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“That’s a horrible formula to win basketball games at a high level, especially when teams are consciously getting bigger,” Kevin Durant says of his Phoenix teams (via SI’s Chris Mannix).

Between Kevin Durant, Jabari Smith Jr., and Alperen Sengun, the Houston Rockets will start at least three players who stand 6-foot-10 or taller in height.

They might start a fourth in Steven Adams, which would then shift Amen Thompson — a 6-foot-7 athletic phenom — to point guard.

As Durant sees it, that type of size is a big part of what made Houston an attractive trade destination in the first place.

In a cover story for the upcoming Sports Illustrated (SI) basketball preview, the future Hall of Famer tells SI’s Chris Mannix that size — or a lack thereof — proved to be fatal flaw for his previous teams.

Regarding the Phoenix Suns, who Durant played with for two-plus seasons, the 15-time NBA All-Star said:

From a basketball standpoint, I felt like our best lineups were me at the five with four guards that were under 6-foot-5. That’s a horrible formula to win basketball games at a high level, especially when teams are consciously getting bigger. I think we can speak on a mental aspect of the game as much as we want, but I think that physical aspect of the game is why we weren’t successful as a team.

As Mannix explained, the superstar forward pushed back at the notion that the Suns’ problems were due to the original Durant trade, in which Phoenix sent an asset haul to the Brooklyn Nets.

A postmortem could trace the failure back to the Durant deal. Specifically, what Phoenix gave up — Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson and four unprotected first-round picks — to get him (in February 2023). Durant doesn’t buy it. “I feel like I can make up for anything,” he says. “Whatever you’re losing.” The Bradley Beal trade further limited Phoenix’s ability to address what Durant says was the real problem: a lack of frontcourt muscle.

In the 2025 negotiations, Rockets general manager Rafael Stone didn’t give up nearly as many assets to bring in Durant. The fact that he’s now 37 years old and in the final year of his contract likely played a role in that.

But from Durant’s perspective, it appears to be less about the overall talent or assets and more about sheer size. The Rockets certainly have that, and when combined with a head coach that Durant respects in Ime Udoka, that made them the right spot.

“The formula the last few years in the league is to have size, and to have guys that can penetrate, create extra possessions for you, switch, and guard multiple positions,” Durant recently told Houston reporters regarding his fit with the Rockets.

“Length, athleticism, discipline, and effort every single night, from a scheme perspective. That and camaraderie, continuity, all of that stuff matters. That’s what has been successful in the last couple years, from my observation.”

More: Kevin Durant explains Houston’s critical ‘attributes’ for modern NBA success

Is Week 8 the best weekend of the 2025 college football season so far?

The second half of the season kicks off with five matchups between ranked teams and a host of other intriguing games. Even Friday night has the potential for entertainment with Louisville visiting No. 2 Miami and a North Carolina team looking for something positive to happen on the field while heading across the country to visit Cal.

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The third weekend of October should deliver. Here’s what to watch in Week 8.

No. 10 LSU at No. 17 Vanderbilt

Welcome to the 2025 college football season. Vanderbilt is favored over LSU and it’s not a shock. The Tigers have won 10 straight over the Commodores; Vanderbilt has a chance to win on Saturday for the first time since a 24-21 victory in 1990.

The Commodores have had an off week to prepare for the game following their loss to No. 6 Alabama in Week 7. Alabama made Vanderbilt pay for Diego Pavia’s two red-zone turnovers. His first-half fumble came with Vanderbilt up 7-0 and led to Alabama tying the game. His interception in the fourth quarter happened as Vanderbilt was attempting to take a 21-20 lead.

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LSU beat South Carolina 20-10 in Week 8 and has still not scored more than 23 points against an FBS opponent all season long. Garrett Nussmeier threw two interceptions for the first time all season against the Gamecocks, but also had just his second game of the season with more than one TD pass. We’re still not sure if Nussmeier is totally healthy after suffering a torso injury during fall camp.

As LSU has struggled to pile up points this season, Vanderbilt has one of the most efficient offenses in the country. Vandy averages 7.6 yards per play and still averaged over six yards every snap against the Crimson Tide. However, Ty Simpson picked the Commodores’ secondary apart for 340 yards. Can Nussmeier take advantage? LSU may need to stretch the field.

No. 5 Ole Miss at No. 9 Georgia

Need another sign that the 2025 season has been off the rails? It’s newsworthy that the No. 8 Heisman favorite is in line to start a Week 8 game.

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Trinidad Chambliss is 20-1 at BetMGM to win the Heisman. He took over as Ole Miss’ starter in Week 3 after Austin Simmons suffered an ankle injury against Kentucky and has played well enough to be in the Heisman conversation through the first half of the season. Can he continue that against Georgia? Chambliss threw for 314 yards and rushed for 71 in the Rebels’ win over LSU on Sept. 27. He also had all three of Ole Miss’ TDs in their close call against Washington State in Week 7.

We’re still not sure what to make of Georgia. The Bulldogs are good. Very good, even. But are they great? They look a bit like the Chiefs from 2024. They’re winning games, but it’s not always pretty and they’re doing things on the margins. And what they did to Auburn after recovering the goal-line fumble at the end of the first half is what championship teams do.

But it’s clear Georgia has some work to do on offense. The 5.8 yards per play Georgia is averaging so far this season is the team’s lowest number since 2016. That was Kirby Smart’s first season with the Bulldogs and the team went 8-5. This team is a lot better than that unit, but it’s also still trying to figure out what works best on offense as the line has dealt with a lot of injuries.

No. 11 Tennessee at No. 6 Alabama

The Volunteers are Alabama’s fourth consecutive ranked opponent after victories against Georgia, Vanderbilt and Missouri. Things don’t get much easier going forward, either. Alabama visits South Carolina in Week 9 before home games against No. 10 LSU and No. 14 Oklahoma.

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Ty Simpson is our midseason Heisman winner after his performance through the first six games of the season. Simpson is completing over 70% of his passes and has thrown 16 TDs with one interception. And he’s also putting up those numbers without much from Ryan Williams.

The sophomore receiver was a non-factor in the win over Missouri. It was the first time in his career that he had fewer than two catches. And it’s not like Williams had one catch, either. He didn’t have a single reception.

Tennessee could be a good get-right matchup. The Vols’ defense gives up points in bunches. Opponents are averaging 29 points per game against Tennessee and opposing QBs are completing two-thirds of their passes for 258 yards per game.

UT would also love to break a 22-year streak on Saturday. Though the Vols have won two of the last three games in the series, Tennessee hasn’t won in Tuscaloosa since 2003 when it held on in a 51-43 five-overtime thriller. If Tennessee is going to pull the upset, Joey Aguilar needs to be fantastic. And a great game will thrust him into that Heisman discussion.

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No. 20 USC at No. 13 Notre Dame

USC’s got a long losing streak in South Bend, too. But it’s not as long as Tennessee’s road streak against Alabama. The Trojans are looking for their first win at Notre Dame since 2011.

Given the way USC bossed Michigan, this could be their best chance since losing by three in 2019 to a No. 9 Notre Dame squad. However, the Trojans will need to rely on their running back depth again. RB Waymond Jordan is set to miss multiple games after he suffered an ankle injury against Michigan. RB Bryan Jackson scored the game-clinching TD after he was ruled out for the game on the team’s injury report. The Big Ten fined USC $5,000 for playing Jackson, but Lincoln Riley has said that the school communicated with the league that it needed to play Jackson after both Jordan and Eli Sanders were unable to return because of injuries.

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Notre Dame’s defense has improved week-by-week after Texas A&M racked up nearly 500 yards and over seven yards a play. Boise State had just 315 yards on 71 plays and NC State averaged fewer than four yards a play in the Irish’s 36-7 win a week ago. Couple that with the way the offense can put up points — short-yardage situations could be better, however — and that’s a playoff recipe if the Irish can finish the season 6-0.

No. 23 Utah at No. 15 BYU

It’s the first test of the season for BYU and freshman QB Bear Bachmeier. And it’s a very heated rivalry too. The Cougars are outscoring teams by 22 points per game and got a solid win at Arizona in Week 7. However, a 24-21 win at Colorado was the team’s best victory before the win over the Wildcats.

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Utah’s visit is the first of three games in a pivotal stretch for BYU. In Week 9, the Cougars visit Iowa State before an off week and a trip to No. 7 Texas Tech on Nov. 8. We’ll know if BYU is for real over the next four weeks.

The offensive gameplan so far has been very clear. The Cougars run the ball 42 times a game and Bachmeier has thrown just 144 passes so far this season. RB LJ Martin has 101 attempts for 652 yards and Bachmeier leads the team with seven rushing touchdowns.

Utah blitzed an Arizona State team without QB Sam Leavitt in Week 7 and is just as successful as BYU at running the ball. QB Devon Dampier leads the team with 65 carries for 378 yards and five touchdowns while also completing over 71% of his passes for 1,131 yards. Dampier threw just 12 passes against ASU as Utah averaged 6.6 yards a carry. We’re going to go out on a limb and say that these two teams could combine for over 80 rushing attempts.

Other games to watch

Washington at Michigan (-5.5), Noon ET, Fox: Based on how the season has gone so far, Michigan’s passing offense will be above average. Bryce Underwood has 756 yards and is completing 67% of his passes at home compared to a 51% completion percentage and 454 yards on the road. Washington’s Demond Williams has quietly been one of the better QBs in the country with over 1,600 passing yards so far.

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Georgia Tech at Duke (-1.5), Noon ET, ESPN: This looks to be Georgia Tech’s toughest ACC test of the season against a Duke team that has some of the highest turnover variance in college football. The Blue Devils have turned the ball over seven times all season. Five came in a Week 2 loss to Illinois and another came a week later in a loss to Tulane. The Duke defense has forced 12 turnovers and 11 of them have come during the team’s current three-game win streak.

No. 14 Oklahoma (-5.5) at South Carolina, 12:45 p.m. ET, SEC Network: South Carolina is desperate for a win and Oklahoma needs to rebound from that ugly performance against Texas. It’s the second of five straight games against teams in the top 15 for South Carolina too. After OU, USC has No. 6 Alabama, No. 5 Ole Miss and No. 4 Texas A&M.

No. 4 Texas A&M (-7.5) at Arkansas, 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN: Could the fightin’ interim Petrinos pull the upset? The Razorbacks average 7.5 yards per play and over 500 yards a game. But they’ve turned the ball over at least twice against four of their five FBS opponents and the defense is one of the worst in college football. A&M will be without leading rusher Le’Veon Moss after he was injured in the win over Florida.

No. 16 Missouri (-1.5) at Auburn, 7:45 p.m. ET, SEC Network: Saturday night may be a pivotal point for Hugh Freeze’s Auburn tenure. The home Tigers are 0-3 in the SEC after things went off the rails late in the first half against Georgia. Missouri had a chance for the win late against Alabama in Week 7 before Beau Pribula threw his second interception of the game. A Mizzou win keeps the Tigers’ path to the playoff viable.

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Piotr Zielinski is looking to translate his sublime international form into more playing time at Inter Milan under Cristian Chivu.

According to Corriere dello Sport via FCInter1908, the 31-year-old intends to win over Cristian Chivu’s trust.

Piotr Zielinski joined Inter from Napoli on a Bosman deal in the summer of 2023.

After eight impressive years in Naples, the Polish midfielder arrived at San Siro as one of Serie A’s elite midfielders.

However, he has failed to replicate his superb Partenopei form in Milan.

Piotr Zielinski Eager to Prove His Worth to Inter Milan Coach Cristian Chivu

Zielinski is desperate to move up the hierarchy at Inter Milan after displaying flashes of his class during the international break.

Despite still waiting for his first Serie A start this season, Zielinski remains the key creative force for Poland.

Indeed, the skilled midfielder scored a winning goal in a narrow 1-0 friendly win over New Zealand last week.

Then, he delivered another standout performance in his country’s 2-0 victory over Lithuania in their last FIFA World Cup qualifier.

Buoyed by an outstanding international break, Zielinski will try to convince Cristian Chivu to hand him a more prominent role at Inter.

England striker Michelle Agyemang and nine Premier League stars are in the running for honours that recognise the best young players in Europe.

Agyemang has been nominated for the Golden Girl award, while the Premier League contingent are on the 25-player Golden Boy shortlist.

The awards, created by Italian newspaper Tuttosport, are given to the best under-21 footballers each year, with Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal becoming last year’s Golden Boy winner. Vicky Lopez, also of Barcelona, is the Golden Girl holder.

The likes of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland and Wayne Rooney are previous winners of the men’s award, while Germany’s Jule Brand and Colombian Linda Caicedo have taken the women’s award.

For a player to be considered in 2025, they must have been born on or after January 1, 2005, and belong to a squad in one of Uefa’s top 25 leagues.

Despite remaining eligible by age, Yamal, 18, is not named among the nominees because a player cannot win the award twice.

The nine Premier League nominees are Arsenal left-back Lewis-Skelly and midfielder Ethan Nwaneri, Tottenham Hotspur midfielders Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray, Chelsea forward Estevao and defender Jorrel Hato, Manchester United defender Leny Yoro, Manchester City full-back Nico O’Reilly and Liverpool centre half Giovanni Leoni.

O’Reilly, 20, was named in the senior England squad for the first time for the recent internationals but has yet to make his debut for Thomas Tuchel’s team.

Defender Dean Huijsen, who joined Real Madrid from Bournemouth in the summer, is also nominated.

A leading contender for the Golden Boy award is Paris St-Germain forward Desire Doue, who finished 14th in the Ballon d’Or vote after winning the Champions League with his club side.

Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jobe Bellingham is also a nominee after helping Sunderland reach the top flight via the play-offs before a move to the Bundesliga. Brother Jude of Real Madrid won the award in 2023.

Agyemang was a Euro 2025 hero for England, with the 19-year-old coming off the bench to score vital late equalisers against Sweden and Italy in the knockout stage as the Lionesses went on to successfully defend the trophy.

Those notable contributions earned her the Young Player of the Tournament award.

She joins Chelsea midfielder Wieke Kaptein and Manchester City midfielder Iman Beney on the 10-player shortlist for the women’s award.

Award winners are decided by a poll of 50 selected sports journalists from across Europe.

Golden Boy 2025 nominees:

Golden Girl 2025 nominees:

Fiston Mayele’s standout performance

Mayele/@Mbote

With 2 goals scored in just 84 minutes played in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, Fiston Mayele leads the unique ranking of minutes per goal scored.

The Congolese striker has never started in any of the ten qualifying matches, coming off the bench six times. Behind the Leopard, who finds the net every 42 minutes, is Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane. The Tunisian has scored a goal every 51 minutes on the pitch.

Also read: CAN 2025: It’s already a ticketing disaster

The Top 5 in this ranking is completed by Morocco’s Ayoub El Kaabi (53 min/goal), Burundi’s Abdallah Sudi (61 min/goal), and Kamory Doumbia (82 min/goal).

Here is the ranking of the most prolific scorers by minutes per goal:

1. Fiston Mayele (DR Congo) – 42 min/goal

2. Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane (Tunisia) – 51

3. Ayoub El Kaabi (Morocco) – 53

4. Abdallah Sudi (Burundi) – 61

5. Kamory Doumbia (Mali) – 82

6. Mohamed Amoura (Algeria) – 84

7. Baghdad Bounedjah (Algeria) – 85

8. Denis Bouanga (Gabon) – 87

9. Mohamed Salah (Egypt) – 90

10. Mahmoud Trézéguet (Egypt) – 92

11. Ernest Nuamah (Ghana) – 98

12. Ismael Saibari (Morocco) – 102

13. Dailon Rocha Livramento (Cape Verde) – 105

14. Yankuba Minteh (Gambia) – 108

15. Vincent Aboubakar (Cameroon) – 109

16. Thapelo Morena (South Africa) – 113

17. Pepo Santos (Mozambique) – 113

18. Azzedine Ounahi (Morocco) – 117

19. Jordan Ayew (Ghana) – 117

20. Théo Bongonda (DR Congo) – 121

21. Sadio Mané (Senegal) – 124

22. Rayan Raveloson (Madagascar) – 125

23. Ezzeddine Al Mariami (Libya) – 127

24. Cédric Bakambu (DR Congo) – 130

25. Allan Okello (Uganda) – 134

26. Bienvenue Kanakimana (Burundi) – 139

27. Seko Fofana (Ivory Coast) – 142

28. Arnaud Randrianantenaina (Madagascar) – 148

29. Patson Daka (Zambia) – 150

30. Myziane Maolida (Comoros) – 154

31. Musa Barrow (Gambia) – 155

32. Sébastien Haller (Ivory Coast) – 156

33. Steve Mounié (Benin) – 157

34. Dango Ouattara (Burkina Faso) – 157

35. Jim Allevinah (Gabon) – 163

36. Habib Diallo (Senegal) – 165

37. Jojea Kwizera (Rwanda) – 169

38. Iban Salvador (Equatorial Guinea) – 170

39. Michael Olunga (Kenya) – 173

40. Ferjani Sassi (Tunisia) – 174

41. Edward Chilufya (Zambia) – 176

42. Dorgeles Nene (Mali) – 179

43. Frank Magri (Cameroon) – 181

44. Pape Matar Sarr (Senegal) – 182

45. Stanley Ratifo (Mozambique) – 183

46. Ayouba Kosiah (Liberia) – 184

47. Augustus Kargbo (Sierra Leone) – 187

48. Bryan Mbeumo (Cameroon) – 188

49. Iñaki Williams (Ghana) – 188

50. Yoane Wissa (DR Congo) – 189

 

This is always a huge game but given Liverpool’s recent struggles and Manchester United threatening a resurgence, this meeting between bitter rivals at Anfield on Sunday feels even more pivotal than usual.

WATCH — Liverpool v Manchester United

Liverpool have suffered three defeats in a row for the first time under Arne Slot (it’s also the first time he’s ever lost three on the trot in his career as a manager) as they lost 2-1 after conceding a 95th-minute goal at Chelsea before the international break. Virgil van Dijk and other leading Liverpool figures have urged calm but the reigning Premier League champions have looked unbalanced and shaky all season despite winning all of their first five league games. There is also concern over Mohamed Salah and Florian Wirtz who are yet to get going in attack.

Manchester United beat Sunderland 2-0 at home before the break to make it two wins from three. They are yet to win on the road this season but the pressure has eased on Ruben Amorim as Matheus Cunha has returned from injury, Senne Lammens looks like a great pick-up in goal, Benjamin Sesko is getting up to speed and Sir Jim Ratcliffe has given the Portuguese coach a huge vote of confidence. United will look to play the role of spoilers at Anfield and sit back, soak up pressure and try and use the likes of Bryan Mbeumo, Cunha and Amad Diallo on the counter to hurt Liverpool.

For live updates and highlights throughout Liverpool vs Manchester United, check out PST’s live blog coverage below.

How to watch Liverpool vs Manchester United live, stream link and start time

Kick off time: 11:30am ET Sunday (October 19)
Venue: Anfield — Liverpool
TV Channel: USA
Streaming: Watch live on NBC.com

Liverpool team news, focus

Goalkeeper Alisson remains out injured, so Giorgi Mamardashvili will continue in goal and he’s a fine back-up. With young center back Giovanni Leoni out with a long-term knee injury, Liverpool only have Joe Gomez as cover in central defense and he may be needed. Ibrahima Konate did not play for France during the international break as he suffered a thigh issue against Chelsea before the break. Konate is battling to be fit for this game and if he isn’t, Gomez will line up alongside Virgil van Dijk. Holding midfield duo Ryan Gravenberch and Wataru Endo are also battling to be fit but should be okay. It will be intriguing to see how Slot lines up Liverpool in attack with Mohamed Salah struggling on the right, so perhaps he could play in a more central role to get him going? Will Florian Wirtz start on the left or centrally? And will the duo of Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak both start to have a real go at United from the start?

Manchester United team news, focus

United have two long-term injury absentees in Lisandro Martinez and Noussair Mazraoui, but other than that they have a huge number of players to choose from. Amorim will have been impressed with Lammens in goal as he kept a clean sheet in the win against Sunderland and the Belgian stopper will start again, while defense and midfield is settled with Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes in the engine room. The most intriguing selection dilemma is whether or not Matheus Cunha comes in to start over Mason Mount. The latter has looked sharp in recent appearances and scored a beauty against Sunderland. Cunha could also start in place of Sesko up top, but it feels like the Slovenian giant has a big role to play in this game to hold up the ball and ease the pressure on United.

Liverpool vs Manchester United prediction

This feels like it has a draw written all over it as Liverpool will struggle to stop the effectiveness of United’s counters. Liverpool 1-1 Manchester United.

Manchester United chiefs are said to view Carlos Baleba as the ‘perfect’ midfield signing, hence contacting him over a potential move over the summer.

The Red Devils held talks with Brighton and Hove Albion’s coveted starlet throughout the transfer window, but ultimately opted against making a formal bid – much to fans’ dismay.

United and Carlos Baleba: What’s INEOS’ stance?

Reports suggested Baleba himself was keen on making the switch to Old Trafford, although he wouldn’t have gone as far as forcing a transfer. As a result, he stayed put at the Amex, and United turned their attention elsewhere.

Supporters have since been contemplating whether the club would return once the window reopens in January – albeit it’s a far-fetched hope, given the fact Brighton didn’t even want to sell him before 2025/2026 got underway, never mind midway through the campaign.

That being said, the 21-year-old’s performances haven’t been up to the level he’s capable of this season.

Fabian Hurzeler went as far as admitting last month that he believed the interest from United had affected Baleba’s performances, based on the stature of the club and the fact that the youngster is only just getting to grips with the widespread attention he’s receiving.

Baleba’s transfer situation heading into 2026

United not following through with their approach may come back to bite them in the behind at the end of the season, though, as a host of other suitors are expected to be in the mix for the Cameroonian’s signature.

He is tied to the Seagulls until 2028, but a bid above £100 million is almost certain to force their hands into sanctioning Baleba’s exit.

“What I can tell you about Carlos Baleba is that, at the moment, Brighton insists on their position: not to sell him in the January transfer window,” said Fabrizio Romano on his YouTube channel last night.

“Brighton don’t want to sell him in January, and, for that to happen, [it] could only be a crazy proposal or maybe the player asking to go, but Brighton, even in that case, don’t want to sell him in January.

“In the summer, it might be different because Brighton believe Man United can be there. Then, let’s see what happens around Man United in the next months.

“Amorim was pushing a lot for Baleba in the summer transfer window. Amorim saw Baleba as a perfect target for Man United in terms of intensity in the midfield, skills, potential, and knowledge of the Premier League. He was considered a perfect signing by people at the club and by the manager.”

More Stories / Latest News

Footage courtesy of Fabrizio Romano.

The Los Angeles Lakers played their second preseason game in as many nights when they took on the Dallas Mavericks in Las Vegas on Wednesday. They decided to be extremely cautious with the workload of their regular rotation players and sat out Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves, Marcus Smart, Deandre Ayton, Jake LaRavia and Bronny James.

Still, they came out with guns blazing and built as much as a 17-point lead early in the third quarter as their junior varsity squad executed well and got hot. But that excellent offense evaporated starting in the third period, and Los Angeles was dominated in the final quarter, 37-8, resulting in a 121-94.

Overall, the team shot 39.5% from the field and allowed the Mavericks to hit 50.6% of their shots. But these three players looked fairly good for L.A. despite the lopsided loss.

Gabe Vincent

Vincent was as hot as Las Vegas on a July afternoon to start this game. He was shooting the basketball well in the preseason coming into Wednesday’s game, but against the Mavericks, he took things to a much higher level.

He hit each of his first five 3-pointers of the game and had 18 of the Lakers’ first 20 points. Overall, he went 6-of-11 from downtown and finished with 22 points and three assists in 25 minutes.

Vincent needs to become a consistent 3-point shooter for the Lakers. Doing so would greatly help, as he is a strong and gritty defender, and it would render him an asset rather than a potential liability when he’s on the court.

Jarred Vanderbilt

Vanderbilt did a little bit of several things on Wednesday. He had five points, seven rebounds, four assists and one block in just 13 minutes, and he even hit one 3-pointer in two attempts.

It is looking like coach JJ Redick wants to utilize Vanderbilt as a push man in transition. In that role, he was able to make some nifty passes against Phoenix and help the Lakers create some pace. Given how limited he is offensively, it may be the only way to make him a contributor on that end of the floor.

Rui Hachimura

Hachimura continued his fine play in the preseason on Wednesday. He went 9-of-18 from the field and scored 19 points, although he knocked down only one of his six 3-point attempts.

With LeBron James expected to be out for at least the next few weeks due to sciatica, Hachimura will need to step up and be utilized more offensively. Based on how he has played in the exhibition season, it looks like he’s certainly ready to do just that and help L.A. get off to a strong start during the regular season.