Latest news with #LosAngelesLakers'
Time of India
an hour ago
- Sport
- Time of India
Too Old, Too Weak on D: Why the Los Angeles Lakers' Superstar LeBron-Luka Duo Is Doomed, According to Danny Green
LeBron James and Luka Doncic (Image via Getty) The Los Angeles Lakers entered the 2024-25 season with high hopes, pairing Luka Doncic and LeBron James in an attempt to build a championship contender. However, their playoff run ended early with a first-round exit against the Minnesota Timberwolves. While the front office remains optimistic about their star duo, not everyone is convinced—including former Lakers champion Danny Green . Why Danny Green is skeptical about the Los Angeles Lakers' championship chances Danny Green, who won a title with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020, recently shared his doubts about the team's ability to compete for a championship with Doncic and James leading the way. Speaking on All the Smoke, Green pointed to key concerns: - Defensive limitations: Danny Green believes the duo lacks the defensive intensity needed for a deep playoff run. - LeBron's age: James will turn 41 next season, raising questions about his ability to sustain elite performance. - Roster construction: The Los Angeles Lakers' supporting cast, including Austin Reaves, doesn't provide enough defensive support to compensate. Danny Green: Shaq's Wild Rookie Hazing, LeBron as Teammate vs. Opponent & Kawhi's Spurs Falling Out Danny Green's full quote: "I think they're explosive offensively. I think they lack a lot defensively… I don't know how many years he (James) has left longer, and it's really hard to win a championship when your best player is 40 years old… Next year LeBron going to be 41… He can still average 30, 20 something, but I just don't see them winning a championship with that formula right now." The challenges of building around Doncic and James Despite the skepticism, both Doncic and James have proven they can lead teams deep into the playoffs when surrounded by the right pieces: Player Recent playoff success LeBron James Won 2020 NBA title, reached 2023 WCF Luka Doncic Led Mavericks to 2024 NBA Finals However, the Los Angeles Lakers ' current roster has glaring weaknesses: - No traditional starting center - Lack of elite perimeter defenders - Over-reliance on offensive firepower Can the Los Angeles Lakers fix their roster issues? The front office has a narrow path to contention this offseason. Possible solutions include: 1. Adding defensive specialists: Players who can cover for Doncic and James on the perimeter. 2. Finding a reliable center: A rim protector would help shore up the interior defense. 3. LeBron's adjusted role: If James focuses more on defense, it could elevate the team's overall performance. LeBron James weighs in on the NBA's analytical era Amid discussions about the Lakers' future, LeBron James recently shared his thoughts on the NBA's shift toward analytics-driven play. On his *Mind the Game* podcast with Steve Nash, James acknowledged fan frustrations with the modern game's reliance on three-pointers and layups but emphasized that the league is working to improve the viewing experience. Also read: Why the 2025 Thunder Are Oklahoma City's Best Team Ever – According to Kendrick Perkins While the Los Angeles Lakers have two of the NBA's most talented players, Danny Green's concerns highlight the difficulty of constructing a championship roster around them. Without significant defensive upgrades, the team may struggle to compete against deeper, more balanced contenders. The offseason will be critical in determining whether the Lakers can turn their star power into a title-winning formula.
USA Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Former NBA star says Lakers should bring back Dwight Howard
Former NBA star says Lakers should bring back Dwight Howard The Los Angeles Lakers' top priority this offseason is to acquire a starting-caliber center who will shut down the middle defensively, gobble up rebounds, run the floor in transition and convert dunks off lob passes. They have already been linked to a few players, most of whom are relatively young and could play alongside Luka Doncic for at least the next few years. The Lakers have had a hole at the center position for some time now, even before they traded superstar big man Anthony Davis to get Doncic in early February. For a while, some fans were clamoring for the team to bring back Dwight Howard, who helped hold down the center position during the 2019-20 season when it won the NBA championship. Former NBA star Jermaine O'Neal said on the "Nightcap" podcast that the Lakers should simply bring Howard back to plug their hole at the 5. "I don't know why the NBA is getting away from the veterans," O'Neal said. "I'd use Dwight Howard. He always seems to be in shape. "... He's one of the best defenders of all time to come down to protecting the rim and rebounding that basketball." Howard did a great job during the 2019-20 season of putting his ego aside, embracing a lesser role than what he had been used to for many years and giving Los Angeles the defense, rebounding and hustle it needed to win it all. He returned to the Purple and Gold for the 2021-22 season, and while he could still help on the boards, his defense had dramatically declined. No NBA team signed him for the following season, and he had to head to Southeast Asia to play pro ball. Howard will turn 40 years of age in December, and he simply isn't able to provide the team with what it needs at the center position. Besides, since Doncic is 26 years of age and can become a free agent next summer, it needs to acquire a young center who can play alongside him for a while, not someone who is at the end of his career.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Luka Doncic's ‘speedy' transformation reignited Ozempic debate, fans couldn't keep cool
Luka Doncic's 'speedy' transformation reignited Ozempic debate, fans couldn't keep cool (Image Credit: Getty Images) Los Angeles Lakers' Luka Doncic devoted his offseason to self-care; his miraculous transformation is proof. The weight loss of the Lakers' star sparked Ozempic debate again on the Nightcap Show. Chad Johnson hinted at the use of a weight-loss drug. Meanwhile, social media erupted with fans' reactions, who were appreciative of the player's fit look. Luka Doncic's quick transformation sparked Ozempic debate What was Luka Doncic doing all summer after the Los Angeles Lakers' exit from the NBA playoffs? If someone is searching for the answer to this, a safe reply would be - losing weight. Luka recently attended a Real Madrid basketball game to support his previous club. His transformed look grabbed everyone's eyes. Chad Johnson, Shannon Sharpe, and Jermaine O'Neal picked Luka Doncic's fitness as one of the topics at their show, Nightcap. Johnson commented, 'You can't take that as an NBA player, right?' Hinting at the use of the weight-loss drug, he further discussed, 'How many weeks have they been out of the season? It ain't been that long for him to lose all that weight like that. I'm telling you he probably took that Ozempic stuff. I'm telling you.' Unc, Ocho & Jermaine O'Neal react to Brunson & Knicks STEALING G3 vs. Hali & Pacers | Nightcap Luka Doncic's impressive looks got a lot of appreciation from the fans. They had positive things to say about Doncic's slimmer frame. Fans shared appreciative comments on Luka Doncic's fit body Real Madrid Basket shared a glimpse of Luka Doncic's attendance at the game. His improved look garnered a lot of appreciation from fans. While the experts like Shannon Sharpe remained unaffected by his weight loss, the fans hailed the Slovenian player. A Lakers insider posted on X: 'Luka has seemingly lost 20- 30 lbs already this offseason, and is looking in great shape' Another fan commented, 'This Luka? Recently?? He looks so different. It's giving throwback' One more comment read, 'Wow! Good job Luka. Keep it up. Rooting for you always.' Another appreciative comment read, 'GOAT is in shape' At the Nightcap show, Jermaine O'Neal reflected his view, saying: 'When I've seen him play with his national team, he always looks thinner." He further said, "Then he comes back to the United States, and he's eating yeast rolls and pasta. Also Read: Luka Doncic steps out to watch a game in Spain; fans comment on his slimmer look: 'He loses weight in off-season then gains it back' Luka Doncic's fit body elated the Lakers fans, and they hoped that with a better team composition, the Lakers would make a comeback in the next season. Get IPL 2025 match schedules , squads , points table , and live scores for CSK , MI , RCB , KKR , SRH , LSG , DC , GT , PBKS , and RR . Check the latest IPL Orange Cap and Purple Cap standings.
USA Today
4 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Lakers reporter suggests former Warriors guard as free agent target
Lakers reporter suggests former Warriors guard as free agent target When it comes to the Los Angeles Lakers' roster needs this offseason, most are focused on how much the team needs a starting-caliber center. But the Lakers are also in need of improved guard and wing depth. Problem is, they have a limited number of trade assets and very little, if any, salary cap flexibility. That means they will need to sign a couple of players to the veteran's minimum salary who will provide good value. Jovan Buha, a Lakers beat writer for The Athletic, suggested during a recent episode of "Buha's Block" that guard De'Anthony Melton could be a decent free agent option for the team. "I really like Melton as a flyer. I think, at this point, he's gonna be a vet-minimum guy… I think he's a guy who, for a vet minimum contract, you could do a lot worse,' said Buha. Melton was a second-round draft pick in 2018 out of the University of Southern California. He has been known as a strong defender, especially on opposing ball-handling guards, and although he stands a modest 6-foot-3, he has a wingspan of 6-foot-8 and weighs a somewhat stocky 200 pounds. He has become a reliable 3-point shooter over the last few years, and he possesses ample quickness that especially helps him on the defensive end. However, Melton tore his ACL early this season back in November. The guard, who was traded by the Golden State Warriors to the Brooklyn Nets in December, may not be able to earn that much money this summer as a result. If he's available for the veteran minimum's salary, perhaps the Lakers should at least consider him on a one-year deal. He is a native of the Southland who grew up in the San Fernando Valley, so perhaps he could be enticed to come back home.
USA Today
4 days ago
- Business
- USA Today
Rich Paul pushes back on the narrative of LeBron James as a shadow GM
Rich Paul pushes back on the narrative of LeBron James as a shadow GM Those who tend to dislike or even hate LeBron James claim that he has an outsized amount of influence on the personnel decisions of his teams. He does have a reputation for supposedly strong-arming his teams, albeit in a passive-aggressive way, to make certain personnel moves, and it has even led to some nicknaming him "LeGM." One example that is often cited is the Los Angeles Lakers' 2021 trade for Russell Westbrook. It cost them viable role players in Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Montrezl Harrell, and it led to a disastrous 2021-22 season during which they failed to reach the play-in tournament. According to at least one report, James and Anthony Davis met with Westbrook prior to the trade and talked about how the three could play effectively together. It is thought that James then sold Lakers executive Rob Pelinka, who had at least one other move lined up, on trading for Westbrook, causing Pelinka to call off any other major moves. During an appearance on "The Rich Eisen Show," Rich Paul, James' longtime agent and the CEO of Klutch Sports, pushed back on the narrative that James pushes teams to acquire the players he wants. "And that's false," Paul claimed. "I can say that because I'm there and when you think about that and that narrative people don't think about the impact that that has off the court. It hurts friendships, guys that play on teams because they feel like, 'Hey, I may have been traded and it's because you wanted me out of here.' I know that it's not to be true. Clearly he don't run the team because there's things that transpired that he didn't even know about, so how is he running the team? The Westbrook trade. He didn't make that trade, contrary to what people try to put out there. He did not make that trade, and I know that for a fact. So I think those things are…there's one thing to have power and influence, and there are guys who earned the right for some decisions to be ran past you or for some teams to say, 'Hey, what do you think about this?' "We can't confuse someone asking a player for an opinion and that being the decision that's being made. Those are two separate things, and I deal with all of them, players and offices. Those are two separate things. I don't think players are in the position to make a specific decision all the time due to the fact that they're not doing the diligence that the front offices are doing to even make that decision. Because it's one thing to date somebody, it's another thing to live with them." It is thought that the trade that sent Anthony Davis and Max Christie to the Dallas Mavericks for Luka Doncic sent James and Paul a message that they don't have influence over the Lakers. Now, after a few years of purgatory following the Westbrook deal, the Purple and Gold are on the verge of becoming true championship contenders, assuming James, who has a player option for next season, sticks around.
