Jacob Rude

4 days ago | silverscreenandroll.com | Jacob Rude

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images A team doesn’t fall behind by nearly 30 points in a playoff game without a whole host of things going wrong. From an X’s and O’s standpoint, the Lakers were outclassed by the Wolves on both ends of the floor. But tactics alone did not account for the whole deficit in Saturday’s loss. After the game, the prevailing message relayed by the Lakers, from head coach JJ Redick to each and every player, was the need to be more physical moving forward in the series.

4 days ago | silverscreenandroll.com | Jacob Rude

Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images The Lakers waited a really long time to host a Game 1 in Crypto.com Arena. Saturday’s contest was the first time in 13 years they would open a playoff series in front of their home crowd. They promptly gave fans a game they will quickly hope to forget. After leading 28-21 after the first quarter, the Lakers were then outscored 64-30 over the next 19 minutes of the game.

5 days ago | silverscreenandroll.com | Jacob Rude

Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images Loyalty is a quality that means a great deal to Luka Dončić. Unfortunately, it was not something that was reciprocated by his former team. To be clear, loyalty has always meant very little to NBA front offices and franchises, but it’s never been as clear — and shocking — as when Luka was dealt from the Mavs to the Lakers. One team’s loss is another team’s gain, though.

1 week ago | silverscreenandroll.com | Jacob Rude

Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images The Lakers will have something they’ve not had for over a decade when they open the playoffs on Saturday: home court advantage. While they earned it in 2020, the bubble nullified any sort of home and away advantage. Not since 2012 have the Lakers entered a postseason as a higher seed in a matchup. It’ll be a huge bonus for a team that has been forced to attempt to overcome that disadvantage in recent playoff runs.

1 week ago | silverscreenandroll.com | Jacob Rude

Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images The week off for the Lakers provided a chance for rest and recuperation. For many, the focus was on LeBron James and his ability to take a week off before jumping into the playoff grind, especially after his injury scare in the penultimate game of the regular season. However, that also applies to Rui Hachimura. The forward missed extended time late in the season due to patellar tendinopathy before eventually making a return.