The Lakeshow Review

Following a rocky month of December, the Lakers have opened the new year on a positive note, and seem to be taking decent steps to playing good basketball once again. They played the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday, and looked like a rejuvenated team. The team went back to its bread and butter, that of course being their half-court execution, and recaptured much of the offensive spark we’d seen early on in the year, en route to a 128-121 victory. It was a good way to kick off the new year, and couldn’t have come at a better time, with the team flirting with disaster as of late.

With Jake LaRavia sliding into the starting group, in the absence of Rui Hachimura, the Lakers actually looked more complete. Jake stepped in with 21 points and nine rebounds, while also playing well on the defensive side. He showcased a nice and versatile game, scoring from the midrange as well as from beyond the arc. All in all, LA received a strong and balanced showing from their starters, with Luka Dončić tallying 34 points, six rebounds and eight assists (as well as six turnovers), and LeBron James chipping in with 31 points, nine boards and six assists. Marcus Smart also found himself in double figures with 13 points, to go with 8 boards and seven dimes, in a solid all-around effort.

Things weren’t all rosy though , as the Lakers blew a 15-point lead midway through the second quarter quarter. However, the team managed to buckle down, finding just enough in the tank to close out the Grizz in the fourth quarter. It wasn’t pretty, albeit, a much needed win for the ailing Lakers.

LA looked to beat Memphis for a second time, as both clubs squared off again on Sunday. Both were severly undermanned, with the Grizzlies sidelining young guard Ja Morant due to calf issues. For the Lakers, Austin Reaves continues to be out of action, missing his fourth consecutive game, while Rui Hachimura sat out his third straight. The team started off slow, but managed to piece together a sufficient effort, erasing an 11-point deficit late in the third, and outscoring Memphis 37-27 in the final quarter, on their way to a 120-114 win. Luka was terrific, netting 36 points, nine rebounds and eight assists. LeBron also finished with 26 points, to go with seven boards and 10 dishes. Jake LaRavia continued his strong play with 26 points, with five rebounds and four assists. Marcus smart (six points on 1-5 from the floor) had a down game, but was offset by Deandre Ayton’s strong 15 point/11 rebounds effort, as the Lakers continued their balanced output from their starting five.

The team flirted with disaster on both nights, playing down to their competition, as has been the case recently, yet managing to find enough to ultimately pull it off. On the bright side, LeBron and Luka are starting to develop more of a rapport. We’re starting to see more two-man action, particularly late in games, particularly in Sunday’s game, which led to several quality possessions dow the stretch. Luka also made a deliberate effort to get into the paint and finish close to the basket, whereas lately his shot selection (via heavy dose of stepback threes) has been suspect. Jake LaRavia also continued his string of good games as a starter, posting back-to-back 20-point efforts during the weekend. When you factor in his rebounding, playmaking and defensive abilities, there’s no reason why he shouldn’t start over Rui Hachimura moving forward. Politics aside, it is the correct basketball move for the team moving forward. Defensively, the issues still persist, with poor rotations, bad transition defense and weak defensive rebounding still presenting challenges for certain stretches. But the effort was there, as well as certain new wrinkles, such as playing Luka off-ball more, allowing him to catch the ball in stride as he curls on down screen looking to score or dish. LeBron screening for Luka, especially late in games, has also proven resourceful, as they’re polishing their two-man game. Something that’s of great value, particularly with AR sidelined for the time being. Hopefully these good bits of progress continue once the Lakers play better competition. They’ll get a chance to test themselves when they take on the Spurs on Wednesday, but not before they play the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday. The team must keep their foot on the gas during this next stretch of games. Thankfully, their hot start has afforded them some leeway, and now, any good three or four game streak can put them back on track. Maybe they can find some success heading into their first road trip of the new year. Go Lakers.