Anthony Davis, LeBron James lead Lakers to win over Spurs

Mobley not only studies how Golden State used Green in the high post as a facilitator, allowing the Warriors to play Green and another non-shooter like Kevon Looney together on the floor (and, this season, Trayce Jackson-Davis) but also how Anthony Davis plays facing the basket. Or, how Giannis Antetokounmpo attacks from the wings. He’s wanted to play the way they do. “I feel like as the player I am, I have a lot of different skill sets that I can bring to the table,” he said. “Some of them aren’t as strong as they need to be yet, but me being out there, being uncomfortable, is going to sharpen them and get them all strong enough, so around playoff time when it’s really needed and we need everyone’s help, all my tools are going to be sharpened and where they need to be.” -via New York Times / November 15, 2024

Shams Charania: If both of them are on their A game and if they’re healthy this team has a chance 1,000%… they made it to the Western Conference Finals a couple years ago, we know they won a championship together as a duo in the bubble that first year that AD was in LA… We’re never going to see this again. Stephen A, this man is about to be 40 years old next month. His best three-point percentage of his career, his best free-throw percentage of his career, he’s got the second most assists of his career, and that’s with the lowest usage rating of his career. And that’s because he’s having to be around the orbit of Anthony Davis and that’s why when they brought in JJ Redick everyone made that a LeBron James hire and of course, that podcast didn’t hurt, but everything was centered around Anthony Davis and how would he fit into JJ Redick’s offense and he is at the orbit of everything and LeBron James is finding ways around that. And I found it interesting this week he said he’s not going to play until the wheels fall off, right? And my sense is next season could potentially be his last season in the NBA. Now, could he play another season after that 2026-27? Potentially, yes. Bryce James his youngest son, class of 2025, maybe Bryce James keeps him around an extra year or two but I do think next season, All-Star Game in LA, there might be some good momentum there for that. I think for now this team, the way they’re constructed needs Jarred Vanderbilt back, they’re hopeful he’s going to be back at some point soon, and they do have two first-round picks they can trade too. -via YouTube / November 15, 2024

The Lakers still consider adding frontcourt depth behind Anthony Davis and Jaxson Hayes a priority, sources told ESPN, with Christian Wood yet to play this season and two-way center Christian Koloko a development project. -via ESPN / November 14, 2024

Steph Curry is one of the greatest players to ever lace them up. The four-time champion is one of the most influential players ever — on and off the court. Steph has seen it all and done it all. Recently, he sat down with Dude Perfect, the internet legends who have been dominating YouTube and online views for a decade and a half. Asked who the best five-man NBA roster ever would include, Steph said: “Shaq at the center, Tim Duncan at the power forward, Bron at the three, MJ at the two and me at the one.” That’s a pretty ridiculous starting five and definitely hard to argue. Shaq might be the most dominant center ever. Duncan is the best power forward ever. LeBron is LeBron. Jordan is Jordan. And Steph versus Magic Johnson is an interesting conversation, to say the least. But there’s some additional intrigue here: This lineup has changed for Steph since last year. There’s this video of the Steph surrounded by puppies (seriously) while giving his starting five back in July 2023. He still had Shaq at the center, Duncan at the four and Jordan at the two. He initially had Larry Bird at the three but has since replaced him with Kobe Bryant. And he had Magic Johnson at the point. So, in the last year, he has taken Kobe and Magic out of his five and replaced them with LeBron and himself. -via New York Times / November 15, 2024

Draymond Green: ‘Giannis is a big-ass kid for real man and I’m not saying it… I mean just by like when you look at that, when you look at the video or Damian Lillard giving them the shoes, like most people that are with Nike would be like ‘ah, I ain’t getting into that’. He’s a signature athlete with Nike… Free shoes is free shoes! Like he’s a big-ass kid and I don’t say that in a way like Jaylen. Jaylen Brown was pissed, all right? I say that in a way like… LeBron is a big-ass kid, people don’t realize he’s a big-ass kid. Giannis to me, you know he always gives you this super serious face… but like to me it seemed like he is a big-ass kid. And honestly when you are that type of force you kind of need some of that for guys to be cool following you, because they need something to relate to. -via YouTube / November 15, 2024

Mayor Harrell and Knox, the CEO of the Seattle Sports Commission, are envisioning a future where Sonics players become role models and inspire youth to not only participate in basketball, but dream. Seattle has a long history of producing NBA talent, including Brandon Roy, Jason Terry, Jamal Crawford, Paolo Banchero and Dejounte Murray. Barry thinks the Sonics can help inspire others. “How do you dream bigger if you don’t see it in front of you?” Barry asked. “I was thinking if I never went to Golden State games as a kid to watch Chris Mullin, Tim Hardaway and Mitch Richmond, how much of my devotion and love of the game would have been depleted by not having the touch, the autograph, the memories? The impact can’t be overstated. “There’s almost 20 years of kids in Seattle who never saw one game in their city of LeBron James, one of the greatest players who ever played. Twenty years of kids, and parents for that matter, who haven’t had that community, that environment, that experience. It hurts.” -via New York Times / November 15, 2024