Gold And Purple Reign | Los Angeles Lakers 2K24 Modern Era Franchise

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GOLD AND PURPLE REIGN

LOS ANGELES LAKERS FRANCHISE

NBA2K24
XBOX Series S
Quarter Length - 12 minutes
Playoff Format - 7/7/7/7

The fifth year of the LeBron James and Anthony Davis era begins in Los Angeles, and the first four years saw them win a championship, get eliminated in the first round, not make the playoffs and then of course last seasons unexpected Western Conference Finals appearance, but as LeBron James enters his 20th year in the league at age 38, it is time for Anthony Davis to take over as the alpha male on this team. After a starting out a disappointing 2-10 last season the Lakers turned their season around at the trade deadline with two blockbuster moves that brought in just the right kind of players needed around LeBron and AD. The Lakers would finish up the season with a 14-6 record (best record in the NBA the last two months of the season) and lock themselves into the seventh seed in the Western Conference. For the second time in four years the Lakers would have to get through the play-in round to solidify a trip to the playoffs and standing in their way was the Minnesota Timberwolves. Down 60-49 at the half, the Lakers tightened up their defense and went on to defeat Minnesota in overtime punching their way to a first-round matchup with the Memphis Grizzlies. The Lakers split the first two games in Memphis before returning home and dominating Game 3 and pulling out a close win in Game 4 to take a commanding 3-1 series lead. Following a Game 5 loss in Memphis, the Lakes returned home and wrapped up the series with a 40-point win, eliminating the Memphis Grizzlies and setting up a second-round matchup against the defending champs, the Golden State Warriors. Like they did against Memphis, the Lakers split the first two games on the road and took care of business at home, eliminating the Warriors in six games and heading to the Western Conference Finals. Awaiting them was a familiar opponent, the Denver Nuggets. These two teams had faced each other seven times in the playoffs with the Lakers having won ever series matchup, including in the Western Conference Finals in the Orlando Bubble during the Covid-19 Pandemic. However, the Nuggets had been rolling through the season and continued to roll right past the Lakers, sweeping them 4-0 and advancing to their first NBA Finals where they would eventually defeat the Miami Heat in five games.

Despite being swept by the Nuggets, the Lakers looked to ride the momentum into the off season and keep the core of this team intact for another run and they did just that. Re-signing D'Angelo Russell, Rui Hachimura and Austin Reaves the Lakers added players like Gabe Vincent, Taurean Prince, Cam Reddish, Jaxson Hayes and Christian Wood to give them one of the deepest rosters in the entire league. They also were able to come to terms on a contract extension with forward Jarred Vanderbilt and Anthony Davis.

The best ability is ... availability

And that is just what Anthony Davis needs to be this year for the Lakers ... available. Davis signed a three year extension in the off season worth $177 million and for the Lakers to get a return on such a big investment Davis has to be on the court not sitting on the sidelines. The most games Davis has played in a single season is 75 games, done in back-to-back seasons. After playing 62 games in the Covid 19 shortened season the last three years Davis has played in 36, 40, and 56 games. With the future of LeBron James uncertain beyond this season now is the time for Anthony Davis to take over and make this his team. When healthy and playing at a very high level Davis has shown he is an MVP and Defensive Player of the Year candidate. He became just the third player in Lakers franchise history to have 50 blocks in a postseason joining Shaquille O'Neal and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The key to the Lakers season just may very well rest on the health of Anthony Davis and quite possibly the hopes of an 18th championship was well.

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GOLD AND PURPLE REIGN

LOS ANGELES LAKERS FRANCHISE

Lakers Sign Gabe Vincent

The Los Angeles Lakers signed guard Gabe Vincent, it was announced by Vice President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Rob Pelinka.

Vincent joins the Lakers after spending the last four seasons (2019-23) with the Miami Heat. Last season, Vincent appeared in 68 games (34 starts) while averaging 9.4 points, 2.1 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 25.9 minutes. During the playoffs, he appeared in 22 games (all starts) averaging 12.7 points, 1.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 30.5 minutes, shooting 37.8 percent from 3-point range while helping the Miami Heat reach the NBA Finals.

In his four seasons in Miami, Vincent appeared in 195 regular season games (68 starts), averaging 7.7 points, 1.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 21.0 minutes. In 44 career playoff games (30 starts), he has averaged 9.7 points, 1.5 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 25.2 minutes. Vincent was named the NBA G League Most Improved Player following the 2019-20 season.

Vincent played his college ball at UC Santa Barbara (2014-18) and competed at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics as a member of the Nigerian National Team.

[Eaglerock562]

GOLD AND PURPLE REIGN

LOS ANGELES LAKERS FRANCHISE

Lakers Sign Taurean Prince

The Los Angeles Lakers signed forward Taurean Prince, it was announced by Vice President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Rob Pelinka.

Prince joins the Lakers after playing the last two seasons (2021-23) for Minnesota. Last year, Prince appeared in 54 games (four starts) and averaged 9.1 points (.467 FG%, .381 3P%), 2.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 22.1 minutes. Over seven NBA seasons playing for Minnesota, Cleveland (2020-21), Brooklyn (2019-21) and Atlanta (2016-19), Prince has played in 424 games (222 starts) and averaged 10.4 points (.421 FG%, .372 3P%), 3.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 23.9 minutes. Prince has also appeared in the NBA Playoffs for Minnesota (2021-23) and Atlanta (2016-17), averaging 8.5 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 16 games (seven starts).

Prince was selected No. 12 overall in the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft by the Utah Jazz after a four-year collegiate career (2012-16) at Baylor University. Prince earned All-Big 12 First Team honors following his senior season after averaging 15.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.3 steals in 30.6 minutes.

[Eaglerock562]

GOLD AND PURPLE REIGN

LOS ANGELES LAKERS FRANCHISE

Lakers Sign Cam Reddish

The Los Angeles Lakers signed forward Cam Reddish, it was announced by Vice President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Rob Pelinka.

Reddish has appeared in 173 career games (82 starts) throughout his first four NBA seasons with Portland (2022-23), New York (2021-23) and Atlanta (2019-22), averaging 10.3 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.0 steals in 24.9 minutes. Reddish has played in four career postseason games with Atlanta, averaging 12.8 points (.528 FG%, .643 3FG%, .800 FT%), 3.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.5 steals in 23.0 minutes in the 2021 NBA Playoffs.

Last season Reddish appeared in 40 games (20 starts) between the Knick and Trail Blazers, where he averaged 9.7 points (.446 FG%, .853 FT%), 2.2 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.0 steals in 24.8 minutes. Reddish has recorded 20 games with 20 or more points throughout his career, including two performances with 30+ points, and is coming off a season in which he shot a career-high 44.6 percent from the field.

Reddish was originally selected by the Atlanta Hawks with the 10th overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft following one season (2018-19) at Duke University. In his one season at Duke, he appeared in 36 games (35 starts), averaging 13.5 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.6 steals in 29.7 minutes.

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GOLD AND PURPLE REIGN

LOS ANGELES LAKERS FRANCHISE

Lakers Sign Jaxson Hayes

The Los Angeles Lakers signed center Jaxson Hayes, it was announced by Vice President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Rob Pelinka.

Hayes joins the Lakers after spending his first four seasons (2019-23) with the New Orleans Pelicans. Hayes appeared in 47 games (two starts) last season for the Pelicans, averaging 5.0 points (.551 FG%) and 2.8 rebounds in 13.0 minutes.

Through 241 career NBA games (47 starts), Hayes has averaged 7.5 points (.622 FG%) and 4.0 rebounds in 16.8 minutes. He has recorded seven games with at least 20 points in his career and has shot over 60.0 percent from the field in three of his four NBA seasons. Hayes has also appeared in six career postseason games (all starts) in the 2021-22 season, averaging 5.8 points (.560 FG%) and 2.5 rebounds in 13.8 minutes.

Hayes was originally drafted by the Atlanta Hawks with the eighth overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft out of the University of Texas. In one season with the Longhorns (2018-19), where he was named Big 12 Freshman of the Year and an All-Big 12 Second Team honoree, he averaged 10.0 points (.728 FG%), 5.0 rebounds and 2.2 blocks in 23.3 minutes. Hayes ranked fourth in the league in blocked shots (71), helping him earn a spot on the Big 12 All-Defensive Team.

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GOLD AND PURPLE REIGN

LOS ANGELES LAKERS FRANCHISE

Lakers Re-Sign Rui Hachimura

The Los Angeles Lakers re-signed forward Rui Hachimura, it was announced by Vice President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Rob Pelinka.

After joining Los Angeles via trade on January 23, 2023 from the Washington Wizards, Hachimura appeared in 33 games (nine starts) where he averaged 9.6 points (.485 FG%) and 4.7 rebounds in 22.4 minutes to end the 2022-23 regular season. Overall, Hachimura appeared in 63 games (nine starts) between the Lakers and Wizards while averaging 11.2 points and 4.5 rebounds in 23.3 minutes. During the 2023 NBA Playoffs with the purple and gold, Hachimura averaged 12.2 points and 3.6 rebounds in 16 games (one start), shooting 55.7 percent from the field and 48.7 percent from 3-point range, good for the sixth-best mark in the playoffs. Hachimura was the only player in the 2023 NBA Playoffs to shoot at least 55.0 percent from the field (min. 10 FGA), 48.0 percent from 3-point range and 88.0 percent from the free-throw line.

In four NBA seasons, Hachimura has appeared in 210 career games (127 starts) for the Lakers (2022-23) and Wizards (2019-23), averaging 12.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 26.9 minutes. In 21 career playoff games (six starts) for the Lakers (2022-23) and Wizards (2020-21), posting averaging 12.8 points and 4.5 rebounds in 26.7 minutes, while shooting 57.3 percent from the field and 51.9 percent from beyond the arc.

Hachimura was selected with the ninth overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft by the Washington Wizards, after a three-year collegiate career (2016-19) at Gonzaga University.

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GOLD AND PURPLE REIGN

LOS ANGELES LAKERS FRANCHISE

Lakers Re-Sign D'Angelo Russell

The Los Angeles Lakers re-signed guard D'Angelo Russell, it was announced by Vice President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Rob Pelinka.

Russell, joined the Lakers via trade from Minnesota on Feb. 9, appeared in 17 games (all starts), posting averages of 17.4 points (.484 FG%, .414 3P%), 2.9 rebounds and 6.1 assists in 30.9 minutes. Overall, Russell saw action in 71 games (all starts) between the Lakers and Timberwolves last season, averaging 17.8 points, 3.0 rebounds, 6.2 assists and 1.0 steals in 32.5 minutes while shooting a career-high 39.6 percent from 3-point range. During the 2023 NBA Playoffs, Russell played 16 games (15 starts) with Los Angeles and averaged 13.3 points, 2.9 rebounds and 4.6 assists in 29.6 minutes.

During his eight NBA seasons with the Lakers (2022-23, 2015-17), Timberwolves (2019-23), Warriors (2019-20) and Nets (2017-19), Russell has appeared in 495 career games (431 starts), averaging 17.7 points (.362 3P%), 3.5 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 1.1 steals in 29.9 minutes.

Russell was also selected as an All-Star back in 2019 as a member of the Brooklyn Nets and was originally drafted by the Lakers with the second overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft after one year at Ohio State University.

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GOLD AND PURPLE REIGN

LOS ANGELES LAKERS FRANCHISE

Lakers Re-Sign Austin Reaves

The Los Angeles Lakers re-signed guard Austin Reaves, it was announced by Vice President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Rob Pelinka.

During the 2022-23 season, Reaves, appeared in 64 games (22 starts) for the Lakers, averaging 13.0 points (.529 FG%, .398 3P%), 3.0 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 28.8 minutes. Reaves joined Kevin Durant and Kawhi Leonard as the only players in the league to shoot at least 50.0 percent from the field, 39.0 percent from 3-point range and 85.0 percent from the free-throw line (min. 200 FTM). Reaves scored in double figures in 42 games, including 10 games with 20+ points and one 30-point performance. In his second season with the Lakers, Reaves improved his career averages in scoring and assists, as well as his shooting percentages from the field, 3-point range and the charity stripe. In 16 playoff games (all starts) last season, Reaves averaged 16.9 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.6 assists while shooting 46.4 percent from the field, 44.3 percent from long distance and 89.5 percent from the free-throw line.

In two seasons with Los Angeles, Reaves has played in 125 career games (41 starts), averaging 10.2 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 26.1 minutes while shooting 50.1 percent from the field, 36.3 percent from 3-point range and 85.6 percent from the free-throw line.

Originally signed to a two-way contract by the Lakers after going undrafted out of the University of Oklahoma (2019-21), he was then signed to a standard NBA contract prior to the 2021-22 NBA season.