The Lakers’ elimination from the NBA Cup meant there wasn’t as much game action for the purple and gold over the last week as the tournament wrapped up in Las Vegas. LA had just one game against the Suns and they took care of business despite blowing a comfortable fourth-quarter lead.
Overall, it was a week where the Lakers earned a win, got some gifts and Jarred Vanderbilt got an opportunity to play and stepped up.
So, let’s dive into the five things I liked and didn’t like during these last seven
days.
5 things I liked and didn’t like
1. The Vandolorian has returned
Vando has been out of the Lakers’ lineup ever since LeBron James returned. It seemed that with everyone virtually available, head coach JJ Redick couldn’t find a role for one of his best defenders.
While the Lakers kept winning, their defense continued to struggle.
Against the Suns, Redick finally gave Vando a shot to show that his defensive upside was worth dealing with his offensive downside and he delivered.
Vando was, as Redick says, a banshee. He was grabbing offensive rebounds, deflecting passes and wreaking havoc on the Suns.
While he tipped the scales in LA’s favor and helped earn them the victory in Phoenix, it remains to be seen if it’ll result in more playing time. What is known, however, is that he stayed ready and when his moment came, he performed. And that deserves to be celebrated.
2. It’s All-Star voting season
NBA All-Star voting is now open for fans and with the Lakers having three potential All-Stars and the game happening in Los Angeles, you can bet some Lakers will make the squad.
For that to happen, though, fans need to make their voices heard and vote.
I can’t wait to see how many fans vote for LeBron James and Austin Reaves. The numbers are sure to be massive and fans of other teams will be so angry over something that is obviously going to happen.
Voting is open through Jan. 14. If you want your vote to be worth the most, be sure to participate on any of the five 3-for-1 voting days on Dec. 21, Dec. 25, Dec. 30, Jan. 7 and Jan. 14.
3. Luka Claus
Luka Dončić plays with joy and apparently gives with the same passion. This week, he gifted every Lakers staffer, coach and player an e-bike for Christmas.
This is Luka going way above and beyond what he has to do. It’s great to have a superstar who is so generous and thoughtful. This might not matter on the court, but it helps the chemistry, camaraderie and improves morale around the building knowing the most important player cares about things on and off the floor.
Good on Luka for being Santa Claus. Hopefully, he also added some helmets to the stockings so that the Lakers can zip around town safely.
4. Winning Ugly
While watching Dillon Brooks fail in his one-sided beef against LeBron James is fun, that game against the Suns was less than enjoyable. The Lakers blew a 20-point lead, but still managed to win.
A cynic might say this is a sign the Lakers aren’t as good as their record suggests. That the chickens will come to roost for the Lakers, either later on in the season against the top teams or in the playoffs when the pretenders are weeded out.
I’m more of an optimist.
I look at the 1983 Chicago White Sox. They were in the middle of a winning streak when rival manager Doug Rader of the Texas Rangers said Chicago was “winning ugly” and actually not playing well. The White Sox embraced the moniker and went on to win their division.
Yes, you want to look good while winning, but winning is the main objective. During an 82-game season, rack up as many wins as possible and figure the rest out later.
There is no nobility in underachieving, so if winning ugly means you have more wins than your talent indicates, then sign me up.
The Lakers front office sees everything we see.
They should understand the team still has flaws and needs improvement. Heck, the Thunder are still head and shoulders above the rest of the NBA, so it’s not like anyone here is delusional about who is in charge of the league right now.
So keep on winning, Lakers. Do it prettily, convincingly and embarrassingly. I’ll contextualize it later, just keep stacking wins.
5. Marcus not so Smart
Marcus Smart is a great defender. So good that he might even be an option as a starter for the Lakers. For that to happen though, he has to eliminate the awful offensive decisions he made against the Suns.
In the fourth quarter with the Lakers seemingly cruising, he had a no-look pass on a fastbreak that was supposed to be for Jarred Vanderbilt, but it landed right in Grayson Allen’s hands. The play was so comically bad that it’s only right that the basketball Gods used it as the beginning of a run for the Suns.
Late in the game, the Lakers were up by two and had possesion. Smart decided to call his own number, drive up the court and take a shot at the rim.
Considering that there were just 28.5 seconds left in the game when the Lakers inbounded the ball, this was not what Smart should’ve done. The best decision would’ve been to milk the clock and get either Luka or LeBron.
Instead, Smart went rogue and drove the lane, attempting a shot with 20 seconds left, which was blocked. The Suns then hit a three, giving Phoenix the lead. Los Angeles still won, but Smart can’t make these kinds of bad decisions, even if he acknowledged them postgame.
If he wants to start, these kinds of plays can’t happen. I know it’s part of his bull in a china shop style, but offensively, that’s not wanted or desired. The Lakers have scorers, so unless you are wide open, swing the ball and stay out of the way.
Player of the Week
With just one game played, it’s a good week to celebrate a grinder on the Lakers. So, the Player of the Week is Vanderbilt.
He stepped up and was exactly the defensive initiator the Lakers have been lacking. Vando made a case to be in the rotation, and even if he’s still out, the leash for the rest of the team just got shorter due to his play in the team’s road win in Phoenix.
Stat of the Week
Through it all, the Lakers have found ways to win. And, more importantly, they avoided losing.
Stacking losses can dig a hole that becomes hard to get out of. It’s why, in previous seasons, the Lakers have had to play with playoff intensity during the final weeks just to squeak into the play-in.
So far this season, they don’t seem to be heading in that direction.
The Stat of the Week is that the Lakers have yet to have a losing streak this season. Only the Thunder and Nuggets have also yet to have back-to-back losses.
It’s no surprise that all three teams are at the very top of the Western Conference.
Play of the Week
Jaxson Hayes is shooting 74% from the field because he only takes shots at the rim. The Play of the Week features one of the best Hayes dunks of the year.
The offensive highlight started on defense. Suns guard Ryan Dunn grabbed an offensive rebound, but he gave it right back to the Lakers. This happened because Hayes, LeBron and Luka swarmed him underneath the rim and the pressure forced him to make a pass.
However, dishing the ball out from under the basket is tricky. Dunn tried to send it to Royce O’Neale waiting on the perimeter, but Jake LaRavia read the play perfectly and stole the ball.
While LaRavia briefly had a clear lane to the basket, he isn’t the fastest player in the NBA, so even with an advantage, he was losing the footrace. LaRavia was well aware of this and slowed down a bit to allow his teammates to get involved.
O’Neale stopped following LaRavia and stayed back to defend Gabe Vincent. But Hayes was still left unguarded and barreling down the court as a trailer. LaRavia looked right and caught a glimpse of this. Once both Suns defenders were fully committed to him, he made the pass to Hayes.
Hayes didn’t even have to take a dribble. He simply took off. Oso Ighodaro did his best to contest, but it was like a candle trying to outshine the sun. Hayes jammed it home and put an exclamation point on his performance.
Stories of the Week
Inside the ugly Chris Paul-LA Clippers divorce – ESPN
Ramona Shelburne detailed exactly how things fell apart between the Clippers and Chris Paul in a way no one else has. It provides new details, a timeline and perspective on where things will go from here for the other LA team.
While the conversation around his departure has died down, the question of why the team exposed itself to criticism by the timing and fashion in which it did it remains.
“I don’t even like him that much,” said one source close to a current Clippers player. “But this isn’t a G League guy. This is Chris Paul. There’s ways to do it where he can save a little face.”
NBA Cup 2025: Players, coaches on future of in-season tournament – ESPN
The NBA Cup has been a success, but it’s far from perfect. ESPN writers Tim Bontemps, Dave McMenamin and Michael C. Wright detailed what players and coaches think of the Cup, how it can improve and potential changes in their recent article.
“Move it to New York,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said with a smile. “I’d like that. Let somebody else fly that way for six hours or whatever it was. You know, again, Vegas is great. But to move it around. …
“Initially, I doubted them on the Cup, Initially, I doubted them on the play-in games, and they are both phenomenal. So, I really don’t know what the hell I’m talking about, so I’m going to leave it up to Adam [Silver].”
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.
