NBA Notebook: Sabonis' Recovery, Hachimura's Frustration, and Dillon Brooks' Big Night in L.A.
Kings Monitoring Sabonis’ Progress with Patience
The Kings are staying the course with Domantas Sabonis, even as trade chatter starts to swirl around Sacramento’s slow start. The All-Star big man is still a couple of weeks away from returning to action as he recovers from a partially torn meniscus, but there’s optimism surrounding his rehab.
Sabonis is with the team on their current three-game road trip, which wraps up next Tuesday in Indiana. While he’s not practicing yet, that lines up with the original recovery timeline.
The Kings aren’t rushing him - and they shouldn’t. Sabonis is the engine of their offense, a high-IQ playmaker who anchors the frontcourt and keeps the ball moving.
His absence has been felt, and while the team’s early struggles have sparked some outside noise, Sacramento is keeping a long-term perspective.
Lakers’ Ball Movement Breakdown Leaves Hachimura on the Outside Looking In
Rui Hachimura has been one of the Lakers’ more consistent role players this season, quietly delivering double-digit scoring nights and filling in the gaps around the stars. But Monday’s loss was a different story. Hachimura played 23 minutes and didn’t score - in fact, he only took one shot and grabbed a single rebound.
“I don’t remember when I had the ball this whole game,” Hachimura said postgame. “Playing with these guys, I signed up for that. I understand it.”
That’s the reality of playing alongside high-usage players like LeBron James and Anthony Davis - touches can be hard to come by. But Hachimura also made it clear that winning basketball requires more than just star power.
“Everyone knows that’s not how we’re gonna win,” he added. “The games we’ve been winning, we’ve been passing to each other and trusting each other.”
He called it a tough one and said he has to move on, but his comments hint at a larger issue: when the Lakers’ offense gets stagnant and role players are frozen out, the results tend to follow suit. Hachimura’s frustration is understandable - and it might be a signal that the Lakers need to recalibrate their offensive flow.
Dillon Brooks Embraces the Spotlight - and the Smoke - in Los Angeles
Dillon Brooks doesn’t shy away from the moment - especially not when it comes to playing in Los Angeles. On Monday, he walked into Crypto.com Arena and dropped 33 points in a statement win for the Suns, adding another chapter to his ongoing rivalry with LeBron James and the Lakers.
“I love playing in this arena,” Brooks said after the game. “They show me a lot of love in here, and I reciprocate it back.
I’m a competitor. I don’t really like the smiling and the giggling, so just letting them know that I’m here.
And I’m still rising.”
That’s classic Brooks - fiery, unapologetic, and always ready for a battle. With Devin Booker sidelined most of the night due to a groin issue, Brooks stepped up as the emotional and offensive leader, setting the tone early and never letting up.
Rookie guard Collin Gillespie, who had a career-high 28 points in the win, joked about Brooks’ intensity: “Sometimes I’m trying to tell him to chill out, but I think he just blacks out. That’s Dillon Brooks.
It fuels us. He’s the tone-setter.
Consistent energy, brings it every night. He is fearless.”
Love him or hate him, Brooks plays with an edge that can change the temperature of a game. And in a building that’s seen its fair share of stars, he made sure his presence was felt - loud and clear.
From injury updates to locker room dynamics to on-court fireworks, the NBA never takes a night off. Whether it’s Sabonis quietly working his way back, Hachimura voicing what many role players feel, or Brooks lighting up L.A. with his trademark bravado, these storylines are shaping the early season narrative - and giving us plenty to watch as December rolls on.