After trading for Luka Doncic last February, the Los Angeles Lakers began this season with championship expectations. Alongside LeBron James and Austin Reaves, Doncic had high hopes of making a lasting playoff run, but the results have been mixed so far.
At 34-21, the Purple and Gold are right in the thick of the Western playoff race, sitting at fifth in the standings, just half a game back from the Houston Rockets. Between the record and their star-studded roster, the Lakers are clearly a threat to win the West, but they have yet to truly maximize their rotation.
Now, with the team healthy for the first time all year, the Lakers finally have a chance to play at full strength. So far, with a strong win coming out of the All-Star break, the early signs have been positive, but there’s still some room for improvement. In truth, if the Lakers want any chance of moving up the standings and competing with the likes of the Thunder and Nuggets, they’ll need to focus on a number of key areas.
Maximize Zone Defense
It’s no secret that the Lakers have struggled defensively this season. Without the proper personnel, theyr’renever going to be great on that end, but there is a path to getting better. The key for the Lakers is implementing more zone defense, as they have at certain points throughout the season. While zone defense alone is not sustainable in the playoffs, it can be used sporadically to disrupt offensive rhythm and limit paint scoring. Most importantly, it builds up good defensive habits by demanding constant communication and awareness of the game.
Man-to-man defense can be easily exploited against offensive guys like Luka Doncic. At least with zone, Redick can hide Doncic by putting him in less exposed areas on the court. By keeping his activity contained to a smaller area, it also helps preserve his energy for the offensive end. If Redick can figure out how to implement zone defense in the right conditions, it could help make up for some of his team’s defensive limitations.
Trust In New Starting Lineup
With good health comes full availability, and the Lakers should take full advantage. Against the Clippers yesterday, Redick featured a new starting lineup that will likely stick for the rest of the season: Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, Marcus Smart, LeBron James, and Deandre Ayton. It’s not the NBA’s best lineup, by any means, but it has just enough of everything for the Lakers to compete.
Between star-power, perimeter shooting, and defense (Smart and Ayton), that unit provides everything the Lakers need. Best of all, it leaves them with plenty of scoring off the bench with guys like Luke Kennard and Jake LaRavia. The important thing now is to build up chemistry and familiarity with repeated reps and plenty of time on the court. There’s still plenty of time left for the lineup to get experience together, and we saw the results on Friday, when the Lakers took the 125-122 win at home.
Let LeBron Run The Offense
The Lakers want the ball in Luka Doncic’s hands, and that’s understandable given that he’s averaging 33.0 points, 7.8 rebounds, 8.6 assists, 1.5 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game on 47.3% shooting and 35.2% shooting from three this season. As good as he’s been, however, he shouldn’t be leading the offense on his own. Even at 41, LeBron James is good enough to play a significant role on his team, not as a scorer, but as a primary playmaker and facilitator.
His experience and basketball IQ are second to none, and the Lakers’ offense runs smoothest when he’s calling the shots. Of course, he can’t carry the team like he used to, but closing out this season well could rely on how much they trust him to set up teammates and dictate the pace of the game. It would also ease some pressure from Luka Doncic, freeing him up for more catch-and-shoot opportunities as he’s moving off the ball. If this is James’ last run in Los Angeles, the Lakers better make it count by getting the absolute most of his game while they still can.
