Laker Film Room - Dedicated to the Study of Lakers Basketball

The Heat didn't bring their offense to game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals and were promptly destroyed by a desperate Celtics team, who evened the series at 2 games a piece. Pete, Mike, and Darius discuss the demolition, focusing on Jimmy Butler's health, Bam's offensive struggles, and the Celtics defensive game plan to limit Miami's half-court offense. Then later, the guys discuss the status...

Miami and Golden State showed off their mastery of basketball theory in a pair of Game 3 wins this weekend. Pete, Mike, and Darius discuss the nature of making quick decisions under pressure, and how that's impacted the Conference Finals.

Boston made quick work of Miami on Thursday, dominating multiple facets of Game 2. Pete, Mike, & Darius discuss the impact of Smart & Horford's return, Lowry's absence, Boston's remarkable shotmaking and improved offensive execution, potential adjustments for Miami, and more.

A cold shooting night from the Mavs and a focused second half on both sides of the ball from the Warriors led to a Golden State blowout win in game 1 of the Western Conference Finals. Pete, Mike, and Darius discuss the game, highlighting Kevon Looney's defensive importance, Luka's turnovers, where the Warriors offense created advantage, and how the Mavs couldn't capitalize on their shot quality. T...

Miami struck first in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, on the strength of a dazzling 39-14 third quarter. Pete and Mike discuss the impact of Smart, Horford, and Lowry's absence, how Miami will test the ball-handling and decision making of Tatum and Brown, and preview the matchup between Dallas and Golden State.

The 2022 NBA playoffs reached its halfway point with a pair of Game 7 blowouts that put Boston and Dallas in the Conference Finals. Pete, Mike, and Darius discuss how a vast difference in shot quality led to the end of the road for Milwaukee, Phoenix's unearned hubris, how Dallas wore them down, and the Deandre Ayton dilemma.

Miami punched their ticket to the Conference Finals in a game where their superior conditioning overwhelmed the exhausted 76ers. Pete and Mike discuss the role of endurance in basketball, how that should factor into the Lakers' next roster, and more.

A pair of Wednesday game 5's couldn't have been more different, with the Bucks furiously coming back late to steal a game vs. the Celtics while the Warriors barely showed up and got trounced by the Grizzlies. Mike and Darius discuss both contests, highlighting Giannis' status as the best player in the NBA and Jrue Holiday's clutch defense, and questioning whether the Warriors should start to worry...

The #1 seed in each conference dominated their Game 5 matchups, giving Miami and Phoenix a 3-2 series lead. Pete and Mike discuss Miami's ability to shapeshift, Deandre Ayton's importance, Luka falling a little too in love with his stepback jumper, and more.

In a pair of pivotal game 4's on Monday night, the Warriors came back late to take a 3-1 lead over the Grizzlies while the Celtics used a big night from Al Horford to outlast the Bucks to tie up their series at two games a piece. Pete, Mike, and Darius discuss both games, focusing on how the Grizz, minus Ja Morant, changed their identity to scrap with the Warriors and how the Bucks continue to mis...

In both conferences the #1 seeds went from up 2-0 in their respective 2nd round series to tied at 2-2 heading back home. Pete, Mike, and Darius discuss some of the things that stood out them over the weekend, including how much the "make or miss league" saying held true for both series, whether the Heat are in trouble now that Joel Embiid is back and Kyle Lowry is struggling after his return from...

What are reasonable expectations for Anthony Davis next season? What young players can make an impact on next year's roster? If the Lakers do trade Russell Westbrook, what types of players should they target in a deal? Pete, Mike, and Darius answer these questions and more in the latest edition of the LFR Podcast mailbag. 

As reports of Phil Jackson's role in the Lakers coaching search emerge, Pete, Mike, and Darius continue their conversation on what the team needs from their next head coach, and the implications and degree of Jackson's involvement. Later, Pete reveals who he'd most like the team to reach out to for an interview.

As rumored candidates emerge, Pete, Mike, and Darius begin their conversation about what they’re looking for in the Lakers next head coach. What are the common mistakes that teams make during coaching searches? What are the challenges that are unique to coaching the Lakers? Why were previous coaches successful? The guys discuss these topics and more.

The 2nd round of the playoffs kicked off with both road teams winning game 1 as the Bucks controlled their game vs. the Celtics and the Warriors won a thriller vs. the Grizzlies. Pete, Mike, and Darius discuss both games, focusing on how the Bucks defensive gameplan and ability to match up physically vs. Boston earned them advantages in ways the Celtics clearly weren't used to after their series v...

The Suns were able to hold off the Pelicans on Thursday night, clinching their series on the strength of a classic Chris Paul game that showed off every tool in his bag. Pete, Darius, and Mike discuss Paul's command of the game and how much the combination of his skill set and will to win set the tone not only in this game, but for the Suns this season. Then later, the guys discuss the Pelicans se...

Both the Bucks and Warriors advanced to the 2nd Round of the playoffs, but not before the Nuggets made Golden State sweat on the strength of Nikola Jokic's game. Pete, Mike, and Darius discuss Jokic's brilliance and durability while taking Denver as far as they could go, and preview a trio of intriguing Game 6's tonight.

In a trio of game 5s on Tuesday night, the Heat closed out the Hawks while the Suns and Grizzlies took 3-2 leads overs the Pelicans and Wolves. Pete, Mike, and Darius discuss each game, debating how much of the Hawks struggles were their own limitations vs. the Heat's dominance, how much the Wolves' inexperience matters vs. guys not figuring out their right roles, and whether the Suns' adjustments...

Matchup difficulties, Booker's injury, and a fearless Pelicans team have put the Phoenix Suns in an unexpectedly precarious position. Pete & Mike discuss this series and the Pelicans' chances going forward. Then in the final segment they debut Tru Stories, where Mike shares his experience of the night the Lakers won the 2009 NBA Finals in Orlando.

Games 3 and 4 of a playoff series have their own distinct personalities, giving both teams a chance to show whether they're truly in control and ready to advance or if a series is more even with no clear winner on the horizon. Pete and Darius discuss the weekend's playoff games and what stood out to them most, zeroing in on the Celtics/Nets series and why some of the struggles they're seeing in Br...

Can the Lakers rely on Anthony Davis to be a good jump shooter? If not, how does that change the types of players they should put around him and LeBron James next season? When thinking about team building in the aftermath of this season with Russell Westbrook, Pete, Mike, and Darius discuss the decisions facing the Lakers, the value of shooting and skilled shot creators, and why defense still matt...

Hindsight can tell us a lot about how and why the Lakers failed this season, but it also can still inform what we think they could have been if injuries and other factors wouldn't have crippled them. Using the ongoing playoffs as a backdrop for what's working and what's not for contenders, Pete, Mike, and Darius reflect on this year's Lakers and project the roster that will need to be built this s...

A dominant performance by Brandon Ingram and a hamstring injury to Devin Booker have put Phoenix in a suddenly precarious position. Pete & Mike discuss how New Orleans' size and athleticism have caused Phoenix problems, how they value these attributes on a team built around LeBron & AD, Phoenix's options without Booker, the Grizzlies roaring back, and more.

Tyrese Maxey, Jalen Brunson, and Jordan Poole all had brilliant performances on Monday night, leading to a trio of Game 2 victories. Pete, Mike, and Darius explore the ideal role for small, scoring guards on contending teams, and how the Lakers should view them when building next year’s roster.

Opening weekend of the NBA playoffs is one of the best basketball weekends of the year. Pete and Mike recap parts of a busy, 8-game schedule, including a classic Game 1 between Boston & Brooklyn, Miami's excellence without a superstar, concern about Khris Middleton, and more.