nba.com/game/lac-vs-lal-0022200016/box-score?type=advanced). And yet the Lakers have launched a bevy of 3s. James does have good reason for optimism, but it has to do with the other side of the ball. A key criticism of Westbrook last season was his penchant for turnovers and for playing out of control. It’s not that the Lakers are in a shooting slump. This is where Westbrook’s skills can be useful to the Lakers. This summer, the Lakers let more formidable shooters like Wayne Ellington and Malik Monk walk, and instead opted to bring in the athletic guard Lonnie Walker IV and Dennis Schröder, neither of whom is known for perimeter prowess. Through the first two games of the season, the Lakers have shot an almost unfathomable 19 for 85 from 3-point range (22.4 percent). LOS ANGELES — As Lakers guard Russell Westbrook went up for a 3-pointer against the Clippers, his home crowd groaned before the ball even left his hand.

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Image courtesy of "Los Angeles Times"

Lakers need to trade Russell Westbrook now. Enough is enough (Los Angeles Times)

If he doesn't play, the Lakers win this game. If he's not on this team, the Lakers win this game. Lakers guard Russell Westbrook elevates for a layup over ...

It’s unfair to the fans. It’s unfair to the team. Westbrook has been in the starting lineup both games this season, and now some are wondering if the Lakers aren’t bowing to his outrageous accusations. “I just want him to keep having that joy, keep having that excitement, that fun — that’s what makes him special, the fact that he can do that on a nightly basis,” said George. He’s been surly with the media. The Lakers can pick up the shooters they so desperately need. If he doesn’t play, the Lakers win this game. it’s not geared for him with the roster they have as well.” Yet much of what has happened since is on him. Westbrook can play in the new surrounding he desperately needs. They are eventually going to spin into oblivion because of him. Believe it or not, they could even make the playoffs.

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Three things to know: Westbrook's 0-of-11 night highlights Lakers ... (NBC Sports)

The Lakers took steps forward in defense and scoring in transition, but their poor shooting meant another loss, this time to the Clippers.

[Khris Middleton](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/29839/khris-middleton) remains out and missed). Tucker](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/29214/pj-tucker) free throw put the Sixers up 88-86 with 32.7 seconds left, but [Wesley Matthews](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/29559/wesley-matthews) answered with a 3-pointer that proved the game-winner for Milwaukee. [Lonnie Walker IV](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/30589/lonnie-walker-iv) was aggressive and led the Lakers with 26 points (9-of-21 shooting). But that’s the bar — the Bucks and Celtics are the Eastern Conference favorites. [Anthony Davis](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/29801/anthony-davis) had another strong game with 25 points and eight rebounds, and he and LeBron ran some high-low actions that led to good looks. Facing Boston and Milwaukee to start the season is a tough way to break in that young relationship. [Russell Westbrook](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/29376/russell-westbrook) was the poster child for the Lakers’ shooting futility, going 0-of-11 on the night, including 0-of-6 from 3. The depth of the roster, which the Lakers couldn’t match, is what lets the Clippers do that and still win games. All of it was part of the Clippers’ depth that wore the Lakers down. For all the good things the Lakers started to do this game (it was a better outing than opening night), their shooting cut their momentum off at the knees. [LeBron James](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/28859/lebron-james)‘ only suggestion to Westbrook was to “flush it down the toilet” and move on and he’s right, Westbrook is not going to shoot this poorly every night. It wasn’t just Westbrook, the Lakers shot 35.1% overall and were 9-of-45 (20%) from 3.

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Image courtesy of "FOXSports.com"

Lakers, Clippers show they're worlds apart in first meeting of season (FOXSports.com)

By Melissa Rohlin FOX Sports NBA Writer. The juxtaposition between the two teams' state of affairs was glaring before the game even began.

[ National Basketball Association](/stories/nba/tony-brown-referee-who-worked-nba-finals-dies-at-55) She previously covered the league for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Times, the Bay Area News Group and the San Antonio Express-News. The Clippers entered Thursday's game having won seven straight games against the Lakers. The Clippers' biggest issue Thursday was their 22 turnovers, but that can likely be chalked up to first-game jitters. [Russell Westbrook](https://www.foxsports.com/nba/russell-westbrook-player), who recently said a hamstring strain he suffered "absolutely" could've been caused by him coming off the bench. "He's one of the best players to ever play this game," said George, who played alongside Westbrook in Oklahoma City from 2017-2019. But when they're fully integrated, this team is going to be very hard to stop. Westbrook was 0-for-11 from the field on Thursday, though he had a solid defensive performance with five steals. "We've got players that can help us on both sides of the floor." "Being great in my minutes," he said. He finished with 14 points and 7 rebounds in 21 minutes. But the Lakers then fell apart down the stretch, going scoreless for more than 4 minutes.

Kawhi Leonard off bench in LA Clippers' win over Lakers (ABC News)

For the first time with the team, Leonard decided not to start in order to maximize his limited minutes. He ended up finishing the game as the Clippers beat the ...

"It was long," Leonard said of his wait to come into the game. "Once you start playing 38 minutes first game, it could easily weaken up, but I'm listening to the doctor with that. "It's all about how my knee responds," Leonard said. Leonard said he made the decision to not start after going over data and running simulations in practice with him starting and subbing in. For the first time with the team, Leonard decided not to start, looking to maximize his limited minutes. Leonard and the Clippers' goal, with the team expected to contend for a championship, is for him to stay healthy and be at his strongest for the postseason. "It's a long season. "I did this before," Leonard said of coming off the bench. Leonard didn't waste any time once he finally got back on the floor. "It's all about rhythm and pace for him. Leonard scored 14 points, including a 21-foot jumper with 52.3 seconds remaining to help seal a [103-97 win](https://www.espn.com/nba/game/_/gameId/401468171) at Crypto.com Arena. Like he doesn't see anybody in front of him.

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5 takeaways from Clippers' season-opening win vs. Lakers | NBA.com (NBA.com)

Kawhi Leonard and the Clippers' depth spark a win, the Lakers' shooting woes continue and more.

“That’s something I have to maintain and look at from the past history of me trying to play 40 minutes every game and practicing for three hours.” “We’re sharing the ball offensively. [NBA.com](http://nba.com/). “You have to be prepared to do whatever your team needs to do. “It’s created by culture,” Lue said. Westbrook started once again on Thursday, finishing with two points (0-for-11 shooting). The Clippers have their first back-to-back set this weekend that starts in Sacramento on Saturday and ends at home vs. “It’s just about me trying to get consistent minutes, recovery, and staying healthy in the long run.” Leonard finished with 14 points (6-for-12 overall, 1-for-4 on 3-pointers) and seven rebounds in 21 minutes off the bench. It is unclear how long the Clippers will use Leonard as a reserve on restricted minutes. Leonard’s bench role already has affected the Clippers in other ways. The Clippers were better in Leonard’s other stints, opening the third quarter with an 18-9 run when Leonard played until he sat for the final 5:01.

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Kawhi scores 14 in return, Clippers hold off Lakers 103-97 (The Seattle Times)

Kawhi Leonard had 14 points and seven rebounds in his first game in 16 months, and the Los Angeles Clippers opened a season of sky-high expectations with a ...

Ham said he and the Lakers “would in no way, shape or form put a player in harm’s way.” 2013, when he came off the bench for the Spurs in New York. Leonard suggested the idea of coming off the bench until he feels fully up to speed. Be confident in your shot, and they’re going to fall.” “My goal was to try to be great in my minutes,” Leonard said. The two-time NBA Finals MVP decided to ease back in a temporary reserve role after missing all of last season while recovering from surgery.

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Russell Westbrook Has "Great Game," Makes Zero Shots In Lakers ... (Defector)

They say only casuals, stat-boys, and crotchety old Norman Dale types make the mistake of thinking that defense, spacing, screening, and assorted other ...

“Defensively, he was in tune, he was locked in, he pushed the tempo,” says James, of Westbrook. It’s obvious you want to make a big deal out of the fact that the Lakers lost Thursday night by six points, and that Westbrook scored fewer than six points, and that in fact he scored two points, and that in fact zero of those points came on his 11 shots, and that in fact he scored those zero points on 11 shots while the Clippers treated him as a place to hide their most vulnerable defender, and that in fact his glaring ineptitude as a shooter and finisher makes the job of bucket-getting that much more difficult for his superior teammates, and that in fact the team’s overall shocking dearth of capable bucket-getters is a direct consequence of paying $47 million to a point guard who cannot function in their offense. And it wasn’t just a few flashy instances of successful ball-hawking: Clippers players made just two of seven shot attempts with Westbrook as the primary defender, and zero of three from beyond the arc. With under five minutes left and the Lakers within striking distance, resurrected Clippers point guard John Wall burned some clock on the left wing while Westbrook fought a desperate battle to deny low-post position to similarly resurrected Clippers alpha-scorer Kawhi Leonard. Ham and I—and, yes, fine, probably also a lot of crotchety old Norman Dale types—find your preoccupation with “buckets” and “scoring” and “making the ball go into the basket in a game where points are awarded for making the ball go into the basket” myopic, reductive, and frankly a little bit vulgar. A lot of good and useful basketball can be played by a guy who expends most of his energy on the defensive end.

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Lakers Notes: LeBron, Roster, Westbrook, Ham, Cannady (hoopsrumors.com)

“I'm definitely not going to sit here and harp on what we can't do every single game,” James said when asked about the Lakers' shooting struggles. “That's not a ...

Spears of Andscape](https://andscape.com/features/los-angeles-lakers-coach-darvin-ham-keeping-perspective-about-first-nba-coaching-job-state-of-black-executives/)about being a first-time head coach with the Lakers, Ham said it will take some time for the [new-look roster](https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2022/10/nba-teams-with-most-least-roster-continuity-6.html)to get comfortable with each other — and with his system. That is something that has to be baked over the course of time and we’ll get there. The more we keep getting the reps in when we are about to practice and shoot around, film work, we’ll get to the point where we know each other and it’s second nature the way we play basketball. Although Ham was fine with Westbrook saying what he did, the Lakers’ coach stressed that he and his staff “would in no way, shape or form put a player or an employee in harm’s way.” That definitely is the goal, and it takes time. Clippers forward [Paul George](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/g/georgpa01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-)defended his former teammate after the game, as Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN relays ( [via Twitter](https://twitter.com/NotoriousOHM/status/1583346142800007168)). [Russell Westbrook](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/w/westbru01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-)played solid defense and had five steals on Thursday, but went 0-for-11 from the floor and scored just two points. He was very easily a 30-10-10 guy when he had the keys to the team. It’s how hard we play, how aggressive we play, how determined we are to go out and compete every night. “It’s hard when you’ve got the pressure they’re putting on him here. However, he admitted that the team can’t afford to live and die on whether those outside shots are falling. And we got to defend.

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The Lakers need 'lasers'? Shooting woes play significant part in their ... (The Athletic)

The Lakers have had their biggest flaw exposed over the first two games. What does that mean long term?

The Warriors and Clippers are arguably the two best teams in the West. But the Lakers are still looking for consistent offensive production beyond their two superstars and a third contributor. I think we will begin to knock down shots as we continue to know where we want to be on the floor, guys know where they want to be. To James’ point, the Lakers’ defensive performance was much better against the Clippers. He doesn’t want the Lakers to start second-guessing and playing timidly. “They gotta do it on the game floor,” Ham said. Aside from [Matt Ryan](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/matt-ryan-fQC2UVlcJbFpifYB/), who was signed as the 15th man but is now being counted on for rotation minutes, every other Laker is currently struggling from beyond the arc. But the Lakers can control the quality of their attempts. The Lakers don’t have a Letting the Lakers shoot has been the game plan against them for most of the James-Anthony Davis era. That’s the way that we want to play. The Clippers, like the Warriors, often loaded the paint against the Lakers, with four and sometimes even five defenders keeping at least one foot in the key.

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Lakers' Darvin Ham Has No Issue With LeBron James's Roster ... (Sports Illustrated)

James's comment turned some heads given that it came exactly one game into the new year. However, first-year Lakers coach Darvin Ham didn't have any problem ...

Despite a strong defensive effort, the Lakers went a horrid 9-for-45 (20%) from beyond the arc in the 103–97 loss to the Clippers. Whether that comes from within the organization or through a trade remains to be seen, but it’s clear that the team needs to quickly remedy the situation. I believe they have the utmost respect for me. Los Angeles went a dreary 10-for-40 (25%) from the three-point line in the 123–109 loss, prompting the 37-year-old forward to be blunt about the team’s current roster construction. I have the utmost respect for those guys. I want them to know that I trust them to step up and shoot.”

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Lakers takeaways: Shooting 3-pointers is no recipe for success (Los Angeles Times)

The Lakers are 19-of-58 shooting from three-point range in two games, and two losses, this season. Here are takeaways from the loss to the Clippers.

But again, you just have to trust the process and continue to work at it and get reps up and eventually the ball will go in the hole.” Playing against a traditional center like the Clippers’ 7-foot Ivica Zubac, the Lakers’ small-ball lineup had problems. He scored a team-high 26 points, 12 in the fourth quarter. “I’m just here to bring energy, be a defender, be more of an athletic guard. “Well, I trust in those guys — as in Kendrick, Russ and Pat Bev’s professionalism, their work ethic, their individual pride in themselves in terms of wanting to have the best performance possible night in and night out,” Ham said. “I’m not here to score the most points,” he said. “I mean, that’s the way we want to play. In their second game of the season, the Lakers inexplicably shot even more three-pointers. And that’s a good ingredient to have.” We want to play fast, physical and free. It’s how hard we play, how aggressive we play, how determined we are to go out and compete every night,” James said. “But if we’re reliant on that every single game, then we’re in trouble.”

LeBron: Not going to 'harp' after more poor Lakers shooting (ABC News)

LOS ANGELES -- The Lakers can't hit outside shots. That much is clear after L.A. shot 9-for-45 from 3 in Thursday night's 103-97 loss to the Clippers.

Go on to the next one." That's the way that we want to play. shot 9-for-45 from 3 in Thursday night's [103-97 loss](https://www.espn.com/nba/game/_/gameId/401468171) to the [Clippers](https://www.espn.com/nba/team/_/name/lac/la-clippers). I mean, that's the way we want to play. "Solid," he said of his night. It's as simple as that." "Played hard. It's how hard we play, how aggressive we play, how determined we are to go out and compete every night. And we got to defend. "Keep shooting it, be confident in your shot. That total somehow managed to be even worse than the Lakers' 10-for-40 clip from deep in their opening-night loss to the [Golden State Warriors](https://www.espn.com/nba/team/_/name/gs/golden-state-warriors). [Lakers](https://www.espn.com/nba/team/_/name/lal/los-angeles-lakers) can't hit outside shots.

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Lakers' Russell Westbrook fails to make field goal for first time since ... (CBSSports.com)

"Just flush it down the toilet and get ready for Sunday," Lakers forward LeBron James said of Westbrook's rough shooting performance. "He's a veteran. We've all ...

James [noted as much](https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/lebron-james-on-lakers-offense-to-be-completely-honest-were-not-a-team-constructed-of-great-shooting/) after the Lakers' season-opening loss to the Warriors, saying "we're not a team constructed of great shooting." Ownership and the front office are reportedly committed to giving the current roster In their first two games, both losses, they have combined to go 73 for 188 (39 percent) from the field and a dismal 19 for 85 (22 percent) from beyond the 3-point arc. Give Westbrook credit for finding ways to make an impact despite being ice cold from the field. All of his shots except for one came from 3-point range or in the paint, as you can see in the shot chart below. Westbrook went 0 for 11 from the field, including 0 for 6 from 3-point range as he finished with two points, four assists, three rebounds and five steals in just over 27 minutes.

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Kawhi Leonard returns, John Wall makes Los Angeles debut as ... (CBSSports.com)

Leonard went for 14 points and seven rebounds, while Wall had 15 points, four rebounds and three assists.

Still, he simply has to make some shots, and a night like this will only add to the criticism he's faced during his time in L.A. Davis was limited to 76 games in his first two seasons with the Lakers and missed time in the preseason, so this was not what anyone wanted to see in the first week. He was 0 of 11 from the field overall and 0 of 6 from 3-point land. Those measures worked as he later returned to the game and was able to play the rest of the way. The numbers are one thing, but the more encouraging sign for Wall and the Clippers is that he looked a lot like his old self in terms of burst and athleticism. Early in the third quarter, Anthony Davis rotated over in help defense and bit on a pump fake by Kawhi Leonard. [NBA](/nba/) basketball game since tearing his ACL on June 6, 2021, and had not come off the bench in an NBA game since Nov. This summer he finally got his wish to leave Houston and wasted little time signing with the Clippers. In all, Leonard played 21 minutes and finished with 14 points and seven rebounds on 6 of 12 from the field. [Paul George](/nba/players/1755181/paul-george/) had 15 points and 10 rebounds, and [Ivica Zubac](/nba/players/2245326/ivica-zubac/) put up a big double-double of his own with 14 points and 17 boards. Meanwhile, [Kawhi Leonard](/nba/players/1715792/kawhi-leonard/) made his return from a torn ACL with 14 points and seven rebounds off the bench and [John Wall](/nba/players/1755192/john-wall/) added 15 points in his Clippers debut. He ended both of those droughts on Thursday night, as he suited up for the Clippers' season opener but came off the bench in order to ease his way back into action.

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The Lakers' lack of shooting is their biggest sin with LeBron James (SB Nation)

Of course, you didn't need to see Russell Westbrook, Patrick Beverley, and Kendrick Nunn combine to go 1-of-16 from three (6.25 percent) in Thursday's loss to ...

If there’s a quick fix to be found, it’s not coming from anywhere on the current roster. It isn’t easy to build an elite defense or acquire the right superstars, but shooting should never be an issue on a LeBron team. The Westbrook trade certainly looks like a historic disaster to this point, but the Lakers are lying to themselves if they think they didn’t know what they were getting into. The Lakers have failed LeBron in so many ways since their title run inside the bubble. It's not like we're sitting here with a lot of lasers on our team...like if you had a bunch of underneath route runners, the quarterback's not throwing 20+ yard passes downfield." Of course, you didn’t need to see Russell Westbrook, Patrick Beverley, and Kendrick Nunn combine to go 1-of-16 from three (6.25 percent) in Thursday’s loss to the Clippers to realize the Lakers didn’t have enough shooting.

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Lakers News: NBA On TNT Twitter Broadcasters Chastise Team ... (Sports Illustrated)

Last night, the team that got the best of them was L.A.'s second-favorite NBA franchise, the Clippers, led in scoring by Paul George, ex-Laker Ivica Zubac, John ...

"The word that bothered me with the Lakers last year was accountability," Crawford reflected. "I felt like they weren't accountable from the top on down, and this year they're kind of doing the same thing... Last night for the Lakers-Clippers game, we were treated to the insights of three-time Sixth Man of the Year and former Lob City Clipper Jamal Crawford, former LeBron James teammate Channing Frye, and Taylor Rooks for this format. [103-97](https://www.si.com/nba/lakers/news/clippers-survive-lakers-rally-to-win-nail-biter-ak1987). Turner Sports is exploring how best it can use social media to attract the eyeballs of cord cutters and folks who generally aren't interested in watching the game's traditional cable broadcast, or at least might be curious to see an alternative approach. Last night, the team that got the best of them was L.A.'s second-favorite NBA franchise, the Clippers, led in scoring by Paul George, ex-Laker Ivica Zubac, John Wall and Kawhi Leonard.

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Lakers News: Charles Barkley Critical Of Lakers Front Office After ... (Sports Illustrated)

Last night against the Los Angeles Clippers at both team's shared home of Crypto.com Arena, it almost looked like the Lakers were going to steal a victory from ...

The Clippers won the first "Battle of L.A." After a fake run at the start of the fourth frame, the game was indeed out of reach for Los Angeles. roster does, on paper, look a bit better than last year's geriatric (in basketball terms) personnel, but it still seems that team vice president Rob Pelinka has once again failed to properly surround stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis with enough help to do more than be a fringe play-in team. Instead, Darvin Ham played Westbrook late in the quarter, L.A.'s offense froze up, and the Clippers did just enough to close them out. was only trailing by 59-52 at the time, it was clear that Golden State was gearing up for a run. The Warriors turned on the jets in the third quarter, outscoring the Lakers 32-19.

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Lakers can't make three-point shots again, fall to Clippers in home ... (Spectrum News 1)

The alarm that LeBron James sounded after the Lakers' season opener got a little louder Thursday. The Lakers couldn't make three-point shots again and fell ...

He re-entered the game with about five minutes left in the third quarter and finished with 25 points. The Lakers trailed by 16 in the first half but pulled into a 56-56 halftime tie thanks to a steady diet of James, Davis and new starter Lonnie Walker IV (26 points overall). James raised eyebrows after the opener when he said, “we’re not a team that’s constructed of great shooting. “They’ve got to do it on the game floor. The numbers don’t lie, though. They made only nine of 45 shots from three-point range for a numbingly low 20% success rate on a very high volume of attempts.

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Lakers News: L.A. Auditioned Maurice Harkless This Week (Sports Illustrated)

Your Los Angeles Lakers may already be interested in tweaking around the edges of their rotation, two games (both losses) into the 2022-23 NBA season.

It would behoove the Lakers to look for more sharpshooters, though the team is a bit guard-heavy and could benefit somewhat from additional size on the wing. Beyond its rookies and injured players, the least-played Laker this season is 6'11" center Damian Jones, who has been squeezed out a bit by 6'9" power forward Wenyen Gabriel, who can play both the four alongside Anthony Davis and the five when he sits. The Lakers have been so desperate for floor spacing help that the team has turned to 15th man Matt Ryan, a training camp addition, recently, a dead-eye shooter in this year's Summer League. "The Lakers brought in veteran free agent Moe Harkless for a workout and meeting this week," Charania notes. Unfortunately, Harkless is a fairly uneven shooter from long range on a lowe volume of attempts. That said, he's enjoyed several seasons hovering right around an acceptable 35%, most recently in 2019-20, when he shot 34.7% on 1.6 tries through 62 contests for the Clippers and Knicks.

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Image courtesy of "NBC Sports"

Report: Lakers work out, meet with veteran wing Moe Harkless (NBC Sports)

Looking for a possible Band-Aid for their shooting and wing issues, the Lakers worked out veteran Moe Harkless this week, according to a new report.

However, Levick notes that after one preseason game, Embiid said, “I’ve had an on-and-off summer as far as being able to really do stuff on the basketball court.” And in the second half of the 76ers home opener Thursday night, he really struggled. Here’s the quote, Both he and [watching the Lakers fall to the Clippers](https://nba.nbcsports.com/2022/10/21/three-things-to-know-westbrooks-0-of-11-night-highlights-lakers-shooting-woes/), two things were glaringly obvious. [He was the No. “He had a little plantar fasciitis before the season started — before training camp — and that took him off his conditioning program,” Rivers said. If by Thanksgiving the Lakers season looks lost, even with a trade, will the Lakers use their best trade assets, the two future first-round picks they can move, for a bigger, better Band-Aid? He’s not going to solve the Lakers’ shooting woes, he shot 30.7% from 3 last season and was worse the two seasons before that. The Lakers often used 6’3″ But he’s 6’7″ and a solid defender, particularly in the paint, plus maybe can rekindle some of his old pick-and-pop magic with Almost across the board.

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Image courtesy of "hoopsrumors.com"

Lakers Considering Adding Harkless After Workout, Meeting (hoopsrumors.com)

The Rockets ended up waiving Harkless due to a roster crunch — they had too many players under guaranteed standard contracts and plenty of depth at forward. A ...

[Wenyen Gabriel](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/g/gabriwe01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-) and [Matt Ryan](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/r/ryanma01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-), both of whom are playing on non-guaranteed deals, would be the players most likely to be cut in that scenario (Ryan has averaged 15 minutes per night across the first two games and is one of the few shooters on the roster, so his spot might be safer than Gabriel’s). As Stein noted in his article, while Harkless does provide some size (6’7″, 220 pounds) and versatility (he’s capable of handling either forward spot), his 32% career mark from three-point range isn’t ideal for a Lakers team that has struggled to convert outside shots in the early going. Known as a solid, switchable defender, Harkless hold career averages of 6.9 PPG, 3.5 RPG and 0.9 SPG on .474/.320/.624 shooting in 621 regular season games (371 starts, 22.6 MPG). Harkless was traded three times during the offseason. [waiving](https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2022/10/rockets-to-waive-maurice-harkless.html) Harkless due to a roster crunch — they had too many players under guaranteed standard contracts and plenty of depth at forward. [Maurice Harkless](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/h/harklma01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-) to address their lack of wing depth, as [Marc Stein writes at Substack](https://marcstein.substack.com/p/more-victor-in-november).

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Image courtesy of "Sports Illustrated"

Lakers News: Lakers Honor Dodgers Legend At Home Opener (Sports Illustrated)

Your Los Angeles Lakers paid tribute to an L.A. sports luminary during their first home game of the 2022-23 NBA season. The late great Vin Scully, ...

The versatile broadcaster also called NFL and PGA games during the 1970s and 1980s. That's right, he called games for the club when it was still the Brooklyn Dodgers. [passed away](https://dodgersnation.com/dodgers-news-legendary-broadcaster-vin-scully-passes-away-at-94/2022/08/02/) on August 2nd of this year at the age of 94, was the Los Angeles Dodgers' play-caller for a whopping 67 seasons, from 1950-2016.

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Image courtesy of "Sports Illustrated"

Lakers News: League Expert Wonders Why Lakers Want To ... (Sports Illustrated)

On Thursday night, in the fourth quarter of a close game, a lineup without Russell Westbrook had helped your Los Angeles Lakers close the gap on their ...

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Lakers News: LeBron James Reflects On Russell Westbrook's Brutal ... (Sports Illustrated)

Lakers guard Russell Westbrook didn't make a field goal for the first time since 2016.

Flush it down the toilet and get ready for Sunday." "Flush it down the toilet and get ready for Sunday. Will the Lakers have to deal with this all season long?

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Image courtesy of "thescore.com"

Report: Lakers bring in veteran forward Harkless for workout (thescore.com)

The strong perimeter defender suited up for 621 career games and 371 career starts for the Orlando Magic, Portland Trail Blazers, Los Angeles Clippers, New York ...

The Rockets released him in October. The Sacramento Kings traded him to the Atlanta Hawks in July, who then dealt him to the Oklahoma City Thunder in September before he was sent to the Houston Rockets three days later. [LeBron James](https://www.thescore.com/nba/players/72), the only Lakers forwards receiving playing time are former Golden State Warrior [Juan Toscano-Anderson](https://www.thescore.com/nba/players/11117) and undrafted free agent [Matt Ryan](https://www.thescore.com/nba/players/96560).

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