Lakers

What they built before had stalled out, so in the past year Portland overhauled its roster. The Trail Blazers front office leaned hard into more athletic ...

[Darius Garland](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/51040/darius-garland) out (left eye laceration). [Zion Williamson](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/50955/zion-williamson). [Bradley Beal](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/29803/bradley-beal) had 27 for the Wizards, while Kristaps Porzinghis had 18 points and 11 boards. Willie Green also sat Jonas Valanciunas at the same time, went smaller with [Larry Nance Jr.](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/30183/larry-nance-jr) at the five and a bunch of bench guys, and almost pulled off the win. He had to pick up the scoring on Sunday with The most egregious example was with the Lakers up by one with :27 seconds left in the game and the ball, and Westbrook took a pull-up midrange jumper with :18 seconds left on the shot clock (he said after the game he was trying to go for a two-for-one). That was always going to fit just fine in Cleveland, which needed the additional shot creation and scoring. They are also playing with the edge of a disrespected team. He couldn’t be as aggressive defensively, which showed with the game on the line, tied at 104-104, and Grant went right at LeBron and got a shot up around Davis — it was the game-winner. There was palpable frustration in the Lakers’ press conferences and locker room. His biggest jumper of the night was a pull-up 3-pointer with :12.4 seconds left in the game to give the Trail Blazers the lead. The Lakers never figured out how to attack the Trail Blazers with Nurkic back like that.

Victories by the Blazers and Suns at Crypto.com Arena in L.A. revealed a pair of brightening stars, an NBA milestone and much more.

Booker finished with 35 points while shooting prolifically from the field (13-for-21), from 3-point range (5-for-9) and from the free-throw line (4-for-4). Nurkic then grabbed a rebound off Beverley’s [missed 3-pointer](https://www.nba.com/stats/events/?CFID=&CFPARAMS=&GameEventID=671&GameID=0022200037&Season=2022-23&flag=1&title=MISS%20Beverley%2025%27%203PT%20Jump%20Shot) before finishing with [a putback](https://www.nba.com/stats/events/?CFID=&CFPARAMS=&GameEventID=676&GameID=0022200037&Season=2022-23&flag=1&title=Nurkic%20Putback%20Layup%20(6%20PTS)) off Jerami Grant’s blocked dunk. [NBA.com](http://nba.com/). And despite their 6-for-33 mark from 3-point range, the Lakers remained consistent with their ball movement (26 assists), paint presence (66 points) and free-throw shooting (16-for-20). [an open 3-pointer](https://www.nba.com/stats/events/?CFID=&CFPARAMS=&GameEventID=656&GameID=0022200037&Season=2022-23&flag=1&title=MISS%20Westbrook%2025%27%203PT%20Jump%20Shot), Nurkic rebounded the missed shot. Once Patrick Beverley made the team’s second 3-pointer [with 8:37 left](https://www.nba.com/stats/events/?CFID=&CFPARAMS=&GameEventID=424&GameID=0022200037&Season=2022-23&flag=1&title=Beverley%2026%27%203PT%20Running%20Pull-Up%20Jump%20Shot%20(7%20PTS)) in the third quarter, Lakers fans gave a dramatic standing ovation. If they don’t solve those issues soon, the Lakers could collect more losses this week in Denver (Wednesday) and Minnesota (Friday). James (31 points) and Davis (22 points, 10 rebounds, six blocks) played with the poise and aggressiveness the Lakers need from their stars. James (2-for-9), Lonnie Walker IV (1-for-5), Davis (0-for-3), Russell Westbrook (0-for-3), Kendrick Nunn (0-for-3) and Troy Brown Jr. [rank last in 3-point shooting](https://www.nba.com/stats/teams/traditional?dir=A&sort=FG3_PCT) (21.2%). [with three seconds left](https://www.nba.com/stats/events/?CFID=&CFPARAMS=&GameEventID=699&GameID=0022200037&Season=2022-23&flag=1&title=Grant%202%27%20Driving%20Layup%20(16%20PTS)). “Dame started the season letting the game come to him,” Billups said.

The 2022-2023 Los Angeles Lakers can't shoot, and everyone knows it. As the Lakers fell to 0-3 to start the new season on Sunday against the Portland Trail ...

[Imagine the Lakers winning the lottery and the Pelicans getting French super prospect Victor Wembanyama](https://www.sbnation.com/nba/2022/10/19/23412602/victor-wembanyama-nba-draft-tanking-teams-ranked-best-odds-lol-lakers). [Even LeBron James was horribly bricking threes](https://www.sbnation.com/nba/2022/10/23/23419572/lebron-james-miss-worst-shot-video-lakers-vs-blazers). [Los Angeles Lakers](https://www.silverscreenandroll.com) [can’t shoot, and everyone knows it](https://www.sbnation.com/nba/2022/10/21/23416262/lakers-lebron-russell-westbrook-shooting-three-pointers-stats). It’s going to be a long year. This is the level of enthusiasm it takes to successfully close out against an open Lakers shooter at the three-point line this year. When Anthony Davis attempted a corner three in third quarter, Nurkić turned his head and picked his nose (?) the moment the shot when up.

The Lakers three-point struggles are at heart of the 0-3 season start but it was a known issue; Wednesday night sees the live NBA action return as Giannis ...

Once the books are clear of that at the end of this season it should afford Pelinka a little more flexibility but everyone can see how the Lakers are toiling right now and that fact in itself changes the conversation in terms of the value shooters will have for them. The report stated: "While Pelinka has been given the ultimate power to make these decisions, sources say there was a desire for the entire group to come to a consensus. He's nearly 38 and is still one of the most dominant physical specimens in any sport. Despite all of that, in the offseason the Lakers' front office chief was locked into a contract extension which stretches to 2026 – potentially an even more baffling move than the trade for Westbrook, a notoriously bad shooter. Of the players on the current roster to shoot at least six three-pointers this season, not one player has hit at better than a 30 per cent clip. They knew they did not need to close out and guard because their opponents just were not going to make many of the shots. For one person to be in their feelings about when and where and how they should be in the game, I don't have any time for that. It's been proved in the past that if you surround James with shooters, you have a good shot at winning a title (no pun intended). That's the one shot that teams want you to take and want to give up – long twos, contested twos, what have you. Despite having plenty of time to run a play which would allow him to drive to the rim, Westbrook – left unguarded by Jusuf Nurkic, essentially inviting him to shoot, missed a 15-foot pull-up jumper in what he later said was an attempt to go two-for-one. But going 6-for-33 from deep to fall to defeat against a rebuilding Portland Trail Blazers team is just not on for one with a history such as the 18-time champion Lakers. Westbrook finished with 10 points on 4-for-15 shooting, and the Blazers' key 10-point surge to take the lead came after the former MVP was subbed back into the game with 4:42 remaining in the fourth quarter.

Only one team in history with at least 100 3-point attempts has posted a worse three-game mark than L.A.'s 21.2 percent.

At present, the Lakers don't have a single player who has attempted at least six 3-pointers on the season with better than a 30-percent mark. Among all players who've attempted at least 10, LeBron James is the "best" at 25.9 percent (7 for 27). Read those numbers again and let that sink in: 6,100 times a team has shot at least 100 3s over a three-game stretch, and 6,099 of them did so with a better success rate than the Lakers have to open the season. Per ESPN Stats and Info, that is the second-worst 3-point percentage for any team in history that has taken at least 100 3-pointers over any three-game span. Through the first three games of the season (all losses, by the way), the Lakers, as a team, are 25 for 118 from 3-point range. It's not like we're sitting here with a lot of lasers on our team."

The first game started early, and there was no empty window after that. Should this be how every day in the NBA should be scheduled? Who's to say? If I am to ...

Suns started out the game on an 11-0 run, and the Clippers were never within single digits, despite a clean injury report. Anthony Edwards powered the Wolves with 30 points (13-19 FG) and 11 rebounds. Atlanta got out to a quick start, opening the game on a 20-7 run and leading 24-11 after just over nine minutes. Cavs controlled most of the way before the Wiz forced overtime, but Cavs again took control down the stretch to win it behind 37 points, 4 assists, and 3 steals from Donovan Mitchell. But since the Purple and Gold can never catch a single break, they proceeded to blow a 7-point lead with less than two minutes left. After this game against the Lakers, Lillard has back-to-back 41-point games, and his team has needed every bit of it.

Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis aired out his frustrations after the team blew a lead in their loss to the Portland Trail Blazers.

It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more! However, the most glaring error came with Los Angeles up one when Westbrook decided to shoot a jumper for an ill-advised two-for-one opportunity. Davis and LeBron James did everything in their power to try and will L.A. The loss drops Los Angeles to 0-3, and frustration is permeating throughout the organization and the fan base. “I’m just going out there and playing hard, doing whatever I can do to help the team win. Davis turned in his best performance of the young season against Portland, recording 22 points, 10 rebounds, six blocks and two steals in 36 minutes.

Russell Westbrook is averaging 10.5 points in 29 minutes per game. Some of the team's newest editions Patrick Beverley, Juan Toscano-Anderson and Matt Ryan are ...

Sunday afternoon however was the first time he has been able to play. This Lakers roster has not been able to prove that they can provide him that kind of support. The Lakers have a few things to be excited about. The team has been plagued with injuries since before the season began. signed a one-year contract with the Lakers this offseason. The Los Angeles Lakers have started the season 0-3.

With every brick and loss, the Lakers' hole gets a little deeper. If Los Angeles can't find a way to get rid of Westbrook, there's no way to salvage this ...

If the Lakers get aggressive and decide to put Davis on the trade block attached to Westbrook, maybe the Bulls would have interest in the package. With a smart Westbrook trade, they won’t be title favorites, but they’d be more formidable in the loaded West. The place was dumpster fire in the years prior to LeBron’s arrival, and since they won a title in 2020 they’ve dismantled the roster. League sources say that before the Jazz sent Bojan Bogdanovic to the Pistons, the Lakers offered Westbrook, a future first-round pick, and second-rounders for Bogdanovic and others. Sources expect the Lakers and Jazz to resume talks later in the season with some combination of other players discussed. At the time, league sources told The Ringer that the Hornets wanted to dump long-term salary with the expectation that they’d be paying big money to re-sign Miles Bridges, but he remains unsigned due to his But someone, anyone, needs to privately tell Westbrook to just stop shooting jump shots off the dribble, especially early in the shot clock, and instead focus on what he’s best at: attacking the basket and playmaking. To put Westbrook’s 41.2 percent contest rate in perspective, only two other players on record have had less than 50 percent of their jumpers contested: Joakim Noah, at 48.7 percent in 2013-14 with the Bulls, and Andre Roberson, at 48.8 percent during the 2016-17 season with the Thunder. Westbrook has made only 38.3 percent of his midrange jumpers in his career, and the number has dipped further since he joined the Lakers. The problem is that play is most effective with shooters and spacing: Westbrook has made only one of 12 shots from 3 this season, and the rest of the Lakers roster has made only 22.6 percent of their shots from downtown. The other was an egregious pull-up 2-pointer with 18 seconds left on the shot clock and 30.2 seconds left in the game that caused every Lakers fan on the planet to sound like Darth Vader screaming NOOOO! Westbrook isn’t the only problem, but he’s by far their biggest and most glaring one.

The trade market won't heat up for a while, but all eyes are on what is going on with Westbrook and the Lakers early. The latest from Shams.

[Hawks](https://theathletic.com/nba/team/hawks/), the [Suns](https://theathletic.com/nba/team/suns/) have recently been engaged in talks with the [Bucks](https://theathletic.com/nba/team/bucks/) on a potential Jae Crowder trade, sources said. [Pacers](https://theathletic.com/nba/team/pacers/) extensively discussed a potential deal sending [Myles Turner](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/myles-turner-LwTytE5qn88aGduz/) and [Buddy Hield](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/buddy-hield-AD3NeTjxgBd5qvz0/) to L.A. The Lakers and [Hornets](https://theathletic.com/nba/team/hornets/) held discussions about a possible three- or four-team trade during the summer, and hold him in high regard among their possible trade possibilities, but the dynamic Hornets guard’s availability will be entirely predicated on the franchise’s direction for the future and its play as the season goes on. So expect the Lakers to continue to keep tabs with the Spurs, Hornets and Pacers as a potential trade partner as the season wears on. Milwaukee has registered interest in the veteran forward [who has remained away from the Suns’ organization](https://theathletic.com/3627986/2022/09/25/suns-jae-crowder-training-camp-trade/) as both sides work toward a trade. And for the Lakers, the proper deal will take patience, strategy, internal resolve and growth. Potential trade partners across the league have wanted one or two unprotected first-rounders from the Lakers in all deal frameworks, which creates a battle over price and value. [Russell Westbrook](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/russell-westbrook-6Eb0XPY16UzzJWbc/)’s expiring $47 million deal and up to two unprotected first-round picks (2027, 2029). In the very early stages of the season, Westbrook has had some spurts of solid defense and energy plays, but has also shot just 28.9 percent from the field and 8.3 percent from 3-point land. 14, but the Lakers went back to Westbrook in a starting spot to start the season. Westbrook was used in a reserve role in the final game of the preseason in Sacramento on Oct. Those traits have been put to the test from the very beginning of his tenure.

A trade would need to wait several weeks, but the Oklahoma City Thunder could help Los Angeles' shooting struggles.

This is exactly the type of lift the Lakers could use off the bench. While the Lakers certainly like what Bryant brings to the table, he’s on a one-year deal. One player who could immediately begin to fix this issue is Mike Muscala of the Oklahoma City Thunder. There’s no question that Los Angeles is willing to make moves to improve the roster. [Marc Spears](https://twitter.com/marcjspears/status/1584328710433300486?s=46&t=Oemkoaww9GARILZMSOtSdQ), the Lakers’ 21.2% mark on triples is actually historically bad. The Los Angeles Lakers have struggled tremendously this season, starting out the 2022-23 campaign 0-3.

In a perfect world, they would get someone a bit bigger back. Richardson, a 6-6 wing, could fit the bill, but his performance has been inconsistent over the ...

A rumored trade with the [Indiana Pacers](https://www.cbssports.com/nba/teams/IND/indiana-pacers/) for [Myles Turner](/nba/players/2152935/myles-turner/) and [Buddy Hield](/nba/players/2019264/buddy-hield/) is still a possibility as well, and the Lakers are keeping tabs on all three teams. Even after a Westbrook trade, the Lakers would still have [Kendrick Nunn](/nba/players/2104256/kendrick-nunn/), [Dennis Schroder](/nba/players/2067702/dennis-schroder/), [Austin Reaves](/nba/players/2268681/austin-reaves/) and [Lonnie Walker IV](/nba/players/2938054/lonnie-walker-iv/) fighting for minutes. It might, but given the way they've played thus far this season, waiting that long might knock them so far down the standings that it doesn't matter. They are 0-3 through three games, and Westbrook is shooting a paltry 28.9 percent from the field and 8.3 percent from deep. [Russell Westbrook](/nba/players/1622555/russell-westbrook/) experiment played out last season, things have gone even worse for the [Los Angeles Lakers](https://www.cbssports.com/nba/teams/LAL/los-angeles-lakers/) thus far this year.