Laker Film Room - Dedicated to the Study of Lakers Basketball

After leading by 5 at halftime, the Lakers got blown out in the 2nd half by the Timberwolves, losing a game where they looked increasingly fatigued and without enough juice to run with a young opponent. Pete and Darius discuss the game and explain whether this was preventable or if it's just one of those nights that happens in the NBA. Later, the guys discuss what they learned about the Lakers in...

Russell Westbrook had 5 turnovers in the 4th quarter of Monday's win over the Hornets and, while extreme, this represents some of the ball security struggles he's had this season so far. Pete, Mike, and Darius parse some of Russ' turnover issues with his general decision making as a lead ball handler and try to navigate what can and cannot change in trying to get better results without compromisin...

The Lakers held on to outlast the Hornets on Monday night, earning a much needed win in overtime and stopping their 2-game losing streak in the process. Pete, Mike, and Darius discuss the game by focusing on some of the more positive aspects they saw -- from the starter's first shift together to Frank Vogel's quick lineup shift in the 3rd quarter to AD's overall impact on a game when he wasn't his...

With LeBron James still out and the Lakers other injuries still very much impacting their ability to play productive lineups, what should our expectations of the team be night to night? Pete, Mike, and Darius try to answer this question, discuss how they're looking at this upcoming stretch of home games, and whether playing more lineups that lean towards offense could lead to smaller successes wit...

Another LeBron James injury coupled with another loss to the Thunder have the Lakers frustrated and looking for solutions to a growing number of problems. Postgame, Frank Vogel said the Lakers must have "big picture patience and short term urgency". With that as a backdrop, Pete, Mike, and Darius look at the current state of the team and sort through their current level of expectations considering...

When the Lakers are at their best defensively, they're flying around the court, trapping, and really pressuring offenses into mistakes and misses. This style, however, isn't a sustainable approach over the marathon that is the NBA season. Pete, Mike, and Darius discuss how the Lakers can play a more conservative brand of defense effectively, offer their own ideas of how to accomplish this, and que...

The Lakers held on to beat the Rockets on Tuesday night in a wild ride of a game that, in many ways, represents the Lakers season to this point. Pete, Mike, and Darius break down the performance against the Rockets, highlighting how well the team scored in the paint and what ingredients went into that success. Later, the guys get into more lineup questions and dive into why Carmelo Anthony's shoot...

Turmoil in Boston? That's a shame. Pete, Mike, and Darius discuss Marcus Smart's comments about teammates Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, the Celtics struggles, and dive into why having big wings as your primary shot creators can have its limitations. Then, in moving onto more things they enjoy seeing, the guys go around the NBA to discuss Ja Morant's rise, the new look Bulls, and how the changes i...

With wins over the Cavs and the Rockets over the weekend, the Lakers look like they're in the early stages of figuring things out as a team. Pete, Mike, and Darius discuss some of the things they're encouraged with after the two wins, zeroing in on better defensive effort and how the team's "small" starting lineup played against Houston. Later, the guys discuss Avery Bradley's play and how he symb...

The Lakers fell apart, blowing a huge first half lead to lose their game vs. the Thunder. Pete, Mike, and Darius perform an autopsy on the game, offering their thoughts on what went wrong and why the team wasn't able to get things back on track once the Thunder started to make their comeback. Later, the guys discuss the team's defensive identity and how much of the team's struggles on that end of...

Not all wins are created equal, and a come from behind win on the road, on a night the Lakers didn't have LeBron James and several other role players, with top flight performances from Russell Westbrook and Anthony Davis, counts a little bit more as a building block victory for this team. Pete and Darius discuss the win, highlighting Russ' big night and how the Lakers can try to bottle up some of...

The NBA season is only a week old, but we've already been treated to some great individual performances and some teams looking to make more noise than preseason projections predicted. Pete, Mike, and Darius go around the NBA to talk about what they've liked so far this season, focusing in on some Western Conference teams and players who have caught their eye for better and, in some cases, for wors...

The Lakers beat the Memphis Grizzlies for their first win of the season and Carmelo Anthony's big scoring night was a major reason why. Pete, Mike, and Darius discuss how Melo got it going, why the sets and lineups he's used in led to his success, and how he fits on this roster is coming into greater focus through three games. Later, the guys discuss Melo's defense and why the way Vogel schemes ar...

LeBron James said that Russell Westbrook, like himself and Anthony Davis, shouldn't be worried about "fitting in" on the Lakers, but instead, as one of the team's stars, he sometimes needs to "stand out" and just play his own game. Pete, Mike, and Darius explore the idea of how Russ can best be deployed in order to be most effective and Russ' own role in making that happen. Then later, the guys di...

Russell Westbrook's struggles on opening night should not be surprising considering some of the lineups he played in and how much he was (or was not) set up for success. Pete, Mike, and Darius debate some of the lineup decisions made and whether catering more to Russ' style of play will better promote success or whether, due to injuries and roster construction, making those changes would just be s...

The Lakers dropped their season opener to the Warriors 121-114 in a game that saw LeBron and Anthony Davis score and defend well, but none of their teammates really have a positive night on either side of the ball. Pete and Darius breakdown the game, focusing on LeBron and AD's strong nights, how the big starting lineup fared, some of the team's defensive struggles, and how injuries forced some re...

In forecasting how far the Lakers can go this season, it's best to first examine their position in the Western Conference relative to the rest of the teams. Pete, Mike, and Darius go through the entire conference, using a tiered system to analyze who are the conference's best teams and how the Lakers stack up against them, as injuries and uncertainty loom large for several of its best teams. Visit...

The Lakers enter the 2021-22 season with high expectations, and with more questions than answers. Pete, Mike, and Darius discuss the upcoming season through the lens of what we know, what we don't, and how it all can come together on both sides of the ball under the guidance of head coach Frank Vogel and the team's star players.  Visit https://www.tickpick.com/lfr/ to save $10 on your first order...

The Lakers dropped their preseason finale on Thursday night, but in the process gave us even more insight into the type of team they're trying to be and the preferred style they want to play. Pete, Mike, and Darius discuss how speed, tempo, and creating chaos are pillars of the Lakers approach and how well it's working so far. Later, the guys talk about LeBron's strong play, an improving Russ, and...

The Lakers fell to 0-5 in the preseason after losing to the Warriors on Tuesday night, but all was not lost as we got our first glimpse at how the LeBron, Russell Westbrook, and Anthony Davis trio looks on the court together. Pete, Mike, and Darius discuss their takeaways from those first minutes together, particularly the ramped up pace they played with offensively and some of the team's defensiv...

The Lakers have been hit with the injury bug, losing Trevor Ariza and now Talen Horton-Tucker for extended stretches. With Malik Monk and Kendrick Nunn also dealing with minor issues, the team's depth is further compromised, especially on the wing. Pete, Mike, and Darius discuss the ramifications of having these players out, particularly the impact on the defensive side of the ball. Later, the guy...

Pete and Mike discuss the Lakers' casual approach to preseason after a string of blowout losses, Russell Westbrook's early turnovers, and why coming changes in Tuesday night's game against the Warriors may fundamentally change how the team plays.

Through their first two preseason games, the Lakers have had some rough moments defensively. Pete and Darius discuss some of the team's struggles and dive into ideas of how the team can improve on that end of the floor and embracing the work needed to perform as well as needed on that end of the floor. Later, the guys discuss the team's guard rotation, what their specific strengths are on defense,...

The Lakers' lack of size and defensive cohesion were evident in their blowout loss to the Phoenix Suns, particularly in the backcourt. In this episode, Pete and Mike discuss the guard rotation after Frank Vogel's pre-game comments about Kent Bazemore separating himself from his competition, before reacting to the news of Trevor Ariza's injury breaking in the middle of the show.

Pau Gasol announced that he is retiring from professional basketball, sparking an outpouring of love and sharing of memories from Lakers fans from around the world. Pete, Mike, and Darius join the chorus of those celebrating Pau by reminiscing about his NBA career, particularly his time with the Lakers and their run to three straight NBA Finals and winning of back to back championships. From Pau's...