The Lakeshow Review

After a disappointing Opening Night effort against the Golden State Warriors, followed by a great rebounding performance against the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Lakers made their way to Northern California to take on the Sacramento Kings for their first road game of the season. LA prevailed 127-120, on the back of a great team effort; one which was mostly fuelled by one Austin Reaves who produced the best game of his young career. Austin was sensational last night, pouring in an incredible 51 points in a game where the Lakers needed every bucket. It was announced shortly before the game yesterday that Luka Dončić will be out at least a week after sustaining a finger sprain (and a leg contusion) during LAs victory against the Timberwolves. So the shorthanded Lakers had their worked cut out for them. Thankfully, Austin Reaves was up to the task and displayed the tenacity, leadership and drive that he’s shown many times throughout his career. Even though it was a tremendous team effort, Austin stood head and shoulders as the main driving force in this game. If he continues this level of play, it will be tough to keep him off of the All Star ballot, not to mention his big payday next summer.

To begin with, LAs offense looked very crisp; that was even with the absence of their two main stars in Luka Dončić and LeBron James. The team, and Head Coach JJ Redick, seem to have made the necessary adjustments since coming out flat against the Warriors last week. The Lakers produced great results from their pick and roll last nigh; with Austin Reaves being the catalyst. AR finished with a game-high 51 points, but also contributed nine assists and pulled down 11 boards. He shot a razor-sharp 12/22 from the field, including 6-10 from beyond the arc. All the while collecting two steals and committing only two turnovers (both in the first quarter). Aside from the gaudy scoring totals, which we’ll get to, Austin’s playmaking was phenomenal last night, proving that the Lakers have more than enough playmaking to flank Luka Dončić, when the ball isn’t in his hands. AR was masterful on ball screens, always making the correct read. Whether it was delivering the slip pass to the roller when the defense trapped, or pulling up against a sagging screen drefender, he consistently delivered results for LA on their ball screen actions. A key ingredient in this was the play of Deandre Ayton, who had his best game as a Laker with 22 points, 15 rebounds and a block. Ayton’s ability to set good screens will be crucial for the Lakers’ offense. Last night he was tremendous, often setting them at optimal angles, and even re-screening when the initial screen was less than effective. The Reaves-Ayton dynamic might have gone up a notch in this game, as both players found a synergy on their two-man actions. As a result, the Lakers were finally able to unlock Ayton’s ability as a screen-and-roll big, with AR’s playmaking as the ignitor. Ayton’s motor and focus comes and goes. But when they’re on, he can certainly help this team. LA needs to find a way to consistently keep him engaged.

Additionally, the Lakers got a healthy jolt of productivity from their other role players. Jake LaRavia chipped in with 11 points and five assists, making some timely threes in the fourth quarter. Marcus Smart also scored 11 points, to go with five assists, and his defense and ancillary playmaking (he hit Reaves on a sweet backdoor cut midway in the first quarter) will continue to provide a boost to the offense, as it allows the Lakers to showcase different looks by playing both AR and Luka off-ball. Jarred Vanderbilt also had a good game, scoring nine points, but it was his defensive pressure which continues to be his calling card. Rui Hachimura was yet another bright spot, scoring an efficient 18 points, and doing so without any three point baskets. He did his damage from the midrange, and as a screen-and-roll partner with AR. Rui’s short roll game can be a factor given that he can both pop for the middy, or finish strong at the basket. Unfortunately, Gabe Vincent came up limping in the second half. He was reportedly wearing a walking boot after the game, which isn’t very promising. Hopefully it isn’t something that will keep him out for long as he’s been playing solid basketball through three games.

This contest was a see-saw battle from start to finish, with Sacramento coming out hot and trying to put their best foot forward against the hated interstate rival. LA was able to ride the hot hand of Austin Reaves in the early going (and quite frankly for the entire game) in order to stay afloat. The Kings were led by guard Zach Lavine, who scored a team-high 32 points, on 12-24 shooting. Demar Derozan pitched in with 21 points, albeit on 22 shots and familiar foe Dennis Schröder contributed 18 points and 12 assists. Standout bigman Domantas Sabonis was held to only 10 points, and for the most part was outplayed by Deandre Ayton. Winning the matchup at the 5 was key a piece in LAs win. Sacramento was able to match LA basket for basket for most of the contest, even taking a lead at one point in the fourth quarter. That was until Austin Reaves checked back into the game and helped LA regain the lead. The Lakers’ execution down the stretch was commendable, particularly in the playcalling department. JJ Redick did a great job of calling plays, especially after timeouts which gave the team a sense of order and familiarity whenever they were in need of a basket. Kudos to JJ. But once again, it was Austin Reaves who really shined towards the waning moments of the game. His decision-making as a lead ballhandler was both aggressive and precise, always making the right read coming out of ball screens. He’s getting really good at executing the pocket pass whenever the screener defender presses up to guard the screen. Often hitting a cutting Rui or Ayton in stride. This is tremendous development from Reaves, as the Lakers can use his secondary playmaking, behind Dončić, to diversify their offensive playbook. Reaves was also able to make the clutch free throws (he was 21/22 from the line) to eventually seal the win.

Great win for LA. They showed a level of energy and focus that wasn’t present during their loss to the Warriors last Tuesday. Their next man up mentality merits praise, and hopefully, they’ll keep it up. Having guys like Vando and Smart roaming the defense on the perimeter is a huge asset to this team, as those two can consistently pressure the ball and disrupt passing lanes in order to generate turnovers. This in turn gets the team easy transition opportunities, where even guys like Ayton are ardently running the floor in order to beat his man and get an easy bucket. Great effort, overall, from the team. It’ll be tough to navigate these next couple of games with the absence of Luka, and now Gabe Vincent, who will presumably be out a while. But if they maintain of this level of focus, they can certainly remain competitive and be in position to snatch some wins late in games, as they did last night. The Lakers will head back home to take on the Trailblazers, on the second night of a back to back. Hopefully they’ll bring the same type of mentality and fight that can carry them through the next few games. Go Lakers.