Lakerholics

LeBron James and Anthony Davis rejected claims by Lakers doubters and critics who want to put a ceiling on their season and confirmed they’re not satisfied just playing with house money. They want another championship.

That may be presumptuous for a #7 seed that had to finish the season on 41–29 tear and win an overtime Play-In game to make the playoffs but after upsetting the Grizzlies and Warriors, the Lakers are now getting greedy. When asked if the Lakers were happy to be playing with ‘house money,’ LeBron James and Anthony Davis dismissed the idea they’d be satisfied with doing that and reiterated their only goal was another championship.

The idea LeBron James and Anthony Davis should be happy to be where they are and satisfied that they have made it to the conference finals is contrary to everything we know about what winning means to them.
“That’s y’all expectation,” Davis said. “Our expectations inside are way higher than showing up to the Western Conference finals. Want to shock the world. … Me and Bron want another one, now it’s time to go get it.”

Even after dominating both the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round and the champion Golden State Warriors in the second round in six games, the Los Angeles Lakers are still being universally underrated and disrespected. Despite having the #1 rated defense in the entire playoffs, the Lakers are still underdogs to the Boston Celtics, who are current favorites to win their 18th NBA championship, and Denver Nuggets, whom the Lakers play next.

After starting out 2–10, the Lakers were essentially written off by everyone as they fell to 13th in the West with a 25–31 record 13 games behind the top seeded Denver Nuggets as they approached the February 9 trade deadline. Then came the big trades by Rob Pelinka that saved the Lakers season. They traded Westbrook, a first round pick, and 5 five unwanted players for 5 rotation players in Hachimura, Russell, Vanderbilt, Beasley, and Bamba.

The trade for 5 new players combined with the emergence of Austin Reaves as a secondary star and the return to the rotation of Lonnie Walker IV have transformed the Lakers from lottery team to a championship contender. The new-look Lakers now have a dramatically improved starting lineup and a deep and diverse 8-player rotation that’s growing and getting better every game. The Lakers have 5 players averaging double digits in playoffs.

The NBA media has been slow to react to the Lakers’ playoff dominance and it will likely take another road upset by the Lakers to start the West finals before the pundits and prognosticators become ‘woke’ on the Lakers. The Lakers will follow the same plan for winning road series that worked in Memphis and San Francisco: Steal one of the two first home games in Denver and then sweep them in L.A. to take a commanding 3–1 lead.

Unlike the first two rounds, the Nuggets will be the Lakers’ first playoff opponent with an elite center in Nikola Jokic who can challenge Anthony Davis and who has the 3-point gravity to draw him away from the rim.
The Lakers will likely return to their usual starting lineup with defensive ace Jarred Vanderbilt although there’s also a possibility the Lakers might opt to go bigger by starting Rui Hachimura instead of Vanderbilt.

Strategically, Darvin Ham needs to have Anthony Davis’ mirror Nikola Jokic’s minutes. Lakers cannot allow Joker to go against a lineup without Anthony Davis. Lakers should play Bamba when AD goes to the bench.
The Lakers will hopefully be able to have Davis play Jokic 1-on-1 and turn him into a big scorer rather than a playmaker. They need to control him and make him one-dimensional. Davis is Lakers’ advantage over Jokic.

While the rest of the basketball world may not yet realize how good this Lakers’ roster could be, LeBron James and Anthony Davis both totally understand they’re just 8 more wins from their 18th NBA championship.

After missing an opportunity to close out the Warriors, Darvin Ham may now be forced to replace Jarred Vanderbilt as a starter due to his shooting struggles to give the Lakers a better chance to win Game 6 tomorrow night.

While Ham’s been amenable to midstream changes at the back end of his rotation, as evidenced by his promotion of Lonnie Walker IV, changing one of his starters while holding a 3–2 lead in the series would be a surprise. However, a 1-game lead on the defending champs is not what you could call a stranglehold on the series. The Lakers know they’re just a couple of losses to a hot shooting Golden State team away from elimination themselves.

There’s no question Vanderbilt has been struggling. He’s averaging just 3.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 0.8 assists in 16.6 minutes against the Warriors, down from 7.2 points, 3.8 rebound, and 1.2 assists in 19.8 mpg in Round 1. While he shot a respectable 54.8% from the field and 29.4% from three in Round 1, Vanderbilt’s shot and confidence have abandoned him this series. He’s shooting just 18.2% from the field and 18.2% from the 3-point line.

It was one thing when Vanderbilt could be hidden because Poole was a basket case but now that Jordan’s hitting open shots, Jarred’s become a liability the Warriors are taking advantage of to stifle the Lakers’ offense. It’s hard to win in the playoffs without a good start to the game and the second half and there no doubt that Vanderbilt’s team worst -10.0 net rating for this series has clearly cost the Lakers. Game 6 is the Lakers’ Game 7.

Darvin Ham can’t wait any longer to fix the Lakers’ starting lineup. Here are the three lineup changes he should consider to give the Lakers a better chance at defeating the Warriors and making the conference finals.

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1. Dennis Schroder for Jarred Vanderbilt

By the time a series reaches Game 6, winning comes down to execution. If the Lakers want to match up better against the Warriors’ small-ball lineups, Darvin Ham should start Dennis Schroder instead of Jarred Vanderbilt.

Schroder’s 113.0 offensive rating and +9.5 net rating are the best of any Lakers player in this series and his 103.5 defensive rating vs. the Warriors second best on the team. Dennis has been a spark plug at both ends.
He’s averaging 11.8 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game in 26.8 minutes per game while shooting 47.6% from the field, 33.3% from deep, and 77.8% from the line. His series plus minus of 24.0 is best on the team.

While it’s a small sample size, Anthony Davis, LeBron James, D’Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves, and Dennis Schroder is the Lakers’ second most used 5-player lineup with the team’s third best +4.0 net rating for series. They’ve only logged 18 minutes in the series but they’re one of only three Lakers 5-player lineups with positive net ratings after the loss in Game 5. Suddenly, the stats and analytics are showing a much closer series.

Starting Dennis Schroder for Jarred Vanderbilt is probably Darvin Ham’s best option. Rather than gambling by going big, it makes sense to lean into what’s been one of the Lakers’ best 5-player lineups to start Game 6.

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2. Rui Hachimura for Jarred Vanderbilt

Should Lakers’ coach Darvin Ham decide to go big against the small ball Warriors in Game 6, then Rui Hachimura with his size and high percentage post-up shooting would be the logical starter to replace Jarred Vanderbilt.

Hachimura’s 104.3 offensive rating is second worst, his 107.1 defensive rating third best, and his -2.8 net rating 4th best on the team for the series. His elite shooting has been highly underutilized by the Lakers this series. Rui’s averaging just 7.5 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 0.6 assists per game in 16.9 minutes per game but shooting 60.9% from the field, 62.5% from deep, and 83.3% from the line. His series plus minus of -2.0 is 8th on the team.

There’s a risk challenging an opponent by going big when they go small or small when they go big. The Lakers would be gambling that Rui’s lethal shooting would be more valuable than his ability to guard smaller players. In many ways, Ham choosing to go big would be doubling-down on the Lakers’ ability to dominate the backboards and win points-in-the-paint and made-free-throws battles while helping reduce their 3-point differential.

Replacing Vanderbilt with Hachimura could be a bold and savvy move for a rookie head coach to make in a series where his team is ahead 3 -2 but in need of a huge win. The Warriors may have no answer for Lakers going big.

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3. Lonnie Walker IV for Jarred Vanderbilt

Should Coach Ham want to surprise everybody he could roll the dice on the fearless player who won Game 4 and try to catch lightning-in-a-bottle again by replacing Jarred Vanderbilt with Lakers’ supersub Lonnie Walker IV.

Walker’s 109.6 offensive rating is 3rd best on the Lakers and his 102.1 defensive rating and his +9.5 net rating best of any Lakers player in this series. Per the numbers and the eye test, Lonnie has been playing great.
He’s averaging 10.0 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game in 22.9 minutes per game while shooting 55.2% from the field, 30.8% from deep, and 100.0% from the line. His series plus minus of 24.0 is also team best.

As crazy as it may seem, there’s a good argument that Lonnie Walker IV might be exactly what the Lakers need to finish off the Warriors in Game 6. It’s not a fluke that he has the best defensive and net rating on the Lakers. Calling on Walker is not as big a gamble as going big with Hachimura but still riskier than going super small with Dennis Schroder, in whom Darvin has total confidence. Lonnie could be best answer if Dennis is not 100%.

While James, Davis, Russell, Reaves, and Walker have only played a total of 6 minutes together in this series, they posted a 120.0 offensive rating, a 92.9 defensive rating, and a team second best +27.1 net rating for the series.

Sometimes a picture’s clearly worth a thousand words. That smug smile on LeBron James’ face says it all as he eyes what could grow and develop into the deepest and most diverse supporting cast in his 20-year NBA career.

Slowly but surely, the rest of the basketball world is suddenly realizing the extreme roster makeover Rob Pelinka engineered at the trade deadline just might have transformed the Los Angeles Lakers into a championship team. Davis taking the torch from James, the emergence of Reaves, Schroder, and Walker, and trades for Hachimura, Russell, Vanderbilt, Beasley, and Bamba have morphed the Lakers from lottery team to legitimate title contender.

Even scarier for the rest of the NBA are the reports that the Lakers are so confident they have the key components to another championship that their plan from the start is to re-sign everybody for whom they traded. Watching how quickly this team has come together and how well they are playing has given the Lakers ownership and front office a sense of trust and confidence to invest heavily in the franchise’s next dynasty.

What makes this surrounding cast maybe the best LeBron James has ever had starts with Anthony Davis elevating his game and taking the torch from LeBron James as the team’s alpha superstar and its future franchise face.

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With Davis ascending and an elite backcourt that includes Russell, Reaves, Schroder, and Walker, and front court with Vanderbilt and Hachimura, the Lakers no longer have to rely on LeBron for scoring and playmaking.

The Lakers have 7 players who could score 20 points on any given night in Davis, James, Russell, Reaves, Schroder, Hachimura, and Walker plus 3 players James trusts to run the offense in Russell, Reaves, and Schroder. That has freed LeBron for a role he’s never had the luxury to fill before, which is as the team’s ‘wild card’ that Lakers’ head coach Darvin Ham can play when he needs more scoring, playmaking, rebounding, or defense.

One of the things paramount in the Lakers’ decision to undergo an extreme makeover at the trade deadline was to finally surround LeBron James with a roster that could free him from primary scoring and playmaking duties. LeBron’s always been a genius managing his team’s playoff runs and not having to primary scoring or playmaking duties has freed him to focus specifically on defense, where he’s become the Director of Defense.

The Lakers still believe LeBron James will be able to play at a high level for several more seasons and the major moves at the trade deadline were designed to smooth his transition into as the Lakers ‘wild card’ superstar.

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The Lakers have been playing ‘must win’ games for almost 3 months as they struggled to overcome a 2–10 start and fought their way to the play-in tournament and then to a 3–1 lead in the second round over the Warriors.

While the Lakers’ makeover was inspired, it was their revitalized defense powered by Anthony Davis protecting the rim like Bill Russell and Jarred Vanderbilt shutting down shooters like Michael Cooper that dominated. The ascension of Davis and addition of Vanderbilt were game changers. The Lakers’ 105.3 defensive rating, 47.7 rebounds per game, 7.5 blocks per game, and 14.8 stocks per game are all ranked #1 among playoff teams.

Lakers coach Darvin Ham has narrowed his playoff rotation to 8 players, including an elite starting lineup of Russell, Reaves, James, Vanderbilt, and Davis backed by a new 3-player bench of Schroder, Hachimura, and Walker. The return of Lonnie Walker IV was the latest savvy move by the Lakers’ rookie head coach, who’s been pushing all the right buttons. Walker not only saved the Lakers in Game 4 but gives them another difference maker.

The Lakers’ starting lineup has posted a +10 net rating and the team is the #1 ranked defense in the playoffs. Every one of the 8 Lakers players in Ham’s rotation has posted a positive net rating so far in these playoffs.

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Unlike the other NBA teams left in the playoffs, the Los Angeles Lakers are an unfinished product that has only been together as a team since the trade deadline and desperately needs time to get better every game and series.

Darvin Ham and his staff deserve high praise for the job they did during a difficult and tumultuous regular season and for seamlessly changing direction saving the season and fighting their way into these playoffs. Darvin Ham may have started the season as a rookie NBA head coach but he’s learned on the fly how to build winning lineups and rotations and to make important offensive and defensive adjustments in the playoffs.

After dispatching the tough Memphis Grizzlies in 6 games, the Lakers now have the champion Golden State Warriors in a 3–1 hole in their critical second round series Game 5 scheduled tomorrow night in San Francisco. While the Warriors have the shooting to come back from a 3–1 hole, the Lakers continue to grow, develop, and get better as the series progresses. The true test will be whether L.A. can eliminate Golden State in Game 5.

Closing out the current NBA champion Golden State Warriors in a 5-game Gentleman’s Sweep is not going to be easy and should be an excellent test of just how far the new-look Los Angeles Lakers have come this season.

He may be a rookie head coach but the Los Angeles Lakers’ Darvin Ham not only outcoached the Golden State Warriors’ Steve Kerr but also forced them into a ‘must win’ Game 4 on Monday night at Crypto.com Arena.

If the Lakers win Game 4 Monday night, it would be the equivalent of a stake in the heart of the Warriors’ dynasty as they know as well as any team in the NBA just how difficult it is to come back from down 1–3 in a series. Since coming back from 1–3 is near impossible, the Warriors will come out even more desperate and determined to win than they did in Game 2. Win Game 4 and they would be at home for 2 of the 3 games left in the series.

There was some concern during the regular season about the age and lack of experience of Ham’s staff, which did not include a proven former NBA head coach and included multiple development oriented assistant coaches. While Darvin was resistant to making changes in the regular season, he and his staff have not hesitated to make major adjustments in the playoffs. His moves to put Vando on Steph and have Davis high drop won Game 1.

While the Warriors prevailed as expected in Game 2 as they iced the Lakers pick-and-roll game and shot lights out from deep, Darvin Ham and his staff made five genius adjustments that led to the Lakers 127–97 Game 3 victory.

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1. Davis Guarding Jamychal Green

The move by Darvin Ham to have Anthony Davis guard JaMychal Green rather than Draymond Green was a key factor in freeing up AD to dominate the Warriors’ offense from the rim to the 3-point line as L.A. won Game 3.

Guarding JaMychal instead of Draymond allowed Anthony to extend his defensive range from the rim to the 3-point line without having to deal with guarding Draymond and stopping his elite playmaking and rebounding. Davis is unique among NBA centers in that he has the size, length, and athleticism to challenge shooters at the 3-point line and still recover quick enough to challenge shooter at the rim and block or alter their shots.

Taking Anthony Davis off of Draymond Green and putting him on JaMychal Green was a genius move by Darvin Ham that unleashed AD to defend the entire Warriors team and led to the Lakers taking a commanding 3–1 lead.

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2. Vanderbilt Guarding Draymond Green

The other change in defensive assignments that ignited the Lakers’ defense was Darvin Ham’s decision to take Vanderbilt off Curry and instead put him on Draymond Green in an effort to stifle the Curry/Green pick-and-roll.

Vanderbilt not only has the defensive chops to guard Draymond but he can then simply switch whenever Green tries to set a pick for Steph Curry. By the end of the game, the Dubs had stopped running that play entirely. Having Vando guard Draymond killed the Curry/Green pick-and-roll. Steph finished Game 3 with 23 points on 9–21 shooting, 4 rebounds, and just 3 assists in 32 minutes. Draymond had just 2 point, 2 boards, and 4 assists.

Darvin Ham’s adjustment to have Jarred Vanderbilt guard Draymond Green not only resulted in shutting down Green offensively but also eliminating the Curry/Green pick-and-roll from the Warriors’ offensive repertoire.

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3. Davis Returning to High-Drop

The Warriors made 21 threes and shot 40% from deep in Game 1, forcing the Lakers to abandon their high-drop pick-and-roll coverage for low drop traps, which was a disaster as Golden State made 21 threes and shot 50%.

After continuing to play low drop coverage in the first quarter and falling behind by 7 points, the Lakers suddenly returned to the high drop coverage where AD would extend enough to challenge 3-point shooters but not trap. Unlike in Game 1 where the Warriors demolished the Lakers’ high drop, this time Davis and the Lakers figured it out and were able not only to stifle the Warriors pick-and-roll attacks but also their lethal 3-point shooting.

Anthony Davis is the perfect defensive center to play high drop coverage against opposing pick-and-rolls. Golden State may have to go back to playing big because th Warriors’ small ball is not going to beat the Lakers.

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4. Walker Replacing Brown, Jr.

Darvin Ham’s move to give Lonnie Walker IV an opportunity to replace Troy Brown, Jr. in the rotation for Game 3 paid off big as as Lonnie scored 12 points on 2–4 from deep and 4 rebounds and 2 steals in 24 minutes.

Walker had been starting early in the year before losing his role to injuries and then finding a completely remade roster when he was ready to return. He stayed ready, played well in Game 2, and answered when the bell rang. Walker gave the Lakers a 3-point scoring to keep up with the Dubs. Unlike Games 1 and 2 when they were outscored from deep, the Lakers hit 15 of 31 from deep for 48.4% against the Warriors’ 13 for 44 for 29.5% in Game 3.

Walker’s addition to the rotation was a genius move by Ham and a tribute to Lonnie’s hard work and staying ready for opportunity. He adds needed 3-point gravity to the Lakers’ backcourt for the rest of the playoffs.

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5. Getting James Ball At Elbow

The last genius move by Darvin Ham in Game 3 was moving LeBron James to the post to close the game and make sure the Lakers’ offense didn’t stall like Game 2. Moving James to the elbow freed his scoring and playmaking.

Getting the ball to James at the elbow rather than outside the 3-point line changes the nature of the Lakers offensive game. At the elbow, LeBron is just one quick dribble or pass from an easy dunk or wide-open three. Strategically, it was as if Darvin Ham wanted Steve Kerr to know before Game 4 that if the Warriors continue to play small, they can expect the Lakers to play LeBron more and more at the elbow and in the low post.

Like all of the Game 3 adjustments the Lakers made, getting LeBron the ball below the free throw line could be the weapon that forces the Warriors to go back to two bigs for Monday night’s big showdown at Crypto.com.

After waiting and wondering when and what Anthony Davis taking the torch from LeBron James would look like, the Lakers and their fans are finally getting a chance to see the James to Davis transition in real time.

And what a transition it’s been. The ‘New’ Anthony Davis has not only taken the torch from LeBron James as the Lakers’ lead superstar on offense and defense but is also on a mission to prove he’s the best player in the world. Anthony Davis was unstoppable at both ends of the court Tuesday night, dominating the paint and glass, scoring 30 points and dishing 5 assists on offense and blocking 4 shots and shutting down the Warriors on defense.

Surrounded by a trusted and talented roster that includes Davis, Reaves, Russell, Vanderbilt, Schroder, and Hachimura, the ‘New’ LeBron James no longer has to dominate the ball or be the leading scorer and playmaker. Instead he can focus on doing what the Lakers need to win, be it scoring, rebounding, playmaking, or defense. Tuesday night, he delivered 22 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 blocks, while orchestrating the defense.

AD finally taking the torch from LeBron could not have come at a better time for the Los Angeles Lakers, who’ve not only recovered from a dismal 2–10 start but are also now just 3 wins away from the conference finals. Anthony Davis is finally healthy and ready to take over as the Lakers alpha superstar at both ends of the court and the roster is talented and deep enough that LeBron James is now free to be their ‘do-anything’ superstar.

And that’s what makes the Lakers so scary: a ‘New’ Anthony Davis who’s playing like the best player in the world and a ‘New’ LeBron James who’s free to do and become whatever Los Angeles needs to win every game.

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The ‘New’ Anthony Davis

What makes the ‘New’ Anthony Davis so scary is his transformation this season from an oft injured jumpshot-loving power forward to a bully-ball low-post juggernaut on offense and rim-protecting shot blocker on defense.

While he may never play 82 regular season games, Anthony Davis has now played in 20 straight Lakers games and is on a mission to lead the Lakers to their 18th NBA championship and prove he is the best player on the planet. For the Lakers, Anthony Davis taking the torch from LeBron James could not have come at a better time as the King has lost some explosiveness and lift most likely due to a combination of age and his lingering foot injury.

What makes the Lakers so scary is not Anthony Davis finally being healthy and playing at the championship level he played in the bubble. What makes the Lakers so scary is this is a totally ‘New and Improved’ Anthony Davis. This is an Anthony Davis who reminds you of Shaquille O’Neal on offense and Bill Russell on defense, a freakish blend of talent and athleticism who’s unleashed his true inner self as a throwback low-post two-way monster.

Anthony Davis’ domination of the Golden State Warriors has changed the dynamics of the Lakers and Warriors second round series and how the entire basketball world is now viewing the new-look Los Angeles Lakers. The Warriors will most likely look to go small tonight to try and salvage a win in Game 2 in San Francisco while the Lakers will look to get greedy and steal a second straight win to take a commanding 2–0 lead in the series.

Make no mistake. The Lakers truly believe they can take a stranglehold on the Warriors and punch their ticket to the Western Conference finals by stealing Game 2 tonight. The key to doing that is the ‘New’ Anthony Davis.

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The ‘New’ LeBron James

What makes the ‘New’ LeBron James so scary is the Lakers no longer need him to be their leading scorer and playmaker. Instead, he’s now free to do whatever the team needs him to do to win. He’s like the Lakers’ wild card.

Whether it’s Father Time finally catching up or the lingering foot injury that’s hurt his lift and explosiveness, the timing is right for Anthony Davis to take over as Batman and LeBron James to take on the role of Robin. While injuries derailed Lakers’ hopes AD would take the torch from LeBron right after the bubble championship, the long awaited transition is finally happening and actually bolstering the Lakers’ championship chances.

Anthony Davis’ dramatic transformation into the best player in the world, Rob Pelinka’s masterful trade deadline roster makeover, and young Austin Reaves’ emergence have freed up and unleashed the New’ LeBron James. The Lakers now have six players in Davis, Russell, Reaves, Vanderbilt, Schroder, and Hachimura who can get 20 points any given night and three in Russell, Reaves, and Schroder who can run the offense as lead guard.

Imagine what a luxury it is for Lakers’ rookie head Darvin Ham to have LeBron James as his ‘utility’ superstar to provide whatever he needs on any given night, whether it be scoring, rebounding, playmaking, or defending. We saw in Game 1 how James’ basketball IQ and defensive savvy impacted the game as King was like a middle linebacker on defense calling out what the Warriors were trying to do and directing his defenders where to go.

The ‘New’ LeBron James is the Lakers’ wild card, a joker Darvin Ham can deploy or unleash in an infinite number of ways to fill a critical need or take advantage of a unique opportunity to turn defeat into victory.