The Lakeshow Review

Following a no-show at San Antonio two nights prior, the Lakers took the court in LA against the Milwaukee Bucks in hopes of a bounce-back game. Unfortunately, the team came up flat once more. They never managed to kick the offense in gear, while the Bucks played a solid 48-minute effort, eventually outlasting the Purple and Gold by a 105-101 final. LA was trudging on mud all night, and looked lethargic on both ends. Luka Dončić was off his game, scoring 24 points (his lowest output since Christmas versus Houston) on 8-25 shooting. LeBron James’ 26 points, nine rebounds and 10 assists were not enough to keep the team afloat. The Lakers are clearly reeling and need to make changes, both philosophically and strategically in order to get back on the right track.

The Lakers looked off right from tip-off, as they committed five turnovers in the opening quarter, with most of them being of the careless variety. Eventually, they fell behind 61-52 after a half of play. They couldn’t get it going in the second half either, entering the fourth trailing 86-77. During the final period, they were able to make some noise, as they went on a 17-4 run to momentarily reclaim the lead. Unfortunately, neither Luka nor LeBron could make the necessary plays to bring this one home, as Giannis Antetokounmpo (24 points, six rebounds, five assists, and two blocks) and Kevin Porter Jr. (22 points, five rebounds, six assists and four steals) did enough to earn their side the win.

LAs stars didn’t show up tonight. Luka played terribly, exhibiting poor shot selection as well as on-ball decision-making. He shot 8-25 from the floor, including 4-6 from beyond the arc, meaning he shot 4-19 from two-point range. His finishing around the basket has taken a sharp nosedive lately. Maybe this is who he is, or maybe he isn’t right at the moment. If the latter is the case, he will have to continue playing through it, as the Lakers don’t have the luxury of resting Luka for any prolonged stretch as they’re currently thin on offensive initiators, with Austin Reaves still nursing a calf injury, and not slated to return until at least early February. LeBron James was OK. He can still somewhat fill it up. Too can’t close to save his life, getting swatted by Giannis and then coughing up the rock on back-to-back possessions to seal the loss. To his credit, LeBron’s effort was great tonight. Alas, the Lakers are a top heavy team, meaning that in order to win consistently they need lights out performances from their star players every single night. To make matters worse, Deandre Ayton sucked too. Four points and five rebounds

The Lakers did themselves no favors from the charity stripe either, going 8-14, good for 57%. In a close game, that makes all the difference. Every free throw attempt was taken by LeBron and Luka, so it’s safe to say; they need to buckle down and deliver. Tonight, they didn’t. Luka was particularly terrible, committing four fouls in the third quarter, eventually fouling himself out of the contest following a reckless closeout on Bucks guard Kevin Porter Jr. Luka’s game has lacked the dynamics that we saw early on in the year. He’s settling for bad threes, and the finishing at the basket isn’t quite there. My main takeaway after tonight’s game is Luka needs to figure things out. If Luka isn’t playing like a superstar, then this team has no shot. JJ Redick needs to go back to running more sophisticated ball screen action, where Luka is at his best. The problem is that as of right now, the floor spacing just isn’t there. Teams are just collapsing on Luka, trapping or comfortably doubling off of the corners (where guys like Vando are unable to make them pay). This has affected Deandre Ayton as well, who is seeing his midrange looks be slightly more contested. Regardless, both of them need to get it going offensively..

Amidst this current skid (having lost six out of their last ten), it’s important for the team to be able to make the necessary adjustments to right the ship. One thing that’s looked much better as of late is the collective defense by the starting five. Much of that having to do with the presence of Jake LaRavia and Marcus Smart. With Rui Hachimura slated to return in the coming days, it’s important for Redick to decide whether to insert Rui back with the starters, or to bring him off the bench. Rui needs to come off the bench. Jake LaRavia’s play as a starter (15.4 points/six rebounds/2 steals on 52%FG, 38%3P and 82%FT since joining the starters earlier this month) has been emblematic of the team’s needs more so than what Rui brings to the table. Rui’s specialty is that of a scorer, where as Jake gives you scoring and defense. The bench needs scoring, while the starters need defender. Hopefully Redick can see this and make the right call moving forward. As I stated before, the team’s roles and rotations can’t be predicated on politics, but rather on circumstances. On the aggregate, the Lakers need to do a better job of meeting the moment and positioning themselves in the right spots in order to find success again. Hopefully they have both the urgency and know-how to start putting it together. Go Lakers.