Lakers Progress Reports: Grading The Team's Start, Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, JJ Redick & More | The Great Western Forum
On the latest episode of The Great Western Forum, a Lakers show hosted by Jovan Buha, Pete Zayas and Anthony Irwin, the trio reviews the Lakers at the quarter mark of the 2025-26 season.
Jovan, Pete and Anthony discuss the Lakers' first 20 games and grade the performances of Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, JJ Redick. Then, they welcome Dan Woike of The Athletic and Harrison Faigen of SB Nation to review the grades, discuss the roster, and what a potential Giannis Antetokounmpo trade would look like.
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1:36:33
10 Lakers Storylines Through 20 Games: LeBron's Return, Luka & AR NBA's Best Duo, Defensive Concerns
In the second "State of the Lakers" of the 2025-26 regular season, Jovan Buha analyzes the Los Angeles Lakers at the 20-game mark.
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TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 Intro
0:47 The Lakers' vitals at the 20-game mark
1:07 Storyline No. 1: The Lakers are, at worst, a top-four team in the West
8:03 Storyline No. 2: LeBron's return and rocky acclimation
15:40 Storyline No. 3: Luka Doncic & Austin Reaves have been the NBA's best duo
18:43 Storyline No. 4: LA's recent shooting regression
21:30 Storyline No. 5: The Lakers' defense has been a glaring weakness
26:45 Storyline No. 6: The post-LeBron rotation
31:10 Storyline No. 7: The new starting lineup is struggling
39:38 Storyline No. 8: Early lineup data: What's working and what isn't?
45:30 Storyline No. 9: LA has a shot to win its second NBA Cup in three years
47:28 Storyline No. 10: The tough and revealing road ahead (especially the next two weeks)
51:09 Q&A
1:32:45 Outro
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1:36:41
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1:36:41
Lakers-Suns Reaction: LA's Win Streak Snapped As Phoenix Dominates Them On Both Ends
Jovan Buha reacts to the Los Angeles Lakers' 125-108 loss to the Phoenix Suns on Monday, Dec. 1, 2025.
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TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 Intro
1:39 Buha's Big Picture: This loss was a slice of humble pie for LA
13:47 Notable performers
21:34 Stats of the night: 32 PHX points off LA's 22 turnovers, 28-2 fast-break points edge for PHX, 16 PHX steals
23:07 Takeaway No. 1: The trends in all five of the Lakers' losses
29:51 Takeaway No. 2: The rocky LeBron acclimation process
35:42 Takeaway No. 3: Previewing the three-game East Coast road trip (@TOR, @BOS, @PHI)
39:22 Q&A
1:33:56 Outro
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1:39:56
Lakers-Pelicans Reaction: LA Wins Seventh Straight Game Behind Another Offensive Explosion
Jovan Buha reacts to the Los Angeles Lakers' 133-121 win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025.
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TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 Intro
2:41 Overarching thought: Wire-to-wire domination from LA (a few hiccups aside)
7:56 Notable performances
17:03 Stats of the night: 133 points (third-most this season), season-low 8 turnovers and season-high 10 blocks
19:00 Takeaway No. 1: This was one of LA's better rim-protection performances (in the first half)
22:30 Takeaway No. 2: JJ leans more into offense than defense/athleticism with the shorthanded rotation
27:25 Takeaway No. 3: The plan with LeBron on back-to-backs
30:25 Q&A
1:20:21 Outro
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1:26:19
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1:26:19
Lakers-Mavs Reaction: LA Wins Sixth Straight Game & Locks In Home Matchup vs. Spurs In NBA Cup
Jovan Buha reacts to the Los Angeles Lakers' NBA Cup game against the Dallas Mavericks on Friday, Nov. 28, 2025.
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TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 Intro
1:35 Overarching thought: This is what the Lakers' offense can look like with proper shooting
11:09 Notable performers
20:18 Stat of the night: Season-high 18 3-pointers
20:58 Takeaway No. 1: LA is playing San Antonio in the NBA Cup -- with OKC likely awaiting them
25:00 Takeaway No. 2: Deandre Ayton's importance to LA's offense
29:10 Takeaway No. 3: LA's glaring athleticism remains a concern
34:21 Q&A
1:36:00 Outro
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Jovan Buha, a senior reporter covering the Los Angeles Lakers, analyzes the purple and gold with a weekly podcast that includes news, Xs and Os, statistical analysis, and exclusive interviews with media, players, team personnel, and more.
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