In the NBA Western Conference standings, an unexpected drama unfolded as the Lakers clawed their way from a sluggish start to join the championship contenders, showcasing the team's resilience and potential to all. When Pelinka offered Christie a $32 million contract, the entire league questioned the rationality of this signing, given that the young player had indeed underperformed at the beginning of the season. The Lakers' management puzzled fans with this move, as they could have used the money to sign more experienced veterans, but Pelinka chose an untested rookie instead. Christie's performance on the bench was once disappointing, with shockingly low three-point shooting percentages and average scores struggling to break into double digits. As the team's head coach, Redick was also once troubled by Christie's performance, but he still chose to give the young player more opportunities and trust. Russell's departure provided Christie with an opportunity to prove himself, a turning point that came both suddenly and naturally, as if fate had already scripted it for him. After securing a starting position, Christie underwent a complete transformation in form, shooting with greater confidence and making more decisive decisions on the court. In a game against the Pistons, Christie's 17-point performance caught everyone's attention, giving him immense confidence with this breakthrough display. Facing strong teams like the Warriors and Kings, Christie maintained stable scoring output, indicating that he had gradually adapted to the NBA's competitive rhythm. The partnership between Reeves and Christie significantly enhanced the Lakers' offensive firepower, infusing the team with new vitality through this young backcourt duo. James…

NBA regular season continued with the Lakers losing 115-119 to the Rockets on the road, ending their two-game winning streak. In this game, the Lakers started with low intensity and were quickly overwhelmed by a 5-21 run in the first quarter, trailing by nearly 15 points. In the second quarter, the Lakers' defensive intensity only lasted for the first half, and when they managed to close the gap to about 10 points, they were again hit by two three-pointers, leaving them trailing by nearly 20 points at halftime. In the second half, the Lakers made adjustments, with DFS replacing Hachimura as the starter. This change had an immediate impact, as the Lakers quickly narrowed the gap and held off the Rockets' offense. By the start of the fourth quarter, the Lakers were only down by 2 points. In the final quarter, both teams exchanged blows, but the Lakers were unable to reverse their downward trend. At a critical moment, the Lakers had a chance to close the gap, but James committed an offensive foul, and Christie made a turnover on the inbound pass, wasting their opportunity. After the loss, the Lakers' record stands at 20 wins and 15 losses. So where exactly did they lose this game? Perhaps the data can provide us with some answers. James shot 8 for 16 from the field, 4 for 6 from beyond the arc, and 1 for 2 from the free-throw line, scoring 21 points, grabbing 13 rebounds, dishing out 9 assists, making 1 steal, and committing 2 turnovers. Today, James was in…

The Houston Rockets defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 119-115, despite almost being overturned after leading by 24 points. However, winning is ultimately a good thing, and there is no difference between winning by 24 points or 4 points. The Rockets just need to improve on some details. Considering the absence of Smith and Ison, it was impressive that the Rockets could win against the Lakers without their two frontline players from 2022. Amen Thompson was undoubtedly the key to the Rockets' victory today, while Jalen Green was the go-to scorer, and Adams was the unexpected hero. Jalen Green's scoring was crucial for the Rockets in the final moments of the game. Adams' offensive rebounds forced the Lakers to slow down, preventing them from launching counterattacks and holding on during a tough stretch. Meanwhile, Amen Thompson was the absolute foundation for the Rockets at both ends of the court. Defensively, he locked down James and assisted Shen Jing with defense. Offensively, he aggressively attacked the basket, finishing layups, and made second-chance putbacks. You could truly say that Amen Thompson was everywhere on the court. After serving a two-game suspension, Amen returned to start and played 41 minutes, with Udoka not daring to take him off the court for even a minute. He had an impressive shooting record of 11 out of 19, scoring 23 points, grabbing 16 rebounds, dishing out 3 assists, and making 1 steal. In fact, James found it challenging to play one-on-one against Amen today, as the young player is incredibly skilled defensively. James faced the best defender…

The recent trade rumors surrounding the Lakers remind me of a statement made by James during a press conference, where he emphasized the need for more reliable rotation players capable of performing in the playoffs. The proposed three-team trade deal addresses this issue, aiming to create a more balanced and competitive roster. Under Coach Redick's leadership, the Lakers have achieved unexpected success, solidifying their position in the Western Conference. However, the lack of depth on the bench has been a persistent challenge hindering the team's progress. During recent games, when James and Davis were rested, the team's offensive power significantly diminished, prompting the coaching staff to reconsider the rotation strategy. The arrivals of Finney-Smith and Milton have indeed revitalized the team, but relying solely on these two players over the course of a long season is insufficient. The Lakers now face the challenge of enhancing their immediate playing strength without compromising their core lineup. The team requires a center who can complement Davis in the paint and a guard capable of alleviating James' ball-handling pressure. Currently, the rotation lineup features inconsistent performances from players like Hachimura and Vincent, who have yet to fully adapt to the team's tactical system. When the starting lineup takes a break during matches against other teams, the Lakers often struggle to score. The proposed three-team trade deal appears highly reasonable, with Bruce Brown's addition expected to bring versatility to the backcourt. While Richards' statistics with the Hornets were not outstanding, his defensive prowess and rebounding skills are precisely what the Lakers need. Abekar's multifunctionality allows…

On January 6th, Beijing time, in an NBA regular season game that has already ended today, the Lakers lost to the Rockets 115-119 away from home, missing out on a three-game winning streak. This game was very dramatic, with the Lakers once trailing by a large margin in the first half, but then making three consecutive turnovers in the final moments of the fourth quarter to lose the game. At the beginning, both teams were back and forth, with the scores tied together. In the middle section, Green's big explosion helped the Rockets quickly take a double-digit lead; in the second quarter, the Rockets always controlled the situation on the court, maintaining a double-digit lead, with a maximum lead of 22 points; but in the second half, the Lakers' three-pointers suddenly opened up, and under James' leadership, they continuously hit three-pointers to narrow the gap. At the end, they relied on Davis' inside advantage to reduce the gap to only 2 points. In the fourth quarter, the Rockets scored 10-0 again to extend the lead to 12 points; then after Davis came on, the Lakers continued to make a wave of high tide to reduce the gap to only 2 points; at the critical moment, Green and VanVleet stood up to score, followed by Davis' three-pointer and James' breakthrough layup as well as Shen Jing's 2 free throws and 1 made gave the Lakers a chance, but in the last 6 seconds, the Lakers made the most fatal mistake: Christie made a turnover when throwing the sideline ball, and VanVleet…

On January 6th, Beijing time, the Los Angeles Lakers narrowly missed victory, chasing points to the end but ultimately lost to the Rockets. After the game, Redick directly expressed his anger, making it clear that everyone on the Lakers should be criticized except for James. Facing the Rockets, the Lakers launched a super comeback after trailing by as many as 22 points, eventually closing the gap to just 4 points, but they still lost. The Rockets won largely due to their rebounding advantage, with a difference of 10 rebounds between the two teams, mainly in offensive rebounds where the Rockets grabbed 18. After the game, Redick was furious and directly criticized the entire team, saying, "We can't even grab defensive rebounds." How could the Lakers not lose when they allowed the Rockets to grab 18 offensive rebounds? This is equivalent to giving the Rockets 18 more scoring opportunities. In fact, the Lakers had a higher shooting percentage than the Rockets, but the Rockets took 21 more shots, aggressively grabbing rebounds and immediately attacking, continuously shooting and grabbing rebounds. It was this tactic that overwhelmed the Lakers. However, who exactly was Redick criticizing when he said the team couldn't grab defensive rebounds? Obviously, he was referring to the other nine Lakers players besides James. There is a very direct statistic: in this game, the Lakers had 29 defensive rebounds, of which James grabbed 12 alone. He had a total of 13 rebounds, 12 of which were defensive rebounds. Therefore, when Redick said there was a problem with our defensive rebound protection,…

On January 5th, Beijing time, as the NBA regular season progresses, the Western Conference standings have undergone another dramatic change. The Thunder remains at the top with a 14-game winning streak, followed closely by the Rockets and Grizzlies. The Nuggets, Lakers, and Mavericks, despite an unfavorable start to the season, have managed to catch up with the championship contenders in the middle of the season. In contrast, the three teams that were considered favorites for the championship at the beginning of the season - the Spurs, Timberwolves, and Suns - have completely fallen behind. Among them, the Lakers, who are not favored among the championship contenders, have made almost no meaningful reinforcements during the offseason. Even though Davis explicitly stated that he hoped Pelinka would sign a big man center, all they ended up with was Crocker, who suffered from thrombosis and was insured last season. In addition, amidst widespread doubts, Pelinka signed rookie Christie to a $32 million mid-level contract, claiming that he would be an indispensable force on the Lakers' championship journey in the new season. However, as the 2024-25 season officially began, Christie's performance at the start of the season was not ideal. As the starting shooting guard for the second unit, his average score struggled to even reach double digits, and his absurdly low three-point shooting percentage once made Redick "question life." What exactly did the management see in him? How did this player manage to get a $32 million contract and re-sign with the Lakers? It is worth noting that just when the outside world…

The Lakers had a glimpse of victory in the game, but ultimately, their hopes were snuffed out by Jalen Green's continuous scoring. Although they trailed by 20 points at one point, the Lakers nearly pulled off a remarkable comeback. The reason why the Lakers failed to achieve a 20-point comeback in this game can be attributed to two players who could be considered moles. The first is Christie, who, in the final moments, threw an inbound pass directly to the Rockets' VanVleet, effectively ending any chance of a Lakers' comeback. The second is Hachimura, a forward who was essentially a spectator on defense, allowing opponents to score at will and sometimes not even bothering to raise his hand. His defense became a cash machine for the Rockets. LeBron James, despite putting up a near-triple-double with 20 points, 13 rebounds, and 9 assists, struggled to carry these two liabilities. After the loss, both Christie and James looked at each other in disbelief, unable to fathom how such a passing error could be so catastrophic. It should be noted that Christie played well throughout the game, especially defensively, showing great effort and tenacity. However, it was a significant mistake during the crucial inbound pass that cost them. Bachunlei, on the other hand, is a player who elicits frustration, seemingly incapable of contributing anything meaningful. It's unclear why he's even on the court, as every time he plays, the Lakers seem to lose ground. It might be better to dismantle him or trade him for other capable players. The Lakers are reportedly interested…

The Houston Rockets hosted the Los Angeles Lakers in a thrilling NBA matchup. The Rockets welcomed back Amen from suspension, while Ethan and Smith were sidelined due to injuries. The starting lineup for the Rockets featured VanVleet, Jalen Green, Dillon, Amen, and Sengun, while the Lakers started with Reaves, Christie, Hachimura, James, and Davis. In the first quarter, Amen quickly scored six points, followed by Anthony Davis assisting Hachimura with a three-pointer after being double-teamed inside. Davis then scored on Dillon. Sengun made a basket, and Jalen Green showcased his offensive and defensive skills. Reeves and Green traded three-pointers as both teams exchanged leads. Davis blocked Sengun, leading to a timeout for the Rockets. After the break, VanVleet hit a three-pointer, and Green added seven more points, giving the Rockets a five-point lead. Davis fouled Adams, resulting in another timeout. Post-pause, Jalen Green fearlessly drove to the basket, drawing a 2+1 foul on LeBron James, and Adams extended the lead to double digits. Davis blocked Amen twice, but Green responded with another three-pointer! Tate hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer, ending the quarter with the Rockets leading 36-22. During the second quarter, both teams rotated their lineups. Amen continued to attack the basket, earning free throws and scoring on a putback. Adams delivered a powerful dunk, prompting a Lakers timeout at 41-22. Upon James' return, he halted the bleeding with some points, but Holiday was also on fire, and VanVleet's three-pointer increased the lead to 20 points. Christie scored four points, and Udoka called a timeout. Back in action, Amen aggressively attacked…

The Lakers have been making a lot of trades recently. They first traded Russell for two good helpers, Smith and Milton, and now they are eyeing Valanciunas, which has attracted attention from the entire league and made fans restless. The Lakers' management has really invested heavily this time. Many people felt it was a loss when Russell was sent away, but the two players, Smith and Milton, have indeed brought new energy to the team, especially Smith's defense, which is like putting a net over the opponents' heads, and Milton's breakthroughs are also fierce. Russell's time with the Lakers was not very comfortable. His shooting accuracy fluctuated, and he was hesitant to take key shots, which almost drove the coaching staff crazy. In the end, he could only sit on the bench and watch others play. In this situation, trading him away was actually a win-win decision. After Smith arrived, the team's defensive intensity increased significantly. Opponents' scorers were troubled by him, and his three-point shooting was particularly accurate. This made the Lakers' offense more three-dimensional, and opponents dared not easily double-team James and Davis. Although Milton is not very famous, he plays very smartly, with fast break speed and accurate shooting. He is willing to step up in critical moments, which is particularly important in the playoffs. The Lakers' strength has indeed improved significantly after this trade, but the management is apparently not satisfied. They now have their sights set on Valanciunas, who has performed quite well with the Wizards. Valanciunas has a distinctive playing style, with diverse offensive…