What do you think about the Laker team now?

You follow the box scores of the games every day?

Just the Lakers.

You're kidding.

That is really a compliment.

I was pleased to see you smile at the top part show because once the game starts, you have a game face.

You don't smile much out there.

I don't think you have to do things for money anymore. Correct. What's up, Laker fans? Welcome to the Laker Film Room podcast. I'm Pete, joined by Darius. Hope everybody had a happy holiday and the Lakers are back at it tonight with a home game against the Dallas Mavericks. D, we know those are always going to be charged in a certain way after the trade. A little bit of

injury updates for both teams on the Laker front. DeAndre Aiton is listed as probable, so it looks

like he's going to play tonight. Good to see that the knee contusion was no big deal, although

Marcus Smart is listed as questionable with back spasms. I think this is less of a Marcus game.

They don't have a ton of ball dominance on the perimeter that if he misses tonight, I don't think it's a huge deal. And then on the Dallas front, AD is listed as questionable tonight. He's missed the last 14-ish games or so. He was saying that he was very much hoping to play tonight. They've got a back-to-back against Lakers. and then the Clippers on Saturday. We will see if he plays or not, but I'm expecting him to, and it'll be good to C.M.D. So with our guys back on the court, 13 and 4, it's the last game of the NBA Cup. Lakers were the very first team to clinch and advance to the final rounds. So there are no implications on that front, but still a good

regular season game, D? Just like that Clippers game, like, I think you throw the records out a

little bit in a game like this? Yes. The NBA Cup stuff, I don't have it down pat like other

people would, but I do still think that point differential stuff may matter for like seating and home

court advantage in some of the games. And so the Lakers would do well to win this game and win it

convincingly if they are going to win it at all. But we'll save that for another day. The NBA Cup is

super interesting to me within the context of I still remember the letdown the team had

after making their run to win it. And so it's like the gift and the curse of getting early

season important reps and like that feeling of competing for something versus going all out

for games in December that sort of throw off your

bio clock of an NBA season.

...