The Lakeshow Review

The Los Angeles Lakers resumed action last night, as they took on the New Orleans Pelicans in what was the first night of back-to-back contests for the Purple and Gold. LA sat out starting forward LeBron James as well as reserve guard Marcus Smart, while their opponent was also without some of their key players, namely Zion Williamson and Trey Murphy III. The Lakers, despite not playing their best game, managed to take care of business, beating the Pelicans by a final score of 133-121. The defense continues to show cracks, but the offense also keeps showing signs of promise. It continues to be somewhat of a mixed bag for the team, but they keep piling up the wins, which is the bigger goal at the moment. But as Coach JJ Redick aptly put it, there’s still room for improvement even after the team’s 15-4 start.

The Lakers got their offense in gear early on, as Luka Dončić led the way with 20 first quarter points. The midrange jumper and stepback three were both in full bloom, as Luka gave the team yet another early offensive outburst. He finished the game with a game-high 34 points (on 9-22 shooting) to go with 12 rebounds, seven assists, a steal and a block. LA also did a great job of creatively moving Deandre Ayton around in their elbows sets, in order to get him some early touches on the block. Ayton had six early points in the opening quarter, on 2-2 shooting. He finished with a stellar 22 points and 12 boards. His consistency has been an incredible addition to the team. The Lakers opened up a 46-27 after 12 minutes.

The second quarter saw the Lakers get a bit sloppy with the basketball, committing four out their nine team turnovers in the quarter. New Orleans upped their intensity by aggressively attacking the Lakers off the dribble, as they got into the paint at will. The Pels also shot a scorching 57% from three for the quarter, and didn’t cool off much more for the rest of the game, shooting 50% for the contest. With that said, LA somehow managed to win the quarter, 31-30, thanks in large part to 13 points by Austin Reaves. AR finished the game with 33 points, five boards and eight assists, to go with a steal and a block. Another terrific performance by the Lakers guard, who continues to make a strong bid for the All Star Game. LA took a big 77-57 lead into the half.

In the third, New Orleans continued pressing, with the Lakers seemingly coasting, as the Pels won the quarter 35-31. They kept the pressure on LAs perimeter defense, which continues to show weaknesses. The team gets broken down at the point of attack far too often, leading to poor backside rotations and closeouts to shooters. Second chance points also favoured the Pels this quarter. The Lakers also went on to lose the points in the paint battle, 62-46. Much of this can be attributed to poor effort. LA has a bad habit of playing down to their competition, assuming that the proverbial ‘switch’ can be turned on or off at their behest, which can be a dangerous game to play. Especially for a team that still has much to prove. Ideally, the intensity and effort level will start to uptick, particularly as we inch closer to the tail end of the season.

New Orleans, by all accounts are not a great team, so the Lakers managed to put them away in the fourth, ultimately building a 20 point cushion in the final minutes. In a favorable turn of events, the team managed to rest some of their key starters including Luka (who played 35 minutes last night), in order to preserve their legs for the Phoenix Suns on Monday night. With that said, it’s important for the team to not learn all the wrong lessons after these types of games. The Lakers, for their part, played a great offensive game, shooting 48% from the field, as well as 37% from three. They’re relying heavily on the dual brilliance of Luka and AR, both whom have been terrific so far. They also recieved robust anicillary performances from Ayton and Rui Hachimura, the latter of who had 14 points, as a fourth option, and continues to show why his midrange mastery and deep corner threes are invaluable commodities to the Lakers offensive arsenal. Defensively though, there’s still much left to be desired, as rotations and lackluster effort continue to be an issue. Against the teams in the bottom brackets, these aren’t pressing issues. But against stiffer competition, it could be the difference between winning and losing. Of course, having Marcus Smart back in the lineup will help. But maybe the coaching staff should look to bring back Jarred Vanderbilt out of the doghouse, as his skillset could definitely provide the defense with a proper jolt. In any case, it’s starting to become clear that the team quite simply needs more defensive-minded players at the top of the rotation.

LA will receive a slightly tougher test against the surprisingly competitive Phoenix Suns today. We’ll see if they’re able to get up for this game, or if they continue to surrender substantial advantages on the defensive end. The Lakers starters will be well-rested, after having a slightly reduced load Sunday night. Deandre Ayton exited the Pelicans game late, and will likely be a game time decision against Phoenix. In either case, the Lakers should look to finish their homestand with an exclamation point, before they hit the road again later in the week, where they’ll take on some of the Eastern Conference’s heavy hitters. Hopefully the team can keep the winning, and the momentum as they look to keep rolling. Go Lakers.