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LeBron James Like a fine wine: LeBron leads USA past Germany
Mon, Jul 22, 2024, 11:19 AM
LeBron James finished Monday's 92-88 win over Germany with 20 points (8-of-11 FGs, 2-of-4 FTs), six rebounds, four assists, one steal, one block, and two 3-pointers in 18 minutes.
Analysis: The United States found itself in trouble during the fourth quarter for the second straight exhibition. As was the case in Saturday's one-point win over South Sudan, James shouldered the load to help lead the Americans to victory. He scored a team-high 20 points in just 18 minutes of action and has shown no signs of slowing down despite being 39 years old. Next up for the United States is their first group play game in Paris against Serbia on July 28. However, before that game is played, LeBron will be one of the flag bearers leading the United States delegation during the Opening Ceremony. |
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Emoni Bates Dalton Knecht scores team-high 21 points in win
Thu, Jul 18, 2024, 5:29 PM
Dalton Knecht led the Lakers with 20 points (7-of-16 FGs), seven rebounds, one assist, one steal and two triples in a 93-89 win over the Cavaliers on Thursday.
Analysis: Knecht continues to pour in the buckets for the Lakers, though this was one of his more efficient shooting nights. He has shot below 40% from the floor in four of his six games, which is to be expected from a rookie. It has been encouraging to see him contribute in other categories, though during the regular season, his primary function will be as a floor spacer. It is unlikely that he'll be able to produce well-rounded value while playing alongside the Lakers' starters like he has on the Summer League team. |
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Emoni Bates Bronny James puts up 13/5/3 line with two blocks
Thu, Jul 18, 2024, 5:21 PM
Bronny James provided solid value on Thursday with 13 points (5-of-10 FGs), five rebounds, three assists, two blocks and one triple against Cleveland.
Analysis: Bronny's early struggles seem to be behind him. His poor performance over his first four Summer League games was the trending topic of the sports world for a while, but he has now scored in double figures in two straight games on efficient shooting. As is the case with most rookies, early struggles aren't indicative of a player's entire career. It isn't surprising that he is playing better already, but even if he continues to play this well, he isn't a player to consider adding to your fantasy roster this season. |
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Emoni Bates Bronny James rebounds, scores 12 points Wednesday
Wed, Jul 17, 2024, 5:30 PM
Bronny James logged 24 minutes in Wednesday's 87-86 win over Atlanta, accumulating 12 points (5-of-11 FGs), one rebound, one steal, and two 3-pointers.
Analysis: James' cold streak in Las Vegas is over, as he hit two 3-pointers in Wednesday's one-point victory. The second-round pick entered the game shooting 0-of-15 from beyond the arc, so seeing one fall during the first half had to be relieving. Bronny would hit another 3-pointer in the second half, but he played his best basketball of the summer in the first. Wednesday's performance was a step in the right direction for James, who will require patience as he establishes himself as a professional. |
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Colin Castleton Colin Castleton records 17/12/6/2 line vs. Hawks
Wed, Jul 17, 2024, 5:27 PM
Colin Castleton shot 8-of-9 from the field and 1-of-1 from the foul line in Wednesday's 87-86 win over the Hawks, tallying 17 points, 12 rebounds, six assists, and two steals in 24 minutes.
Analysis: While most eyes may have been on Bronny James, Castleton was outstanding as the Lakers picked up their first win in Las Vegas. He only missed one shot from the field and was dominant on the boards, recording a double-double while also tallying six assists. Castleton did not record a blocked shot but did manage to change a few attempts. With Jaxson Hayes and Christian Wood back in the fold, Castleton will have difficulty earning rotation minutes in training camp. But he's played well enough to earn the opportunity to compete. |
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Emoni Bates Dalton Knecht (rest) will not play Wednesday night
Wed, Jul 17, 2024, 1:59 PM
Mike Trudell on Twitter
Dalton Knecht (rest) has been ruled out for Wednesday's game against the Hawks.
Analysis: Knecht is not dealing with any injuries, but the team has decided that he should take the night off. Knecht shouldered a significant workload between practices, the California Classic, and the NBA 2K25 Summer League in Las Vegas. Hence, the decision to hold him out. The absence of the first-round pick will free up additional opportunities for players such as Maxwell Lewis and Bronny James, with the latter struggling mightily in Las Vegas. |
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Emoni Bates Bronny James continues to struggle from three
Mon, Jul 15, 2024, 6:40 PM
Bronny James shot 1-of-5 from the field in Monday's loss to the Celtics, scoring two points with three rebounds and one assist in 25 minutes.
Analysis: James has not found his groove offensively, especially from beyond the arc. After going 0-of-3 on Monday, the rookie guard has missed his last 15 3-point attempts. Unfortunately, he failed to offer much value in other categories, tallying one assist and no steals or blocked shots. Most have known that James will be a more credible option for dynasty leagues than redraft formats, so his early struggles are unsurprising. Hopefully, he can develop his game at his own pace after an uneven freshman season at USC. |
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Emoni Bates Dalton Knecht leads Lakers with 19 points vs. BOS
Mon, Jul 15, 2024, 6:36 PM
Dalton Knecht finished Monday's 88-74 loss to the Celtics with 19 points (7-of-21 FGs, 3-of-4 FTs), three rebounds, two assists, three steals, one block, and two 3-pointers in 35 minutes.
Analysis: Since struggling to begin the California Classic, Knecht's production has picked up. He didn't have a great night shooting the basketball, but the first-round pick was by far the Lakers' most assertive player on the offensive end of the floor. The defensive production was a welcome bonus, and Knecht can provide solid value on the boards. The role he has taken on in summer league is unlikely to align with what the Lakers will need from Knecht once the season begins, but he's a talented scorer who can give the team solid production off the bench from Day One. |
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Colin Castleton Colin Castleton turns in 18/11/3/2/4 line vs. Heat
Wed, Jul 10, 2024, 3:56 PM
Colin Castleton recorded a double-double on Wednesday with 18 points (7-of-13 FGs), 11 rebounds, three assists, two steals, four blocks and one triple against the Heat.
Analysis: Castleton joined the Lakers last summer after going undrafted and played a total of 59 minutes in year one. However, if he continues to perform to this level during Summer League, he may be able to earn a few more minutes this upcoming season. Jaxson Hayes and Christian Wood are still in front of him in the rotation as the backups to Anthony Davis, so even if he ends up seeing time, he won't play enough to be worth considering in fantasy hoops. |
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Emoni Bates Dalton Knecht drops 20 with nine boards in loss
Wed, Jul 10, 2024, 3:52 PM
Dalton Knecht led the Lakers with 20 points (7-of-18 FGs), nine rebounds, one assist and two triples in an 80-76 loss to Miami on Wednesday.
Analysis: Knecht really struggled with his shot during his first two Summer League appearances, and while this wasn't an outstanding performance for him, it was certainly a step up after he shot 6-of-25 on Saturday and Sunday. Knecht was an elite shooter in college, so he shouldn't have any issues eventually figuring that out. For fantasy managers, the nine rebounds are far more intriguing. If he is able to do more than shoot and score for the Lakers, Knecht may be able to provide some fantasy value in year one. |
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Emoni Bates Bronny James stuffs stat sheet in loss to Heat
Wed, Jul 10, 2024, 3:47 PM
Bronny James posted a full line on Wednesday with three points (1-of-3 FGs), five rebounds, three assists, two steals and three blocks against Miami.
Analysis: Bronny didn't do much scoring in this game, but he was able to provide some defensive stats across his 29 minutes. He sat out on Sunday, which was the second night of a back-to-back, due to some swelling in his knee. However, it didn't keep him out of the lineup on Wednesday. He will likely spend most of his rookie season in the G-League, but if this is what his numbers could look like in the future, he will be worth stashing in dynasty formats. |
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Emoni Bates Dalton Knecht's shooting struggles continue Sunday
Sun, Jul 7, 2024, 2:33 PM
Dalton Knecht shot 3-of-13 from the field and 5-of-5 from the foul line in Sunday's 92-68 loss to the Warriors, amassing 12 points, two rebounds, one assist, two steals, and one 3-pointer in 22 minutes.
Analysis: After shooting 3-of-12 from the field on Saturday, Knecht matched his point total on Sunday but again struggled with inefficiency. The first-round pick has not shot the ball well, but he has been productive in other areas. Knecht accumulated two steals on Sunday, one day after dishing out four assists without committing a turnover. While the offensive skill set is why draft analysts thought so highly of him during the pre-draft process, the ability to do the âother thingsâ is what will give him a shot at earning credible rotation minutes as a rookie. |
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Maxwell Lewis Maxwell Lewis struggles in blowout loss to GSW
Sun, Jul 7, 2024, 2:29 PM
Maxwell Lewis failed to make a shot in Sunday's 92-68 loss to Golden State, going 0-of-8 from the field and finishing with zero points, three rebounds, one assist, and one blocked shot in 19 minutes.
Analysis: Lewis was the only Lakers player to struggle on Sunday, but he took a noticeable step back after scoring 14 points in Saturday's loss to the Kings. Selected with the 40th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, Lewis was limited to 34 appearances (3.0 minutes per game) as a rookie. The Lakers still have one more game to play in northern California before heading to Vegas, so Lewis will have opportunities to make a positive impression on the new coaching staff. He'll need to be more consistent offensively, especially if he's to have a chance of cracking a veteran-laden rotation once training camp begins. |
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Emoni Bates Bronny James (knee) will not play Sunday vs. GSW
Sun, Jul 7, 2024, 12:06 PM
ESPN
Bronny James (trace swelling, left knee) will not play in Sunday's California Classic game against the Warriors.
Analysis: After logging 22 minutes in his Lakers summer debut on Saturday, James is being held out of Sunday's matchup with the Warriors. This is considered a precautionary measure, and the Lakers expect Bronny to be available for Wednesday's game against the Heat. |
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Emoni Bates Bronny James scores four points in summer debut
Sat, Jul 6, 2024, 12:36 PM
Bronny James shot 2-of-9 from the field in Saturday's exhibition loss to the Kings, amassing four points, two rebounds, two assists, and one steal in 22 minutes.
Analysis: Bronny was part of the starting lineup on Saturday, sharing backcourt duties with undrafted rookie Sean East II. James didn't have a good day shooting the basketball but stayed within himself and rarely forced the issue. He'll be a work in progress throughout the summer, with the Lakers heading to Las Vegas after they play three games at the California Classic. James isn't a player who will have much value in single-season leagues, but he's worth taking a late-round flier on in deeper dynasty formats. |
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Emoni Bates Dalton Knecht scores 12 in Lakers summer debut
Sat, Jul 6, 2024, 12:33 PM
Dalton Knecht finished Saturday's 108-94 loss to the Kings with 12 points (3-of-12 FGs, 5-of-9 FTs), two rebounds, four assists, two steals, and one 3-pointer in 26 minutes.
Analysis: Knecht, the 17th overall pick in last month's draft, made his summer debut on Saturday afternoon. While the former Northern Colorado/Tennessee standout did not shoot the ball as well as he could, the four assists were countered by zero turnovers. Projected by many to be a lottery pick heading into the draft, Knecht has the potential to offer solid value as part of the Lakers' bench rotation this winter. |
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Emoni Bates Nate McMillan, Scott Brooks joining Lakers' staff
Wed, Jul 3, 2024, 5:29 AM
Adrian Wojnarowski on X
Nate McMillan and Scott Brooks have been hired as the Lakers' top assistant coaches, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
Analysis: The Lakers have surrounded JJ Redick with two former head coaches that have plenty of experience, which should hopefully help things go smoothly. Brooks has been an assistant in Portland the last few seasons, while McMillan's last job was as the head coach of Atlanta up until he was fired in February of 2023. This is a strong coaching staff, and now it is on Redick to make it all work together. |
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LeBron James Shams: LeBron James intends to re-sign with Lakers
Wed, Jul 3, 2024, 2:32 AM
Shams Charania on X
LeBron James intends to re-sign with the Lakers on a two-year, $104 million deal with a player option after year one, per The Athletic's Shams Charania.
Analysis: In an unsurprising move, LeBron will be back with LA for at least two more seasons, unless he chooses to opt out after one year. He'll have his son on his team and his podcast co-host at head coach, but nothing should change too much in fantasy. James will be 41 by the time this contract is up, so there is a chance that this is his final one. LeBron also has a no-trade clause, though it was unlikely that they dealt him anyway. |
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Max Christie Woj: Max Christie to ink 4-year, $32M extension
Sun, Jun 30, 2024, 11:13 AM
Adrian Wojnarowski on Twitter
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reports that Max Christie intends to sign a four-year, $32 million deal to remain with the Lakers.
Analysis: A 2022 second-round pick out of Michigan State, Christie averaged 4.2 points and 2.1 rebounds across 14.1 minutes in 67 appearances last season. Woj notes that Christie has been a âdevelopmental success storyâ for the Lakers, but that doesn't mean he'll be a success story for your fantasy hoops team. There's no reason to target Christie in 2024-25 drafts. |
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LeBron James Shams: LeBron James intends to opt out of contract
Sat, Jun 29, 2024, 6:17 AM
Shams Charania on Twitter
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, LeBron James intends to opt out of the final year of his contract and become an unrestricted free agent.
Analysis: This news is unsurprising, even with the Lakers selecting LeBron's son Bronny with the 55th overall pick in the NBA Draft. While James was due to make $51.4 million next season, this allows him to negotiate a new deal with the Lakers. Look for LeBron to remain in Los Angeles and play for new Lakers head coach JJ Redick next season. |
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