LeBron, AD, Bamba, Beasley, D-Lo x Coach Ham React To Lakers/Pelicans | Feb 15, 2023

The Lakers changed the starting lineup. A mix of new with the old, and the Lakers roll. Offensively, they looked great, guys. 32 assists, 19 fast break points, and everyone was involved, Rob. Yes, that first quarter was lightning fast. They was passing the ball. They was shooting it very well. And the thing that I like best is that they didn't really look for LeBron. They looked for theirs. And they played the game like it's supposed to be played. They moved the basketball. It wasn't just one guy focused on one guy, AD, or focused on LeBron. They all moved the basketball. They played really well. And you like it when the ball is hopping, because that's how you get a lot of points in the first quarter. And I think the free throw attempts, that tells me a lot as well. I think, offensively, they scored 38 points in the first quarter, 17 in the second. And so we were wondering, is the third quarter going to be a bad quarter? But they came out and put a good quarter together. I think the floor spacing with D'Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley, allowed for more driving lanes, more opportunities to get to the free throw line. They missed a lot of free throws, but it allowed them to get their defense set. And so to hold a team to 101 points in today's league is not easy to do. So hats off to the guys for getting a good win tonight. Big shot. Everyone talked about what a big game this was, especially in the media. Must win game. Do you like the mindset that the Lakers came out with? I do. It was a defensive mindset, mostly Vando. Vando, he was locked in on B.I. and him. OK, Rob, we are going to go back to the arena. OK. Hate to cut you, but we do have a very special guest with us. It is D'Angelo Russell. And D-Lo, welcome. I got D-Fish and Rob with me. Back in a Laker uniform. Yeah, what up? Back in a Laker uniform for the first time in front of the home crowd since 2017. How much fun were you having out there with the fans? Ay, ay, ay, ay, ay, ay. No, it's so fun, honestly. To get back into this arena, the excitement. Great group of guys here, too, honestly. They welcomed us with open arms. And it makes you want to go out there and play for each other. It's super fun. This is also the first time you were playing with LeBron James, but it looked like you were teammates for a long time. Why did it work so well? Just high IQ, honestly. I mean, you got some skill, and you can space the floor and little things like that. It makes the game easier for him. And then if you find a way to get yourself going within that realm of things, it opens up the game for yourself, either. And then on top of that, with AD kind of being who he is, those guys follow every night. It's easy for a good black guy to lead. Yo, D-Lil Rob over here. Piggybacking off that question, is it sort of similar how you play with Cat and Andrews up in Minnesota? Is it a similarity? I'm not saying that those two are the same as these big two, but does that make it a little easier because you play with two dynamic players in Minnesota? Definitely, definitely, definitely comparable. Different players on the court. But obviously, I'm not a guy that needs the ball every time to affect the game. So I can still play off the ball and cut, make shots, just to make the game easier for them. That's why I'm here. And that was so fun, honestly. It was so fun to just play with those guys and get that one out of my system. D-Lo, D-Fish here, man. Congratulations on the win tonight. Welcome back to Los Angeles. Having experience leaving LA before and then coming back, been in those shoes before, tell me from your experience, mentally, physically, just what did you feel different stepping out there on that court tonight compared to the first time you stepped on that Lakers court in your NBA career? Comparing the first time to now, honestly, you're a young professional. You don't really know what you're preparing for. I'm all prepared for whatever is coming my way now. And I'm an adult. I'm going to keep saying it for as long as I can. I'm an adult now. And I'm just ready to approach this with a free mentality and dominate the game every night in front of these fans. D'Angelo, thanks for joining us. Go enjoy All-Star break. And we'll see you when you get back. Perfect. Thank you, guys. Thank you. That is D'Angelo Russell. Let's start with D-Lo. Guys, 21 points, 3 of 5 from 3, 8 of 10 from the free throw line, 7 assists. D-Fish, it was a great question. You asked him. He's a much different person now. But his energy was great. Yeah, I mean, one of the things for me when I watch younger players that are growing and evolving, and all players are growing and evolving no matter how long you play. It's fun to see the guys that we had when they were really young, 19 years old, and what they are now. I think a lot of times people forget that these guys are coming out of college after one year. So they're young. They're not even old enough to buy alcohol, right? So you have to have that maturation process. And then you have to learn the game. Because these guys come from programs where they're the man. And now they got to share the stage with guys who are just as good as them or even better. So it takes a while to learn what they need to do to be successful. And I think D-Lo, he's been around the world. Think about how many teams he's been on and all the players he's played with. So he has had a chance to learn a lot. And he's figuring it out now. I think now, if you watch him, he plays with the smoothies, like Phish said. He doesn't rush it. Because there'd be a lot of time where he'd come out and he'd forget there's other teammates on the court. And he'd just go for his. But now, he's sharing the basketball, getting people involved. And that's the maturation. D-Phish? No, I'm always happy for a guy like. America is literally the place of second chances, right? Like everybody gets and deserves a second chance at some point. And D'Angelo is similar to Dennis Schroeder. Like there's an appreciation for putting a uniform on this time compared to the first time you did. Different for different guys. But to me, D'Angelo, even in his eyes, like in talking to him just now, like there's a clarity and a purpose and a comfort level in his own skin that it's hard to have at 19, right? And we've seen a lot of guys come through and go out of LA. And we kind of put a lot of expectations on these guys at 19, 20, 21. So it's always good to see when a guy can come back. The fans can appreciate it. Coaches, teammates, everybody can see how much growth has taken place. Yeah, well said by you guys. I do want to talk about LeBron returning. His first game since breaking the record on becoming the NBA's all-time scoring leader. He had missed three games. And just what it did for the team, and even AD. I mean, AD, this is probably his best game since he's been back, right? He was 13 of 17 for 28 points. Also enjoyed the non-LeBron minutes tonight, too, about that second game. And you know what other thing is? LeBron usually hangs around and takes the ball at the court. He kind of just got down to court tonight. And I hope he does that a lot more to save their energy. I believe on social media, they called him Houdini Ham because he got a trick up his sleeve. That trick was to put in three, the three new guys with AD and LeBron in the starting lineup. Let's hear from Darvin Ham. He's speaking with Mike Trudell in the media. Darvin, what was the thinking behind that lineup change and early results look pretty good tonight? Or what do you think about it is sustainable as you now get on the other side of the All-Star break? I think it was just about trying to create as much balance as we possibly could. It was the same thought process at the beginning of the year. And we wanted to see if, and they proved they, you know, there's going to be games where Dennis and D'Lo finish together. But I think just moving Dennis to that second unit, along with Troy and Rui, those guys have a great symmetry together. Our new guys that's come in, particularly, you know, B's, D'Lo, and Vando, and putting those guys with Bron and A. And it worked out. I thought we had a well-balanced attack. Different guys had different moments. And we were great defensively. I think, you know, I expected just to get better, and better, and better. But yeah, just to have that balance was the biggest reason. Darwin, how does it feel to get this type of win, considering the opponent record, margin of victory, and going into the break ahead? I think it's great, man. I call it a Q of L win, a quality of life. You know, that would have been a long time to sit on a loss, bro. And, you know, it's just, I'm happy. And then everything we're trying to do, everything we're trying to get done when we come back off a break, this is definitely a great step in the right direction. Darwin, I think a lot of nights we'd sit there and say, you guys missed, like, 20 free throws. You guys missed a ton of threes. But you guys still scored 120 points tonight. What does that say about the offensive ceiling of what you guys have? It's like the 120 didn't feel, like, just fluky. It didn't feel fluky. Yeah. I just think, you know, sky's the limit. You know, we got a lot of playmakers with D-low. You know, B's can get going, get hot. You know, Brian is who he is, AD, Vando, just getting us extra possessions. And then, you know, Dennis coming out with that second crew with Rui and, you know, Austin and those guys, Troy. I mean, it's just, as long as we play the right way, you know, I was really happy to see the 32 assists. As long as we play the right way, share the ball, and stay disciplined in our running habits and, you know, really just not walking the ball up and down the floor, but getting out and running. There's gonna be times where we have to play a little slower. But for the most part of the game, big chunks of the game, you know, we really need to maintain and be consistent at playing with some pace, playing fast. And, you know, we have some young athletic guys that can shoot threes, that can put it on the floor, create, and they can finish at the rim. So I think it's only gonna get better. Hey, Darwin, I understand, obviously, LeBron's always gonna be important to the team, but what do you think can be the big picture implications when he has nights like tonight and possibly beyond where his workload's reduced enough to play under 30 minutes? Man, that was the goal, you know, to hold him at a hard stop at 30. And, you know, the more balanced your lineup is and the more pieces you have, it allows him to do that. Not only him, but AD as well. You don't have to run those guys into the ground. You can kind of, you know, manage them a little bit better and they're fresher down the stretch. They're fresher in key moments of the game. So it's great to have all these pieces, to have pieces that are interchangeable, that we can go small and fast, we can go big, physical. It's great, I'm looking forward to, you know, seeing what the possibilities are with this lineup. Darwin, tonight the group played with the most fun and joy I can remember in a game this season. How much have you sensed a mood shift with the group and just how important is that for you guys to kind of, you know, continue this on a nightly basis? I mean, it's huge, man. You know, when your mind and spirit is right, the body usually follows. It's huge. You know, at the end of the day, it's a fun sport. It's a sport that, you know, involves togetherness if you're gonna do it properly. And, you know, we're playing for the best franchise in the world. So it's like the excitement of stepping out there on that stage, under the lights, representing what we're representing. And the guys, the new guys coming in and bringing that positive energy, that excitement of being a Laker, just being able to have that rub back off on us. And, you know, we've been here all year and sometimes we had some tough moments, some tough losses, but those new guys, they're, you know, they're bouncing off the walls with excitement just, you know, to be here and to have an opportunity to play with these Hall of Fame guys and Bryan and A.D. and, you know, get an opportunity to be a part of turning this thing around to where we can get to the postseason. Anthony Davis goes for 28 and 10 in the win. He's speaking with Mike in the meeting. A.D., you have had 30 starting lineups this year and obviously with the trade deadline, you know, brought the opportunity to have a new one. The three Minnesota guys have played together, you and LeBron. What were your early impressions and why did it look like it? It seemed to be so fluid on both ends. Just competed. Honestly, I think JV did a good job on B.I., just with his lens, his presence. You know, D-Lo obviously doing what he does, play, make, scoring, beats, shooting the ball. So, it's a different look to see and it worked for us tonight. A.D., you spoke about the importance of this one after the Portland game. Just, you know, let's, we gotta start winning these games while they're in front of us. And so, what's the feeling to get this accomplishment and then, you know, you guys are all gonna go your different ways for a little break here? Oh, it was good. You know, one, for us to get on the winning side of things. Going into break, feel good about ourselves and not let this, not let a loss kind of just linger over the next six, seven days. You know, feel good about ourselves. And then two, just stay in their purposes. It ain't been a game up on those guys. I think we're two and one. So, good for that. We're playing one more time, though. But, for standing purposes, it was also a good win for us. A.D., how much more space did you feel for putting and for driving around the basket? It seemed like you guys were able to get to a couple clubs. You ran a couple times back door on some stuff. Is that a product of having that extra shooting on the court? Oh, yeah. Having D-Lo and B's out there, spacing the floor abroad. And then, though, just know how to play. Rebounding and he's cutting and getting behind the defense. And we were able to exploit the defenses with his ability to move around the basket and get lobs. And he can get a little dumb balls, as well. So, there's a few things that we figured out tonight how we want to play. And there's a couple actions that we might want to get to with that lineup on the floor. And also with different lineups, when you bring in D.S. and Austin, Troy, Rui. So, we got depth and them guys played well tonight, too. A.D., from the outside looking in, it felt like you guys were having a lot of fun out there, playing with a sense of joy that maybe hasn't always been there this season. Did you sense that and kind of just the new energy with the new group and it being the first home game? And how important is that for you guys to maintain on a nightly basis? Yeah, I mean, we play with a lot of joy in the Golden State. We did important, as well. They just made everything they shot. That's funny, the next game, they didn't shoot so well from the three. So, but, and then tonight, there was a huge emphasis on just getting this win. And we just came out playing with a lot of urgency and energy and guys had fun. I mean, we came out the gates, just running, flying, no play calls, just getting stops and just running and things of that nature. So, anytime we can just play free, get stops and run, it's always fun. Hi, Dee, I understand there's a lot of talent among you and LeBron and D'Angelo, but why do you think that trio has such great chemistry and what do you think the potential that can be? Well, it was only our first game together. We look good, kind of get LeBron off the ball so he don't have to do everything. D'Lo can handle the ball and also Dennis. And we can get him in some actions where, a lot of less movement where he can have his legs throughout the course of the game, not put too much pressure on him. And then, D'Lo able to take the pressure off both of us with his scoring ability and his playmaking ability and able to run a team. So, it looked good tonight so far, but we'll have, I think about 23 more games when we get back to, we'll see how it looks for sure. And this is what we expect now with the team they got now, we don't need him outside the paint. We need him in there, getting offensive rebounds, getting easy buckets. Yeah, I mean, it's, I don't wanna speculate. Yeah. But like great players, they're great for a reason. They have a really good sense of like who they are, but also like who their teammates are. And to me, it looked like tonight, Anthony Davis felt more comfortable being on the floor with the guys he was on the floor with. Malik Beasley got the start and scored eight points. He's standing by, speaking to the media. Malik, great contributions from all around. From the jump, what impressed you most? What stood out most? About being in LA. Just the team, the effort tonight, the win. We were excited, especially me, D'Lo, and Vandal. We played together. Being able to play with Bron and AD, it just shows that we can play with anyone. And they make the work way easier. It's one thing, obviously, what you guys can give them as spacers and shooters, obviously, out there. But how much could you feel the benefit just having LeBron now back in that lineup? It feels great. I know I gotta be shot ready at all times because they're gonna double team him, and same with AD. So just being shot ready at all times and play the right way. Malik, what was the energy like out there in that first five minutes? It was high. We wanted to make a statement and do what we do out there, play defense and run. Did it feel like the start of something? Here tonight? Oh yeah, for sure. Start, and we're gonna make a run for playoffs and keep pushing. Obviously, it's only been a few games for you guys, and the first one with LeBron, he's a big part of the mix. But when it comes to the defense, do you feel how high that potential is? Oh yeah, we got high potential. You got Vandal guarding, wanting the best play every night. And then LeBron could do that. And now I'm guarding the best guard. So just gotta be ready every night defensively because the offense will take care of itself every night. Obviously, you guys want to step away for the break, but what's kind of the key when you guys get back after it in terms of building off this? Keep the momentum going, make sure we get a break ball so we'll keep working, and just be ready to go for the second half. Thanks, Malik. Thank you. Four points and three blocks for Mo Bomb on his Laker debut. He's in the locker room with Allie. Mo, we talked about your excitement before the game. How'd it feel? Oh yeah, I was very excited. I had six fouls. Yeah, it was everything I expected. It was a lot of fun. I went over to Coach Hamm and I was like, this is fun. You know, we got a young team, a lot of versatility, both offensively and defensively, and who knows what we can do. But in terms of just kind of seeing it, and actually, you had seen it, I guess, watching away from the team, but kind of just being up close and in the rotation and kind of everything, just what was that like to kind of see you guys at full strength? It's definitely different than TV. You know, when you're playing with the Lakers, I feel like they get every call. When you don't play with the Lakers, you feel like they get every call, but when you're on the team, you realize, you know, look at the side of LeBron. Like, we don't really, you know, we got to go out there and fight and earn everything, but it was fun. You know, we talked X and Os on the bench. Just hearing from these guys, I just try to do my best to be a sponge. LeBron comes down the lane, I think spin move, dished off to you, no look, you catch, hammers it down, and you hang on the rim for emphasis. What was that moment for you? Yeah, we talked about that right before the play. Like, he said that's exactly how it was going to happen, and that's how it happened. No, it was... Okay, I believe that. No, it was fun. You know, I'm a firm believer that the ball finds energy. I think that play doesn't happen unless I get the tip out. Tipped it out to six, and it was fun. Just wanted to be available and have my hands ready. People loved you out there. How was that? It was great. You know, I'm definitely not going to take it for granted. You know, I try to go out there and help my team win as much as possible, make winning plays, and hopefully, I think people will just gravitate towards winning plays. You talk about being a sponge, and obviously you pair that with the urgency that is to win right now. What's the key to doing that on the fly? Just being a sponge, you know? Just seeking knowledge, and just applying it as soon as possible. You know, we got a pretty raw deal here. You know, I'm not going to sit here and say we're here to save the season, but, you know, we got some work to do. We got every excuse to say, like, oh, if it doesn't work out, this was the reason, and that was the reason, but, you know, we got a team full of dudes who are hungry, so we're excited. 16 minutes in his Laker debut. I'll start with you, Rob. We'll just go around the horn here. What'd you think of Mo's debut? You know, he said it best. You can tell he had a lot of nervous injury. He hadn't played in a while, and he's getting to play with the Los Angeles Lakers alongside LeBron, A.D., and what you can see, though, is what the future is. He didn't hit the threes like he normally does, but he blocked shots. So you see, if A.D. is not in the game, you have that guy who can back you up and block shots. I mean, he went and got some shots that I was shocked that he got, and I was telling Fitch earlier, it was one that Tiny Dog took, and he came from under the basket. Yeah. Excuse me. A.D. only missed it by a little bit. Yeah. LeBron, we know that continuity can be such a big thing and a big advantage in the league, but sometimes new groups and lineups just happen to click, and wondered if you felt like there were certain things with this group, with D'Lo and Vanderbilt and Beasley coming in and joining you and A.D., some things that are skill set-wise just sustainable as you move forward. Yeah. I mean, I think we're going to continue to build off tonight, and I think our skill set all kind of fit each other. You know, with Vando and D'Lo and Beas, three guys that just know how to play the game, we're all just trying to get the ball popping, get the ball moving, you know, have equal opportunity, and everybody's trying to play to their advantage out on the floor, so, you know, tonight we had 32 assists in our starting lineup. Was that nine, 14, 20, 22 assists in our starting lineup? That's huge, so, you know, we want to try to continue that going forward. I know you're a day-to-day guy, but does this give you a certain level of confidence or optimism as you guys still have a lot of work to do, obviously, after the break? Yeah, we got a lot of work to do still, you know, and, you know, every game is going to be tough for us, especially going down the stretch. We're knowing the type of push that we need to make, so, you know, I want the guys to enjoy the break, but don't get 100% detached, because, you know, we want to come back and try to keep this thing going. I feel really good about what we have brewing, but, you know, it's going to take a lot of commitment from us going down the stretch, so I look forward to that. LeBron, I know that left foot and ankle is something you've been managing on and off for, I don't know, maybe the bulk of the season. What have the last eight days or so been like for you, and was there a level of relief from the medical imaging coming back clean? Yeah, absolutely. Just to know that there was no structural damage, you know, no stress reaction, no stress fracture, no bone chips or breaks or anything like that. It was just, you know, something that had to just wear down or calm down, you know, from last Tuesday. I was able to, you know, obviously not stress it as much because I haven't been able to play the last couple games or last three games, I believe it was, and got some really good work in Portland. I believe you guys was there. I was getting some good work in Portland, and I felt confident that I could go tonight after getting some great work this morning, you know, on the court, so I felt pretty good about it, and, you know, I feel my ankle and my foot feels pretty good right now, so it's a good start. LeBron, we haven't talked to you since last week or whatever. What did you think just kind of on Thursday about the team's activity and kind of in the time between getting these pieces to today, what was it like in your mind kind of imagining how it could work? Well, I mean, obviously Thursday we were shorthanded versus, you know, the championship ball club in Milwaukee, but those guys played exceptionally well with so many guys out. Oh, no, that's Neal Sporn from my scratch. Oh, well, come get it for me then. I can't get rid of it. I don't want to wipe the medicine off of it, so you got to get it. I don't want to wipe the medicine off. No. Hi, Mom. You're lucky you and Savannah have a good relationship. Yeah, she does. Thursday we had great activity. We played great basketball. I'm at, to be clear, not in the game. At the deadline. Oh, that activity. That activity, turning over the roster, getting all these new pieces, and then trying to imagine sort of, because, I mean, it's been, what, a week? Yeah, yeah. Before you could actually play with them. First of all, I'll shout out and salute the guys that left. Russ, Pat, JTA, also we have D.J. and Thomas, you know, those five guys. We've all started the season together and, you know, tried to work to make some things happen and be the best that we could, be on the floor. So I'll salute those guys and their commitment to us trying to be as good as we could be on the floor. And right now, I mean, I like the guys that we have coming in. I mean, it's going to take some time for us to get to know one another, but I know they play the game at a high level. I think, you know, D.Lo is a really good, shifty point guard, can space the floor. Very crafty, very deceiving with his quickness, his, the way he plays the game. Obviously, we got a laser in Malik that we just never had this season. Where a guy is, no matter if he's on the floor, no matter if he's making or not, you have to respect him because of his ability to shoot the ball. He has kind of that J.R. Smith feeling to him that he can miss 10 in a row and he can make 10 in a row right after that. Vando is a Swiss Army knife. He can do a little bit of everything. His defensive ability, his offensive rebound ability. You saw tonight, we had a turnover in the backcourt. He wasn't even in the backcourt, but got a block at the rim and then got to contest a three after that and saved us a possession. And A.D. got the rebound and a foul. And then Mo, I think Mo is going to give us a lot of presence as well. You saw his shot blocking ability and his ability to shoot the three. No matter if he made them or not tonight, he's a threat and he will as he gets comfortable. I just love who he's able to pick up. And Delvon as well, if his opportunity is called. His length, his ability to play multiple positions helps as well. So I thought we did a really good job in the activity bracket on Thursday. Is that cool? That's cool. Yeah, got it. LeBron, from the outside looking in, it looked like you guys were playing with a sense of joy and just the most fun that maybe we've seen all season or up there with just about any game. Have you sensed a mood shift with the team and what is kind of the new energy with the new guys? No, I mean, no, it's not the most fun we had all season. Tonight was just another game that we did. We played well, you know, we won two. It's the first time we all had been on the floor together, you know, since the trade. So we wanted to kind of see what it kind of looks like. And for close to 48 minutes, it looked really good. And, you know, we try to compliment each other. We try to play the game the right way, you know, and not force anything. You know, we only had 10 turnovers. We had 32 assists and 10 turnovers. That is gonna be winning basketball every single night if we give ourself a chance to that. So I just like the way we played tonight. And I do, I liked our energy on the floor, both offensively, but more importantly, especially defensively, because we're gonna, we wanna be really good and accomplish what we're trying to accomplish. We have to defend at a high level. Hi LeBron, I understand it's one game and you have an all-star itinerary, but the fact that you played under 30 minutes tonight and the next Laker game is next week, what do you expect that can do for you given the heavy workload you've had all season? It's amazing, it's great. And it falls at the perfect time. I didn't wanna have to take off the last three games, but my foot and my ankle just wasn't allowing me to go out and compete like I know I can't compete, so. But it was good to get a game under my belt with these guys tonight to see, to digest what we got, going into the break and I'll do some more homework, obviously, over the break and see when we come back how we can be even better. But it's gonna be very beneficial to myself. I know I got a game on Sunday, but we don't play against on Thursday, so it'd be great for not only for me, for the rest of the group as well. Appreciate it. Have a great break, if I don't see y'all in Salt Lake.