Laker Film Room - Dedicated to the Study of Lakers Basketball

The Lakers got some perimeter defensive reinforcements against the Rockets on Saturday and got a good win fueled by a huge 2nd quarter run. Pete, Mike, and Darius discuss the win, focusing on the team's defensive approach and how improved perimeter pressure led to the team playing more in transition offensively. Then later, the guys discuss Max Christie's emergence as a rotation player and how his...

The Lakers closed out their road trip with a double-digit loss to the Thunder and a 2-2 record on their trip. Pete, Mike, and Darius discuss the loss, how injuries and the schedule contributed to the game, and much more. Then later, the guys take stock in the team through 20 games and discuss what they've learned about what is working, what is not, and what the specific injuries the team has suffe...

A game after the Lakers got blown out in Philly, they delivered a beatdown of their own in a demolition of the Pistons on Wednesday. Pete, Mike, and Darius discuss the win, focusing on D'Angelo Russell's hot shooting night and Anthony Davis' dominance in the paint on both ends. And then later, the guys discuss D-Lo's season through the prism of his good game, and then offer some thoughts on the te...

The Lakers got blown out by 44 points in Philly on Monday night, undone by a barrage of made threes and their own offensive struggles coming to a head. Pete and Darius discuss the game, including the ongoing 1st quarter struggles, the differences in shooting and offensive approach between the teams, and the overall gameplan defensively vs. Philly. Then later, the guys discuss LeBron's post-game co...

The Lakers started their road trip with a strong win over the Cavs and head into Philly for another tough matchup against the 76ers and reigning MVP Joel Embiid. Pete, Mike, and Darius discuss the win over the Cavs, some of the structural improvements the Lakers are making on offense, Anthony Davis dominance in Cleveland and whether he can carry that over to his matchup with Embiid and the specifi...

The Lakers blew out the Jazz Tuesday night and look like a team that is finding their stride on both sides of the ball. Pete, Mike, and Darius discuss how the team is coming together, their shift to a more aggressive defense, how losing Cam Reddish might impact that aggressiveness, and forecasting what the team can do on defense once Cam and Jarred Vanderbilt are both available. Then later, the gu...

The Lakers won a pair of games this weekend, with LeBron scoring 35+ in both of them. Pete & Mike discuss his timeless game and how it’s evolved as he’s gotten older, before getting into some of the offensive struggles of the second unit, and why emphasizing the post game may be critical for the Lakers going forward.

 In the first of a series celebrating the 15-year anniversary of the 2009 title team, Pete & Mike are joined by 2x Lakers champion Josh Powell to discuss his experience on that team, the intensity of their practices and overall approach, what it took to grind his way onto an NBA roster after going undrafted, and more.

The Lakers did not come out ready to play against the Kings and got blasted Wednesday night, falling behind by 20 points in the 1st quarter and never being able to fully dig themselves out of the hole. Pete and Darius discuss the role LeBron and Anthony Davis played in the slow start, LeBron's great play after that, AD's physical struggles during the game, and the ways the Kings took advantage of...

The Lakers shot the lights out and thrashed the Grizzlies in one of their best offensive performances of the season Tuesday night. Pete, Mike, and Darius discuss the game, highlighting the historically great shooting night the Lakers had, some shifts they've made offensively that have helped generate those shots, and how Anthony Davis' dominance on defense helped shut down the paint on the other e...

The Lakers had an eventful and successful weekend, winning games on Friday and Sunday vs. the Suns and Blazers to get back to .500 on the season. Pete, Mike, and Darius discuss the weekend's events, diving into both wins, the starting lineup change, Anthony Davis' strong play to close out Portland, D'Angelo Russell's passing, Austin Reaves and Cam Reddish adapting to their new roles, and much more...

The Lakers wrap up their road trip in Phoenix on Friday night and enter the game in real need of a win against a backdrop of frustrations, injuries, and a winless record on the road. Pete, Mike, and Darius discuss the vibe around the team and why waiting on better player health to solve all their issues would be a mistake. Then later, the guys discuss the matchup with the Suns, who will be without...

Without Anthony Davis (among others), the Lakers got blown out in Houston by the Rockets on Wednesday night. Pete and Darius discuss the loss, but also break down how the game highlights larger structural issues with the team's offense that are not necessarily just about injuries and who is or is not available to play. 

The shorthanded Lakers fell by single point to the Heat on Monday night, losing not only the game, but Anthony Davis to a hip spasm in the 3rd quarter and D'Angelo Russell to an ejection for arguing with the referees. Still the Lakers hung tough, and missed a shot at the buzzer that could have won the game. Pete, Mike, and Darius discuss the game, diving into the team's injury issues, the improved...

The Lakers surrendered 36 second chance points in a blowout loss on Saturday, a franchise-high for Orlando. The guys discuss the reasons behind this recurring issue, why the short term solutions may be different than the long term ones, and why LeBron is a central consideration in addressing the defensive glass.

The Lakers are on the road for their first extended trip of the season, beginning in Orlando for a rematch with the Magic. Mike and Darius discuss the current state of the team heading into these games, including health updates on Gabe Vincent (among others), the impact injuries are having on the rotation and the success of some of the big lineups being used as a result, and AD's continued dominan...

Down four rotation players, the Lakers came back from another big first half deficit to take a late game lead vs. the Clippers, nearly gave it away at the end, but then held on in overtime to get the victory. Pete and Darius discuss the up, down, and up again nature of the game, highlighting LeBron's great scoring night, another impressive AD performance, a 2nd half offense surge from the guards,...

The Lakers won a slog of a game vs. the Magic on Monday night, getting great games from Anthony Davis and D'Angelo Russell, along with another good Christian Wood performance on defense and the glass. Pete and Darius discuss the game, what's working for the Lakers on defense, their continued challenges offensively, and much more. 

The Lakers lost in overtime to the Kings in frustrating fashion on Sunday night and, in the aftermath, Darvin Ham said he planned to look at his rotations and fine tune things. Pete, Mike, and Darius discuss the game, the starting lineups struggles, the issues on their defensive glass, and much more. And then later, the guys dive into the team's lineups, what's working, what isn't, what they would...

The Lakers got their first win of the season over the shorthanded Suns with a furious 4th quarter comeback led by LeBron and Anthony Davis, along with great defensive support from Christian Wood. Pete, Mike, and Darius discuss the frustrating early parts of the game, the Lakers spamming their physical advantages late, AD's 4th quarter, and Wood's defense on Kevin Durant and his defensive reboundin...

The Lakers are back in action against the Suns on Thursday night and will need to make improvements offensively from their loss vs. Denver to get a win. Pete, Mike, and Darius explore some of the team's struggles offensively, discuss areas where they hope to see improvement, and then forecast how those adjustments can manifest vs. the Suns in looking forward to Thursday night. And then later, the...

The Lakers lost to the Nuggets on opening night in a game that felt like a continuation of their playoff series. Pete, Mike, and Darius discuss the game, including the team's struggles offensively when LeBron was off the floor, AD's scoreless 2nd half, LeBron's reduced minutes, and the Nuggets general connectivity and chemistry compared to the Lakers. 

Opening night is nearly here and the Lakers begin their season with a rematch of the Western Conference Finals vs. the Nuggets. Pete and Darius preview the game, focusing on how the Lakers offensive shifts to more five-out looks can help them vs. the Nuggets defense, the challenges of their own transition defense vs. Denver, and the ever present problem of defending Jokic in the halfcourt. And the...

The Lakers closed out their preseason with a loss to the Suns on Thursday night. Pete, Mike, and Darius discuss the game, the strong performances from LeBron and Anthony Davis in the 1st half, the challenges the team faced with their bench groups, and how much of a stepping stone this game really was for the regular season opener next week. 

As the Lakers head into their final preseason game on Thursday night, Pete, Mike, and Darius discuss the team's attempt to balance building continuity with managing players' minutes this preseason, Jarred Vanderbillt's health, who the fifth starter should be, and the battle for minutes and the challenge of building out a rotation with as much talent as this team has.