While it’s only three games, there are signs the ageless LeBron James, the recently redeemed Russell Westbrook, and the young Los Angeles Lakers’ resurgent roster may have finally figured out how to win playing together.
The Lakers may have found a rhythm and strategy on offense and defense that’s not only working now but could be even better once Davis and Nunn return and replace Howard and Bradley in the starting lineup and rotation. Basically, the Lakers have surrounded superstars LeBron James and Russell Westbrook with bigger young wings like Stanley Johnson and Wenyen Gabriel and Swiss Army knife guards Austin Reaves and Malik Monk.
The combination of more size, youth, and energy has led to the Lakers playing the best basketball of the season over the last three games. Whether there is still time for the Lakers to turn around their season is the question. There are still doubts Anthony Davis and Kendrick Nunn will be able to recover from their respective injuries in time to become available for the remainder of the regular season, the play-in tournament, or the playoffs.
While it may be a case of too little too late, there are definitely signs LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, and the Los Angeles Lakers have finally started to figure out how to actually win playing together. Let’s look at those signs.
The Never-Ending Greatness of LeBron James
There’s a reason why no NBA team wants to meet the Lakers in the playoffs and that fear starts with the never-ending greatness of LeBron James, who would be having his fifth MVP season if the Lakers had a winning record.
Now playing in his 19th NBA season, the 37-year old James is finally showing occasional hits from Father Time as his explosiveness sometimes wans and injuries appear to be happening more often and taking longer to heal. Averaging a league best 30.0 points with 8.2 rebounds and 6.3 assists in 37.1 minutes per game while shooting 52.3%/35.4%/75.8%, LeBron is playing like the best player on the planet with two 50-point games last week.
While it’s been a frustrating and injury plagued season, James has remained motivated due to achieving career benchmarks in playmaking and scoring and remains completely confident the Lakers can pull off a playoff run. Assuming LeBron’s knee injury doesn’t get worse, the Los Angeles Lakers know to a man they’re never out of the championship conversation as long as LeBron James and Anthony Davis remain healthy, rested, and engaged.
As long as the Los Angeles Lakers have a healthy LeBron James, they will always have a puncher’s chance to win any series. If the Lakers can load manage LeBron so he’s healthy and rested, they can still win another ring.
The Miraculous Redemption of Russell Westbrook
After a disappointing year where the Lakers and Westbrook agreed to part ways at the end of the season, Russ pulled off a miraculous steal and game-tying three that led to a Lakers’ overtime upset of the Toronto Raptors.
As unlikely as it might be, Westbrook ‘plucking’ that game out of the loss column and ‘putting’ it into the win column was the kind of miracle that could turn a team’s entire season around. It was redemption for Westbrook. Russ has struggled playing with LeBron and AD as opponents mercilessly pack the paint to prevent Lakers’ superstars from attacking the rim. The lack of spacing has been a problem up until the Lakers’ last three games.
Averaging 21.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 9.7 assists in 37.7 minutes per game while shooting 53.2%/50.0%/66.7% the last three games, Russ finally figured out how to post and take advantage of defenders who sag off him. Russ posting up is the perfect counter fore paint packing by other teams and usually leads to Russ scoring or forcing the opponent to double, which opens up space for shooters to spot up and lanes for cutters to cut.
While the Lakers will still likely move on from Russ, his redemption and the new offensive strategy of posting him up to force teams to double and open up shots for cutters and shooters has given new life to Russ’ game.
The Unlimited Potential of Anthony Davis
Less than a year and a half after helping LeBron win their 17th NBA championship, Anthony Davis has become the forgotten Laker superstar, nicknamed “Street Clothes” because of his propensity to get injured.
Integrating Anthony Davis should go a long way towards solving the Lakers size problems as well as defensive woes. Having their elite shot blocker who can guard all five positions back should quickly cure the Lakers’ defense. That’s why the progress the James and Westbrook have made is the silver lining in Anthony Davis getting injured. Not only did it give James and Westbrook time to jell but also Davis time to rest and get healthy,
Despite the frustration of this year’s injuries, the way Anthony Davis was playing before suffering the knee injury is incredibly encouraging for the Lakers as he was hitting shots from everywhere and playing great defense. The key for Davis when the Lakers won their championship in the bubble was the months off he head to rest and get healthy before the playoffs. Don’t look now but the Lakers may once again have a healthy, rested AD.
Anthony Davis had just 8 games to get ready for the playoffs in the bubble. If LeBron and Russ can figure out how to win without AD, then adding Davis for the playoffs will make the Lakers the team nobody wants to play.
The Surprise Upside of the Young Lakers
The wild card as the Lakers finish this agonizing regular season is how the older proven veteran players who were expected to dominate the rotations lost their place to better, more energetic and versatile younger players.
Offensively, the Lakers have doubled down on small ball, gambling the elite playmaking of superstars LeBron James and Russell Westbrook surrounded by talented young players who constantly move their bodies and the ball. The result is an offensive chemistry and cohesiveness we have not seen before with this team that’s posted the second best offensive rating and second highest assists in the league in winning two of the last three games.
What the Lakers have discovered is a smart way to use ball and player movement to create scoring opportunities when opposing teams are able to successfully pack the paint against James, Davis, and Westbrook. Surrounding LeBron and Russ with young energetic players who can attack the rim on cuts or splash wide open threes when left alone has been a lethal counter to teams packing the paint to force Lakers to shoot jumpers.
The energy, effort, movement, and chemistry from young Lakers like Austin Reaves, Malik Monk, Stanley Johnson, and Wenyen Gabriel has given the team’s superstars the perfect cast of savvy, talented, energetic role players.
The Lakers Amazing 18th NBA Championship?
How good could the Los Angeles Lakers be if LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook really figure out how to win playing together? Good enough to win their second NBA championship in the last four years.
Still missing superstar Davis and top summer recruit Nunn, the Los Angeles Lakers, led by the the ageless LeBron James and the rejuvenated Russell Westbrook, have finally started to figure out how to win games together. Russ is playing like a redeemed man who just woke up from a nightmare where his shot, handle, and brand had been badly damaged and sees an opportunity to launch a total redemption and revenge tour for the Lakers.
The resulting mix of elite veteran playmaking and energetic young talent and the resulting chemistry and cohesion has the Lakers finally looking like the team many thought they could be when the Westbrook trade happened. The players are starting to play on a string at both ends of the court, cobbling together 30-assist games, winning the rebounding and points in the paint battles, and playing their championship small-ball-on-steroids.
The Lakers will have to win two games in the Play-In to win the right to face the Phoenix Suns in the first round of the playoffs but there’s no question the Lakers will be the team nobody wants to meet in the NBA playoffs.
Let me be clear, I loved how the Lakers continued to pay the same style on offense and defense despite missing both LeBron James and Anthony Davis. It was the fourth game in a row where the team played hard, smart, and better than all season long. A few less turnovers by Russ and 3-point makes and we would have had a great upset. Lakers showing why nobody wants to meet them in the play-in or the playoffs.
This could all turn to dust with another untimely injury but, after a season of disastrous events, the Lakers suddenly seem to be getting their act together. Is it probably too little too late? Could be but there’s also the reality that this team could be big trouble with LeBron playing like the best player on earth, AD playing like Bubble AD, and Russ finally figuring out how to undermine the paint packing by posting up his man.
If the Lakers can pull this off, it would be the greatest championship run in NBA history. I predict the Lakers will at least make the Western Conference Finals this season, maybe even saving Frank Vogel’s job as head coach.
Great article, Tom! Even though the Lakers lost to the Sixers yesterday, they came very close to a W without Bron, which is great!
One thing your article didn’t adddress is the effectiveness of DJAugustin and DHoward. I’m super impressed with the way DJ is able to play off the ball, so we can have him play at the same time as Russ, and they seem to have good chemistry. His shooting is terrific, and Bron should be happy to have him too. Finall, Dwight is still excellent when he’s able to play; his game against the potential MVP Embiid was phenomenal, and Mark Jackson commented on him too. Dwight will be very helpful against teams using big centers. He’s not as quick as Jokic, but he’s good against almost any other 5. We’ll need AD to defend against Jokic, if the chance arises! The biggest problem I’ve had with Vogel was his stupidity in playing Deandre Jordan over him, suggestive of a brain aneurism!
Great to see you joining the blog, Dean. I’ve loved communicating with you on Twitter and it’s going to be fun having your input and takes on Lakerholics.Com.
You’re absolutely correct that a fourth element should have been the contributions of DJ, Dwight, and Melo. Those guys are going to be instrumental in any run we get in the playoffs.
To me, the turning point for this season was Russ literally stealing a game that had already been recorded as a loss and putting it the win column. That game changed everything for Russ and Lakers.
I love the late comments by the announcers that if the Lakers players play like this when LeBron and AD come back, nobody is going to want to play LAL in the playoffs.
Winning #1 seed in the East and West is a dicey affair this year as the Nets and the Lakers look as their respective first round opponents. Believe it or not, the Lakers have a path to a title.
Dwight coming up big was really important to Lakers’ chances in the playoffs against the teams from the East. I was worried after his previous game that Dwight was washed. It was great to see him do well, especially on offense finishing at the rim and hitting his free throws. He’s going to be indispensable in the playoffs.
Plus, when Dwight plays, we get to see a new hairstyle every night:))
Hahaha, that’s a good one, John. Maybe that’s our lucky charm.
I hope this year will be a reminder of the bubble championship, where Frank made some shaky game 1 decisions but then made the right calls to roll to the championship.
It’s almost criminal how much time it takes him to stop trusting a veteran player who is playing poorly. Jordan, Drummond, Bradley. Ironically, most of the scenarios where the Lakers make a deep playoff run or even win a championship, are also scenarios where Russell Westbrook and Frank Vogel both might save their jobs.
That clearly makes this the wackiest NBA season ever. I could even see the Lakers winning their 18th NBA championship in this wacky season. Winning the #18 while coming from the #10 seed in the West.
Tom, I think the team is finally finding some cohesion and chemistry that could be the turning point of the season. It all began when Russ sent the game to overtime against the Raptors and help pull victory from the jaws of defeat.
Welcome to the blog Dean!!! Happy to have new voices and opinions. Sorry it had to be during such a slog of a season but it is what it is.
Thanks, Jamie. I like this blog.
Welcome to the blog, Dean. Love your take on DJ Augustin and Dwight. Great points.
Thanks, Buba.
Great, but may very well be too late. : )
Better late than never!
The only thing this affects is will it be enough to nix a potential trade of Russ this summer. For the “trade Russ” advocates you kind of don’t want them to figure it out at this point. That opens the “well we now have a bunch of excuses NOT to trade Russ!” door. Even I, who had high hopes early on, don’t think this is a union that should last past this season but as we now know the talent evaluation ability of the front office is…shall we say flawed.
I don’t think we can hope for anything other than a brave showing in the playin, maybe a lengthy battle before 1st round exit at best. I’d certainly love to be proven wrong on that score but it’s just hard for me to believe in this team given the quality of their play from preseason to now. Worst case scenario at this point is obviously getting knocked out of the 10th spot by the Spurs.
Now you’re scaring me, Jamie. Although I was kidding earlier that a Western Conference Finals finish could save both Frank’s and Russ’ jobs, I didn’t really consider the impact of that happening. Please, God, no.
It’s anyone’s guess what Rob will do. Other than slowly dismantling a championship nucleus season-by-season since they won it’s hard to pin down how he wants the team to look.
One of the things I dislike about Rob is he doesn’t seem to have a preference for style of play. There’s no consistent vision of the kind of team we’re trying to build. It changes every season with the players.
I prefer a GM who has strong belief in playing modern basketball. I don’t like GM’s who claim they can build teams to play any style and don’t have a preference. Same with coaches. Philosophy is important. It matters for GM’s and coaches. Rob has no philosophy while Frank has an outdated and unbalanced basketball philosophy.
Anybody who’s watched and studied the game has to have some understanding of how to play the game the right way. Fundamentals. Share the ball. Play smart. Shoot the three. Defend all three levels.
You build teams that fit the vision. What’s Rob’s vision? Frankly, nobody knows. It’s like having a handyman designing your dream home rather than an architect.
Take ‘Winning Time!’ Jerry Buss had a vision and turned it into Showtime. Phil Jackson had a vision and turned it into 5 titles. What this team lacks is an owner of PBO and coach who have a modern vision for the Lakers. It sure isn’t Jeanie and Rob. They’re just tinkers not tailors.