The Lakeshow Review

The Los Angeles Lakers resumed their homestand last night, as they took on the reigning champions Oklahoma City Thunder. Both sides had their respective MVP hopefuls on the bench, as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luka Dončić both sat out due to injuries. The Thunder, however, displayed the type of depth and quality that made them NBA champs, and prohibitive favorites to accomplish that feat again. Despite a closely contested game, they managed to pull away during the final minutes to secure a 119-110 defeat of the Purple and Gold. This was a winnable game for LA, but the lack of execution was glaring, and it was clear yet again that they’re not on par with the league’s elite. With their three-game win streak snapped, it’ll be interesting to see how the team regroups on a short turnaround to play the Spurs, on the second night of a back-to-back.

The Thunder raced out to an early lead, thanks in part to hot three-point shooting. Austin Reaves helped close the gap, checking in midway through the first quarter and scoring nine quick points to help close the gap. LA trailed 31-30 after a quarter and it looked as though the game was going to go down to the wire. AR finished with 16 points on 14 shots, with seven assists, while also coughing five turnovers. LeBron James led the Lakers with 22 points, six rebounds and 10 assists. Marcus Smart had the rare hot shooting night with 19 points, on 4-7 three point shooting. Unfortunately, the Lakers have made wasting a hot Marcus Smart game somewhat of a habit. Rui Hachimura had a productive night, with 12 points, while Jake LaRavia also had 14 points, as he was aggressive in getting to the free throw line. However, it was OKCs offensive floor balance that outshined the Lakers’. Four of their five starters clocked in double-figures, with Jalen Williams leading the way with 23 points (while also being excellent in the fourth quarter with 10 points to close the game). OKC also boasted three reserves with double digits scoring with Isaiah Joe (19 points) and former Laker Alex Caruso (17 points) each helping to anchor their reserve unit. There were several lead changes, and the Lakers even reclaimed the lead late in the third, and battled OKC in a tightly contested fourth. But eventually there execution simply proved superior and they were able to outlast the Lakers, as their depth and versatility was once again key.

On might be tempted to look at the shooting discrepancies, with the Thunder shooting 42% (14-33) from beyond the arc, to the Lakers’ 31% (10-31). Or the turnover battle, which OKC won 21-15. But this game was lost on the defensive end, with LAs lack of attention to detail and OKCs razor-sharp execution. The team’s defensive warts continue to persist, and likely will remain so. LA is remarkably undisciplined with their help defense execution. Often times, they’ll fail to stunt-and-recover, and play the gaps in order to stop drives. Their switching, is also at times abysmal, as the on-ball defender consistently fails to get behind the screener/roller, which leads to all sorts of breakdowns. When guarding handoff actions, the screener defender rarely bellies-up to the screener so the POA defender can swiftly go under and shoot the gap. Little things. But ultimately, they add up. These are mistakes that have been pervasive throughout the entire season thus far, but to me, were glaringly evident last night, and the prime culprit towards the final outcome.

OKC, on the other hand are both crisp and disciplined with their execution, on both sides. They always play the gaps aggressively, and know how and when to stunt to disincentivize drives. They know how to funnel the ball into help, and they know how to ice a screen. They’re tactical when it comes to defending ball screens, unafraid to bring the big man up to touch, at the level or at times above the screen, so that it causes chaos for the ball handler, and provides more obstacles to navigate through. The Lakers are missing these ingredients. Not just in terms of their mindset, but also with their Xs and Os. They’re not aggressive enough in taking away their opponents strengths, often letting them dictate the terms and tempo. Some of this is due to personnel shortages, but some (if not most) is also due to coaching. Not to mention, their interior defense is gravely lacking, with Deandre Ayton (who had another poor showing with six points and 10 boards) simply being too much of a non-factor down low . One has to start to wonder if the JJ Redick and his coaching staff are capable of implementing the types of schemes necessary for the the team to win consistently.

Ultimately, it’s just one game, albeit a solid benchmark game, being that it came against an elite team. It’s yet another test where the team has come up short. It’s abundantly clear that the front office will have to deliver changes during the offseason, as the roster is till greatly off-balance. Getting LeBron’s albatross $55M off the books will have an impact as far as being able to add pieces to balance and round out the team. Missing Luka Dončić surely played a role in losing last night, but OKC was minus SGA themselves. Yet, they’re team looked complete and well-prepared, whereas the Lakers looked meek and uneven. With Luka out, the team is over-reliant on LeBron, who simply cannot get it done anymore, especially against the better teams. It’ll be a quick turnaround for the Lakers, however, as they’ll play the San Antonio Spurs today who themselves are a top team who’ll provide another tough challenge. The Lakers need to play more of a sustained game in terms of effort, and look to mitigate some of the mistakes exposed by OKC last night. If not, it could be a long night. Go Lakers.