Laker Film Room - Dedicated to the Study of Lakers Basketball

The Lakers survived the storm in icy Utah to beat the Jazz in OT with both LeBron and Anthony Davis playing heavy minutes to get them there. Pete and Darius discuss the win and how the angst the game inspired has been ever present over these last few weeks. Then later, the guys break down the matchup with the Clippers, giving their opinions on whether LeBron and AD should play, and what the matchu...

Optimism abounds as the Lakers seek their 7th win in 8 games against Utah tonight, but the new roster still has plenty of room to grow and little time to do so. Pete & Mike focus on Rui Hachimura’s developing grasp of his role after two stellar performances, before turning their attention to the many potential playoff scenarios in the Wild West.

The Lakers swept their weekend games vs. the T'Wolves and Rockets, led by a dominant Anthony Davis, LeBron James controlling the tempo, and contributions from all across the roster. Pete, Mike, and Darius discuss the games, focusing on AD's great play and how the combination of the roster depth and LeBron's ability to slot guys into the right roles is raising the ceiling of the team. Then later, t...

The Lakers head into another weekend of important games, starting on Friday night with a contest vs. the Timberwolves and the chance to jump into the 7th spot in the West. Pete and Darius discuss the Lakers bench rotation and the search to find the right groupings vs. Minnesota and for the remaining games on the schedule, and then they preview the T'Wolves game by breaking down the matchups and hi...

The Lakers debuted their new starting lineup and systematically took out the Bulls with a high-powered offense that capitalized on their many mismatches. Pete, Mike, and Darius discuss the game, focusing on how LeBron and Anthony Davis' mismatches in the post set the tone for the team's attack, the way Austin Reaves and D'Angelo Russell's skill games worked in tandem with their superstar teammates...

The Lakers are back in action against the Bulls, looking for revenge after losing to them on Sunday. Pete, Mike, and Darius preview the game, focusing on D'Angelo Russell's likely return, how the new starting lineup with LeBron also back can work, the best way to attack the Bulls' defense, and the role Anthony Davis can and should play offensively. 

In a major surprise that defied initial timelines, LeBron James returned to the lineup on Sunday and played 29 minutes vs. the Bulls. Pete and Darius react to LeBron's return, discuss the benefits of the timing of his comeback and how he can help this team defensively. Then later, the guys discuss the shape the offense can take with LeBron back and D'Angelo Russell to soon follow, the importance o...

The Lakers lost handily to the Bulls on Sunday, dropping them back to below .500 in the process. Pete, Mike, and Darius discuss what went into the loss, highlighting the 2nd quarter bench group that struggled on defense and the backboards, the decision to play smaller by removing Rui Hachimura from the rotation, and another game in which Anthony Davis' shot attempts were too low. 

The Lakers finally reached the .500 mark on the season, with a spirited win over OKC. The guys celebrate reaching the landmark while discussing AD’s 2-way dominance, Lonnie Walker IV’s important contribution, and how they’re turning defense into offense.

In their chase to get to and then go above .500 on the season, the Lakers head into another weekend of important games with the Thunder on Friday and the Bulls on Sunday. Pete, Mike, and Darius discuss their general state of mind around the team as they head into these games, and how LeBron's potential return plays a part in that. Then later, the guys discuss the matchup with OKC and how Anthony D...

The Lakers handled business against a depleted Phoenix team to secure an important win. The guys discuss Austin Reaves joining the starting lineup, how he helps AD and DLo, AD’s big second half, and Jarred Vanderbilt’s best game in a while.

The Lakers enter the last 10 games of the regular season likely needing 6+ wins to secure a spot in the play-in. Pete & Mike preview tonight’s game against a Phoenix team they’re on a long losing streak against, before turning their attention to the bigger playoff picture.

From pairing Anthony Davis with Wenyen Gabriel to the virtues of the Lakers new three-guard alignment featuring D'Angelo Russell, Dennis Schröder, and Austin Reaves, Pete, Mike, and Darius discuss some recent developments that have been working for the Lakers and why. Then later, they get into some of the things that have not worked as well and how LeBron's eventual return impacts their view on wh...

The Lakers split their weekend set of games with a gut-wrenching buzzer-beating loss to the Mavs and a hard-fought win over the Magic. Pete, Mike, and Darius dive into where their heads are at coming out of the games, focusing on their frustrations around effort, focus, and energy, and the general state of Anthony Davis' game on both ends of the floor as the stakes of the games keep going up. Then...

The weekend ahead features a crucial matchup vs a hobbled Dallas Mavericks team tonight, followed by a potential trap game vs Orlando on Sunday. Pete & Mike preview the games while discussing the opportunity that a weakened Western Conference has presented them with - if they can seize it.

Houston prevented the Lakers from reaching .500 on Wednesday night, taking full advantage of a team lacking in size and athleticism. Pete & Darius discuss how not having available 5’s distorted the game, the tradeoff between force & skill on the perimeter, and more.

The Lakers blew out the Pelicans with a monster 1st half performance that was fueled by a barrage of made three pointers and a dominant Anthony Davis. Pete and Darius discuss the game, diving into how the Lakers got it going offensively, the importance and craft of D'Angelo Russell as a scorer and passer, a rotation wrinkle from Darvin Ham, and another good night from Rui Hachimura. Then later, th...

What is the Lakers identity on both sides of the ball? Should they still be playing zone with their bench groups? Can Anthony Davis bounce back offensively against the Pelicans? And how much of that will depend on D'Angelo Russell? Pete, Mike, and Darius answer these questions and much more as the Lakers head into New Orleans for one of their most important games of the season.

The Lakers split their weekend of games, earning a good win vs. the Raptors on Friday and then losing a tough one vs. the Knicks on Sunday. Pete, Mike, and Darius discuss the games, diving into D'Angelo Russell's seamless return, Anthony Davis' offense, how the difference in starters vs. bench production showed up in both games, and much more.

The Lakers woke up just 1.5 games back of the 6th seed, with games against Toronto & New York coming up this weekend. Pete & Mike discuss the golden opportunity the team has, DLo’s potential return, the matchups with the Raptors & Knicks, and more.

From day one of being hired, and all the implications of the change and disruptions he would need to oversee and manage, Darvin Ham has had one of the more challenging first year head coaching seasons in memory. Pete, Mike, and Darius discuss Darvin's season to date, the praise he deserves for connecting with the players to get the most out of them, the critiques he's taken for lineups and adjustm...

In another dominant performance from Anthony Davis, the Lakers beat the Grizzlies to move into the 9th spot in the Western Conference on the same night they retired Pau Gasol's jersey. Pete, Mike, and Darius discuss the game, focusing on AD's big night on both sides of the ball, Austin Reaves continuing to up his usage and show off his playmaking, and how the team's defense has carried them since...

On the night the Lakers will retire Pau Gasol's jersey, the Lakers face the organization that traded him to L.A. when the Grizzlies come to town. Mike and Darius preview the game, focusing on defending Memphis without Ja Morant and how to get AD going vs. Jaren Jackson Jr. Then later, the guys discuss the standings implications of the Grizz game and take stock of the play-in chase by diving into h...

The Lakers split a weekend of tough games, falling to the Timberwolves on Friday before beating the Warriors on Sunday afternoon, but were carried offensively by Anthony Davis in both games with 38 and 39 point performances. Pete, Mike, and Darius discuss AD's play in both games, Darvin Ham's comments and adjustments from Friday to Sunday, Austin's on-ball work as a shot creator, and Troy Brown Jr...

Lakers enter a crucial 5 game home stretch. Pete, Mike & Darius discuss the keys to tonight's game against the Timberwolves & then preview the Warriors game, where Steph Curry reportedly will make a return.