Los Angeles Lakers guard Danny Green says the team’s two leaders have stayed engaged throughout the NBA’s hiatus.
As the NBA’s players, owners and administration hold onto optimism that the season could find a conclusion and eventual 2020 NBA Champion, the question then becomes, if the NBA does come back, which teams will still be able to stay in shape between now and the NBA’s eventual solution for an end of the season sprint.
One of the biggest stories around the league has been the lack of access to basketball courts for several stars, including Milwaukee’s reigning NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. But according to Lakers guard Danny Green, speaking to Lakers television career Spectrum SportsNet, both LeBron James and Anthony Davis have stayed engaged with their teammates, attempting to find venues to workout and stay sharp.
“Bron is checking in on guys, AD’s checking in on guys to make sure and see if they have access to a gym or not, if they’re in town or not, if they’re able to come their way and get workouts in. Because, you know, he’s working out with his son like a mad man at least 4-5 times a week. He gives us that option. But a lot of guys here — most of them have gone home to their families — have found access to something to be able to stay in shape.”
Whether the NBA comes back in Las Vegas, the Bahamas or Disney World, which team is able to maintain something similar to their form from the regular season will have the best chance to win a championship. Meanwhile, some teams are trying to even the playing field by asking for a potential 25-day training period.
Also, this hiatus is another example of the joint leadership from LeBron and Davis, which was lauded by players and coaches on the Lakers all season long.
Los Angeles Lakers sharpshooter, Danny Green, explains differences between playing with LeBron James and playing with Kawhi Leonard based on his experience.
Danny Green was a starter on the Western Conference’s best team this season alongside LeBron James. Prior to joining the Los Angeles Lakers, Green also helped Kawhi Leonard win an NBA championship with the Toronto Raptors.
Green, the two-time NBA champion, was on ESPN’s First Take on Monday and discussed the similarities and differences of playing with LeBron and Kawhi. He noted that there were a lot of similarities and some differences between the two MVP candidates.
“Two very great players,” Danny Green said on First Take according to Bleacher Report about James and Leonard. “A lot of similarities and some differences, but they are extremely serious about their game. They work their body hard, how to take care of their bodies and lead their team.
“Obviously, Kawhi is not as vocal as LeBron has been over the years. But you could tell last year he started picking it up a lot more and this year he’s a lot more vocal than he was ever, and he’s starting to learn that.
“But on the court-wise, LeBron is probably more a facilitator. Kawhi is probably more of, you know, an attack offensive, you know, dissecting the defense type of player.
“LeBron is the same way. And they’re both, you know, very good defenders when they turn it on. They can lock down some guys. They can change the game, impact the game, on both ends of the floor.”
Green is averaging 8.2 points per game this season for a Lakers team that earned a 49-14 record and appeared to be peaking at the right time. For his career, Green is a 40.2% 3-point shooter who also averages 3.5 rebounds.
Just before an eight-year run with Coach Popovich and the San Antonio Spurs, Green broke into the NBA as a rookie on a young-LeBron led Cleveland Cavaliers team. Green then started 464 games with San Antonio while winning All-Defensive Second Team honors in 2017 and an NBA championship in 2014.
HoopsHype ranks the 20 players with the best winning percentages in NBA history, including Magic Johnson and Larry Bird.
Winning in the NBA isn’t easy… for most players. For others, it’s almost a second nature. Some of the players on our upcoming list were the primary reasons their teams won so much, while others were excellent complementary pieces through their tenures as basketball professionals while others still were simply players lucky enough to be a part of the ride. What’s interesting is that the player coming up No. 1 on our rankings, ahead of so many legends, is still in the midst of his prime and could rise even higher than everyone else or fall from the top spot before his career is over.
Below, the 20 winningest players in NBA history based on win percentage (minimum: 250 games played):
Brazilian big man Tiago Splitter spent the majority of his prime as a role player with the San Antonio Spurs, which is where his high winning percentage comes from.
Splitter spent five seasons in San Antonio, often starting games for them alongside another big man who will come up later on our list.
An NBA champion once, in 2013-14, Splitter averaged 8.3 points and 5.3 rebounds over five seasons with the Spurs and would go on to play just 44 games after his time with San Antonio.
The muscle behind all of those elite Golden State Warriors of the mid- to late-2010s, Draymond Green played a huge role in the dynasty out of California, defending, rebounding and playmaking at an extremely high level for a team that was missing toughness prior to his arrival.
Green, a three-time NBA champion, three-time All-Star and one-time Defensive Player of the Year, was instrumental to a lot of the winning that went on in Golden State, even if he usually doesn’t get much credit for his contributions outside of his instigating.
Green actually would rank higher on this list if it were not for the fact that he is the only healthy Warriors star playing games this season when they own the league’s worst record.
18. TOM SANDERS: 69.7 percent
Playoff winning percentage: 62.3 percent
Better known as “Satch” in his heyday, he spent 13 seasons as a member of the Boston Celtics, winning an astounding eight titles during his time there. Sanders, a 2013 Hall-of-Fame inductee, wasn’t much of a scorer for Boston, but his defense and rebounding were important for the Celtics dynasty of the 1960s and early ’70s.
After his playing career, Sanders became the first African-American head coach in Ivy League history with Harvard and even had a brief stint as coach of the Celtics, though a 2-12 start to the 1977-78 season led to his dismissal.
17. DENNIS RODMAN: 69.8 percent
Playoff winning percentage: 68.6 percent
Remembered fondly for his funky hair colors and on-court extracurriculars, Dennis Rodman was a rebounding machine for two of the greatest teams of all time, the late-1980s Detroit Pistons and the second threepeat Chicago Bulls, winning five NBA titles throughout his Hall-of-Fame 14-year career.
Rodman led the league in rebounding seven straight years throughout his prime, putting up 6.4 points and 16.7 rebounds (!) nightly over that stretch. Far from just a rebounder, though, Rodman made eight All-Defense teams (seven 1st Teams) and won Defensive Player of the Year twice before hanging them up following the 1999-00 season.
A teammate of Green’s with Golden State, Klay Thompson is likewise a good defender, but he makes his money more on the perimeter, knocking down triple after triple for various title-winning Warriors squads.
For his career, Thompson ranks fourth among high volume three-point marksmen (minimum: 3,000 attempts) in outside accuracy, hitting 41.9 percent of his three-pointers since reaching the NBA. Thompson also has three NBA titles to his name, as well as one 2nd Team All-Defense, proving that he’s more than just a shooter.
15. JIM LOSCUTOFF: 70.3 percent
Playoff winning percentage: 66.7 percent
A no-nonsense hard-nosed forward for the Celtics from 1955 to 1964, Jim Loscutoff was part of seven title winners in Boston throughout his nine-year career.
Loscutoff didn’t put up big numbers whatsoever, averaging 6.2 points and 5.6 rebounds for his career, but alongside a Hall-of-Fame center coming up soon on our list, he helped turn the Celtics into a defensive juggernaut and dynasty they became during his time there.
14. FRANK RAMSEY: 70.5 percent
Playoff winning percentage: 64.9 percent
Frank Ramsey was a teammate of Loscutoff’s for most of his career, suiting up for Boston from 1954 to 1964 (except for the 1955-56 season, a campaign that Ramsey missed due to military service) and winning seven titles in an eight-year stretch.
Ramsey is often credited as one of the NBA’s original Sixth Man, a player talented enough to start for most teams, but who was willing to come off the bench for the greater good knowing that he would close games on most nights. For his winning impact and contributions off the bench for a dynasty in Boston, Ramsey was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame in 2006.
One of the fastest rising players in basketball over the past two seasons, Pascal Siakam went from being a decent-but-limited reserve in 2017-18 for the Toronto Raptors to averaging 19.8 points and 7.1 boards over the two campaigns since then.
Siakam, a first-time All-Star in 2019-20, was vital to Toronto’s championship run of 2018-19, manning the frontcourt alongside the player coming up at No. 1 on this list, terrorizing foes in transition and defending multiple positions ably and admirably.
Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images
12. TONY PARKER: 71.1 percent
Playoff winning percentage: 60.6 percent
Parker, who made 2nd Team All-NBA three times throughout his playing days, even has a Finals MVP to his name, which proves his importance to the operation in San Antonio. He received the award after the 2007 Finals, one that saw him average 24.5 points (on 56.8 percent shooting) and 5.0 rebounds in a four-game sweep of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
11. BILL RUSSELL: 71.7 percent
Playoff winning percentage: 64.8 percent
In his 13-year career, Bill Russell won a still-league-record 11 championships – and was the driving force behind all of those titles. Russell led the league in rebounding five times throughout his playing days, averaging 15.1 points and 22.5 rebounds for his career.
To this day, Russell ranks second all-time in rebounds with an unfathomable 21,620 boards and would likely rank pretty high up there in total blocks, too, if they were a recorded stat in his prime. Russell won five MVP awards in his 13 seasons, was either 1st or 2nd Team All-NBA 11 times and earned Hall-of-Fame honors in 1975 for his incredible contributions to the sport.
10. SAM JONES: 71.9 percent
Playoff winning percentage: 64.9 percent
Like a lot for the aforementioned Celtics of the dynasty years, most of Sam Jones’ seasons ended with hoisting a championship trophy. Jones played 12 seasons for Boston and won titles in 10 of them, playing the role of perimeter scorer for the team in green.
Jones had a seven-year stretch where he averaged 21.5 points nightly and still ranks seventh in Celtics history in total points scored with 15,411. He also earned All-Star honors five times in his career, 2nd Team All-NBA three times and was named a Hall-of-Famer in 1984.
9. TIM DUNCAN: 71.9 percent
Playoff winning percentage: 62.5 percent
Like Russell in Boston, Tim Duncan was the engine behind the Spurs dynasty which won five NBA championships over a 15-year stretch. Duncan’s defensive prowess, rebounding tenacity and low-block scoring touch made him a truly special big man – and arguably the greatest power forward of all time.
Duncan ranks 14th in league history in points scored (26,496), sixth in total rebounds (15,091) and fifth in blocks (3,020) after averaging 19.0 points, 10.8 rebounds and 2.2 blocks for his 19-year career.
Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images
8. MANU GINOBILI: 72.1 percent
Playoff winning percentage: 61.9 percent
Duncan’s teammate for most of his career, Manu Ginobili had the talent to start for just about any team in his prime but was selfless enough to come off the bench for the Spurs, where he became one of the greatest sixth men in NBA history.
Over a seven-season stretch between 2004-05 and 2010-11, Ginobili averaged 16.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.7 three-pointers per contest, shooting 45.4 percent from the floor, and in two separate occasions, he actually outpaced Duncan in overall win shares for the campaign.
As if we needed more proof of Ginobili’s impact to winning: only the Argentinian 2-guard and Hall-of-Famer/New York Knicks legend Bill Bradley can claim to have earned an Olympic gold, a Euroleague title and at least one NBA championship in their careers.
7. TOMMY HEINSOHN: 72.6 percent
Playoff winning percentage: 66.3 percent
Yet another player from the Celtics dynasty of the ’50s and ’60s, Tommy Heinsohn won eight titles in his nine-year career and played a major part in those championships.
Heinsohn averaged 18.6 points and 8.8 rebounds nightly throughout his playing days, made six All-Star teams and was named 2nd Team All-NBA four years in a row from 1961 through 1964, proving that he was much more than just a role player.
6. DANNY GREEN: 72.7 percent
Playoff winning percentage: 61.3 percent
A three-point shooting defensive specialist at 2-guard, Danny Green has been on a playoff team every year of his career, from his time with the Cavaliers, Spurs and Raptors.
Green has two titles to his name, one with San Antonio in 2013-14 and one with Toronto last season, and even held the record for most three-pointers made in a Finals series with 27 back in 2013 before Stephen Curry broke the record three years later. For his playoff career, Green is a 39.7 percent three-point shooter and has proven he’s someone you can trust in important games.
Green has actually moved up in these rankings from last year when he had “just” a 72.1 percent win rate. Playing for a 49-14 Lakers team this season probably helps.
5. MICHAEL COOPER: 72.9 percent
Playoff winning percentage: 68.5 percent
Michael Cooper was similar to Green in that he did a whole lot of winning in his career and played the role of a defensive-minded shooting guard, but he did so without providing the floor-spacing that Green did.
At the same time, however, Cooper’s defense far outweighed that of Green’s, as Coop was named to the league’s 1st Team All-Defense five times in his playing days while earning 2nd Team All-Defense three more times. He was even the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year in 1986-87, an extremely difficult honor to achieve for non-big men.
Cooper spent all 12 seasons of his career with the Los Angeles Lakers and won five championships while there, all as a role player for the Showtime years of the franchise alongside a player coming up on our list.
The final player of the early-NBA Celtics dynasty to make our list, KC Jones spent nine seasons in Boston and won a championship in eight of them, all in a consecutive fashion from 1958-59 to 1965-66.
Jones wasn’t much of a scorer, averaging just 7.4 points per game during his playing days, but his tenacity on the defensive end of the floor helped propel the Celtics to the heights they reached. What’s more, he’s one of just seven players in basketball history with an Olympic gold medal, an NCAA championship and an NBA title on their resume.
The guy just knew how to impact games in the win column.
Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for Turner Sports
3. LARRY BIRD: 73.6 percent
Playoff winning percentage: 60.4 percent
Our first Celtic not from the ’50s or ’60s, Larry Bird suited up for the green-and-white franchise for his entire career from 1979-80 to 1991-92.
In that 13-season span, Bird made 12 All-Star teams, nine 1st Team All-NBA’s and was awarded league MVP three seasons in a row. Oh, and he won three NBA championships throughout his playing days, too.
For his career, Bird averaged 24.3 points, 10.0 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game and ranks third in Celtics history in points scored (21,791), fourth in rebounds (8,974) and third in assists (5,695). He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1998.
Bird’s chief rival throughout his playing days was Magic Johnson, who just outpaces him in career win percentage for the purpose of our rankings. Like Bird, Johnson spent the entirety of his time in the NBA with one team, the Lakers, though he won two more titles than his Celtic rival and just as many league MVP trophies (three).
Johnson led the NBA in assists per game four times in his career and in nightly steals twice, and to this day, ranks fifth in total dimes with 10,141. He’d be higher up that list, too, if not for HIV tragically cutting his career short after the 1990-91 season.
Los Angeles Clippers forward and reigning Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard finishes up our rankings at the No. 1 spot, and he’s done it while suiting up for three different teams for his career, proving that for a lot of the winning he’s done, it has been thanks to him and he wasn’t just along for the ride.
Winning so many games in his career is a credit to Leonard at this point and not just the Spurs, which is easy to see now two years after his departure from San Antonio, as Leonard has won a title since then and the Spurs have barely been in the playoff hunt.
Leonard has already done enough in his career (despite not being close to being done) to be considered one of the greatest two-way players of all time, with much-improved scoring since he entered his prime (24.5-point-per-game average over the last five seasons) and airtight defense that was stout enough to win him two Defensive Player of the Year awards, an honor usually bestowed for big men.
Leonard has two titles to his name already, both of which earned him Finals MVP honors, but if he can win one with his new team in L.A., that might be his most impressive accomplishment considering how long the Clippers have been an afterthought in the NBA prior to his arrival.
HoopsHype’s Alberto de Roa contributed research to this report.
You can follow Frank Urbina on Twitter: @FrankUrbina_.
The Los Angeles Lakers will get their star forward back on Saturday and get a look at a fan-favorite in the starting line-up vs. Memphis.
LeBron James is back. After a one-game absence in Thursday night’s blowout win over the league’s worst team in Golden State, James will return to the lineup for the Los Angeles Lakers as they continue a three-game road trip on Saturday night against the Memphis Grizzlies. And while LeBron’s return improves the Lakers chances, there’s a solid chance that another change in the lineup generates a little more buzz. In addition to LeBron’s return, Alex Caruso will start in place of an inactive Danny Green for the Lakers against the Grizzlies, according to Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times.
So far this season, the combination of LeBron James and Alex Caruso has been lethal together. The Lakers have a net rating of +24.7 when James and Caruso share the court, which has totaled over 445 minutes over 50 games. Obviously, the Lakers have been great all season, but it will be interesting to see if the Lakers incredible success with LeBron and Caruso together will continue as Caruso is thrust into a starting role.
The Lakers still have room to improve and refine areas of their style in this last stretch of the season.
The Los Angeles Lakers went into the All-Star break with the Western Conference’s top record, with LeBron James and Anthony Davis both playing at an MVP-caliber level.
James and Davis have led the Lakers in being one of the NBA’s top teams, but their squad still has room to grow as the regular season enters its last stretch.
With 29 games left, the Lakers have an opportunity to take their play to another level and refine the facets of their style that have helped them be successful. The Lakers will open the last portion of the regular season Friday against the Memphis Grizzlies in Los Angeles.
Kyle Kuzma must be more consistent scoring the ball
One of the Lakers’ glaring issues is their lack of scorers aside from James and Davis. Heading into the season, Kyle Kuzma was slated to be that third option, the player who could get buckets and add another wrinkle to the offense.
Kuzma hasn’t been the effective, consistent third scorer, though. Part of that is because of injuries. He missed the first four games of the season because of a foot injury he suffered before the season. Kuzma also missed five straight games in December because of an ankle injury.
This season Kuzma adjusting to coming off the bench has also affected his scoring output. He’s currently playing a career-low 24.7 minutes per game and scoring a career-low 12.6 points per game on 43.7% shooting from the field.
Despite his up-and-down season, Kuzma remains as the only player besides James and Davis averaging double figures in scoring. The Lakers rank 11th in bench scoring, per NBA.com.
As the Lakers play the rest of the regular season, they’ll need Kuzma to arise as a legitimate bucket-getter off the bench.
Kuzma’s scoring ability isn’t necessarily in question — he’s averaging 20.3 points in the six games he’s started this season. Consistency is what the Lakers need from the third-year forward.
When the Lakers gain quality scoring from Kuzma, they’re usually successful. According to Basketball Reference, the Lakers are 14-4 when Kuzma scores 15 or more points.
The Los Angeles Lakers outlasted a great team on Wednesday night as they got a road win against the Denver Nuggets before the break.
The Los Angeles Lakers rolled into the All-Star break by making a statement and earning a difficult victory at altitude on Wednesday night against the No. 2-seeded Denver Nuggets, 120-116, in overtime. LeBron James had a triple-double with 32 points, 14 assists and 12 rebounds in 42 minutes, while Anthony Davis had a dominant night as well, playing the same amount of minutes while scoring 33 points and 10 rebounds. Davis also hit a couple of important 3-pointers in the overtime period to help the Lakers escape the Mile High City with a victory over a team they will likely see later in the playoffs.
Jamal Murray had 32 points and 10 assists for the Nuggets while Nikola Jokic had 22 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists, but the Lakers had far more help from their supporting cast. Dwight Howard put forth a workman-like 30 minutes, with a lot of it coming on Jokic down the stretch, helping keep Davis fresh for the scoring load he needed to absorb tonight, scoring 14 points and 11 rebounds. Meanwhile, Alex Caruso, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Avery Bradley were each instrumental in the backcourt.
The Lakers are now 41-12 heading into the All-Star break with a four-game lead over the Nuggets for the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference.
Davis suffered a bruised buttocks in the team’s win over the Knicks on Tuesday night after taking a scary-looking fall. Per ESPN, an MRI revealed no significant damage.
Though Davis made the two-game road trip with the team, he also missed Friday night’s game against the Mavericks.
Davis one of three Lakers that will miss Saturday night’s game in Oklahoma City.
LeBron James was ruled out of the game against the Thunder earlier in the day with flulike symptoms and Danny Green is sidelined with a sore right hip.
In addition to LeBron James being out due to illness/flulike symptoms, the Lakers say Danny Green is out tonight in OKC with a sore right hip. Updates pregame on Anthony Davis (bruised gluteus maximus) and Avery Bradley (illness/flulike symptoms) coming pregame.
According to Brett Dawson of The Athletic, filling those spots in the starting rotation will be Rajon Rondo for LeBron, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope for Green, and Kyle Kuzma for Davis.
Rajon Rondo will start in LeBron James’ place. KCP takes the Danny Green spot as a starter. Kyle Kuzma will start if Anthony Davis can’t play.
Kuzma had a solid outing against the Mavericks in place of Davis. He was the second-leading scorer behind LeBron with 26 points, grabbing six rebounds and dishing out two assists.
The Los Angeles Lakers will be without LeBron James and Anthony Davis in the same game for the first time this season.
For the first time this season, the Los Angeles Lakers will have to play a game without both of their superstars, LeBron James and Anthony Davis. James was ruled out earlier in the day and while Davis was a game-time decision, he was ruled out minutes before the game, according to the team.
In addition to Davis and James, the Lakers will also be without starting shooting guard Danny Green. So without 30 percent of their starting line-up, the Lakers will look to try and steal a win in Oklahoma City against one of the hottest teams in the NBA right now.
In their place, Rajon Rondo, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Kyle Kuzma will be in the starting lineup alongside regular starters Avery Bradley and JaVale McGee.
The Lakers have their work cut out for them in this game and after a decent game last night in Dallas, the Lakers will likely need a great game from Kuzma and a couple of other unexpected characters if they are going to escape with a win.
Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James had one of his best games of the season in a big road win against the Mavericks.
On the road against one of the better teams in the Western Conference without his leading-scorer Anthony Davis, LeBron James delivered one of his best end-to-end performances of the season, scoring 35 points, 16 rebounds, and seven assists in a 129-114 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Friday night to push L.A.’s current win-streak to seven games.
As unbelievable as it may seem in his 17th season, Friday was the first time in LeBron’s career that he scored over 35 points and grabbed over 15 rebounds in a game. James also passed Michael Jordan for fourth on the NBA’s All-Time career field goal list. LeBron closed the game playing center as the Lakers big men were either all hurt or in foul trouble. The Lakers led by as many as 21 in the game as James led the way but he also got a massive hand from Kyle Kuzma, especially early.
In a big spot without Davis, Kuzma came out on fire to begin the game with 11 points in the first quarter and 21 in the first half overall. He cooled off considerably in the second half but the spark he provided early helped the Lakers build a major lead that was difficult, if not impossible, for Dallas to come back from. Kuzma finished with 24 and struggled to hit in the second half but little of that mattered with the way LeBron was playing. Kuzma also had six rebounds, including four offensive rebounds.
And on a night where both Dwight Howard and JaVale McGee had five fouls in the third quarter, the Lakers survived much of this game without any of their traditional big men. LeBron himself played great and after a season where he’s been the leading man with the assists, James played center to help the Lakers get a win.
The Lakers are back on the court tomorrow night in Oklahoma City against Chris Paul and the Thunder, who have won eight of their last 10 games.
LeBron James didn’t score a lot but the Los Angeles Lakers had a total team effort to beat the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday night.
LeBron James tied his lowest scoring total in a game this season but the Los Angeles Lakers had some timely 3-point shooting as a team on Sunday night as they defeated the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday night, 108-95. Anthony Davis had a game-high 23 points to go with nine rebounds and four assists.
James was great at setting the table for his teammates with 13 assists but he tied a season-low with just 13 points on the night. Luckily for Lakers, LeBron and Danny Green each hit a pair of 3-pointers while Kentavious Caldwell-Pope had another hot night from the field, going four for five from the 3-point line off the Lakers bench.
The Lakers held Dallas to just 36% shooting on the evening and the story of the game could not be told without discussing the brutal fall suffered by Dallas phenom Luka Doncic after a block by Dwight Howard. Doncic had 19 points and seven assists but was just five for 14 from the field.
Kyle Kuzma couldn’t keep his hot streak going, failing to score on the night but grabbing five rebounds while going 0 for seven from the field.
Now the Lakers have a good chunk of days off between now and their next game as they aren’t scheduled to play again until Wednesday against the Phoenix Suns.
