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.
The Lakers Throttle Boston, 117-96. Best Win of the Year?
Sorry Lakers, we owe you an apology. We were not familiar with your game.
Set aside what they’re surely noting (at least to some degree) in Celtics spaces after Thursday’s TKTKTKTK Lakers win over Boston at the Crypt. Yes, the Celtics played a very draining game Wednesday against the Clippers. Sure, the Celtics were uncharacteristically cold in the first half, and the Lakers uncharacteristically hot, especially from 3-point range.
Whatever.
What made this game significant for the Lakers wasn’t just final score (though it was pretty sweet)—the Lakers showed what they’re capable of when the intensity, urgency and attention is on point for all 48 minutes. The Lakers moved with tremendous purpose, particularly on the offensive end in a first half where they they shot 50% from the floor. They got into their offense quickly. They cut hard. They pushed when the opportunity presented itself. And in the second half, when the offense went dry and it looked like the Celtics might make a run, they leaned into their defense to hold the Celtics scoreless for minutes at a time.
Jan 20, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) rebounds beside center Nick Richards (2) in the first quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. | David Richard/David Richard-Imagn Images
It’s hard to pinpoint problems for a middling team. Very bad and excellent teams at least have one thing in common, which is that their deficits are easy to spot. With a team languishing in the middle of the standings, not so bad they’ll slide to the bottom and not good enough to climb past the more competent contenders above them, the deficits stack up and shuffle from day to day.
The Suns are firmly in this category.
There’s personnel issues, that much is clear after center Jusuf Nurkic said over the weekend that he and head coach Mike Budenholzer have no relationship. Not a bad relationship, not a testy one, but none whatsoever. Nurkic also said that he and Budenholzer didn’t speak for two months, and that Budenholzer didn’t tell Nurkic he’d be coming off the bench. That goes directly against what Budenholzer told media when he made the decision.
It’s a strange departure given that Budenholzer travelled to Croatia in the summer, shortly after the Suns hired him to replace the one season shoes of Frank Vogel, to spend time with Nurkic. Nurkic admired Coach Bud’s accountability, and the way he in turn held his players accountable.
“That’s the number one thing I noticed about him that’s different from any coach in my career,” Nurkic said, back in October. “I’ve had a lot of them. I was really amazed he got over and spent a few days with me.”
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.
Trade The Los Angeles Lakers are unlikely to see a significant market for Jarred Vanderbilt as the trade deadline approaches, according to insiders. Teams are reportedly not eager to pursue him. (Bleacher Report)
Preview Catch the Lakers vs. Hornets game with details on start time, TV stream, and injury report. Expect key matchups featuring LeBron James and LaMelo Ball. (Silver Screen and Roll)
Analysis With the trade deadline looming, two words describe the Lakers’ current state: “Potentially Contending.” Analysts believe the team has room for improvement to secure a playoff spot. (Bleacher Report)
Legacy Kobe Bryant’s legacy continues to thrive in Los Angeles five years after his tragic passing. The city remains deeply connected to his memory, with countless tributes and ongoing community initiatives honoring his impact. His spirit is ever-present in the Lakers’ culture. (CBS Sports)
Preview The Lakers host the Hornets tonight at 9:00 PM ET. Read the preview.(NBA)
Fantasy Cheat Sheet
Recapping All 30 NBA Teams For Fantasy Basketball
Jan 25, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski (2) reacts after making a three point basket against the Los Angeles Lakers during the second quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita/Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
The NBA action over the weekend was intense, with 15 games providing plenty of storylines to dissect. Let’s dive into some of the most notable performances and developments.
In Paris, the Indiana Pacers bounced back from their previous loss with a dominant 136-98 victory over the San Antonio Spurs. Tyrese Haliburton led the charge with 28 points, six rebounds, three assists, two steals, and two blocks in just 28 minutes. Andrew Nembhard continued his solid play with 15 points, eight rebounds, and nine assists, though I’m not convinced he’s a must-roster player in standard leagues.
The Golden State Warriors are becoming increasingly difficult to figure out. With Jonathan Kuminga and Draymond Green sidelined, Steve Kerr’s rotations were unpredictable. Trayce Jackson-Davis saw only 14 minutes, making it hard to justify holding onto in most formats. The flavour of the month seems to be Brandin Podziemski, who put up 17 points, three rebounds, five assists, and two steals in 28 minutes.
Injury Updates Shake Up Rotations
Several teams are dealing with significant injuries that are impacting their rotations. The Atlanta Hawks will be without Trae Young for their upcoming game, while De’Andre Hunter is questionable. This could open up opportunities for players like Dejounte Murray and Bogdan Bogdanovic to see increased usage.
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.
