Lakers escape one danger zone in postseason minefield

By Tamara Latta, Contributing Writer

The Lakers are out of the danger zone after knocking off the Minnesota Timberwolves 108-102 and clinching the seventh seed in the West. Despite a challenging regular season filled with injuries, the Lakers are once again in a position to add another championship to their storied history.

“Can you believe we are going to finish the season over .500,” Lebron James said.

The Lakers finished the regular season with a 42-30 record, earning the seventh seed in the Western Conference. While this may not be the ideal position for a team with championship aspirations, the Lakers have plenty of experience and talent to make a deep playoff run.

Of course, the biggest question mark for the Lakers heading into the playoffs is the health of their star players. LeBron James and Anthony Davis both missed significant time during the regular season with injuries, but they are expected to play every game in the postseason. If they can stay healthy and play at their usual elite level, the Lakers will be a formidable opponent for any team they face.

One of the biggest challenges for the Lakers will be their first-round matchup against the young energetic Memphis Grizzlies. The Grizzlies finished the regular season with the second-best record in the Western Conference and feature a dynamic backcourt in Ja

Morant and Desmond Bane. The Lakers will need to find a way to slow down the Grizzlies grittiness if they want to advance to the next round.

Assuming they can get past the Grizzlies, the Lakers will likely face the Suns or Clippers in the second round.

The Suns had one of the best records in the NBA during the regular season and have one of the deepest rosters in the league. The Clippers own the Lakers beating them in the last eleven matches. The Lakers will need to be firing on all

Fitting the mold:

What do the Rams value in defensive linemen?

By Stu Jackson, theRams.com

Leading into the 2023 NFL Draft, theRams.com will be doing a four-part series examining what experts regard as positions of need for the Rams and what Los Angeles looks for in those respective positions.

Kicking off the series is defensive line.

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Given the attrition to the defensive line this offseason, the position is regarded by some experts as one of potential need for the Rams entering the 2023 NFL Draft.

Should Los Angeles choose to address it, there are several key attributes defensive line coach/run game coordinator Eric Henderson looks for in a prospect – one of the most important being positional versatility.

“I think two of the things that over the years since I’ve been here, that’s become extremely important for our team, are finding guys that have the versatility and athleticism in terms of that skillset,” Henderson told theRams. com. “Because it provides a tremendous amount of depth for your team when you have guys that can play multiple positions, and especially up front. That’s become one of the biggest things that has been proven to be extremely helpful for the guys, for the team. And so we continue to look for guys that have that type of skillset, along with the girth and size to be able to withstand the body blows that consistently take place on the interior.”

The most obvious example of that, of course, is Aaron Donald, whose flexibility allows L.A. to line him up at any spot along the defensive line.

However, the Rams have had other examples too, like Jonah Williams, Michael Hoecht and Earnest Brown IV.

Beyond that flexibility, Henderson also values high-character individuals with the size and physicality to defend cylinders to beat the Suns but if they can pull off the upset, they will have a clear path to the NBA Finals.

Ultimately, the Lakers’ playoff success will depend on the health and performance of their star players. If LeBron James and Anthony Davis can play at their best, and the rest of the team can step up and provide support, the Lakers have a real chance to win their 18th championship. It won’t be easy, but the Lakers are no strangers to overcoming adversity and rising to the occasion when it matters most.

“I think it’s a work in progress, man. Laker’s coach Darvin Ham said. But thank God that Bron, again I think I said this earlier, he’s the type of player that’s hunting triple-doubles, not 30 shots, you know what I’m saying. Sometimes it comes to that because we may be struggling in other areas offensively and he just has to force his will on the offensive side of the ball. But he’s built his entire playing career on playing the right way. And that’s in him.”

New Basketball Courts, Skills Clinic At Ed Vincent Park

By Francis Taylor, Executive Editor

15, 2023. The opening ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. followed by a youth basketball clinic. The renovation includes newly painted courts, new backboards, hoops, and added seating. The basketball court renovation project is courtesy of PepsiCo.

As part of the opening activities, the City of Inglewood and Outside, J. Inc. will host a free Skills & Drills Basketball clinic for boys and girls, ages nine to fifteen. The skills and drills activities include knockout, dribbling handles relay race, layup package competition and shooting competition and three vs. three competition. Registration is now open. Pre-registration is required. Space is limited so register now at https://tinyurl. com/IngSkillsDrills.

For more information visit www.cityofinglewood.org or call (310) 412-8750.