Lakers

The Lakers look nothing like the team LeBron is quoted as saying needs to “play near-perfect” in order to win. It’s hard to imagine the team we started with weathering a rash of injuries and tough schedule so smoothly. Reaves and Hachimura out? No problem, next man up and let’s keep the good times rolling baby.

1. The man who I am quickly running out of superlatives for. Luka is rounding back into game shape and it’s going to be a problem for the Association. His line of 29 points, 6 rebounds and 9 assists won’t be hung on the wall, and was offset by his 6 turnovers, but seeing Luka casually play this way when he clearly still doesn’t have his legs or wind is exciting. By the time the playoffs roll around we should see the best, current version of Luka. Like any great playmaker it’s exciting to watch him maneuver and orchestrate. Toying with defenders, probing effortlessly, and having a blast doing it. It looks like he’s settling in now and once he gets up to full speed physically watch out.
2. Lebron just missing history. 49999 combined regular season and playoff points. An astounding number and he came up 1 point shy of history. LeBron had a rough game, wasn’t hitting his threes and had a whopping 8 turnovers. The thing is, if you told me that Rui and Austin would be out and LeBron and Luka would combine for 14 turnovers themselves I’d tell you we likely lost the game. That’s the beauty of what’s happening in LA right now, it’s as much a team success thing as individual greatness colliding.
3. Dalton Knecht’s return to form. DK4 had himself a ball game. Crashing the glass, hitting threes, and generally making a positive impact. A lot of bench guys had an overall minus rating but I’m putting that on LeBron and Luka giving the ball away like a fruit cake in a white elephant gift exchange. Dalton got hot early and the Clippers adjusted their defense but that left other guys free to rebound or drive. Solid game for Dalton and here’s hoping he’s putting all the BS behind him and letting all of it help him grow and improve.
4. Vando’s best game this season. You can see The Vandolorian returning to form, his legs are springier and he’s recovering quicker. 5 of his rebounds were on the offensive glass which we desperately needed in the midst of so very many turnovers. He passed up a three or two I wish he would let fly but in general you can see what kind of look we can feature him in with Luka, LeBron, Vando, DFS and either Vincent or Reaves for a defensive, analytics juggernaut on both ends. He was the only bench player with a positive rating, mostly due to that fact that he played down the stretch in the 4th when we closed out the win.
5. Jordan Goodwin info. I had feared we missed our window to retain Jordan Goodwin on an NBA deal but, after doing some research, I believe I was wrong. We can waive one of Morris, Reddish or Len at any time prior to the playoffs (they no longer would be able to sign with another team being the issue there). We have until April 13th to decide if we want Goodwin available for the playoff roster and convert him from a two-way to a standard deal. Given his recent injury it’s good that we have more time, and I haven’t given up on Reddish being a bigger part of this, but I don’t see much of a role for either Len or Morris other than rah-rah, positive voice in the locker room. Stay tuned.

In what became a close, physical battle the Lakers prevailed by staying within themselves and trusting one another on defense. This one won’t go in the record books under “pretty” or “efficient” but it will still be in the win column and that’s all that really matters. Luka checked the “play against the Mavs” box and now just needs to check the “play the Mavs in Dallas” box later in the season. All in all, the Lakers held serve at home against a tough team.

1. LeBron dominant off the ball. In all his years, whatever team he was on, LeBron ended up dominating the ball. Whether it was D-Wade, Chris Bosh, Kyrie Irving or Anthony Davis the burden of executing and creating for the entire team generally fell on LeBron’s sizable shoulders. Those days seem numbered now, not because of age but because of Luka. The Luka/LeBron connection is real and it will only get better. I can’t recall the last time I saw LBJ score so easily off a missed shot. When he gets behind the defense or can seal the lone defender who gets back (Sorry max Christie) it’s over. With his hoops IQ and still relevant athleticism The King is scoring with more ease than I’ve ever seen him do in all my years of watching this sport. Now, some of that will eventually get scouted out, but in the here and now let’s enjoy these easy buckets.
2. Speaking of off-ball, that was honestly how the lakers closed the game. With a nifty five-out spread that saw Rui, Hayes and LeBron get behind the D or wait for a defender to focus on Luka and slip in for a quick hit layup or dunk. Great stuff that bodes well for any matchup on down the line. If the opening didn’t present itself Austin, Luka or LeBron was able to get a quality shot off. For me it’s always quality over quantity (unless it’s a high quantity of high-quality shots, who doesn’t dig that?).
3. Speaking of Jaxson Hayes, the dude continues to impress. In only 17 minutes he turned in a triple 8: 8 points, 8 rebounds for a +8 +/- rating. Add in 2 blocks and a steal and it’s easier and easier to see why the Lakers are fine with Hayes manning the 5, at least for the remainder of this season. He’s always been great at finishing the lob plays and we’re seeing him get better at using his speed and size to offset his lack of bulk. If you’re in good position, you generally create good things for the team and we’re seeing that from Hayes more and more.
4. Speaking of creating good things, Vando is rounding into form. Seeing him shoot that corner 3 without thinking is exactly what we need from him. Making 2-3 will get it done and he was the only Laker bench player to make multiple 3s with DFS, Dalton and Gabe all having subpar shooting nights. I see his minutes per game topping out around 20 and I think they’re still letting him ramp up in-game because his legs aren’t there when he jumps, yet, but the corner three has to be in his bag for his impact to translate into the playoffs.
5. Speaking of the playoffs, that’s where the Lakers defense will truly be an asset. not that it’s nothing now, but in a tight game to know we have this many solid defensive options that can also hit a three or get to the rim is going to pay off double once we get into the real season. The lakers have ironed out the transition issues that plagued them early on, have found a nice blend of switching and man while mixing in doubles, traps and a zone every so often and it’s really fun to watch. We’re currently 4th in the west which would mean at least one round of honest-to-goodness home court advantage and a couple extra rest days. Those days could be invaluable to our 2 superstars and overall team health so we need to keep defending intensely and scoring smartly. We have a chance to put some true distance between us and the mid-tier teams as we approach true contender status.