This was a game I wish we could bottle up and replicate. The overall effort was great. Anthony Davis played like we wished he would all the time. The offense and the defense were in tune. We didn’t give a lead up and lose in the 4th. The bench played well. So on and so forth but, unfortunately, we can’t bottle it up so I hope, at the very least, this becomes the team’s blueprint going forward.
- Anthony Davis in full on Beast mode. I have to admit while I loved watching AD dominate both ends of the floor it also annoyed me more than a little. Where is this on a game to game basis? The aggression, the intensity and the full game effort are the thing Davis is questioned about the most. For at least one game they were all on display for the entire contest. How dominant was AD? He took 25 shots (almost all in the paint) and made 15 en route to 37 points, grabbed 18 rebounds (10 offensive which was basically the difference in the game) and he stayed engaged throughout the whole contest. In more than a few games already this season we’ve seen AD check out after the half. Yes, he’s out there, playing and running and stuff but he’s been prone to losing the impact he creates after the first two quarters or down the stretch in the 4th. Not last night, this has to be the AD we see on a nightly basis going forward for this team to have a shot at anything at all.
- Lonnie Walker IV making me a believer. Not going to lie here, I was not all that excited when we signed LW4. It was hard for me to wrap my head around 2 things: why the Spurs didn’t see fit to retain his services and why no other team offered more than our pittance. While the answers to those questions are left on the table somewhere what is undeniable is Lonnie finding a really solid role on this team as secondary go-to iso scorer as well as three point release valve. Last night he was efficient (9-15 overall but an absurd 4-5 from three), aggressive in looking for his own shot when the situation called for it, and had good impact on defense. If he continues this trajectory in a major role this season it’s another good example of why we shouldn’t tie ourselves to players whose contracts don’t expire after this season. LW4 will be getting a raise next season (he’ll be an unrestricted free agent) and we need players on the upswing of their careers more than ever. If this is the kind of player Lonnie is going to be he’ll have as much, if not more, impact than Malik Monk did and well worth holding onto.
- Russell off the bench is working and working well. The single biggest reason the Lakers won’t pull the trigger on a Westbrook trade is because Westbrook works coming off the bench with or without LeBron. You can, if you want, point to his 4 turnovers and -14 plus/minus. A lot of that -14 comes from sharing the floor with “The Human Black Hole On Offense” known as Kendrick Nunn and he’s also on the floor herding the less effective line ups, as well. His ability to collapse the defense and make a play was one of the keys to the win. There is a world where the Lakers don’t trade Russ, sorry LT, but rather sign him to multi-year deal (likely with player options aplenty) using his Bird Rights simply because we lack resources to acquire high-impact talent. I’m sure Russ will test free agency, wherever he ends up, but I won’t be surprised if that scenario does indeed unfold.
- Austin Reaves and an aggressive mentality. There are two versions of Reaves: passive and aggressive. Passive is when he comes down and spots up, hangs out, and gets back ably enough on D. Aggressive is when he moves, cuts and collapses the defense. Reaves had the pass of his NBA life last night where he took it strong to the hole, found a shred of daylight to whip a left-handed wrap around to an open shooter who canned the trey. That’s Russell Westbrook 101 right there and we need more of it. If Reaves can play like that…consistently…he makes a Russ trade more likely. As it stands only LeBron, when he chooses to which isn’t often anymore, can collapse the D like Russ can. Russ is the only player on the team with both the vision, ability and acumen to pull plays like that off. Reaves had one of his better games last night and makes a win a lot more possible when he plays with aggression.
- Getting none outta Nunn. I honestly feel for the guy but he looks toast. Another donut and you can see him thinking about everything out there. He made a couple plays with the pass that were nice but otherwise it was yet another forgetful outing from last season’s MLE signing. A signing that has produced exactly 52 points in 2 seasons to date. This doesn’t look to be working. At all. Of all the players on the roster Nunn tops my personal list of players we have to move on from. It’ll take a pick and Patrick Beverley’s salary to get back someone with impact (Bogdanovich from Detroit, maybe?) but Nunn looks like a player who has lost confidence in just about everything. Well past time for the Lakers to move on and for Nunn to see if a change in scenery or role can help build him back up.
Four days off and a stretch of winnable games except maybe Phoenix. San Antonio is having a surprising start to the season, not unlike Utah, but if we play like we did last night we can win those games. We should beat Detroit and if we don’t that may be the end. Beat Detroit and you’re 4-10 with a decent shot at getting back to .500 before November ends. Lose and the mountain grows ever higher, confidence continues to wane, and the front office…well…I expect the front office to do nothing and be paralyzed by their own ineptitude so don’t expect me to post anything positive about them at all. They’re terrible at their jobs is what I think. No help coming from there.
Great post Jamie, it’s nice to post after a win. The one thing I noticed about AD last night was, for the 1st time since the very beginning of the season, he didn’t appear to be playing in pain. He wasn’t laboring up and down the court and I didn’t see him reach for his back once. It’s also nice to see guys hit some 3’s because unlike the Kings game, he wasn’t doubled and triple teamed every trip down the court. This gives me some hope that perhaps his back issue is waning. And you are right about Lonnie, I wasn’t happy about the signing either. But he is making me a believer. Like Monk I think a change of scenery did him good. Like he stated awhile back, it’s been good for his game, not worrying about being pulled after a mistake.
Agreed on AD. Not sure if his back is better but it certainly didn’t seem to lock up on him last night. However, after watching him for the last few years I think it’s just a matter of time before he decides to take a half, or even an entire game, off. It’s just what he does. Like Lamar Odom and guys like that. Supremely talented, suspect motivation.
The three ball was wonderful but it’s not like we can count on that kind of shooting from two guys going forward. Take Walker and Reaves out and it’s normal looking Laker team from three. I don’t want to rain on the W but the real savior was the re-appearance of defensive intensity for a full 48, whomever was on the court.
You made a good point about 6’1″ PatBev guarding 6’11” KD. We put KD to the line 15 times and they shot 11 more free throws than we did. The thing that saved this game was Anthony Davis and his offensive rebounding. That’s it. He cleaned up everyone’s missed shots down the stretch because Claxton went out with an eye injury and they didn’t have another big to put on him that Vaughn trusted.
No Seth, limited Harris, Claxton left the game means this isn’t a foundational game but one we need to refer back to because, frankly, what else good has happened in the last couple weeks? A win is a win but this team needs to stack some up before they make anyone a believer.
Also I can’t just keep piling on after losses. Bums me out, man.
Hi, Michael. I want to let you know that your previous post was great. I didn’t get a chance to comment because I was tied up. Keep it up, Michael!
One more time BB! : )
I love the blueprint idea, Jamie. Thinking the same.
1. AD. This is how you take the baton from LeBron. Now do it when he’s playing too. That’s the blueprint. He’s trying to give it to you. All you have to do it take it.
2. Lonnie. I was a doubter but Lonnie has convinced me we only need two starters. I’m fine with him at the two and love his athleticism and his outside shot and defense. Just have to figure out how to keep him. Another Monk.
3. Russ. Played well but Ham saved game by benching him with 8:28 to go in fourth for Max. Russ should not start or close halves or ends of games. Staggering him with LeBron means he doesn’t play when Bron plays.
4. Austin. Smart quick footwork and shots in the paint where he can use his smarts to score. Lacks great athleticism but is ambidextrous and very clever around the basket. Should be a keeper but could go route of Alex too.
5. None. That’s how I spell his name. All we’ll get from him is $5M to go with PatBev’ s $13M so we can get another shooter. He should not even be in the rotation. Both are gone for sure.
I think the Lakers have a shot at winning 6 of the next 7 games to finish November 9-11. If they do that, it pretty much answers the question of whether they’re worth investing two picks.
Because the schedule is easy, it probably makes sense for the Lakers to see how the team does. If they start winning, it could help them in negotiations to trade the two picks.
This all hinges on AD playing hard like he has and being aggressive. He needs to play like the team alpha from now on. Every play. Every game. That’s what he was with Pelicans. Not easy to do with LeBron on your team but now is the time you have to do it, AD.
Was he? Never won in the playoffs until Cousins came along, who was an alpha until injuries took him out and then they win 1 game in the second round.
I want AD to be what we all want him to be but his entire career proves is to be frivolous dreamers. Last night didn’t change his narrative, it was one game against a small team who lost their starting center mid-game. We’ll see how he does during this next stretch but I am fine with him being the second banana, just means the front office needs to keep finding dynamic ball handlers.
By alpha, he was the guy getting the most and the last shots for the team. AD’s averaged 17 shots per game every year with the Lakers. His last four years with Pelicans he averaged 18 to 20 shots per game. Here, he shares the ball with LeBron so far. Like to see that change but will need shooting to make it work so he can dominate inside. Works both ways. His inside game can open up shooters and cutters too. That’s what being the alpha means: the guy around which the team operates and counts on.
Yes. I know.
My point is you can’t count on him to be that guy on a nightly basis. Alpha also means consistency. AD ain’t got that going for him as a Laker. It’s not the kind of thing where it works if it suits his fancy or he’s feeling whimsical. Embiid is an Alpha, he demands the ball all game, every game (no surprise he thrives when Harden sits because James thinks he can do it all but Philly is better off running through Embiid). Giannis is an Alpha, he generally has the ball. Jokic is an Alpha, he is the focal point of just about every single possession.
AD comes and goes, all game, every game. All season long. Sometimes he goes whole quarters or halves not being very present. It’s a lark for him.
I prefer the inside game to the just shoot it from wherever whenever however game. It’s better, more efficient, and is more dependable in the playoffs. But, for the current version of the Lakers, it only works when AD plays like he did the other night. LeBron won’t do it, not anymore and nobody else on the team is capable.
Frankly I’m not even sure it would have been a W if Claxton hadn’t gone out with an eye injury. It left little dudes trying to box AD out and, to his credit, AD dominated those match ups like he should.
Russ, Reaves, Schroder and LW4 are our break them down from the perimeter type of guys. PatBev is old and can’t drive or shoot well anymore, TB Jr. has an old man’s game. DJ doesn’t play, even when TB is injured, and it won’t surprise me if Ham pretty much sticks with AD at center alongside Wenyan who has superior perimeter defense to the rest of our big man bench…which is kind of sad, really.
That leaves AD to man the paint. All the time. Which he abhors. Just another reason I’m pissed at Rob for building this back-asswards team. It defies logic on all fronts.
Russ will play with LeBron, close his share of games, and ride the bench for a couple of the team is rolling without him.
Thanks for the 5er, Jamie. Great breakdown of the game. I am not going to say anything about AD in this comment because we all know what he can bring to the table when he’s focused and and plays more in the paint. Let’s see if he finally found his mojo and show up for a full 48 minutes every game.
All I can say about Lonnie Walker is that I am the one who is surprised the most by his excellent play. Losing Monk was very hard for me to stomach, but seeing this dude’s phenomenal play makes me feel great. What a pickup! No way we lose Lonnie in free agency.
Russ is playing his best basketball similar to what he did with the Wizards. I have said this before, but his best days as a Laker are yet to come. His durability, high motor, and endurance will serve this team even better during this long season. Austin Reeves? I don’t have the words to describe him, but the guy is a very good player.
I must say I am very disappointed with Nunn’s play. He seems like someone who needs a psychological boost. His time off last year may be the culprit. But somebody needs to help him regain his confidence. I don’t think he’s necessarily a toast but he needs to get back into his previous form. Time is not his best friend right now. He needs to be better than this really fast.
Finally, can someone please tell me what they feel about Gabriel and Max Christie? I like what Gabriel brings to the table in terms of hustle. As for Christie, he’s showing some confidence rarely seen in a rookie. That is a very good sign.
Overall, this Lakers team is better than what their record says. Great post, Jamie.
You know I almost dedicated a point to Wenyan. His play has been solid, he’s doing well in his backup 4/small ball 5 role, and he is doing what’s asked of him. Christie has some nice outings, as well. I’m waiting. But though since I temper my expectations. I will say that the coaching staff seems to have outlined their roles really well and both players are riding to the challenge ably enough.
I agree with your assessment on both players, Jamie. Thanks for responding.