Los Angeles Lakers

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James discussed his appreciation for the Cavaliers and the city of Cleveland following a 116-102 loss to the Cavs on Tuesday at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.

"It's always love coming back here," James told reporters. "The memories that I have here will never be forgotten."

The Cavaliers are essentially the hometown team of James, who is an Akron, Ohio, native. They made him the No. 1 overall pick in the 2003 NBA draft out of high school, and he met and exceeded all of the massive expectations placed on him.

LeBron's first run in Cleveland lasted for seven seasons from 2003 to 2010 before he memorably signed with the Miami Heat in free agency. James went to four straight NBA Finals with the Heat and won the first two championships of his career.

After reaching the NBA Finals once and winning no titles during his first run in Cleveland, James had some unfinished business, so he returned to the Cavs in 2014.

James' second stint in Cleveland yielded the greatest time period in Cavaliers history, as they went to four consecutive NBA Finals and won their first and only championship in 2016.

LeBron left Cleveland again in 2018 when he signed with the Lakers, and while he has experienced some of the greatest struggles of his career in L.A., he also led the Lakers to a championship in 2020, marking the fourth title of his illustrious career.

James is one of the greatest players of all time with 18 All-Star selections, four NBA MVP awards and four NBA Finals MVP awards, and his time with the Cavaliers will perhaps be the defining period of his career.

LeBron is still playing at a high level at the age of 37, but the Lakers have scuffled overall this season with a record of 10-13 after missing the playoffs in 2021-22.

As for the Cavs, they are a team on the rise with a 16-9 record, thanks largely to the offseason acquisition of All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell from the Utah Jazz.

Anthony Davis' MVP-level play made it easy to overlook the other positives in the Los Angeles Lakers' recent run, but Tuesday's 116-102 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers was a reminder not to overthink.

None of the other developments during L.A.'s recently concluded 8-2 surge matter if Davis isn't on the floor and wrecking shop to a historic degree.

AD left Tuesday night's loss with flu-like symptoms in the first quarter and didn't return. Though his teammates scrapped and provided the same support that'd been so quietly helpful during Davis' incendiary stretch, it only served to postpone the inevitable, keeping the competition lively until, appropriately, the Cavs' own transcendent star, Donovan Mitchell, subdued it. He finished with a game-high 43 points, including 17 in a fourth quarter punctuated by shots like this.

Spida taking OVER 🔥 pic.twitter.com/JZ2TL7knyH

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) December 7, 2022

The Lakers had no answer, not even from James, who came in with a 17-2 record against his former team and only one loss at Cleveland in his previous nine visits.

It's certainly no grand revelation to say Davis is singularly important to the Lakers' success. That link exists between every team and its best players. It was still illuminating to see Los Angeles get many of the same supporting performances from its much-maligned role players that had quietly buttressed the best stretch of AD's career (our opinion; not his) only to fall short.

In L.A.'s 10 games before Tuesday's loss, Austin Reaves averaged 13.4 points on 60.0 percent shooting from the field and 46.7 percent shooting from deep. Lonnie Walker IV was even more prolific, racking up 17.8 points on a 51.3/46.9/95.5 shooting split. Those two had largely answered questions about the team's shooting and wing play.

Even Russell Westbrook had been helpful. Entering Tuesday night, his worst plus-minus figure across his last nine games was a minus-2, and the Lakers had been break-even or better in Russ' minutes six times during that stretch. For context, Westbrook posted a positive plus-minus figure just twice in his first dozen contests.

James was also stellar in support of Davis during the Lakers' 8-2 run, averaging 28.2 points in the six games he played.

None of that got any attention with AD going full create-a-player, racking up five straight games of at least 25 points and 15 boards to kick things off, beating the Milwaukee Bucks on the road with a cool 44 points and 10 rebounds, pile-driving the Washington Wizards with 55 points on 22-of-30 shooting, stopping a runaway train filled with orphans on his off day and performing various other acts of valor.

That last thing probably didn't happen, but one could argue that dragging the Lakers out of the rubble of their seemingly imploded season comes pretty close in terms of improbable heroism.

That's why what happened against Cleveland matters so much. The Lakers got lots of similarly impressive work from guys way down the call sheet and still couldn't compete.

Thomas Bryant hustled like he was fighting for a job and probably earned one, even if it may only be the modest position of unquestioned backup center ahead of Wenyen Gabriel. He totaled a season-high 19 points on 8-of-12 shooting and was the only player bringing any semblance of interior presence against a Cavs team that amassed 70 paint points.

TB vs Everybody pic.twitter.com/ClU7RvCUe9

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) December 7, 2022

Westbrook and Dennis Schroder both scored 16 points on matching 6-of-13 shooting nights, with the latter scoring a quick seven points after halftime to trim Cleveland's lead from eight to one in just under two minutes.

James also did what he could when pressed into duty down low against Cleveland's overwhelming length. Though he was visibly frustrated with teammates on occasion, he still managed 21 points and a season-high 17 rebounds in 36 minutes, bringing a level of competitive intensity you don't typically expect from a 37-year-old who knows energy conservation is just a part of his reality now.

James dove to the floor more than once to collect a loose ball and save a possession, and his waning mobility didn't keep him from battling inside.

LeBron James just fought for a rebound in between Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley and kept it alive ling enough for the Lakers to get possession and get Lonnie Walker a three-point play.

— Dan Woike (@DanWoikeSports) December 7, 2022

Davis was sick, not injured. That's the good news, especially for a player who had only missed two games prior to Tuesday night, putting the lie (so far) to criticism of his durability. The result in his absence should still have a significant impact on his team's thinking.

Prior to the loss against Cleveland, it might have been reasonable for the Lakers' front office to conclude the team's recent success was about more than a superstar going on a three-week heater against mostly bad competition. The reserves and non-AD starters were making a real difference.

With this glaring example of how little the "other guys" matter when "the guy" isn't involved, the L.A. brass may have to think even harder about pursuing one of the many trade paths that have been topics of discussion all season.

Reasonable minds can disagree about whether what Davis and the rest of the Lakers have done over the last dozen or so games is enough to rationalize those hypothetical future-mortgaging deals. Maybe such drastic measures are justifiable to maximize the chances of success for the AD-LeBron pairing in the short term. Maybe they're not.

The only certainty is that, despite the Lakers getting vastly improved play from sources other than Davis, he is still the sole determinant of his team's success. That makes the Lakers profoundly fragile.

Maybe that's not the worst thing in the world. Fragility applies to things you're concerned about breaking.

For a Lakers team many would have happily smashed into a thousand pieces not so long ago, the renewed belief that any of this is worth preserving must count for something.

---

Stats courtesy of NBA.com, Basketball Reference and Cleaning the Glass. Accurate through Dec. 6. Salary info via Spotrac.

Grant Hughes covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter (@gt_hughes), and subscribe to the Hardwood Knocks podcast, where he appears with Bleacher Report's Dan Favale.

It's important to have dreams.

When they were examining all of their options and devising ways to strengthen their squad in a major way, the Los Angeles Lakers apparently threw out a surprising name: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Sam Amick of The Athletic reported on The Ringer's Real Ones podcast (via Silver Screen & Roll) the Lakers thought SGA might be attainable if the Oklahoma City Thunder "completely tank." He dismissed the idea as a "dream" for Los Angeles.

"Don’t get too excited. It’s not happening," Amick said. "I wrote something about it a couple of weeks ago and, boy, did I hear about it from the Thunder."

In November, Amick spoke to an NBA front-office executive who said, "You keep hearing that Shai is frustrated with the losing." Because of that, the 24-year-old may not be untouchable in the event the Thunder reset the clock on their rebuild.

Gilgeous-Alexander is only in the first year of the five-year, $179.3 million extension he signed with Oklahoma City, and the team is just 1.5 games out of the final play-in spot in the Western Conference.

Sure, the Thunder could command a king's ransom for the dynamic guard, who's averaging 31.3 points, 6.0 assists and 4.8 rebounds per game, but it's hard to see why they would want to do that.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNDokgcEmJM

The notion is even more of a long shot when you add the Lakers to the equation because they don't have the assets to make a straight-up swap. Two first-round picks, Russell Westbrook and whatever else won't get it done for a player with Gilgeous-Alexander's age, production and contract situation.

Bleacher Report's Dan Favale included SGA among the group he dismissed as candidates when rumors surfaced the Lakers were targeting an unnamed mystery star:

Consider this your bi-hourly reminder that Gilgeous-Alexander, who currently ranks as one of the seven top MVP candidates, is the Thunder's timeline and shouldn't be up for grabs. It also wouldn't matter if he was, because OKC could get so much more for him than what the Lakers can currently peddle.

Maybe Gilgeous-Alexander will return to L.A. and don purple and gold at some point down the road. But it won't be anytime soon.

A Los Angeles Lakers championship ring from the 1999-2000 season is on the auction block, but the previous owner might be a surprise.

According to TMZ Sports, the ring was issued to the late founder of Playboy magazine Hugh Hefner. Late Lakers owner Jerry Buss was a longtime friend of Hefner, who died in 2017 at the age of 91.

The 14-karat gold ring with brilliant-cut diamonds was designed to the same specifications as those issued to the players after the Lakers defeated the Indiana Pacers in six games. The ring is available for bidding through SCP Auctions:

Hugh Hefner's 2000 Lakers championship 14K gold ring given to him by former team owner Jerry Buss is shining in our 2022 Fall Premier 🤩

Current Bid: $8,250

BID HERE: https://t.co/ZJzuetqIv8#LakeShow #NBA #whodoyoucollect pic.twitter.com/AM01Rz9ugZ

— SCP Auctions (@SCPAuctions) November 30, 2022

Hefner's last name is also engraved on one side of the ring, along with the inscriptions of the Lakers' regular season record (67-15) and playoff record (15-8) from the 1999-2000 season. The original Lakers presentation box will be included, and a letter of authenticity from the Hefner family will come with the ring as part of the auction.

The Lakers' win over the Pacers in 2000 kicked off the franchise's run of back-to-back-to-back championships. The famed Los Angeles squad, headlined by Hall of Famers Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal, remains the last team to three-peat in the NBA.

The Los Angeles Lakers (10-12) have won eight of their last 10 games, Anthony Davis has entered the NBA's Most Valuable Player conversation, and a team that was considered a punchline a few weeks ago is finally being taken seriously.

But with Davis back playing like "Bubble AD" after a signature win against the 16-6 Milwaukee Bucks on Friday and a 55-point explosion on Sunday against the Washington Wizards, it's now time for the Lakers front office to take this team's immediate future seriously.

Up until recently, the front office was close to letting this year's Lakers die on the vine. Rather than ship out Russell Westbrook and one or both of their available future first-round picks (2027 and 2029) to bolster a lost cause, the Lakers seemed resigned to waiting to shop for bigger upgrades around the 2023 draft and free agency. Los Angeles has preserved roughly $30-35 million in cap space for this upcoming summer.

But this recent surge makes a trade more likely than the alternative. Going for it this season is more of an option with Davis playing this well, picks and future cap space be damned.

Rob Pelinka on the Lakers potentially trading their picks: “Let me be abundantly clear … (LeBron) committed to our organization, we’re going to commit to him - including those picks - to see him to the finish line.” He emphasizes that they only get one shot to trade the picks.

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) September 26, 2022

It's difficult to pinpoint precisely when Davis got past the back injury that ailed him early in the season, but he went from averaging 23.8 points and 10.6 rebounds in October to 27.2 points and 13.5 rebounds in November. That resurgence is carrying the Lakers even though LeBron James is not playing up to his usual standards.

Davis' Play at Center Should Impact Trade Board

Davis has been clear throughout his career that he prefers to play power forward. When the Lakers won the title in 2019-20, they had JaVale McGee and Dwight Howard in their rotation. Davis would shift to center in critical moments, especially in the playoffs, but it was a luxury.

It begs the question: If Davis is doing this much damage at center this season, why mess with what's working? Why chase players like Myles Turner, Jakob Poeltl or even Nikola Vucevic if it's only going to hamper your best player?

Davis doesn't need to be banging with bruisers such as Steven Adams every night. The Lakers have Thomas Bryant, Wenyen Gabriel or Damian Jones to ease that burden.

The league has gotten smaller, and Davis is a nuisance for the remaining true bigs in the NBA. While there's an impulse to downsize Davis' position to protect his body, most of his injuries have come from awkward falls or stepping on another player's foot. Does playing power forward instead of center really protect him from that kind of random ailment?

The Westbrook Reality

The Lakers have shopped Russell Westbrook since well before last year's trade deadline. But it isn't a certainty that he's on the way out of L.A. Westbrook may not fit perfectly alongside James, but he's hungrily feeding Davis assists at a very high clip.

The core dilemma is that while Westbrook may work as a sixth man during the regular season, it won't translate to the playoffs when bench play is typically minimized. Opponents tend to ignore him when he's off the ball, impinging on the space James and Davis need to operate.

If the Lakers trade Westbrook, they need to bring back a dynamic playmaker who will take some of that burden off James and ensure Davis continues to get high-percentage opportunities. That's why they acquired Westbrook from the Wizards in the first place, but they misjudged his fit alongside James. And it's why they chased Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving throughout the offseason.

Whether Irving is the answer is debatable. But how many NBA teams are eager to give up high-level playmakers?

If Brooklyn doesn't make Irving available, would a non-shooter like Ben Simmons—who ran point for the Philadelphia 76ers—make sense for L.A., given his ties to Klutch Sports?

It may take a few months to see if the Toronto Raptors (12-11) decide to change course and move core pieces like Fred VanVleet, who can opt out of his contract after the season. Do the Chicago Bulls (9-14) move DeMar DeRozan, who averaged 6.9 assists per game in 2020-21 with the San Antonio Spurs?

The Lakers seriously considered acquiring DeRozan last summer before they traded Westbrook, but his mid-range-heavy game and unreliable three-point shot might not mesh well with James and Davis.

When the Charlotte Hornets (7-16) made a pitch to the Utah Jazz for Donovan Mitchell during the offseason, the Lakers discussed a multi-team deal that would have brought Terry Rozier to L.A. Mitchell instead ended up with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Rozier is averaging a career-high 5.7 assists per game this season on the Hornets, but his shooting has fallen off a cliff (29.6 percent from three). Would he find his stroke alongside better players than Charlotte has on its young roster?

Might the Miami Heat send Kyle Lowry (and probably Duncan Robinson) to the Lakers for Westbrook and additional compensation? Would the Lakers consider a reunion with Minnesota Timberwolves guard D'Angelo Russell?

None of those scenarios are likely. Westbrook may not work in the playoffs, but the list of players who can adequately replace his shot creation is short.

What Else Do the Lakers Need?

The Lakers have three starters locked in with Lonnie Walker IV, James and Davis. They have open spots for a starting point guard and a wing who can defend, shoot and score. Jerami Grant (undoubtedly unavailable from the Portland Trail Blazers) is the model of what they could use most.

If Westbrook stays in L.A. past the trade deadline, Dennis Schröder will probably continue to start at the point. If not, Schröder would likely back up whomever the Lakers acquire to replace Westbrook. Austin Reaves has been a key rotation member as well, and Troy Brown Jr., Gabriel and Bryant round out the rotation. Another backup center wouldn't hurt, but that's a lower priority.

The Lakers can trade anyone on the roster except for James because of his recent extension. The expendable pieces include Patrick Beverley ($13 million), Kendrick Nunn ($5.3 million), Damian Jones ($2.3 million) and Juan Toscano-Anderson ($1.8 million). All but Jones (who has a player option of $2.6 million for 2023-24) are on expiring contracts.

The Lakers also have their two future first-round picks, several second-rounders, rookie Max Christie (owed $2.7 million through next season) and up to $6.4 million in cash to trade, as the potential outgoing players may not have significant on-court value.

Beverley and Nunn together can bring back $22.9 million in salary. The Lakers could take back up to $29.4 million if they packaged Beverley and Nunn with Jones, Toscano-Anderson and Christie. Add in Westbrook, and the range increases to $81.7-88.2 million. A blockbuster of that size is possible, but roster space and an increased luxury-tax bill could be impediments.

The list of available trade targets isn't yet clear, as the other 29 teams are currently trying to figure out where they stand. The trade market starts to heat up after December 15, which is when a majority of recently signed free agents can be traded. The Lakers may need a team or two to quit on the season if they want high-quality players in return, but that may only happen closer to the February 9 trade deadline.

Potential targets could include:

• Bojan Bogdanović and Alec Burks (Detroit Pistons)

• Mo Bamba, Gary Harris and Terrence Ross (Orlando Magic)
• Buddy Hield (Indiana Pacers)
  

• Cam Reddish and Evan Fournier (New York Knicks)

• Jae Crowder (Phoenix Suns)

• Gary Trent Jr., OG Anunoby and Chris Boucher (Toronto Raptors)

• Kyle Kuzma (Washington Wizards)

• Kelly Oubre Jr. and Mason Plumlee (Hornets)

• Eric Gordon and KJ Martin (Houston Rockets)

• Bogdan Bogdanović and John Collins (Atlanta Hawks)

• Seth Curry (Nets)

• Alex Caruso (Bulls)

• Matisse Thybulle (76ers)

• Cedi Osman (Cavaliers)

Some are already buzzing as available in NBA circles, but many are not. Specifically, the Bulls, Hawks, Raptors and Wizards are still focused on making a playoff push.

But the Lakers need to be careful in how they proceed. As general manager Rob Pelinka stressed on media day, the team won't get a do-over on trading its available first-round picks. He could split them up into separate deals, possibly seeing what he can get for Beverley and Nunn before making the more delicate decision on Westbrook.

The Lakers' goal is to give Davis and James a real opportunity to compete for a title again. Given the way Davis is playing, the Lakers finally have some hope. That could lead to a busy trade season for them.

Email Eric Pincus at eric.pincus@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @EricPincus.

The Los Angeles Lakers are on the outside looking in at the playoffs a quarter of the way through the regular season and, despite MVP-level play from center Anthony Davis, it is clear the team is a piece or two away from being legitimate contenders in the Western Conference, let alone to hoist the Larry O'Brien Trophy at season's end.

Enter, DeMar DeRozan.

Maybe.

The Chicago Bulls small forward, and teammate Nikola Vucevic have been the top of trade discussions in the Lakers' front office, according to ESPN's Zach Lowe on his podcast, The Lowe Post.

"The trade I saw on Twitter was Russ and both picks, one with light protections I think for DeRozan and Vucevic. I can tell you 100 percent for sure that the Lakers have had internal discussions about that very possibility, if it would ever come up," Lowe stated before clarifying that it is not necessarily a trade that is imminent.

"Not that they would do that. Let me be clear."

They should, though.

---

Win Now for LA, Rebuild for Chicago

The Lakers team is, and has been, constructed to win now and often.

The "often" part has not quite materialized but, with one of the greatest players of all time in James leading the charge and Davis playing some incredible ball since returning from injury, the core is there to contend.

The team just needs more of them and executing a trade for DeRozan and Vucevic is the perfect way to acquire said pieces. Might that mean sacrificing the future for the now by sending Chicago first-round picks in 2027 and 29? Probably, but that should not faze the Lakers.

As it stands now, the team potentially will not have a first-round pick until 2025, the result of the trade with New Orleans to acquire Davis, proof of its willingness to pull off the moves it sees as necessary to contend in the NBA.

Assuming the front office's mentality has not changed, there is nothing stopping the Lakers from offering the deal to Chicago and seeing if it can acquire two players in DeRozan and Vucevic who will instantly help improve an offense that struggled to score early this season.

DeRozan, in particular, would be a significant upgrade for the team. His 25.5 points per game are significantly higher than current small forward Lonnie Walker IV (16.7). They are also 11 points higher than those of Russell Westbrook (14.6), who would likely be apart of any trade package put together for the All-Star.

Considering Westbrook is a free agent next season, the Lakers would like to get something for him now before he walks in a few months.

It is not the first time the former Raptor and Spur has been linked to the Lakers. Appearing on JJ Redick's The Old Man and The Three podcast, he revealed "I thought it was a done deal," in regards to signing with the Lakers in 2021, only to find out the team had made the trade for Westbrook.

Vucevic would presumably come off the bench to spell Davis to the tune of just under 16 points and 11 rebounds. The player himself, not to mention his stat line, would be a significant upgrade to current backup center Thomas Bryant, who is currently averaging eight and 4.4, respectively.

The question is whether the Lakers would be willing to part with two picks of that magnitude for players who may not be with the team for the long-term.

DeRozan is signed through next season while Vucevic is on an expiring deal. Whether the Lakers would be willing to re-sign the players beyond this season would likely determine whether the trade makes sense. The Bulls, the other team involved, would also have to decide just how much of a loss they consider the season to be.

Chicago is currently ranked 12th in the East, five games under .500 and riding a three-game losing streak.

At 9.5 games back in the conference, a schedule that ranks as the toughest in the league and Lonzo Ball "no closer to returning to the court" following a left knee injury suffered on January 14 of this year, it would certainly appear that Bill Simmons' call for the Bulls to commence rebuilding the franchise would make sense.

For what it is worth, despite the Lowe report and what appeared to be his colleague at ESPN, Adrian Wojnarowski, supporting it with one of his own on teams checking in on Chicago's most valuable pieces, Fox Sports' Rick Bucher reported DeRozan is considered "untouchable" according to league sources.

Considering the potential to acquire franchise-altering draft picks in return for two players they would have to renegotiate with sooner than later anyway, and the Lakers' need for scorers if the franchise has any chance of contending in their conference, the trade is the best option for all involved.

Most of all, it finally lands DeRozan with the team he expected to be playing for a entire season earlier.

Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis doesn't worry about outside opinions.

"I don't get into the ratings or rankings. That's not my job," Davis said, per Melissa Rohlin of Fox Sports. "I don't care about any of that. It's my job to help this team get wins and compete for championships. And we're on track to having a complete team and putting everything together to be able to compete."

Fans and experts have been critical of Davis' play over the past two seasons, with his numbers dropping and injuries limiting him to only 76 total games. He missed the All-Star Game last year for the first time since his rookie year in 2012-13, while our NBA staff listed him as the No. 17 overall player heading into the 2022-23 season.

The 29-year-old is now proving doubters wrong after a hot start to the year. He's averaging 28.6 points, 2.4 blocks and a league-high 12.8 rebounds per game.

After scoring 44 points in a win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday, Davis exploded for 55 points and 17 rebounds in Sunday's win over the Washington Wizards.

Los Angeles has won eight of its last 10 games after a 2-10 start to the year.

Though Davis might not care about what critics think about him, it might be time to adjust expectations for both him and the Lakers this season.

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James said he tweaked his ankle during Sunday's win over the Washington Wizards, but he doesn't expect to miss any time.

"I'll be ready Tuesday," James told reporters.

The Lakers face the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday, where James spent 11 of his 20 NBA seasons.

James has already missed time this season after he suffered a groin injury in the fourth quarter of the Lakers' 114-101 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Nov. 9.

"I didn't do anything extraneous on the play," James told reporters after the game. "Just when I landed, I felt a little spasm or strain in my groin. So immediately I had to come out after that on the next play down when I went to the free-throw line."

James returned after missing about two weeks with the groin injury, but he then suffered a sprained ankle in the Lakers' Nov. 28 loss to the Indiana Pacers. He hasn't missed any time due to that injury, but he has aggravated it multiple times over the past week.

It's yet another issue for the Lakers to worry about after James missed significant time due to injuries in each of the last two seasons.

The Lakers have gotten back on track after a slow start. They're currently sitting 12th in the Western Conference with a 10-12 record. James is averaging 26.1 points, 8.6 rebounds and 6.6 assists per game this season, ranking second on the team in each category.

The Los Angeles Lakers' strong run of form continued Sunday as they earned a 130-119 road victory over the Washington Wizards.

While the Lakers are still only 10-12 on the season, they've now won eight of their last 10 games.

Anthony Davis has been a major spark behind the turnaround. He had averaged 32.9 points, 15.4 rebounds and 2.9 blocks over the previous eight games.

The eight-time All-Star had his 10th consecutive double-double Sunday, finishing with 55 points, 17 rebounds and three blocks. This is the kind of player the Lakers have wanted him to be ever since acquiring him from the New Orleans Pelicans, and he might be assembling an MVP résumé.

Let’s get the AD for MVP convos going! @AntDavis23 👀

— Chris Manning 🏀 (@LD2K) December 5, 2022

Most smart basketball commentators said before the season that the only way the Lakers would have a chance…would be if Anthony Davis played like the NBA MVP.

In recent games, he has been. And their team looks great!

— Elex Michaelson (@Elex_Michaelson) December 5, 2022

Anthony Davis might be MVP dog.

— Michael Sykes, II (@MikeDSykes) December 5, 2022

Anthony Davis got a bunch of MVP chants in Washington D.C., which has long been a partisan Lakers building when they're in town, after reaching 40 points for the 2nd straight game.

He's 16 of 22 for 41 with 14 boards and 3 blocks.

LAL up 105-81.

— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) December 5, 2022

Gonna need a 30 for 30 on what the heck happened with Anthony Davis. He is destroying everyone lately.

— Chris Vernon (@ChrisVernonShow) December 5, 2022

Lakers fans watching Anthony Davis score 24 points and grab 9 rebounds in the first half https://t.co/IJUT1sRBPy

— Complex Sports (@ComplexSports) December 5, 2022

The Wizards and Bucks rank fifth and sixth in both restricted area attempts allowed and restricted area field goal percentage allowed.

Anthony Davis scored 99 combined points against them in two games.

— Sam Quinn (@SamQuinnCBS) December 5, 2022

Anthony Davis in his last nine games 😤💪

37 PTS, 18 REB, 2 AST
38 PTS, 16 REB, 4 BLK
30 PTS, 18 REB, 3 STL
37 PTS, 21 REB, 5 BLK
25 PTS, 15 REB, 3 BLK
25 PTS, 13 REB, 4 BLK
27 PTS, 12 REB, 3 BLK
44 PTS, 10 REB, 3 BLK
55 PTS, 17 REB, 3 BLK

HE'S BACK. pic.twitter.com/2U0DUXA2zk

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 5, 2022

Lakers star Anthony Davis scored 55 points Vs Wizards, four shy of his career-high. Davis has 99 points in his last 2 games, the most over a 2-game span by a Lakers player since Kobe Bryant since March 2007. The only other Lakers player to do this is Elgin Baylor. @ESPNStatsInfo pic.twitter.com/0ZfziI03pc

— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) December 5, 2022

Since blocks became official in 1973-74, Anthony Davis is the 1st player in Lakers franchise history to record 40+ points, 10+ rebounds, and 3+ blocks in back-to-back games. https://t.co/anmIrkW3j2 pic.twitter.com/vUIHXG5gJd

— NBA.com/Stats (@nbastats) December 5, 2022

Mamba Mentality pic.twitter.com/ydkc2W2uO9

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) December 5, 2022

AD is absolutely killing! That’s what I’m talking about!! Keep it rolling @lakers!

— Pau Gasol (@paugasol) December 5, 2022

Los Angeles was one of the NBA's biggest punchlines when it opened at 2-10. Now, it's impossible to ignore the progress being made by the team under first-year head coach Darvin Ham.

Davis will get the headlines for obvious reasons, but Lonnie Walker IV chipped in with 20 points against Washington. The bench combined to contribute 21 points as well.

Lakers guard rotation has turned into a fun group between Lonnie, Reaves, & Russ

Dennis still finding his rhythm but I think he is gonna get a lot better

— Ry (@JustRyCole) December 5, 2022

The Lakers have the No. 7 ranked offense in the NBA since Nov. 1 and just scored 68 in the first half against Washington. Ignore the apocalyptic start and the Lakers have been a very good offense basically ever since.

— Sam Quinn (@SamQuinnCBS) December 5, 2022

Lakers are good? pic.twitter.com/ClK6f1sx2m

— Juan Carlos (@ReneusMeister) December 5, 2022

Lakers are back

— Rohan Nadkarni (@RohanNadkarni) December 5, 2022

https://twitter.com/LosPollosTV/status/1599567093266935808

The Lakers pivot to the third leg of their six-game road trip Tuesday for a game against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The fanbase might have been getting antsy when reading rumors of general manager Rob Pelinka wanting to wait around before pursuing any significant trades. That patient approach is paying off in a big way because this squad looks transformed with Davis firing on all cylinders.

The Los Angeles Lakers opened their six-game Eastern Conference road trip on a high note, taking down the Milwaukee Bucks 133-129 at Fiserv Forum on Friday to improve to 9-12 on the 2022-23 season.

The victory was fueled by Anthony Davis, who posted 44 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and three blocks in 40 minutes. He made 18 of 27 shots from the floor and two of his three shots from deep.

LeBron James was also key in the victory. He posted 28 points, 11 assists, eight rebounds and two steals in 37 minutes. He made 12 of 27 shots from the floor and three of his six shots from deep.

Russell Westbrook had a solid game off the bench, finishing with 15 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds in 29 minutes. However, it was the performances of Davis and James that sent Twitter into a frenzy:

Not only was the Best game that I’ve seen AD, Bron and Russ play together in a Lakers uniform but it also was their most Impressive win!!! Carry the hell on…

— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) December 3, 2022

This AD tonite is an MVP candidate. He was the best player on the court even with 2 guys with 6 regular season mvp awards and 5 finals mvps. Go argue with homies. I’m busy celebrating #LakerNation #lakerswin

— shannon sharpe (@ShannonSharpe) December 3, 2022

Easily the win of the season, the Lakers triumph 133-129 on the road against Milwaukee in a game that always finds a way to be a measuring stick. AD with 44 points and 10 rebounds. LeBron with 28p, 11a, 8r. Russ with 15p, 11a, 7r. Great effort highlighting the best of the stars.

— Kyle Goon (@kylegoon) December 3, 2022

https://twitter.com/hmfaigen/status/1598875158596308992

https://twitter.com/drewberinger/status/1598875142670942208

What an absolutely awesome NBA game we have in our hands here.

AD going blow for blow with Giannis, and LeBron having one of the best games anyone in Year 20 has ever had.

— nick wright (@getnickwright) December 3, 2022

LeBron, AD, and Giannis put on a show!

— Matthew J. Lenix (@StarConscience) December 3, 2022

Back. I declared it. What a performance by AD and LeBron. Russ played awesome as well.

— Jake Stevenson (@JakeStevenson38) December 3, 2022

Best win of the season for the Lakers. LeBron, AD and Westbrook all played well.

— Tyler Dragon (@TheTylerDragon) December 3, 2022

The Lakers have now won seven of their last nine games and appear to be trending upward. If they can continue to claim victories on this road trip, they could be back in the playoff picture.

The Purple and Gold will be back in action Sunday against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena before facing the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.