Laker Film Room - Dedicated to the Study of Lakers Basketball

From injuries, to trade rumors, to general roster imbalances, Darvin Ham has faced a multitude of challenges in his first season as a head coach. Pete, Mike, and Darius discuss what they've learned about his coaching philosophies through it all, how they've been surprised, what challenges will continue to test him and the potential solutions he can seek out. Then later, the guys discuss Tuesday's...

The Lakers lost a pair of games in frustrating fashion over the weekend, dipping to 7 games under .500 in the process. Pete, Mike, and Darius discuss the Anthony Davis injury update that preceded those games, how the roster limitations in AD's absence are playing into the team's struggles, and why morale and belief in themselves are both much needed and in short supply and what the implications ar...

Pete & Mike reminisce about past Lakers showcases on Christmas and preview the upcoming game against Charlotte, with the latest on Austin Reaves' and Russell Westbrook's availability.

The Lakers lost to the Kings on Wednesday night in a game that reminded of too many other nights over the past three seasons where injuries and player availability left the team without enough talent to win. Pete and Darius have a therapy session of sorts, discussing the Lakers recent run of injuries, the roster building philosophies that make dealing with these challenges harder, and how they thi...

Pete & Mike preview tonight’s game vs the Sacramento Kings, before turning their focus to Max Christie’s development, as he enters the Lakers rotation.

As the Lakers adjust to life without Anthony Davis, a greater emphasis will be placed on the strengths and weaknesses of their big men and how to best support them on a roster without a lot of size. Pete, Mike, and Darius discuss Thomas Bryant, Wenyen Gabriel, and Damian Jones by focusing on what each player provides and doesn't, and what role they envision is best for all three. The guys also dis...

The Lakers won a pair of games over the weekend, but lost Anthony Davis to a right foot injury that will keep him out indefinitely. Pete, Mike, and Darius discuss losing AD and how to navigate the road ahead without their All-NBA big man, diving into what the asks are on LeBron and where (and how) the secondary players can fill in to support LeBron and help the team stay afloat. 

The Lakers have a couple of games left in their tough December schedule, before they enter a stretch of 10 straight games vs teams hovering around .500 or worse. The guys discuss the Western Conference picture as the Lakers try to make their move in the standings.

December 15th is the unofficial opening of trade season as nearly all the players who signed contracts this offseason become trade eligible. Pete, Mike, and Darius discuss the trade landscape for the Lakers (and across the league) by discussing how leverage, reports and media leaks, team's self-evaluations, and being able to convince the other side to make a deal all collide to determine whether o...

The Lakers lost another wild game down the stretch, blowing a 13-point lead after a brilliant 31-5 run brought them back against the hated Celtics. The guys discuss the late-game collapse, the defense’s ability to catalyze a run, and how the team’s end of game struggles illuminate the roster’s needs.

The Lakers and Celtics write the latest chapter of their rivalry tonight, at a difficult point in both team’s schedules. The guys discuss how the Lakers can capitalize on Boston’s depleted frontcourt, the complications their wings present for a Lakers team without many forwards, and more.

After splitting their games in Philly and Detroit, the Lakers ended their road trip 3-3 while showing all that they're capable of being in both good and bad ways. Pete and Darius discuss how the road trip impacted their views of the team to this point and what they believe are some of the biggest target areas for improvement in any potential trade. Then later they discuss Austin Reaves' bounce bac...

What lineups best support LeBron in his 20th season? Should the team be playing bigger more? Who should be the team's starting five? What stands out about lineups with Anthony Davis and Russ? Pete, Mike, and Darius answer these questions and more when they dissect the Lakers early season lineup data to look for trends and make determinations about which groups are most helping the team. 

The Lakers played the Raptors without Anthony Davis and LeBron and lost handily, but there's still lessons to learn from games like that. Pete and Darius discuss the game, diving into the team's zone defense, how it looked against Toronto, and how it can be useful in the future. Then later, the guys talk Austin Reaves' recent stretch of up and down play, what might be causing it, and his general r...

With Anthony Davis only playing 8 minutes due to the flu, the Lakers lost a tough game to the Cavs on Tuesday and head into Toronto on a back-to-back shorthanded to play to the Raptors. Pete, Mike, and Darius discuss the loss to Cleveland, preview the Raptors game, and discuss some of the team's on-again-off-again shooting struggles and potential ways to address them. 

The Lakers face a tough back-to-back against Cleveland & Toronto, and will be doing so without Wenyen Gabriel, who will be out at least a week with a sprained shoulder. The guys discuss the team’s frontcourt options, Dennis Schröder’s effectiveness in a new role, and what they have their eye on in tonight’s matchup vs the Cavs.

The Lakers went 2-0 to start their road trip over the weekend, winning a high level game vs. the Bucks on Friday and then thrashing the Wizards on Sunday. Pete, Mike, and Darius discuss the games through the prism of Anthony Davis' dominance, from him scoring 44 and 55 points to the elite rebounding and defense, and the inspiration he's providing his teammates by the levels he's reaching during th...

The Lakers head into their 6-game road trip playing some of their best basketball of the season, but against a difficult slate of opponents. Pete, Mike, and Darius discuss Friday's game against the Bucks, why the ask on LeBron is so big in this game, how the potential return of Khris Middleton can impact the matchup, and how this game -- and this road trip in general -- are a test for Austin Reave...

Pete & Darius take stock about how they feel about this Lakers team after 20 games, focusing on the games of Russell Westbrook, LeBron James & Austin Reaves.

As the Lakers are set to play their 20th game of the season tonight against Portland, they know much more about what does and doesn’t work on the roster than they did when the season began. The guys discuss how watching the team play has changed their view of what types of players they’d like to pursue in a trade.

A buzzer-beating 3-pointer capped off a 17 point collapse by the Lakers on Monday night, dropping them to 7-12 on the season. Pete, Mike, and Darius discuss the loss to the Pacers, including another 4th quarter in which Anthony Davis wasn't involved enough offensively, LeBron's struggles to get him and the team quality looks down the stretch, and the general disappointment of the team not playing...

Winners of four of their last five games, the Lakers are finding their rhythm as a team and it's showing up in multiple areas on both sides of the ball. Pete, Mike, and Darius discuss this idea, focusing on the team's improved shooting from beyond the arc, everyone's understanding of where their shots will come from offensively, and how this all relates back to the reps they're getting together an...

The Lakers upcoming December schedule is road heavy and unforgiving. Before that stretch, however, they face the Spurs twice, and then return home to face Indy and Portland. Mike and Darius discuss those next 4 games, how Patrick Beverley's suspension impacts the rotation for those games, and debate what type of record the team needs over that stretch. Then later they get into the importance of th...

The Lakers dropped a tough game against the Suns on Tuesday, snapping their 3-game winning streak in the process. Mike and Darius discuss the game, focusing on Anthony Davis continuing his run of dominant play, the team's early-season shooting struggles returning, and Patrick Beverley's ejection. Then later, the guys discuss the possibility of LeBron returning, Troy Brown's recent shooting slump,...

The Top 10 seeds in the Western Conference are separated by 2 games, and every team has at least 6 losses. The guys discuss the ever-shifting standings, how the 5-10 Lakers have drawn closer to the pack, and preview tonight’s game vs Phoenix.