Lakerholics

Despite losing LeBron James for what could be weeks, the Los Angeles Lakers are confident Luka Doncic can carry the team until he returns and believe playoff health, not seeding, is the key to win the championship.

The Lakers’ source of that confidence was the 24-game stretch starting January 15th when they won 20 out of 24 games with their new trapping, rotating, and swarming team defense ranked #1 in the entire league.
While Rob Pelinka was pulling off the blockbuster trade for Luka Doncic, Lakers’ rookie head coach JJ Redick was transforming his team from a middle-of-the-pack defensive team to the #1 defense in the entire NBA.

The Lakers firmly believe that health is the only thing that can prevent them from winning the NBA championship this season. If they go into the playoffs healthy, they believe to a man they can win the championship.
The next few weeks will be a major test for head coach JJ Redick and the Lakers’ backcourt of Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. They will need to elevate their play to another level to give LeBron James maximum rest.

Choosing to optimize playoff health over seeding could be a risky gamble that could easily result in the Lakers being forced to meet the Nuggets in the second round with Denver boasting their usual home court advantage.
Keeping LeBron out for 3 or 4 weeks instead of 1 or 2 weeks to enable him to be 100% for the playoffs could also backfire, with the Lakers sliding down the standings out of the top-6 and into the Play-In Tournament.

Let’s take a look at when the Lakers’ key injured players are projected to return, the team’s immediate and remaining schedules, and the chances that betting on playoff health over seeding will be the smartest strategy.

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When Are The Lakers Injured Players Projected To Return?

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Last night against the Brooklyn Nets, the Lakers were missing four key rotation players, including starters LeBron James, Rui Hachimura, and Jaxson Hayes and team plus/minus leader off bench Dorian Finney-Smith.

We saw how tough it was to beat even a tanking team like the Brooklyn Nets when missing four of your top six players, especially when the two players who played — Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves — did not have great games. While James is a couple of weeks and Hachimura at least a week at best from returning, the good news is the Lakers should get Finney-Smith back for Thursday’s game against the Bucks and Hayes hopefully soon after.

Frankly, the even bigger question for the Lakers is when will they get the real Luka Doncic and the real Austin Reaves back from injury as both of their two backcourt stars are still struggling to get back to their form.
Over the last two games, Luka Doncic has averaged 28.0/10.0/7.5 while shooting 39.6%/40.0%/83.3% with a -8 +/- while Austin Reaves averaged 16.5/5.5/6.0 while shooting 30.8%/41.7%/92/3% with a team-worst -11 +/-.

Right now, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves are not generating anywhere near what they normally produce and there are still signs that neither is 100% recovered from their injuries, which continues to be concerning.
While the Lakers when healthy have a deep and diverse roster, they’re going to need help from the basketball gods to remain healthy throughout the playoffs if they are to have any chance of all of winning another ring.

If the Lakers get Hayes and Finney-Smith back and a better Doncic and Reaves the next 6 games, they should have enough depth and diversity to regroup and get back to playing like they did during their 20-4 stretch.

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Lakers Must Somehow Survive Three Straight Back-To-Backs

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The Lakers’ immediate problem is how to survive the crazy 6-game stretch from the schedule makers with 3 straight back-to-backs with 1 day off. That’s 6 games in 8 days for a team missing 4 of their op 6 players last game.

Hopefully, the Lakers can stop their 2-game slide with a win tomorrow night in Milwaukee against the Bucks, who’ve now lost 3 straight games. The 36–28 Bucks are now tied with the Pacers for 4th seed in the East.
The Lakers play the Bucks tomorrow night in Milwaukee in the first half of a back-to-back and then again a week later at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles in the second game of their third back-to-back in over 8 days.

While the Bucks are a formidable opponent, the big challenge for the Lakers will come against their nemesis Denver Nuggets. whom they will play Friday night in Denver and then again on March 19 in Los Angeles.
At best, the Lakers need to sweep the 2-game home-and-away series with both the Bucks and Nuggets. At worst, they need to at least split the two series with Milwaukee and Denver to survive the triple back-to-backs.

Besides the home-and-away series with the Bucks and Nuggets, the Lakers will also play the Suns and Spurs in a back-to-back, two teams that the Lakers should be able to beat although nothing is guaranteed in the NBA.
What the Lakers cannot do against the Suns and Spurs at this point of the season is to lose a winnable game. The rest of the Lakers season has to be Luka and Austin getting healthy and getting their games back together.

The Lakers will need to play like they did when they won 20 of 24 games in order to survive three straight back-to-backs over 8 days. If they get Jax and DFS back and the real Luka and Austin, they should survive this stretch.

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Lakers Must Somehow Hold Onto Top-6 Seed In The West

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Right now, the 40–23 Lakers have lost 2 straight games and are tied with the Nuggets for #2 in the West with 23 losses, 1 loss ahead of the #4 Grizzlies, 2 losses ahead of the #5 Rockets, and 5 losses ahead of the #6 Warriors.

L.A. has 19 games left in the regular season and faces the 4th toughest schedule per Tankathon.com while the Nuggets face 11th, the Grizzlies the 6th, the Rockets the 17th, and the Warriors 13th toughest schedule left.
Comparatively, the Lakers (8–2) and Warriors (9–1) have been the hottest of the five teams trailing the Thunder in the West with the Nuggets (6–4), Rockets (6–4), and Grizzlies (5–5) playing close to .500 over last 10 games.

Considering how competitive the Western Conference is, the Lakers should be able to survive the three straight back-to-backs with at least a 4–2 record if not better. That should be enough to safely keep them as a top-6 seed.
Once the Lakers get past the looming three back-to-backs, they should get Rui back as well as DFS, which would restore their starting lineup and 10-man rotation. L.A.’s goal is to be 100% healthy heading into the playoffs.

After the 6 games of back-to-backs, the Lakers remaining 13 games are still challenging, with 5 games vs. competitors: two games against the West leading Thunder, 2 games against the Rockets, and 1 against the Grizzlies.
The Lakers objective during these remaining games will be to dominate their West playoff competitors, especially the Oklahoma City Thunder, and change the narrative heading into the playoffs with the Lakers as favorites.

The Lakers should be able to allow LeBron James to rest for 3 or 4 weeks and still be able to win enough games to finish with a guaranteed top-6 playoff spot in the Wester Conference as a favorite to win #18.

JJ Redick and his coaching staff have the entire NBA totally befuddled as the Los Angeles Lakers have now officially been the #1 ranked NBA defense for over 2 months, despite having traded Anthony Davis for Luka Doncic.

The pundits are throwing up their hands in frustration, unable to explain how rookie head coach JJ Redick has transformed the Lakers with Luka into a better defensive team than the same Lakers with Anthony Davis. Yet that’s exactly what the eye test and the advanced analytics are telling us. Somehow, someway, JJ Redick has the Lakers with Luka playing the best defense in the NBA, despite replacing Anthony Davis with Jaxson Hayes.

The expectation after the Lakers rescinded the Mark Williams trade was that their failure to replace Anthony Davis at starting center would likely be a fatal blow for any realistic Lakers’ championship hopes for this season.
But the Lakers’ defensive transformation had already begun. The Lakers had traded for Finney-Smith, gotten Vanderbilt and Vincent back from injury, and added 2-way defenders Goodwin and Jemison to the rotation.

While the doubters and non-believers continued to claim the Lakers defense was mostly luck driven smoke-and-mirrors that would be exposed in the playoffs, the Lakers’ simply continued to shut down more teams.
Since earning the #1 defensive rating in early January, the Lakers have gone 20–6 and now are in sole possession of the #2 seed in the West, which guarantees L.A. home court advantage right up to the conference finals.

So let’s take a deep dive into how rookie head coach JJ Redick and his coaching staff were able to transform the Lakers with Luka Doncic not only into the #1 defense in the NBA but into a better defense than with AD.

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Redick’s New Trapping/Rotating/Swarming Team Defense

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While Pelinka was busy closing the Luka trade, JJ Redick was rebuilding the Lakers’ half-court defense with a goal of being proactive rather than reactive and countering teams who switch hunt their weaker defenders.

The new defensive strategy Redick and his veteran coaching staff designed for the Lakers was a reversal from the passive drop coverage, switch everything 1–4 defense that the Lakers had started the season running.
Rather then depend on individual defensive skills, Reddick opted for a team-driven defensive system that could take better advantage of his team’s elite size and length, speed and quickness, basketball savvy and smarts.

Now, when teams try to isolate their best scorers against our weakest defenders, the Lakers attack and hedge, ice, trap, and double the shooters and force them to rotate against heavy pressure and swarms of defenders.
This is where the Lakers’ defensive size and length, speed and quickness, and smarts and savvy as a team comes into play, forcing opposing ball handlers into chaotic rotations that lead to turnovers and fast break points.

Ironically, the Lakers had already been in the process of transforming their offense to better complement their desire to push the pace in transition before they even started discussions with the Mavs about Luke Doncic.
JJ Redick knew that the Lakers needed to find a way to protect Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic from being relentlessly switch hunted defensively if they were going to be able to be part of an NBA championship backcourt.

So far, the Lakers new half-court defensive strategy has been a major success. It’s given the Lakers a clear blueprint for shutting down other teams’ stars while also protecting their stars from switch hunting.

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Lakers Add 6-Pack Of New Defenders to 10-Man Rotation

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Playing an aggressive trapping, rotating, and swarming team defense rather than the usual drop coverage NBA style of defense is a better fit for the Lakers’ current roster and the fast-paced offense they want to run.

Rather than loading up with traditional big-bodied space-eating centers, the Lakers opted to focus on building a roster deep in big, long, fast, quick, smart, athletic, and physical guards and wings who consistently play hard.
The Finney-Smith trade, Vanderbilt and Vincent injury return, Goodwin and Jemison signings, and James re-invention as a 3&D wing have given L.A. a six-pack of defensive guards and wings to run their new defense.

Besides upgrading the Lakers’ defense with 5 new plus defenders and re-purposing James, Redick also is getting better defensive effort from current players like Hayes, Hachimura, Reaves, Knecht, and new addition Doncic.
The Los Angeles Lakers have played 15 games since the Anthony Davis injury and trade. They have won 13 of those games with 118.9 offensive rating (#6), a 107.0 defensive rating (#1), and a +11.9 net rating (#3).

Jaxson Hayes especially exceeded the Lakers’ expectations. In 18 games started, Jax averaged 7.9 points, 6.1 boards, 1.3 assists, 1.2 blocks, and 0.7 steals in 23.7 minutes per game with the 11th best center defensive rating.
During that 15 game stretch, Hayes proved he’s a legitimate NBA starting center, posting an impressive 116.2 offensive rating (#12), elite 102.1 defensive rating (#1 among all centers), and great +14.1 net rating (#5).

The DFS trade, Vando/Vincent return, Jemison/Goodwin signings, James re-invention as elite defensive wing, and better defense from Jax, Luka, and the rest of the roster has transformed the Lakers into a defense-first team.

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LeBron James Replaces AD as Lakers’ Director of Defense

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What makes the Luka trade uniquely special for the Lakers is LeBron James’ confidence in Luka Doncic running the team’s offense frees him up to replace Anthony Davis as the team’s top defender and defensive anchor.

With Luka taking over as the team’s starting point guard, LeBron and the Lakers have the rare luxury of being able to repurpose his great talents to playing off the ball on offense and and directing the team’s new defense.
James has essentially reinvented himself on offense as a lethal off-the-ball threat as a cutter and 3-point shooter and on defense as an elite big wing defender with the basketball smarts and skills to make L.A.’s defense hum.

Besides giving the Lakers a desperately needed All-NBA quality lock-down wing defender to help make their defense work, LeBron has also taken over Anthony Davis’ role as the team’s defensive anchor and Director of Defense.
While Davis was the rim protector on defense who had every player’s back, James has become the anchor of the defense, the captain who makes the defensive play calls and ensures everybody is making the right rotations.

The first true test of the Los Angeles Lakers new trapping, rotating, and swarming defense has been the 15 games since AD’s injury and trade, where the team went 13–2 and posted an NBA best 107.0 defensive rating.
Besides replacing AD as the defensive captain, LeBron completely reversed his own performance on defense, lowering his personal defensive rating to an elite 104.5 for the 15-game stretch versus a poor 115.4 before then.

In the end, LeBron James taking over for Anthony Davis as Director of Defense is the one of the major reasons why the Lakers with Luka are now a far better defensive team than the Lakers with Anthony Davis were.

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Will Lakers New Defense Be Sustainable In Playoffs?

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The Lakers new trapping, rotating, and swarming team attack defense is specifically designed for the playoffs, when the games slow down, defenses go switch hunting, and matchups determine who wins games and series.

The last thing JJ Redick is going to allow is for teams to relentlessly switch hunt Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic on offense to exploit their defensive weakness, score easy baskets, and hopefully adversely affect their offense.
That’s a big reason why the Lakers’ new defense is going to hedge, ice, trap, and double any opposing ball handler who tries to switch hunt any of their weaker defenders. They’re not going to leave their defenders on an island.

Strategically, the Lakers want a defense that both protect their weaker defenders from being hunted and create chaos, turnovers, and transition basketball, where the Luka and LeBron offensive juggernaut can shine.
What the NBA is seeing from the Lakers since the AD injury and trade is a defensive transformation that has opposing coaches bamboozled because the Lakers with Luka are clearly better than the Lakers with AD were.

Realistically, it’s getting harder and harder for the doubters and naysayers to deny that the Lakers have somehow become one of the league’s top defensive teams despite having traded Anthony Davis for Luke Doncic.
What’s now starting to happen is teams are starting to copy the Lakers defensive strategies and tactics. Every team that’s played the Nuggets since the Lakers dominated them is has copied how L.A. defended Jokic.

The playoffs come down to execution. Look for the Lakers’ new trapping, rotating, and swarming defensive strategy, new six-pack of elite defenders, and new Director of Defense in LeBron to be dominant in the playoffs.

Trading for 25-year old Luka Doncic opened up an unexpected and unique treasure chest of opportunities for the Los Angeles Lakers to transform 40-year old superstar LeBron James into their ultimate Master-of-All-Trades.

After a 6-year partnership with Anthony Davis, the Los Angeles Lakers’ sudden midseason switch of superstars has dramatically changed not only the fortunes of the Los Angeles Lakers but also the NBA’s next decade. With Doncic taking over as the Lakers primary shot and playmaker, James is suddenly free to take on a multiverse of different roles moving forward. The 40-year old LeBron is now the Lakers’ ultimate Master-Of-All-Trades.

If the Lakers need an elite point guard when Luka rests, a bruising small ball center when Jax is on the bench, a red-hot C&S 3-point shooter, or a lockdown POA defensive wing, LeBron James can be whatever they need.
Since trading for Luka, LeBron’s been all of the above, playing off the ball as a cutter and shooter, showing he can play without and with Luka, and taking on Davis’ role as the leader and director of the Lakers’ elite defense.

Over the last month, despite all the changes, the Luka and LeBron Lakers have been on a tear, winning 18 of their last 22 games and jumping over a half dozen teams to secure the West’s #2 seed heading down the stretch.
Most impressively, James’ newfound defensive focus has been at the heart of JJ Redick’s transformation of the Lakers’ defense from a middle-of-the-pack to #1 in the NBA despite trading Anthony Davis for Luka Doncic.

Let’s take a closer look into the post-trade Los Angeles Lakers and how LeBron passed the torch to Luka, the multiverse of roles open for James, and how he has a unique opportunity to become a Master-Of-All-Trades.

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LeBron Finally Passes The Torch But Not to Anthony Davis

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It took 40-year old LeBron James 6 years to finally pass the torch as the face of the Lakers to another superstar but not Anthony Davis. While James tried, he was unable to pass that torch until the Lakers traded for Doncic.

That should tell you everything you need to know about the LeBron James and Anthony Davis era. One championship won but the torch never left LeBron James hand. We’ll never know if it would have happened this year.
But with Luka, LeBron never hesitated. From the moment he found out the Lakers traded for Luka, there’s no question he’d pass the torch immediately because he knew that would be the only way to insure Luka would succeed.

No disrespect to Anthony Davis, but it is much easier for LeBron James to pass the torch to a player like Luka Doncic who’s essentially a physical clone of him who plays his same position with his same sets of skills.
LeBron was also only 34-years old when the Lakers traded for AD whereas he was 40-years old when they traded for Luka. Timing and circumstances make it far easier for LeBron to pass the torch to Luka than to Anthony.

Luka was the basketball gods’ gift to the Lakers but only if they allowed him to be himself, which means taking the ball out of James’ hands and putting it in Doncic’ hands, something LeBron would likely only do for Luka.
What makes the Luka trade such a perfect trade for the Lakers is that it not only gives the Lakers a 15-year younger and maybe better version of LeBron but it also frees James to become their Master-Of-All-Trades.

That’s the unexpected silver lining hidden behind the Luka Doncic trade. Luka was the one player whom LeBron would eagerly and willing pass the torch and reinvent himself as the Lakers’ Master-Of-All-Trades.

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Passing The Torch Opens LeBron To Multiverse of Roles

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There is no question in my mind that there are worlds in the multiverse where LeBron James not only gets the opportunities to play but actually excels as the GOAT for all five of the positions in the game of basketball.

With the trade for Luka Doncic, die-hard Lakers fans are going to get a special treat for the next who-knows-how-many seasons, a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see what all those different LeBron James look like. Before the Lakers hang the banner for #18 this summer, we’re going to see LeBron James playing a multiverse of different roles in different games. He’ll be whatever Lakers need: scorer, defender, playmaker, rebounder.

The Lakers have been trying in vain for last six years to get LeBron to play off the ball in order to reduce the regular season wear-and-tear and extend his career. Trading for Luka could easily mean more years of LeBron.
Being paired with Luka Doncic has also re-invigorated LeBron and given him new motivation not only for this season but also for the rest of his career. LeBron can now pick and chose how to help the Lakers win.

We’ve seen this new burst of youth and energy in how LeBron has been playing defense. No longer having to play on the ball on offense, James is now using that energy and physicality as the Lakers big new 3&D wing.
When Luka’s shot was off against the Clipper in their recent first of two games, LeBron took over in the fourth quarter and closed the game like he has done so many times in his illustrious 22-year long superstar career.

With Luka taking over the Lakers’ offense, LeBron James is now free to become the ultimate Master-Of-All-Trades, the superstar wild card JJ Redick will be able to play whenever needed in the 2025 NBA playoffs.

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Free & Unleashed LeBron James Is Lakers’ Playoff Wild Card

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The ultimate irony of the Lakers trading for Luka Doncic is that it will not only likely lengthen LeBron James purple and gold career but also could free and unleash LeBron James to be the Lakers’ playoff gold wild card.

Aside from the fact that both James and Doncic are among that rare group of players with unassailable records of elevating their play in the playoffs, imagine the problem Luka and LeBron are going to create in the playoffs.
Teams are not only going to deal with the league’s best two playmakers sharing the court together to start and end every game but also face the challenge of either Luka or LeBron on court every minute of every game.

Having turned the ball and offense over to Luka, LeBron is now free to do whatever JJ Redick and his staff need him to do. In the playoffs, having a free and unleashed superstar to fill a multiverse of needed roles is ideal.
22-years of championship level experience playing all five positions at all three levels of the court plus his unmatched basketball IQ make LeBron James uniquely qualified to be the Lakers’ ultimate Master-Of-All-Trades.

Whether the Lakers need a superstar point guard, shooting guard, small forward, power forward, or center, whether they need more offense or defense, Luka has freed LeBron to be their playoff Swiss Army knife.
LeBron James’ superstar ability to morph into whatever the Lakers need to win in a given playoff series could be the difference maker that catapults Los Angeles into a tie with Boston as they win their 18th championship.

The NBA Playoffs are about matchups and a free, unleashed LeBron James is the Lakers solid gold playoffs wild card. Look for the Lakers to win their 18th NBA championship and LeBron James to win his fifth Finals MVP.

The Los Angeles Lakers’ play last month has been so dominant with or without AD or Luka that the latest NBA power rankings has them ranked as the second best team in the West and the fourth best team in the league.

With a 34–21 record and fresh off a 123–100 demolition of their long-time nemesis Denver Nuggets, the Los Angeles Lakers currently are the 4th seed in the West 1 loss ahead of 5th and 1 loss behind the 2nd and 3rd seeds. With 27 games left in the Lakers’ regular season, the Luka Doncic trade not only gives Los Angeles a 25-year old superstar to eventually replace 40-year old LeBron James but also a legitimate shot at winning the title this year.

The past offseason and first half of the regular season have seen an unlikely and unexpected series of events transform the Los Angeles Lakers from a franchise stuck in the past to a franchise primed for the future.
Starting with the inspired hiring of young JJ Redick as their next great head coach, the Lakers transformed their destiny with a pair of savvy trades for elite 3&D wing Dorian Finney-Smith and top-3 superstar stud Luka Doncic.

While Rob Pelinka was building a championship roster, Lakers’ rookie head coach JJ Redick was busy putting into work a lifetime of creative ideas on how best to teach players to love and win playing the game the right way.
The results so far have been impressive, especially on the defensive end where the Lakers have surprised everybody by actually becoming a better defensive team today than they were before they traded Anthony Davis.

Despite Davis leaving, Doncic arriving, and Williams trade being rescinded, the Lakers under JJ Redick have not missed a beat, dominating opponents and showing everybody they may already have their championship roster.

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What Are Lakers’ Chances to Win NBA Championship This Season?

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Winning an NBA championship has become excruciatingly challenging. It not only demands multiple career years from the team’s best players but also the blessing of the basketball gods in the form of a healthy roster.

While most analysts didn’t believe L.A. could compete for a championship this season after rescinding the blockbuster trade for Hornets’ center Mark Williams, the Lakers to a man still believe they can win the title this year.
Their thorough thrashing last Saturday night in Denver of their nemesis Nuggets, who’d won an impressive 9 straight games, was just the Lakers’ most recent display of what could already be their championship roster.

Right now, the Lakers are probably healthier than anytime during the last two years with the only player on the injured list being Maxi Kleber, whom the Lakers are hoping will be able to return sometime during the playoffs.
The only question now is whether this remarkable Lakers team can really continue to play like a top-tier NBA team despite its obvious weakness at center, where young Jaxson Hayes has been overperforming expectations.

It’s unbelievable that the Lakers without Anthony Davis could be a better defensive team than they were with AD, but JJ has found how to optimize their speed, smarts, length, and athleticism in a brilliant team defense.
Barring trades, 10 players will return next year — LeBron James, Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, Jaxson Hayes, Gabe Vincent, Dorian Finney-Smith, Jarred Vanderbilt, Dalton Knecht, Bronny James.

If JJ Redick and the red-hot Los Angeles Lakers continue to dominate the rest of the season like a top-tier team at both ends of the court, they should have a realistic opportunity to win their 18th NBA championship this year.

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What Trade and Free Agency Moves Will Lakers Make This Summer?

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While teams can never have enough 3&D wings or POA guards, the Lakers’ greatest offseason priority will be re-sign free agents LeBron James and Dorian Finney-Smith and trade for a center in addition to Jaxson Hayes.

L.A. should have no problems re-signing LeBron James and Dorian Finney-Smith. Ironically, the Lakers’ greatest threat to steal DFS in free agency this summer were the Mavs due to his close relationship with Luka Doncic.
The Lakers also have four unrestricted free agents. They will surely re-sign young center Jaxson Hayes to long-term contract but will likely allow Cam Reddish, Markieff Morris, and Alex Len to walk away in free agency.

The expectation is that LeBron James may take less in his new contract to enable the Lakers to use both the $13.5 million NT MLE and $4.9 million BAE to sign two non-minimum free agent players to upgrade the roster.
While the Lakers do not have a first round pick this summer, they do have a pair of second round picks. Theoretically, the Lakers could add a pair of players via free agency and a pair of players via the draft this summer.

The Lakers’ single biggest need this summer will be to trade for at least one and maybe even two additional center to bolster the depth and versatility of the position. Right now, center position is the Lakers’ greatest weakness.
Myles Turner would be the perfect two-way center and Nic Claxton the ideal mobile defensive center but would cost rotation players and picks while Walker Kessler or Kelly Olynyk would be less costly but good fits.

Unlike last summer, Rob Pelinka has the Los Angeles Lakers perfectly positioned with multiple expiring contracts and available draft capital to dramatically upgrade what may already be an NBA championship roster.

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What Superstar Will Lakers Target When LeBron Decides to Retire?

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The big question for the Lakers is whether the trade for Luka and the recent championship caliber play of the team offensively and defensively has given 40-year old LeBron James a desire to play several more years.

There’s no question with the arrival of Luka Doncic that neither the Los Angeles Lakers or LeBron James himself will have a problem passing the baton to the franchise’s brand new 25-year old international superstar.
As he recovers from his latest unfortunate injury, that’s something that will surely not go unnoticed by Anthony Davis, who spent six years alongside LeBron James but could never seem to fully take the baton from the King.

While I believe they do understand the halcyon days of three superstars has truly gone, the Lakers are like an addict when it comes to big name superstars. You can never fully trust them to turn down a big name.
What everybody seems to fortunately forget is how much LeBron still means to this team and what his chameleon-like ability to change skillsets depending upon what the Lakers need has become their cheat code.

Five years ago, the Lakers had a championship roster they stupidly did not keep together. This time, Jeanie Buss, Rob Pelinka, and the Lakers must do a better job valuing the championship roster that they may already have.
That’s why besides chasing superstars like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Ja Morant, the Lakers should focus on younger players who would not require the team to give up their hard fought championship depth and versatility.

The Lakers would be smart to trade for a player whose age, position, and skill sets would elevate and upgrade an already championship roster. Ideally, the Lakers should trade for a player like Naz Reid or Myles Turner.

Rookie head coach JJ Redick could jumpstart the Lakers stretch run by making four critical changes to his starting lineup and rotation before rather than after tonight’s prime time matchup against the Denver Nuggets.

The Lakers can’t count that adding Luka Doncic will be enough to offset losing Anthony Davis and Max Christie or erase the mental edge the Denver Nuggets have used to dominate the Los Angeles Lakers for several years. Redick would be smart to get ahead of the curve and make the likely changes another beat down by Denver tonight would demand before the game to give his team a chance to pull off an upset and end the curse.

Right now, it’s obvious to everybody but Redick that the Lakers need more defense in the starting lineup and more offense off the bench for his 10-man rotation to work. It’s also obvious Alex Len is a poor fit next to Luka.
Frankly, a big part of the problem is JJ is still trying to walk the tight rope of integrating a ball dominant superstar in Luka Doncic without alienating LeBron James, Austin Reaves, or any of the Lakers’ other current starters.

What JJ needs to remember is there are now only 29 games remaining in this season and the Lakers have already slipped to 5th with Luka still, at best, multiple games away from being fully healthy and ready to dominate.
JJ has no games or time to waste. There are obvious moves to make that would not only help the team but also send a message to Luka that the Lakers are his team and the coach is making the moves to support that.

Let’s look at the four lineup changes JJ Redick needs to make for the Lakers to become Luka’s team and how their new starting lineup and rotation give them their best chance to upset their nemesis Denver Nuggets tonight.

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1. Start Finney-Smith Over Hachimura

Starting Dorian Finney-Smith over Rui Hachimura is the most important roster move JJ could make before tonight’s game against the Nuggets. DFS is the Lakers’ best defensive player and starting lineup needs him.

The Lakers also are under pressure to sign Dorian Finney-Smith to an extension or possibly lose him to free agency this summer. Even more importantly, Finney-Smith is a player Luka Doncic loves playing with.
The Lakers would be smart to promote Dorian Finney-Smith to be a starter and then to give him a new contract commensurate with the value he has brought to the team at both ends of the court. Keeping DFS is top priority.

While Rui Hachimura has done a fine job starting, he is not the individual or team defender that Dorian Finney-Smith is and the Lakers desperately need to upgrade the defense of their starting lineup. Starting DFS is step 1.
The change not only adds Finney-Smith’s valuable defense to the starting lineup but also Hachimura’s volume offense to the non-starting lineups. Rui should be even more dominant offensively against second stringers.

Over the last 15 games, Finney-Smith has averaged 7.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 0.9 steals, and 0.2 blocks in 26.7 minutes per game while shooting 50.0% from the field, 39.6% from three, and 100.0% from the line.
During that same 15-game stretch, Dorian posted a team best 100.3 defensive rating and +19.3 net rating. Dorian has simply been the Lakers’ best role player during the last 15 games and deserves to be the starter.

Right now, Redick is playing Hachimura around 5 minutes per game more than Finney-Smith. Starting DFS and moving Hachimura to the bench will correct that imbalance and give valuable Finney-Smith needed minutes.

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2. Start Gabe Vincent Over Austin Reaves

The Lakers also need to start Gabe Vincent over Austin Reaves because he’s a better fit defensively next to Luka Doncic at shooting guard and AR’s elite shot-making and playmaking would be a better fit coming off the bench.

This is a very difficult personnel decision to make but one that must be made for the good of the team and for the future of Austin Reaves. Defensively, the Lakers simply cannot start Doncic, James, and Reaves.
Even with James now playing some of the best defense we’ve seen from him in years and Reaves making a valiant effort, the Lakers cannot win the NBA championship starting three players who are defensively challenged.

The Lakers need better offense/defense balance in their starting lineup and Austin Reaves needs a role where he can focus more on making shots and plays and not wearing himself out defending the other team’s top scorer.
Coming off the bench, Austin Reaves will be able to get more touches and opportunities playing alongside just one of LeBron James or Luka Doncic rather than trying to fit in as the third option after the two superstars.

JJ Redick needs to remember that the Lakers are now Luka Doncic’s team and as soon as he is physically and mentally ready to take over the offense, he’s going to need to have the ball in his hands whenever he’s in the game.
Frankly, there are not going to be enough touches left for two other point guards and playing Doncic, James, and Reaves together is not only not a smart plan defensively but is also just too many point guards for one ball.

Now healthy, Gabe has become one of the Lakers most trusted defenders and 3-point shooters, averaging 8.9 points, 1.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists in 22.7 minutes per game, shooting 38.2% from three with a 105.3 defensive rating.

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3. Play Christian Koloko Over Alex Len

The Lakers also need to give Christian Koloko the backup center minutes allocated to Alex Len because Luka Doncic needs more vertical lob threats like Jaxson Hayes. Koloko would give Luka another vertical lob target.

While the Lakers plan to play a lot of small ball to compensate for the lack of positional centers on the roster, they need to give Koloko an opportunity to play the minutes given to Len. He’s clearly a better lob threat than Len.
Given a chance, I think Koloko could justify being promoted from two-way to standard contract so he would be eligible for the playoffs. The Lakers have until the last day of the season to make a decision on Christian.

The Lakers must do everything possible to ensure that Luka signs an extension before August 2nd. Knowing how important having vertical lob threats are to Luka’s game, the Lakers need to see what Koloko can do.
A legitimate 7-footer, Christian is the only other player on the Lakers’ roster who has the talent and tools to be an effective vertical lob threat for Luka. Koloko needs an opportunity to see how he fits as Hayes’ possible backup.

The remaining 29 games are going to be critical for the Lakers to figure out how best to optimize Luka Doncic with their current roster to have a shot to win their 18th championship while LeBron is still playing like a superstar.
JJ Redick would be smart both in the short and long term to give any backup center minutes to young Christian Koloko rather than veteran Alex Len because he’s a better fit for what Doncic likes offensively in a center.

The Lakers need to make sure to do everything they can to give Luka players who complement what he does best and cover for his weaknesses. Right now, Christian Koloko could be another vertical lob threat for Luka.

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4. Two Point Guards In Every Lineup

The best way the Lakers can take advantage of having three elite starting quality point guards in Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves is by staggering them to ensure that two of the three are on the court at all times.

By moving Austin Reaves to the bench as the team’s 6th man, JJ Redick has made it easier to create a starting lineup and 10-man rotation where he will have Luka/LeBron, Luka/Reaves, or LeBron/Reaves on the court all game.
Building intelligent lineups that work is easy when every lineup created is anchored by an elite point guard duo that includes one of the team’s two superstars. Just add three needed shooters, rebounders, and defenders.

If JJ wants high scoring offense, then surround Luka/LeBron, Luka/Reaves, or LeBron/Reaves with dead-eye 3-point shooters. If he wants elite defense, then surround them with a trio of Vanderbilt, Finney-Smith, and Vincent.
Now that the Lakers are close to being 100% healthy, their lineups have become much more versatile with better balance of offense and defense. Most importantly, JJ now has tools to help at both ends of the court.

One of the goals JJ Redick needs to ace over the next 29 games is fixing the starting lineup and 10-man rotation he is going to utilize to win games in the playoffs. Frankly, the playoffs start right now for teams in the West.
Having three starting quality point guards is actually a gigantic benefit for the Lakers but only if they figure out how to take advantage of all three. Having two of the three on the court all the time is the optimum option.

Breaking the Lakers’ Big Three point guards into three distinct pairs of playmakers is the smartest scheme to optimize the elite shot-making and playmaking skills of Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves.

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5. Lakers’ New Starting Lineup & Rotation

Dorian Finney-Smith and Gabe Vincent give the Lakers’ starting lineup a dramatic upgrade defensively while Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, and Christian Koloko give the team’s bench a major upgrade offensively.

The Lakers starters include Luka Doncic, Gabe Vincent, Dorian Finney-Smith, LeBron James, and Jaxson Hayes with backups of Austin Reaves, Dalton Knecht, Rui Hachimura, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Christian Koloko.
JJ Redick’s four lineup changes transformed the Lakers. By upgrading the starting lineup’s defense and the bench’s offense, the Lakers now have excellent offensive and defensive balance throughout their rotation.

The Lakers’ new defense-first starting lineup is essentially Luka Doncic surrounded by four of the Lakers’ five best individual defensive players in Gabe Vincent, Dorian Finney-Smith, LeBron James, and Jaxson Hayes.
Teams that try to switch-hunt Luka Doncic will suddenly find themselves scrambling in chaos as Lakers’ new starting defense aggressively attacks by trapping, doubling, and rotating whenever teams try to switch-hunt.

Over the next 29 games, the Lakers’ starters plus Reaves and Hachimura will likely average 30 minutes per game or 210 of the 240 minutes in the game, leaving just 30 minutes for the team’s three other rotation players.
While Redick will look to rest his top seven players, Doncic, James, Finney-Smith, Vincent, Hayes, Reaves, and Hachimura should play 85 to 90% of the available minutes and Knecht, Vanderbilt, and Koloko just 15 to 20%.

JJ Redick knows he just has 29 games to get the team ready for the playoffs. He also knows today’s game is a critical measuring stick for the Lakers. JJ needs to go bold and make the needed lineup changes before today’s game.