The Lakeshow Review

It was yet another one of those games for the Purple and Gold.

The Lakers actually got out to an encouraging 15-9 lead. But it was fool’s gold, as San Antonio’s superior execution and gameplanning eventually proved too much for the Lakers to contend with. Stephon Castle’s 30 points and De’Aaron Fox’s 20 points led the way in what was a very balanced and potent attack by San Antonio, who prevailed by a final of 132-119.

The Lakers would go on to waste a great shooting night by Marcus Smart, who netted 26 points on a hot 8-14 shooting from three, offering the rare scoring outburst by a Lakers reserve so far this year. Austin Reaves had another disappointing performance, with 15 points on 6-16 shooting. While Luka Dončić once again led the way with 35 points, and LeBron James tagged along with a 19 points and 15 rebound effort. 

It was the Spurs however, who controlled the game from start to finish. Keldon Johnson (17 points), Julian Champagne (16 points) and Dylan Harper (13 points) all tallied double figures for the Spurs bench, who outclassed LAs reserves in what seems to be a recurring theme this year. Even without the presence of Victor Wembanyama, who continues to sit due to a calf injury, the Spurs managed to piece together the type of game that the Lakers could not keep up with.

LA made a faint bid to cut the lead to 8, late in the fourth. But San Antonio swiftly shut down any hopes for an upset as they closed the game strongly, en route to double-digit win. With the loss, the Lakers now drop to 17-7, and fourth overall in the Western Conference. Not a terrible spot to be in, in the young stages of the season. And the early wins have definitely given the team somewhat of a cushion. But some things will need to be figured out in order to get back on a winning track.

The Lakers certainly displayed one of their patent low-effort performances this game, making it nearly impossible to emerge victorious against a quality opponent like the Spurs, who improved to 17-7 after the win. LAs defense continues to be a problem, with their lazy rotations unable to contain the Spurs’ hot shooting (San Antonio shot 17-38 from beyond the arc). LA continues to haemorrhage three-pointers by way of their soft switching, which is equal parts lackluster effort, and poor coaching. Overall, the Spurs’ athleticism on the wing seemed to pose all sorts of trouble for the Lakers, who fared similarly against the likes of OKC and Phoenix, both of whom pose familiar matchup issues. Right now, the only fix for the team’s defensive woes is a stronger emphasis from JJ Redick’s coaching staff, as well as a change of personnel with the starting group. The Lakers currently boast the trio of Luka, LeBron and Austin Reaves, who for all of their offensive skills, are equally as flawed on the defensive side. Add to the fact that Rui Hachimura (who scored an underwhelming eight points) is another member of the starters who doesn’t bring much to the table in the way of defense. The team can’t survive while starting four non-factors on the defensive end. As I’ve stated before, the Lakers simply need to infuse the starting group with more defensive-minded players. Either Marcus Smart or Jarred Vanderbilt have to find their way to the starting five. If not, things will go from bad to worse. 

The Spurs opted to play drop coverage all night. This allowed them to contain the Lakers’ screen and roll action by denying lobs at the rim, and keeping the initiator in front of them at all times, effectively living with midrange shots by Luka or AR. Luka made them pay, while Austin struggled to get into any type of rhythm. It did in fact stifle LAs rhythm, as they ended up settling for mostly jumpers. The Spurs’ big advantage however, was in their speed, as their transition game was highly effective, often netting quality looks at the rim, or getting LAs defense in a scramble frenzy subsequently leading to open three-pointers. This highlights the team’s lack of discipline and commitment on the defensive end. The Lakers did not seem to have any interest in getting back in transition, often leading to 5-3 situations on the fast break, where the Spurs would capitalize for 27 points. The Lakers also surrender far too many threes in early offense situations, which means they aren’t getting their defense set and are being slow to rotate. This all comes down to effort and coaching. Finding more playing time for players with defensive reputations would be a great start. As it stands, the starting five boasts far too many turnstiles on the defensive side. 

This was clearly one of the worst games the Lakers have played so far this season. Not as bad as the OKC game, but pretty bad. LAs bench was outmuscled 48-31, with 26 of those bench points coming from Marcus Smart. Jake LaRavia, Jaxson Hayes, Dalton Knect and Gabe Vincent all combined to score FIVE points. The Lakers need the bench to join the party against these elite teams in order to have any shot. But more importantly, changes are due. Rui has to be slotted with the reserves, as they clearly need some scoring punch. While the starting unit needs defense, in the form of Marcus Smart or Vando. Hopefully it won’t take JJ Redick long to identify these issues, as the the team is about to enter a crucial stage of the season, where they can either win games and continue to afford themselves a cushion, or go on a funk and watch their record dwindle to .500. Let’s hope the early adversity can bring forth the sense of urgency for the team to recapture its winning habits, as they can certainly play much better than they’ve shown. There’s still plenty of season to be played, but it’s never too early to implement changes that will yield better results. Go Lakers.