Andy Kamenetzky here, the host of the daily Locked On Lakers podcast, with your daily Locked On Lakers newsletter. Each day we bring you the biggest stories about the Lakers and the NBA, including the hottest links to other stories you need to read. Plus, Josh Lloyd delivers daily fantasy notes to crush your league.
Certain nights throughout a season can be described as “show me” games. One where the context clearly demands a certain level of effort and performance if a team is going to demonstrate the requisite seriousness and focus to consider themselves a legitimate playoff threat, let alone a title contender.
Tonight’s game against the Heat at the Crypt? It’s a “show me.”
Miami arrives with a middling record (20-18, 10-11 away from home) and without Jimmy Butler, who continues to serve a team-imposed suspension. So on their home floor, the Lakers ought to win this one. But more importantly, the last 16 minutes of Monday’s loss to San Antonio were an embarrassment. Up 10 with four minutes left in the quarter—and up eight with three minutes remaining—the Lakers went on to lose by 24. It’s not easy to lose a 16 minute stretch by 36 points, but here we are. And this was on a night where the Lakers, at least on the surface, pledged to bring it on behalf of the city.
That doesn’t mean they’re going to win, but the capacity to maintain focus should have been there. (And if it had, they win.)
The wild swings this team makes are just as revealing as anything they do inside games. They’ve shown flashes of being the type of team that can compete credibly in the playoffs and maybe get through a couple of rounds. They’ve also made being blown out part of the routine. It happens... a lot.
Whether the Lakers have enough on the roster to really make a push remains to be seen. At the least, the flaws are there, and they’re real. But if they’re not going to be the team that overwhelms with talent, they need to be one that does it with precision and heart.
It’s not easy, but it’s required.
—BK
Other Big Questions In This Episode
1. How do the Lakers replace the defense of Dorian Finney Smith (doubtful, personal) tonight?
2. What type of team do the Lakers want to be?
3. What can the Lakers fix on defense? How much of it is “play harder,” and how much of that comes down to LeBron and the cues he sends?
Have potential contenders figured out the Celtics?
Jan 12, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) fouls Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) during the first half at TD Garden. | Paul Rutherford/Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images
It’s always risky, doubting the Celtics. Not for Celtics fans, but for the rest of us. On Friday night, at home, Boston fans booed their team as they let the Kings take an uncontested rebound and take (then make) the same 3-point attempt. The Celtics lost, recording their 11th of the season. That’s only four games more than this time last year.
Going back, Boston recorded most of their losses last season in the winter stretch leading up to All-Star Weekend, the same stretch they’re in now. I would chalk a lot of those losses up to fatigue and deft competition who could sense the Celtics easing up on the gas, if briefly. The Nuggets, Bucks, Cavaliers and (then) white hot Pacers took advantage of those minor slumps. The losses now, though coming this season within the same stretch with the same fatigue taking a portion of the toll, have to do more with opponents figuring out how the Celtics tick.
This season, the Celtics are a known quality. Their brand of basketball last year overwhelmed the majority of their opponents, teams not built to withstand a barrage of incessant 3-point shooting backed by a quick and smothering defence without a moment to recalibrate or catch their breath. Most teams spent entire games, and all their energy, trying to chase Boston off the line. This season the Celtics have slipped to a 7th overall (from 3rd) defensive rating, and are currently 3rd overall (from 1st) in offence — teams have figured them out.
Katie Heindl is a credentialed NBA and WNBA writer, her bylines have appeared with The New York Times Magazine, SLAM, The Athletic, Yahoo Sports, Dime, Rolling Stone, among others. She writes the bestselling Substack, Basketball Feelings and is working on a book of the same name.
Home and Away
Trades Here’s the latest on the NBA trade deadline and rumblings around the league. (The Athletic)
Feel Good Anthony Davis opened his home to families evacuated due to the Palisades wildfire. Davis’s gesture was a beacon of hope during a challenging time. (Silver Screen and Roll)
Rumor Who is truly untouchable in the Lakers’ lineup ahead of the 2025 NBA trade deadline? (Bleacher Report)
3peat (ICYMI)
How Will the Lakers Survive Without Anthony Davis? The Lakers have a very distinct challenge in front of them over the next week or two. Let’s say for the sake of argument Anthony Davis misses all seven of the games the Lakers have left on the calendar before the All-Star break. How will they respond? In theory, three of those games—tonight against Washington, then games against Utah on February 10th and 12th—are winnable whether Davis plays or not. The other four? You do what you can.
Lakers Lose 118-104 to 76ers, Anthony Davis Suffers Abdominal Injury If Monday’s ugly win in Charlotte shined a light on deficiencies around the Lakers roster, then Tuesday’s ugly loss in Philadelphia—final score 118-104—had those shortcomings glowing in ways that could probably be seen from space. After a hot start, the Lakers cooled off, and then Anthony Davis left the game. For good, as it turned out. And once that happened, the Lakers completely collapsed. Defensively, they couldn’t find anything to slow down Tyrese Maxey. They couldn’t keep Philadelphia away from the rim, or off the glass. They couldn’t force any mistakes (zero turnovers for the Sixers in the second quarter). By any measure, the Lakers were completely overwhelmed by Philly’s aggression and athleticism.
Anthony Davis (42 Points, 23 Rebounds) Saves Lakers in 112-107 Win over Hornets The Anthony Davis Revival continues. At the same time he made waves by vocalizing his desire for Rob Pelinka and the front office to add another big to the Lakers roster, Davis has also elevated his play (which was, to say the least, already high level). Monday in Charlotte, Davis went for 21/11 in the first quarter, en route to 42 points and 23 boards. He was the reason—the reason—the Lakers got off to a tremendous start against the Hornets, outscoring them 39-19 in the first quarter and the reason—the reason—they hung on to win, 112-107.
