Purple Blood Lakers Podcast

The Lakers ended the season on a high note, in spite of injuries to Austin and Luka. The trade for Luke was Rob's finest stroke. Bronny looks ready, with some risks. Marcus IS ready. Rui may not be dat dude. All that matters for Jake and Vando is limiting KD. DA tends to come through in games against skilled centers. The King will lead us to the Promised Land.

The Lakers have gone on the most exciting win streak in the past several years. Donna who is always Wright wanted Marcus Smart to start and that changed everything. Bron has made adjustments to his game to fit in with Luka and Austin and the results have been devastating for our opponents. The Lakers look good!

The Lakers had their best game against a quality, hot opponent. Controlling the ball gives the Lakers a chance. Marcus is working out. What happened to Jake? Hillbilly Kobe is back. He and Rui are thriving in Bron's absence. But the Lakers have had a real sustained excellence run this season. Oh, and Luke really is that dude, and y'all need to get off of Ayton.

The Lakers had a boring January basketball stretch, getting enough key wins to maintain the 6th spot. Here we go for a playoff run. Nice to end the pre-all-star season with a tripple double from the old man.

We dropped 3 in a row. Again. But we were down several starters during a rough stretch and Lakers fans shouldn't panic. Donna doesn't panic. Ever. Sure enough, we came back with a masterful first half against the re-constituted Hawks. LeBron James deserves his flowers. He had a gigantic genius-level game, and has been on a tear.

First, we dropped a game to the Pistons, which we ignored in this podcast, because what more can be said about the Lakers' struggles against aggressive, athletic teams? Our trade target remains as specified. But we bounced back with a 3 game winning streak, 2 against the Grizzlies and one against the Pelicans. The Lakers formula against struggling teams appears to be keep it close, then dominate the 4th. Lebron looks fantastic. Luka remains Luka. Vando is stepping up. Jake looks like he should get a chance to start. And Ayton demanded the ball, got it, and did something with it. The Lakers are riding high, but let's see how we do against better teams.

Though we love the effort after the 3 game skid and not-so-uncomfortable practice, this is the Kings so we can't learn much about the team from this beat down. Lebron played nearly perfect ball, Nick is that dude, Vando helped us on D, and Luka actually played some nice D. Marcus Smart deserves mention too, nice game from him. We'll take the win, but this team still has a ways to go before we can say they are even an average defensive NBA team.

We beat the Jazz, but nobody cares. Then we went on our first 2 and then 3 game losing streak. Lakers nation is panicking. We have to do something. And none of the ideas (start Smart, Jake, or Vando) are sufficient to win us a ring this year, so the pressure is on to make a trade, but for one of these pieces we need, we cannot miss.

The Lakers suffered a loss to the Wemby-less Spurs, wasting the best game of Marcus Smart's Laker career thus far (8 threes!). They came back to barely beat the Dillon-Brooks-energized Suns, who engineered a 20 point comeback that the Lakers ultimately pushed back. The Laker bench won the game with an off night for Luka and Austin resting a strained calf. Vando played particularly well in his first playing time in a few games.

The Lakers lost to Boston. A travesty made worse by them shooting lights out. So as has become out tradition, we ignored Episode 22, and just moved on to Episode 23 in which we discuss the great game Lebron had, just how bad Embid and George are, and Rich Paul's comments on Lakers readiness.

Austin Reeves once again takes up the slack from a Luka absence due to childbirth. Bron makes the right play and finds Luka in the corner for the game winning 3. Nick the quick brought instant offense, Adou progressed, and Jake had a good night.

The Lakers avoided a trap and pretty much beat down the injury-plagued Pelicans in the first half. Austin is crazy good. Ayton really is that dude. Luke scored 34 while bored. Missing Bron and Smart, we played on to victory.

Lakers beat the better-than-advertised Mavericks. The big 3, on an efficient night from Bron, were lead in scoring by Hillbilly Kobe. Ayton continues to impress, and the bench, lead by the highly professional Gabe, is showing an awareness of what the Lakers are doing.

The Clippers are a horrible team and thank goodness we beat the snot out of them again. Luka is happy here. Bron is still amazing and adapting his game to make this work. This offense is unstoppable. To get past OKC, we need to figure out how to play better D for entire games, but we DO figure it out in spurts.

We barely beat the lowly Jazz. Take away Maxi Kleber's energetic 13 minutes and we lose this game. Still, we'll take the win. The Jazz are just weird. Lakers fans: watch Gabe play D against bigs!!

The Lakers get a win against a lesser team. In Bron and Gabe's first game back, the Lakers adjusted to the presence of the King, while Ayton showed off his exquisitely efficient big man game.

The Lakers secure a robust victory against an eastern threat. Jake goes 1-10 with a +/-26, highest on the team. Luka just casually ended up with 41- 9 - 6, Austin was Austin again, and DA continues to dispel the notion that he isn't any good. He is EXTREMELY good. We had an Adou Thiero siting, and he looked as good as promised phyically, and showed off his hops on a dunk from a Bronny assist. This Lakers team is fun to watch.

The Lakers got back to their winning ways with a nearly end-to-end beatdown of a diminished team without their stars. Austin got back on track, Rui was solid, Ayton played well, Jake played great D, and Luka was Luka.

The Lakers got their tails whipped by the dominant OKC Thunder. No one had a good game. Moving on.

The Lakers return to their winning ways. Austin and Luka have a bromance going, Rui and Ayton light it up, and after turning up the D in Q3 (thanks Marcus Smart!... 7 steals!!), the Lakers cruised to victory.

The Lakers drop a game to the under-manned Hawks and we decide not to panic.

DeAndre Ayton cut Wemby down to size, the Lakers contained the league's 2nd hottest team, lead by Luka's 35 and Marcus Smart (10 for 10 from the line).

Nick Smith Jr. Goes. Nuts!!!! DA puts in a solid day's work against his former team, Rui steps up, and the Lakers steal a win with half the squad ailing against a dynamic young Portland squad. Bronny contributes 6 assists ad is starting to find his niche.

We continue our discussion with a deeper dive into the role players.

Luka continues his blistering start, Austin comes down to earth, but barely, Jake goes nuts, and the Lakers beat the hot Heat with an excellent team effort that included a promising cameo from Bronny.

Luka returns, drops 44, 12, and 6. The Lakers get the victory with contributions from AR, Smart, and Jake. Meanwhile, THE DODGERS WIN THE BEST GAME 7 IN THE BEST WORLD SERIES EVER!!!!!!!!!! Dave Roberts for MVP!!!

Austin Reeves saved the lakers from a potentially devastating loss with a last second shot that adds credence to his all-star status. Supported by the entire roster (or what remained thereof), including hot shooting from Jake n Bake, another solid outing from Dominayton, solid rebounding and passing from Vando, and a reminder that Dalton Knecht is a baller.

In a battle defined by injuries, the level of basketball play was not worth the price of admission, outside of Austin Reeves 41, also marred by 8 turnovers.

Austin Reeves goes nuts for 51 points and the Lakers shock the Sacramento Kings, winning without Lebron nor Luka. Full team contributions made this a happy vibe game. It was tough throughout, but the Lakers really kept fighting.

Lead by Luka's 49, the Lakers eek out a surprising victory over last year's Conference Finalist, the Minnesota Timberwolves, featuring contributions from the entire team.

The Lakers laid a stink bomb in Game 1. Extremely disappointing.

We discuss Lebron's opt-in (or was it out?), the latest free agency signings around the league, the Lakers signing of young prospects, and the availability of DeAndre Ayton, who we like. But more importantly, Donna Who is Always Wright is back!!!

We go through the Lakers season and playoff loss. We give Rob Pelinka specific instructions on what NOT to do, we evaluate players in terms of who stays, we look at the Dallas Mavericks' lucky draw, and we make a prediction for next season.

In this episode of the Purple Blood Lakers Podcast, we discuss the trade for Mark Williams, how it got rescended, and what that means for the Lakers future. We also discuss the game against the Indiana Pacers without LeBron. Austin Reeves and Rui played great!

In this Purple Blood episode, we discuss the trade of the...century? Luka Donkic is the Lakers future, and AD is in the past. We discuss the reasons, implications, starting lineup, bench, future prospects, downsides and we have a little fun. What do you think of the trade? Check in in the comments!

In this Purple Blood episode, we review Game 28 vs. the Sacramento Kings. The Lakers won the game again. But it was close. Bron needed to have a great game with AD not playing his best, and he did, with 32, 7 and 6 plus 4 steals. AD had only 10 points with 15 rebounds, 3 blocks, 3 steals, and a worrisome, lazy 5 turnovers, Max Christy played less, in favor of an animated DLo, who went for 20, 4, and 5. Cam Redish had an impact with 2 steals and 2 blocks along with 5 points and 4 rebounds. Nice win against a team we are getting sick of.

In this Purple Blood episode, we review Game 27 vs. the Sacramento Kings. The Lakers won the game against a great offensive team lead by De'Aaron Fox and former Laker Malik Monk. Bron had an other OK game with only 2 turnovers, 19 6 and 7. As Bron's usage goes down, Austin's goes up, which is good for the Lakers. AD went off fort 21 points with 19 rebounds, 6 blocks, 3 steals, and only 3 turnovers, Max Christy played solid defensive primarily on Fox, Cam Redish didn't score but made some nice defensive plays, and Austin Reeves continues to play hard every game. DLo had 16 points, 6 rebounds, a steal and a block, but if he keeps on casually turning the ball over (8 second violation and lazy pass in 1st quarter), this man is going to be traded.

In this Purple Blood episode, we review Game 26 vs. the Memphis Grizzlies. The Lakers won the game against a team lead by the explosion called Ja Morant. Bron had an OK game with 5 turnovers, 18 8 and 8. AD went off fort 40 points with 16 rebounds, Max Christy played solid defensive primarily on Morant, Cam Redish turned in a helpful 8 points and 2 steals, and Austin Reeves continues to play hard every game.

In this Purple Blood episode, we review Game 25 vs. the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Lakers lost the game to a team that is struggling less. Having given us a nice game 24 vs. the Blazers, DLo decided to follow LeBron's lead and take the night off, remaining consistently inconsistent. AD had 23 points and 11 rebounds, spending most of the night fading away from midrange. He and Rudy Gobert, who has stolen AD's DPOY trophy, agreed to keep it polite with 1 foul each. Big Body Rui had an off night again with 9 points, but showed effort with 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals offset by 3 turnovers. Austin Reeves returned, to shake off some rust, scoring 18 points with 6 rebounds, and 5 assists. Max Christie was solid with 15 as a starter, while Gabe Vincent, also starting, gave tough defense after gettings switched on bigs, but only gave us 6 points. Turnovers killed the Lakers.

In this Purple Blood episode, we review Game 24 vs. the Portland Trailblazers. The Lakers won the game after controlling the last 3 quarters decisively. We played with energy, lead by DLo with 28 points and 14 assists, AD with 30 points and 11 rebounds, and the consistently efficient Big Body Rui with 23 points, 2 assists, 4 steals, 1 block, and 5 rebounds. Lebron James took the night off to rest an ailing foot. Knecht gave us 6 points and 8 helpful rebounds, as he faces the rookie wall. Austin remains hurt, so Gabe and Max started, scoring 7 points between them, but Max was helpful with 4 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal. Cam made some nice plays giving us 6 points and 4 assists. Against the Blazers, not much can be learned, but a win is a win.

In this Purple Blood episode, we review Game 23 vs. the Atlanta Hawks. The Lakers lost this winable game by one point in OT. We played with energy, but made some bad plays down the stretch, particularly AD. Lebron James had perhaps the most impressive game of any 39 year old ever with 39, 10 and 11, and AD was right behind him with 38 10 and 8. Knecht gave us 14, which was nice to see. Austin remains hurt, so Gabe started, scoring 12 points going 5 for 11. Big Body Rui had a decent game, shooting 5 for 6, with 9 rebounds. Max had another good night, but DLo, going 3 for 9 with 3 assists with 2 turnovers was a letdown. Our injuries are catching up to us.

In this Purple Blood episode, we review Game 22 vs. the Miami Heat. The Lakers lost the game to a much better team. Again, we looked flat and hopeless. Lebron James got his powers back, even made a 3 pointer. Austin remains hurt, so DLo started again scoring 12 points going 5 for 13. Big Body Rui had a decent game, shooting 6 for 7, but in 26 minutes his rebounding feel off to 3. Max had another good night, but Gabe Vincent, going 3 for 11 with 3 steals missed a lot of chippies. What is wrong with AD? 3 for 14, 7 rebounds and 5 assists in 3 quarters, which is typically the only 3 quarters he shoots in. Yuk. On the plus side, how about a big welcome to our new guest Sid the Kid! So good with the numbers!!

In this Purple Blood episode, we review Game 21 vs. the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Lakers lost the game after on the second night of a back-to-back in which we looked flat and hopeless. Lebron James and AD spent the night trying to get going, largely ignoring the other athletes on the court except DLo, who shot 8-12 and 4-5 from 3, but got very few shots in the second half. Austin remains hurt, so DLo started and played well, along with Rui, who only got 5 shots on a night when Bron could not hit a 3, yet kept on taking them. Bron's 6 turnovers feels like this is just how it's going to be. We are now the 39 year old Lekers.

In this Purple Blood episode, we review Game 20 vs. the Utah Jazz. The Lakers won the game after competing well in spite of key injuries (Hillbilly Kobe) and illnesses (DLo and Cam Reddish). Dalton Knecht became a rookie again going 2 for 10, but kept us alive on the boards. Rui played 40 minutes, gave us 3 offensive boards, went 5 for 11 with some key tip outs, and Gave Vincent made JJ look like a veteran coach for believing in his veteran player. Great team win, though we had a hard time closing it out, relying on a mistake timeout call by their rookie head coach. AD took one shot in the 4th. Why?

In this Purple Blood episode, we review Game 19 vs. the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Lakers lost the game after competing well against the best team in the west. Dalton Knecht stayed consistent with 20, leading the Lakers in scoring. Bron and AD had 12 and 15, which will not...get it done. Bron had 5 turnovers yet again, but overall the team played well against an excellent team that looks championship ready.

In this Purple Blood episode, we review Game 18 vs. the San Antonio Spurs. The Lakers won the game with new energy resulting from the insertion of Dalton Knecht, who lead all scorers with 20, into the starting lineup. The team won every quarter against an overmatched young Spurs squad, with protege Victor Wembayama still learning his way to greatness. DLo had his best game in a while. Bron had a triple double, but 5 less horrible turnovers, and Laker fans can exhale.

In this Purple Blood episode, we review Game 17 vs. the Pheonix Suns. The Lakers lost the game in a lackluster performance against a team that miraculously got to full strength in time for the Lakers with the return of Beal and Durant. After a competitive first half, the team got thoroughly outplayed in the third quarter and, once again, just gave up. DLo was finally himself, with the exception of not being able to hit a 3, Bron stayed consistent with 5 horrible turnovers, and no amount of coaching can fix this mess. TRADE!

In this Purple Blood episode, we review Game 16 vs. the Denver Nuggets. The Lakers lost the game in a lackluster performance against a team that essentially owns the Lakers. After building a 10 point lead in the second half, the team got tired and sluggish and Denver hustled, rebounded and played better. The Lakers deserved to lose this game. DLo couldn't hit the side of a barn, Bron got back up to 6 horrible turnovers, and suddently JJ is a rookie coach again.

In this Purple Blood episode, we review Game 15 vs. the Orlando Magic. The Lakers lost the game at the free throw line as Franz Wagner continued his assencion to star status. Dalton Knecht, starting again in place of an injured Rui Hachimora, remained solid with 17 points, going 4 for 7 from 3, Lebron James and AD had solid performances, but missed key free throws down the stretch and Bron had 4 ugly turnovers. Donna who's always Wright and I are absolutely done with Gabe Vincent whas o for everything with 2 fouls. We want to see the youth given a chance. Put in Quincy!

In this Purple Blood episode, we review Game 14 vs. the Utah Jazz. The Lakers got a win at home after against Danny Ainge's rebuilding team. AD was himself with 26 points, 14 rebounds and 6 asssits. Dalton Knecht, starting in place of an injured Rui Hachimora, looked like an NBA star with 37 points, going 9 for 12 from 3, tying the rookie record. Lebron James had another solid performance, getting his turnovers down to 4. Today we had a special guest, with Donna who's always Wright out.