Lakerholics

The Lakers are alarmingly losing the LeBron James minutes and rookie coach Darvin Ham is not helping the situation by asking LeBron James and Rui Hachimura to play center versus Jaren Jackson, Jr. and Xavier Tillman.

In this new era of NBA parity, the Lakers and Grizzlies are evenly matched, which puts enormous pressure on Lakers’ rookie head coach Darvin Ham as one bad substitution or poor rotation could cost the team a playoff win.
That’s exactly what we saw last night when, with 4:10 left in the 3rd quarter and Lakers down by 1, Darvin Ham pulled Anthony Davis and went with a 5-player lineup of Schroder, Reaves, Brown, Jr., James, and Hachimura.

One minute and 29 seconds later, at 2:41, a panicked Darvin Ham put Anthony Davis back in the game but it was too late as the Grizzlies then led by 8 points and were able to increase that lead to 18 points by end of 3rd.
Unfortunately, this was not an isolated incident as Tayler Jenkins has often taken advantage of Darvin Ham’s using James and Hachimura as backup center by making sure Jackson, Jr. was on the court whenever AD rested.

So heading into a ‘must win’ Game 6 on Friday night, Darvin Ham needs to do a better job tightening his rotations, winning the LeBron James minutes, and getting better rim protection when Anthony Davis goes to the bench.

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Tightening Lakers’ Rotations

After losing Game 5, Darvin Ham promised the Lakers would go all out, play their superstars more, and tighten their rotations to win Game 6 and end their first round series with the Grizzlies in Los Angeles Friday night.

The above charts shows the average minutes per game for each player currently in the Lakers rotation for the regular season, the playoffs, and a recommended projected minutes per game for the rest of the playoffs.
The new rotation represents a narrowing of the rotation from 10 players to 9 players and a needed reallocation of 19.0 minutes from Brown and Beasley to James, Davis, Russell, Vanderbilt, Schroder, and Bamba.

Ham needs to narrow the rotation to 9 players, replace Beasley with Bamba who can provide both backup rim protection and floor spacing, and give more minutes to James, Davis, Russell, and other stalwart contributors.

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Winning LeBron James Minutes

Since LeBron James signed with the Los Angeles Lakers, he’s consistently led the Lakers in net rating. Lebron finished the regular season with a +4.6 net rating but has seen his net rating in the playoffs drop down to a -1.5.

Part of the problem is James is still struggling to recover from the foot injury that sidelined him for 13 games. While LeBron had MVP level plays to win Game 4, he totally ran out of gas and was unable to finish Game 5.
Whether James can recover fully and soon enough to be a difference maker in Game 6 could be in question because LeBron will only have one day of rest and covery time before Friday’s game back at Crypto.com Arena.

Two things Darvin Ham can do to help win the LeBron James minutes is to not play him without at least two of Davis, Reaves, Russell, and Bamba in the lineup and not play him in a lineup with he or Hachimura at center.

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Better Backup Rim Protection

One of the more preplexing personnel decisions by Los Angeles Lakers’ rookie head coach Darvin Ham has been his decision to give the backup center minutes to power forwards LeBron James and Rui Hachimura.

Anthony Davis is playing 100% of his 38.0 minutes per game in the playoffs at center. That leaves 10 disastrous minutes each game that Darvin Ham goes small and plays either LeBron James or Rui Hachimura at center.
The Lakers are getting killed whenever AD is on the bench and LeBron or Rui plays center because Tayler Jenkins immediaetly takes advantage by making sure Jaren Jackson, Jr. is in the game when the Lakers go small.

Coach Darvin Ham needs to give Mo Bamba the backup center minutes rather than going small with LeBron James or Rui Hachimura at center for both this series and future series against teams with bigger front courts.

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How Much Can Darvin Ham Grow?

Darvin Ham has done a terrific job as the rookie head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, especially considering the complications of coaching Russell Westbrook and the chaos caused by injuries to LeBron and AD.

Slowly but surely, Ham has been able to reverse many of his early rookie decisions and has shown impressive management and leadership skills as he continues to grow and prosper as the Los Angeles Lakers’ head coach.
Word is already out that Ham and his staff are actively reevaluating their lineups with a goal of narrowing the rotation, winning the LeBron James minutes, and getting better more consistent backup rim protection.

The moves Darvin Ham and his staff make to stablize and optimize their lineups and rotations could not only put the Lakers in position to win their 18th NBA championship this season but also start building a new dynasty.

Nothing’s been easy for the Lakers this season. They needed overtime to beat the Timbewolves in the Play-In to get into the playoffs and overtime last night to take a commanding 3–1 lead over the troublesome Grizzlies.

The new-look Lakers are no longer just superstars James and Davis and a bunch of no name role players. The emergence of Reaves and trades for Russell, Vanderbilt, Hachimura, and Beasley have transformed the roster.
Last night’s game confirmed what we have been watching during this series: the Lakers have a deep and diverse roster that no longer has to rely on LeBron James and Anthony Davis playing like superstars to win games.

While LeBron’ James stole the show with his game-tying layup with 0.8 seconds left in regulation and game-sealing layup plus free throw with 29.4 seconds left in overtime, multiple other Lakers players were also heroes.
Reaves’ 23-points were game high and his +12 plus/minus second best. Schroder scored 12 points with a team-best +24 plus/minus. And Russell’s three straight threes to fuel the fourth quarter comeback were critical.

The contributions from the non-superstars have actually been what has given the Lakers their commanding 3–1 lead over the Grizzlies. It’s why the Lakers have won 3 of 4 playoff games and are top-4 in DefRtg and NetRtg.
Lakers best Playoff OffRtsg were Hachimura 116.4, Russell 114.8, Schroder 112.2; best Playoff DefRtg Schroder 99.5, Reaves 100.0, and Davis’ 102.8; and best Playoff NetRtg Schroder +12.7, Hachimura +11.7, Reaves +10.7.

While James and Davis are available, both are slightly hobbled by injuries and constantly dodging possible reinjury which makes the emergence of Reaves, Russell, Hachimura, and Vanderbilt a life saver for the Lakers.

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The Lakers dilemma has been their inconsistency as teams and as players. Some of it is because of the lack of continuity and chemistry due to injuries and new players. The only cure is more on court minutes and reptitions.

James and Davis still seem to be struggling some with their foot injuries and almost taking turns carrying the team as they try to figure things out. James and Davis together appeared in only 36 of the Lakers 82 games.
That the Lakers were able to win 3 of their 4 games against the Grizzlies despite LeBron James posting a negative -2.2 net rating is a testament to the trade deadline roster makeover and defense anchored by Anthony Davis.

While the Lakers have in some ways struggled to adjust to playoff mode, the good news is they have still figured out how to win. It may not have been easy or pretty but in the end, they found a way to bring home a W.
While there have been calls for Mo Bamba and Lonnie Walker to be given an opportunity, Darvin Ham and his coaching staff have done an excellent job so far getting the team ready and motivated to play at a high level.

The monster test for these inconsistent Lakers will be closing out the Grizzlies Wednesday night and hopefully getting a few days off before having to face the winner of the Kings and Warriors first round series.
Will they ride the momentum of last night’s big win and come in ready and motivated to complete the 4–1 Gentlemen’s Sweep of the Grizzlies or will they show up fat, flat, and happy and allow the Grizzlies to stay alive.

The Lakers need to recognize they were just a missed layup by LeBron from being tied 2–2 with the Grizzlies. Lakers need to play their best game of the series tomorrow night and complete Gentlemen’s Sweep.

While the #7 seed Lakers have stolen home court and have a 2 -1 lead over the #2 seed Grizzlies in the first round of the playoffs, 38-year old superstar LeBron James has, by his own standards, gotten off to a slow playoffs start.

James averaged 28.9/8.3/6.8 and shot 50.0/32.1/76.8% in regular season. In the playoffs, he averaged 28.6/9.0/7.2 and shot 49.5/33.5/73.9%. In 3 games against Memphis, he averaged 24.7/10.7/4.3 and shot 50.8/20.0/66.7%.
Of special concern are his reduced scoring and playmaking. James is averaging 3.9 fewer points and 2.9 fewer assists per game while shooting 13.5 and 3.2 percentage points lower on his 3-point shots and free throws.

The greatest concern is LeBron James’ team worst -5.3 plus/minus. The Lakers have always won the LeBron James minutes. Their problem this series has been losing the minutes when LeBron James is in the game.
So far, Davis, Russell, Reaves, Vanderbilt, and Hachimura have posted postive plus/minus and net ratings while James, Brown, Schroder, and Gabriel have struggled and posted negative plus/minus and net ratings.

While three games is a small sample size, this is the playoffs and frankly, we have not yet seen Playoff LeBron. We’ve seen glimpses in a specific play or series of plays but not the King literally taking over a game or series.
There are some who think James may be taking a deliberate step back to give co-superstar Anthony Davis the opportunity to step up and take the torch from the King and become the team alpha and face of the franchise.

The big question is whether James had just been coasting and filling in what he perceives the Lakers need as the series proceeds or whether his slow start is a sign that he might not be able to be a superstar every night.
Everybody knows Father Time will eventully defeat even the King. We’ve seen the start of it with the more numerous injuries and longer recovery time to get back on the court. Could the next step be part-time superstar?

We’ll get an answer to that question when the Lakers play the Grizzlies in Game 4 Monday night in L.A. The Lakers have essentially stolen home court and taken a 2–1 lead without LeBron James playing like a superstar.
Game 4 is when superstars like LeBron James take over 2–1 playoff series and transform them into 3–1 series headed for a ‘Gentlemen’s Sweep.’ Game 4’s are when even part-time superstars put on their Superman capes.

In the end, there’s no way the 7th seed Los Angeles Lakers are going to beat the 2nd seed Memphis Grizzlies unless they win the LeBron James minutes for the rest of this series. Lakers need LeBron James the superstar to win.

Sometimes, when somebody foolishly ‘pokes the bear,’ the right response is for the bear to bite back hard and give the fool a lesson, which is why Dillon Brooks should be careful because he just might get what he wants.

Everybody understands that Brooks is just trying to get James to indulge in a personal battle with him instead of focusing on the team’s game plan but maybe the Lakers’ plan for Game 3 should be to unleash James and Davis.
After all, the Lakers’ winning combination has always been a healthy James and Davis with complementary roster. But in Game 3, James and Davis were on court together for 29 minutes and posted a terrible -20.5 net rating.

Individually, James posted 28 points, 12 rebounds 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, and just 1 turnover in 39 minutes but had a team worst -17 plus/minus. While LeBron shot 12/23 from the field, he was just 1 for 8 from deep.
Meanwhile, Davis posted just 13 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 0 steals, 5 blocks, and 2 turnovers in 38 minutes with a -4 plus/minus. Anthony was great defensively but shot poorly hitting only 4 of 14 shots in the loss.

Since their trade deadline makeover, the Lakers have discovered a formula for winning that makes up for points given up due to poor 3-point shooting by winning the points-in-the-paint and made-free-throw differentials.
Unfortunately, that winning formula did not work in Game 2 as the Grizzlies not only won the 3-point battle by 12 points but were able to tie the Lakers in the number of made-free-throws and points-in-the-paint.

The Lakers delivered a brash statement to the Grizzies in Game 1 but the gritty Grizzlies punched back hard and raised the physicality of the series. It’s time for the Lakers to do same and punch back and be more physical.
LeBron James doesn’t need to be poked by the likes of Dillon Brooks to be motivated to come out and dominate Saturday night but only a fool would expect the proud James not be looking for payback against the Grizzlies.

But LeBron does not have to score 40 to show the world what happens when you poke the bear. What he has to do is create a wire-to-wire Lakers win that resets the relative standing and hierarchy between the two teams.
While the Lakers blew an opportunity to sweep the Grizzlies, they still won home court advantage by winning one of two in Memphis and there’s still a path for a gentlemen’s sweep if they take the two games in Los Angeles.

Payback. That’s what Saturday’s game will be all about. The Lakers learned an important lesson from Game 3 that should get their attention and focus them on upping their game, their focus, and their physicality to new levels.
The playoffs are about adjusting and elevating your game as your opponent adjusts and elevates their game. You adjust or you go home. LeBron and AD need to adjust and elevate their games for the Lakers to win Saturday night.

Dillon Brooks saying he doesn’t respect LeBron because he hasn’t scored 40 on him and calling him old is not going to end well for him or the Memphis Grizzlies. LeBron’s response is going to be to take it out on the Grizzlies.

After blowing a golden opportunity to steal a second road win from the #2 Memphis Grizzlies, the #7 Los Angeles Lakers would be smart to consider starting Rui Hachimura over Jarred Vanderbilt for the rest of this series.

Hachimura has been the Lakers best player on offense, posting a gaudy 133.3 OffRtg for the two games and tying LeBron James with a team best 24.5 points per game for the series while also playing well defensively.
Rui’s ability to score efficiently from all three levels has opened up the Lakers’ offense. After leading the Lakers to the win with 29 points in Game 1, Hachimura followed up by scoring 20 points in the L.A.’s Game 2 loss.

Meanwhile, Vanderbilt has struggled offensively, especially around in the paint. Jarred reminds fans of Ben Simmons when he gets the ball near the basket. His offensive struggles were a lethal killer in yesterdays’ loss.
The Grizzlies showing the Lakers they can raise the defensive pressure to another level puts L.A. in a tough spot. The Lakers may need Hachimura’s offense more than they need Vanderbilt’s defense in this specific series.

Hachimura is averaging 24.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 0.5 steals, and 0 blocks in 29.5 minutes per game in the series. His advanced stats include a team best 133.5 OffRtg, 5th best 118.8 DefRtg, and 4th best +15.3 NetRtg.
Vanderbilt is averaging 6.0 points, 5.5 rebound, 0.0 assists, 1.0 steals, 0.5 blocks in 22.5 minutes per game. His advanced stats inclued a team worst 112.0 OffRtg, 2nd worst 120.0 DefRtg, and 2nd worst -8.0 NetRtg.

Ham has already responded to Hachimura’s superior play by giving him minutes that used to go to Vanderbilt. Hachimura 29.8 minutes per game is 5th highest on team in the series whereas Vando’s minutes dropped to 6th
The Lakers’ next step could be to replace Vanderbilt in the starting lineup with Hachimura. Statistically, Hachimura has been the Lakers’ best and Vanderbilt the Lakers’ worst offensive player so far in this series.

Ham will likely keep the same starting lineup for Game 3 with Vanderbilt knowing he needs to be aggressive and score near the rim rather than just passing the ball out. If he struggles again, Hachimura could start Game 4.