THE LAKERS "IF" REPORT 🏆 | 2026–27 14 IFs. One question: what has to go right for the Lakers to hang with the NBA’s elite and contend? Luka’s team now. A rebuilt roster. Plenty of guys with something to prove. I ranked the biggest swing factors and impact—not just the best players. Let’s debate. 🧵👇

The Lakers were up by 5 at the half despite the Blazers shooting 70% from the field and us losing the Looney minutes by -8 for a 5 min stretch. The 4th quarter was rough and the defense was poor overall but you can't voluntarily loose stretches with sub optimal lineups. The Looney min need to STOP.

Lakers v. Blazers | Postgame Reaction & Analysis xitter.cf/i/broadcasts/1kJzDPZBR…

Sexton is playing way over his head right now yet we continue to play thru him. We’ve negated any involvement from Grimes in these units.

The Lakers are up 5 at the half with a -8 shift from Looney and Sexton shooting us out the quarter.

JJ get your head out your @$$ and stop playing Looney! -8 right now and that’s without AR making those plays to keep us afloat… unreal

The Lakers improved to 3-0. But there’s one number from Utah I can’t get past. 34 second-chance points allowed to our 11! That’s a LOT of extra points to hand over to an opponent. Portland averaged 18.4 second-chance points last season, one of the highest marks in NBA history. They were 2nd in offensive rebounds and are already grabbing 14.5 a game through two games this year. Clingan and Robert Williams are a “BIG” test on the glass for us tonight. And with Ja, Dame and Deni creating offense, plus Camara and Jrue making life difficult defensively, this isn’t a team you want to keep giving extra possessions. I’m not concerned about Kessler scoring just 2 against Utah. It looked to me like the Jazz were taking away his roll opportunities, which gave Luka and AR more room to attack. If that’s the tradeoff, I’ll take it especially with two shooters in the corners. But when Kessler gets pulled away from the rim, the rest of the team HAS to rebound even if guys like Thybulle, Williams, and AR are not known for strong rebounding. And when he sits? Looney has looked UNPLAYAbLE in his minutes. Does JJ try Mamu as the sole backup 5? (which we know isn’t ideal), or dare I say FINALLY give Vando a look, considering one of his few strengths IS rebounding. The Lakers have the offensive firepower to cover up a lot of mistakes esp if they keep that 3 point made volume up. But against teams that punish you on the glass, that just puts more pressure on the offense. Portland is built to punish exactly what Utah exposed. If the Lakers get bullied on the glass again, at what point do we determine if it’s an effort or roster problem?

The Lakers were outrebounded 20-5 on the offensive glass Sunday and gave up 34 2nd chance points. Is rebounding a concern when Walker gets pulled from the rim?

The Lakers might have a bigger decision to make this season than anyone expected. First, absolutely brutal injury news for Jalen Williams and Cason Wallace. Hate seeing it. Wishing both guys full recoveries. 🙏🏽 But let’s talk about what this means for the Western Conference. OKC is STILL the team to beat. Shai, Chet, that depth, that system. Nobody should be celebrating or writing them off. But losing two major pieces potentially changes the equation. And the Lakers have to be paying some attention. Because here’s the question: At what point does protecting your future become an excuse for not maximizing your present? The Lakers still have holes. They need more frontcourt insurance behind Kessler, and we haven’t seen enough to know if this roster is truly championship caliber. I’m not suggesting Rob empty the cupboard after three games. But will he be ready to get aggressive if the season progresses positively with the roster in place? Sometimes the biggest mistake isn’t making the wrong move. It’s being too afraid to make one. 🤔

Lakers v. Jazz (3-0) | Postgame Reaction & Analysis xitter.cf/i/broadcasts/1XxygwqyV…

Join me LIVE to discuss Lakers v Jazz! HUGE star performances as the Lakers move to 3-0 youtube.com/watch?v=MrW54HWe…

The Lakers just gave up 47 points in a quarter with that Lauri buzzer beater…

I still don’t understand what Looney brings to the table versus Vando… gave up two line drive and1s to Collier and JJJ.

2-0 is nice. But there are a few things I want to see from the Lakers in Utah today that have nothing to do with the final score. First, a cleaner game from Luka and AR. They combined for 17 turnovers against the Clippers. Luka will bounce back, no doubt, but this duo can't keep giving away possessions. Second, I'm really interested in how Walker Kessler handles his return to Utah. He's been an absolute monster through two games (+42, 24 ppg, 4 blks, 1.5 stls), but the Jazz know his game better than anyone. And with Jaren Jackson Jr. capable of pulling him away from the rim, this could be a different kind of defensive test. And don't sleep on Utah. Keyonte George is creating, JJJ is a problem, Lauri is a beast, and former Laker Jaxson Hayes just gave them 17 off the bench last game... The Lakers have shown flashes of something really good. Now I want to see the discipline catch up to the talent in another W. It's only Game 3, but these are the habits that I want built early.

Luka was BAD. We know he’ll bounce back. But your 1 and 2 taking care of the basketball is a non-negotiable. The turnover volume so far has concerned me.

The Clippers tried to make someone other than Luka beat them last night. Austin Reaves took that personally. 28 points on 10/13 shooting, 9 assists, and a huge third quarter. That’s the AR the Lakers need. Not just another scorer alongside Luka, but someone who can take over when defenses load up on 77 or Luka starts forcing things. And the chemistry with Kessler? Beautiful to watch. That man was EVERYWHERE. But here’s what bothers me about this win. Luka had 11 turnovers. AR had 6. That’s 17 of the Lakers’ 21 turnovers coming from the two guys we’re trusting to run this offense. You can’t praise AR for taking control and ignore that part of the equation. The Lakers forced 26 turnovers themselves and still let a 15-point lead get cut to six late. Against the Clippers, you survive that. In a higher stakes game? Different conversation. I’m encouraged by what we saw from AR, Kessler and the supporting cast. But this backcourt has to learn when to make the simple play. Having TWO guys who can take over a game is a luxury. Having TWO guys who can take care of the ball when it matters? That’s a necessity.

Lakers v. Clippers | Postgame Reaction & Analysis xitter.cf/i/broadcasts/1nxeLMAAP…