Affirmative Talk

  The Dallas Mavericks' victory over Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday sent NBA Twitter into a frenzy. After all, what was meant to be a showcase contest between the league's best young players ended up being a one-sided contest. Doncic eliminated the Grizzlies and did it with just three quarters. He didn't have to do much beyond the first quarter either because of his explosive performance, which included 21 points, four rebounds, and three assists. With that explosive start from the Slovenian sensation, the Mavs jumped out to a 39-17 lead and never looked back en way to the 137-96 triumph. With 32 points, seven rebounds, 10 assists, two steals, and two blocks, the Mavs star had a strong final performance. Morant, in contrast, had a difficult day for the most part and finished with just 20 points and four assists. Of course, Doncic's performance left NBA fans speechless. Some people couldn't help but notice how Luka is currently outperforming Morant i

  The Los Angeles Lakers' 123-109 road loss to Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night was the saddest display that Hollywood could have concocted for Lakers supporters. The Warriors dominated the Lakers on both sides of the court, which gave NBA Twitter the perfect opportunity to make fun of and criticize LeBron James and the Lakers. With 27 and 31 points, respectively, Anthony Davis and LeBron James led the Lakers, but it was clear that they weren't getting any help from the rest of the team. The only other non-AD starter to score more than five points was Russell Westbrook, who finished with 19 points. Only eight points were scored by Patrick Beverley and Lonnie Walker IV together on 3-of-12 shooting from the field and 1-of-8 from beyond the arc. Overall, the Lakers' outside shooting was abysmal as they only made 10 of their 40 long-range tries. The Warriors, on the other hand, made just 16 of their 34 attempts from beyond the arc. The 2022–23 NBA se

  LeBron James wasted no time in making an implied criticism of the Los Angeles Lakers' management. LeBron, who effortlessly dropped 31 points, 14 rebounds, and eight assists on 12-of-25 shooting (3-of-10 from three), used his postgame podium to lament the lack of three-point shooters on his team's roster minutes after the Lakers shot 10-of-4o from three-point range in an ultimately uncompetitive 123-109 season-opening loss to the Golden State Warriors at the Chase Center. Listen to the Game of Life Basketball Podcast When questioned about the Lakers' difficulties from downtown on Tuesday, following a 30 percent shooting performance in their 1-5 preseason, by Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times, he responded as follows: “I mean, I don’t know. I think we’re getting great looks and I think there could also be teams giving us great looks. I mean, to be completely honest, we’re not a team that’s constructed of great shooting. And that’s just what the truth of the matter is. It’s

  According to the Los Angeles Lakers, Russell Westbrook will be classified as "day-to-day" due to tightness in his left hamstring. According to Chris Haynes of Yahoo, Westbrook's hamstring has no structural damage, but it's unclear if he'll be able to play against the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday. After just five minutes of play on Friday against the Sacramento Kings in the Lakers' last preseason game, Westbrook left the game. He entered the locker room with a minor limp, and he was quickly declared ineligible for the remainder of the evening. The actual moment Russ was hurt is unknown. Russ' hamstring injury may recur, so the Lakers will need to take extra precautions. With 78 games played in 2021–2022, Westbrook was the team's most dependable player in terms of availability. What Westbrook's job will be for the Lakers when he is ready to score is the greater concern he must address. In Sacramento, Darvin Ham eventually made the decision to r

  The Golden State Warriors attempt to defend their title has gotten off to a difficult start as the 2022–23 NBA regular season draws nearer. The team has been looking for positives amid a cloud of doom that has hung over their preseason. While there have been some, such as James Wiseman's health and the growth of Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, and Patrick Baldwin Jr., the team is currently dealing with a crisis that coach Steve Kerr called "the biggest we've had since I've been a coach here." Draymond Green, who made the unwise choice to hit teammate Jordan Poole at a Warriors practice last week, is to blame for this. Green said he was in a "very, very horrible state emotionally" after the event and voluntarily left the squad to allow everyone to recover. Green received a fine for the incident, but Kerr said he wouldn't be punished. Kerr claims that he will resume practicing on Thursday and is anticipated to participate in the Warriors' preseaso