The Lakeshow Review

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  • Lakers vs Wolves: Series Breakdown

    The Los Angeles Lakers will square off against the Minnesota Timberwolves to open their 2025 postseason this Saturday April 19th. After finishing the season 50-32, good for third in the Western Conference, they will begin the chase for the franchise’s 18th championship. Their first round opponent will be the Minnesota Timberwolves, who at 49-33, finished 6th in the Western Conference. This should be an interesting matchup as both teams have strengths and weaknesses that may wind up being pivotal factors throughout the series. Let’s get into them.

    One of the first things that immediately pops to mind when looking at these teams is the question of SIZE. Minnesota are very big, and tough up front with a frontcourt that features the likes of Rudy Gobert (who is the reigning and 4x Defensive Player of the Year), Julius Randle and Naz Reid. Namely Gobert, who gives the team a formidable defensive presence both in rim protection and in his versatility guarding the pick and roll. It remains to be seen how the Lakers will attempt to solve this size mismatch down low. Short of doing this, the Timberwolves will clearly enjoy an advantage on the boards and in the post which will be incumbent on the Lakers to neutralize. We saw, during last year’s playoffs that Luka Dončić is capable of having great success against Minnesota’s defense. With Dallas last season, Luka was relentless in looking for switches out in the perimeter against Gobert and attacking him in space. This resulted in a large bulk of Luka’s scoring, particularly late in games, when the score is close and the action slows down. We’ve also seen LeBron over the years have success at attacking Gobert, having the size and strength to finish over him at the rim.

    On the other hand, the Lakers present certain challenges for Minnesota on the pick and roll. With a trio of Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves and Lebron James, the team has three ballhandlers capable of initiating and running screen and roll action at a high level. Dončić and Reaves in particular are capable of really hurting a defense if it chooses to drop on ball screens. If LA’s main perimeter stars are allowed to walk in to clean pull-up looks on ball screens then that is certainly an advantage for them. However, in order for the Lakers to successfully pull Minnesota’s bigs out of the paint, their pick and pop threats like Rui Hachimura and Dorian Finney-Smith will have to be on their game as far as shot making. Otherwise, the Wolves can simply stay at home on screens all night and congest the paint for LA’s ballhandlers.

    However, Minnesota offers LA similar challenges when they have the ball. Anthony Edwards, in particular is an elite offensive player, who managed to finish in the top five in league scoring. He’s been playing great basketball, and has proven deadly both on the midrange and behind the arc, not to mention his downhill finishing and shot creation. Containing him will be a major hurdle for the Lakers, who outside of Finney-Smith and Jarred Vanderbilt, do not have defenders with the size and athleticism to guard Edwards. Finney-Smith is perhaps the team’s best option to put on Edwards, as he can also contribute on the offensive end when he gets it going. If LA elects to slot Vanderbilt on Edwards, they run the risk of Vando’s sub-par offense affecting the team’s gameplan on that end. There’s also the option of doubling, pre-rotating and loading up on the ball. In my opinion, this is a viable strategy, given how dangerous of a weapon Ant is, and how little playmaking the Wolves have outside of him. If the Lakers can successfully double and trap Edwards (particularly on iced screens on the sidelines), suddenly, his teammates are in a position where they have to make high level decisions with the ball. When those teammates are Naz Reid, Julius Randle and an older Mike Conley Jr., it’s worth the gamble. We may also see the Lakers elect to zone up occasionally, in order to have Ant encounter multiple defenders and dare other playmakers to beat them.

    As it is usually the case, these high level playoff series more often than not come down to individual matchups. Minnesota does not have many options to slot on Luka, whose combination of size, strength and craftiness makes him a perennially tough cover. Then there’s the LeBron factor; similar to Luka, and even in his latter stages, LeBron James is still a tough cover for just about anybody. Minnesota’s best perimeter defender is Jaden McDaniels. It will be interesting to see who the Timberwolves elect to start him on, and if they rotate him on LeBron and Luka (and perhaps even Reaves), depending on who has it going on the Lakers’ side. Anthony Edwards is always a capable defender because of his physical gifts and athleticism, however he is also the team’s best offensive player and primary ballhandler/playmaker. So perhaps tasking him with guarding Luka or LeBron will wear him down, considering he also runs the offense. If Mike Conley is guarding Austin Reaves, then that is an area where LA can excel. There aren’t many other options to put Conley on, as the Lakers are a fairly big team, despite often playing without a true center.

    Defensively, the Lakers will have major challenges in guarding Minnesota’s offense, who boast several three point threats such as Mike Conley, Donte DiVicenzo, Anthony Edwards, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Naz Reid. This is why having crisp and disciplined defensive rotations will be key. The Lakers will also have to find a way to put Julius Randle in a position to take catch and shoot threes, where he has been much less effective. The team will have to continue its knack for fronting the post and negating deep post touches, as they’ve done throughout the year. Most importantly, they will have to find a way to consistently compete on the boards, as they will most likely continue playing their brand of positionless basketball with Jaxson Hayes sitting on the bench for extended stretches.

    Ultimately, this series will come down to a battle of styles. Big versus positionless. Lakers like to overwhelm teams by spreading the ball out and relentlessly attacking in space, where Minnesota likes to bully and intimidate teams with their size. It remains to be seen how much Jaxson Hayes will play. As the Lakers tend to play their best basketball when they’re picking and popping teams into oblivion with DFS and Rui while wreaking havoc with Luka, LeBron and Reaves ball screen actions. If the Lakers can be effective in attacking Minnesota’s drop coverage, and manage to play one of their bigs off the court, then they are in a good spot. If Minnesota is only playing one big by the end of games, that is a good sign. It will mean the Lakers are effectively countering the Wolves’ size with their floor spacing.

    Nevertheless, this will likely be a hard fought series, with both teams bringing major areas of strength to the table. There are no easy series in the Western Conference, and despite the 3-6 seeding difference, only one loss separates the Lakers (50-32) from the Timberwolves (49-33). I expect to see high level playoff action right off the jump, as both of these franchises have managed to reach the conference finals within the last two seasons and are both aiming for deep postseason runs. Let’s get these playoffs started. Go Lakers.

  • Lakers Set to Play Timberwolves in Round One

    In typical fashion, this season’s Western Conference playoff race came down to the final day of regular season play. After clinching the 3 seed on Friday against Houston, the Lakers rested their starters in the final game of the season against the Portland Trailblazers. Predictably, the team dropped the contest, by a final score of 109-81. Rookie Dalton Knecht was the lone bright spot, scoring 27 points, while grabbing 8 boards. Prodigal Son Bronny James and retread journeyman Alex Len each had 4 points. Portland was led by a balanced attack, which saw all five starters net double figures in scoring, led by guard Delano Banton’s 23 points. The contest was of little consequence however, as LA did not dress any starters or key rotational players, opting instead to play their rookies and end-of-the-bench guys. It was a well earned day of rest for LA’s top players, as they look to round one of the playoffs.

    In other news, the Clippers took down the Warriors in overtime, which effectively sends the Warriors to the play-in and helps the Clippers secure the 5 seed, setting up a first round matchup with Denver (4 seed). The Minnesota Timberwolves secured the 6 seed after besting the Utah Jazz, which means they’ll face the Lakers (3 seed) in round one. Top seeds Oklahoma City and Houston will await the results of the play-in before they know their opponents. It should be an interesting next couple of days.

    As far as the Lakers, they’re in a good spot. They will have home court advantage in the playoffs for the first time since the 2020 Disney Bubble. Their next opponent however, is no slouch. The Timberwolves are tough. They have an all-around superstar in Anthony Edwards, who finished in the top 5 in league scoring. Their top 8 guys include Julius Randle, Naz Reid, Jaden McDaniel, Rudy Gobert, Donte DiVicenzo, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Mike Conley. Very solid group; nice mix of veterans and young legs. I still question the on-court fit with Julis Randle, but alas, this is a very good team. Thankfully for the Lakers, they have a blueprint for success against Minnesota. It was provided by Luka Dončić during last season’s NBA Playoffs, when the 5th-seeded Mavericks bounced the 3rd-seeded Timberwolves in the Western Conference Finals. During that series, Minnesota Head Coach Chris Finch elected to play Rudy Gobert in mostly drop coverage, and occasionally up-to-touch, during pick and rolls. They used Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Jaden McDaniels on traps, and had Karl Anthony Towns (who is no longer with the team) hedge on ball screens to avoid switching. Dončić was masterful in utilizing the pocket of spaces provided by the drop and up-to-touch coverages to put his own defender in jail and rise up for high percentage midrange looks. Dallas also utilized a variety of stagger/double ball screens in order to force Gobert into drop, and add a wrinkle of complexity on switches. Throughout that series, Luka was effective at kicking it out to open shooters in the corners when help defenders collapsed the paint.

    This series, Lakers center Jaxson Hayes will be critical. His ability to set good picks and be a dynamic pick and roll big for Luka and LeBron will be key. Another crucial component is the play of Austin Reaves. If he can provide yet another effective pick and roll ball handler, that will give the offense yet another dimension, as it will allow both Luka and LeBron to play off-ball. Minnesota has a bevy of athletic defenders on the wing, so dissecting their perimeter defense will certainly be a challenge. Rui Hachimura is an another important component to the team’s offense, as his knack for filling the lanes in transition and ability to hit open jumpers is paramount. His output will be needed in order to counter that of Minnesota star sixth man Naz Reid, who always seems to save his best for the Lakers. The team’s other perimeter players such as Gabe Vincent and Dorian Finney-Smith should also be counted on to hit open shots and defend at a high level. Team-wise, the Lakers will need to focus on attacking from their 5-out sets, and bringing Gobert out of the paint as much as possible. 

    Defensively, the main goal is containing Anthony Edwards, whose all-world athleticism can give any defense the yips. I expect the Lakers to utilize some combination of Vanderbilt and Finney-Smith for guarding Edwards. As I also expect Minnesota to target switches in order to get Edwards to attack someone like Luka from a triple threat position out in space. The Lakers’ ability to switch and not give up easy offense will be key. Minnesota shooters like DiVicenzo, Reid and Conley are all formidable, and it will be important for the Lakers to stay home on shooters without allowing ball handlers like Edwards to collapse the defense. 

    This should be a good series, as both teams have their strengths that they bring to the table. Both teams have also been to playoffs and certainly don’t lack experience. I think it will come down to the Lakers ability to hit open shots and put Minnesota’s bigs in compromising positions on ball screens. The Lakers will need balanced output from their main stars, and also find a way to not be overwhelmed by Minnesota’s athleticism. I expect this to be a hard fought series, and I think the Lakers can prevail. Until then, Go Lakers.

  • Lakers Secure 3 Seed as Luka Dončić Dominates

    The Los Angeles Lakers came out last night and took care of business. In the midst of a heated playoff race, one where many scenarios where up for grabs, the Lakers did their part to control their own destiny and lock up the 3 seed in the Western Conference. And they did so convincingly. Beating the Houston Rockets in Los Angeles by a score of 140-109.

    Luka Dončić led the Lakers with 39 points (on 13-19 from the field), while adding 8 boards, 7 assists and a steal. Austin Reaves chipped in with 23 points (on 9-15 shooting) to go with 7 rebounds and 6 assists. The Rockets, who have already clinched the 2 seed in the Western Conference, opted to rest their starters. However, they received great production from young stud Cam Whitmore (who the Lakers foolishly passed on during the 2023 NBA Draft, never forget!) to the tune of 34 points (on a clean 13-19 from the field). All in all, it was nice to see the team come out focused and put the clamps down on this game. Yes, the Rockets all but ceded the contest by shelving their starters, but they’re still an extremely well coached team and one who the Lakers may encounter down the line.

    Xs and Os wise, the Lakers didn’t do anything special in this game, but were definitely solid. They were able to count on the individual brilliance of Luka Dončić (39 points) and Austin Reaves (23 points). Early on, they spread the floor with their patent 5 out offense. They were able to exploit switches out in the perimeter as well as provide ample space for their main ballhandlers to create offense. Luka in particular, utilized his unique ability to collapse the help defense to find open shooters like Reaves and Dorian Finney-Smith (who scored 18 points on 6 made three pointers). LeBron James also had a strong performance, scoring 14 points in 22 minutes, before exiting the game midway in the 3rd quarter due to injury. But it did not make much difference, as Luka Dončić proved to be the star of the game once again. In this game, he unleashed the full offensive arsenal, from driving to dishing to midrange pull-ups to post-ups to stepback threes. In particular, when he gets that midrange going, he’s virtually unstoppable. If not for his six missed free throws (8-14 from the stripe) he likely cruises to yet another 40 point outing. Thankfully, no late game heroics were needed, as JJ Redick pulled his starters thru the 4th quarter as the game was seemingly in hand and the Lakers won comfortably.

    Lakers Head Coach JJ Redick remarked a few days ago that he wanted to see the team win all remaining games to clinch their playoff seed. Well, they came one game shy of meeting that objective. Outside of their gut-wrenching loss to Oklahoma City five days ago (one that saw Luka Dončić receive a questionable ejection) the team has played good basketball, by winning four out of their last five contest to up their record to 50-31, securing the 3 seed in the Western Conference. Outside of a disappointing loss to Golden State a little over a week ago, the team has managed to finish strong despite some rocky stretches during the last few months, where both LeBron and Luka have shuffled in and out of the lineup due to injury.

    Alas, we finally have some clarity, as the LA Lakers are locked in to the 3 seed in the West. All that’s left now is how seeds 4-8 will shape out. If Golden State beats the LA Clippers on Sunday, then they jump to the 6 seed. However if the Clippers prevail against Golden State, Minnesota will likely take the 6 seed, dropping Golden State to 7. This game in particular has substantial implications for both the Warriors and the Clippers as the loser will likely fall into the play-in. Both Minnesota and Denver are both expected to win their final contests. Minnesota will play Utah, who are tanking, and Denver will play Houston, who are set to rest their starters once more. So the Clippers/Golden State game will be the one to watch as far as how the West’s bracket will play out. As usual, the Western Conference has proven to be quite the dogfight this season. Outside of Oklahoma City’s dominance, no playoff team has really managed to create much distance from each other. It’s great to see the Lakers take care of their business and finish strong. but there are still many challenges, as now the real season begins. Hopefully these next few days will be vital as far as the team being able to catch their breath and prepare for the postseason. Namely LeBron who has battled some nagging (groin) injuries late in the season. After Sunday’s games are finalized and the play-in tournament is done, we’ll know for sure what the West playoff bracket will look like. In the meantime, Go Lakers.

  • Making Sense of the Playoff Picture 

    Following an emotional and crucial win at Dallas last night, the LA Lakers find themselves in the midst of a heated playoff chase. With two games left to go in the season, the only thing that is for certain is that nothing is for certain. Outside of Houston (2 seed) and Oklahoma City (1 seed), every other teams’ playoff futures rely on their ability to take care of their own business, and perhaps even some scoreboard watching. In the case of the Lakers, who currently sit at 3rd in the Western Conference (with a record of 49-31), they would need to secure at least one win between Friday’s contest versus Houston, or Sunday’s matchup against Portland. 

    If the Lakers manage to lock up the 3 seed, the next logical question would be: who gets to the 6 seed and plays them in the first round? As it stands, seeds 4-8, Denver (48-32), LA Clippers (48-32), Golden State (47-33), Memphis (47-33)  and Minnesota (47-33) are all within two games of each other. I don’t think the Lakers should waste any time worrying about who their opponent will be. The team’s primary focus in these next two games (Houston and Portland) should be a simple one: WIN. Take care of the business at hand and worry about playoffs seeding and opponents later. As it stands, Golden State, Memphis and Minnesota sit at 33 losses, meanwhile Denver and LAC each have 32. It’s still too early to call, and even the Lakers themselves have at best a 1-game cushion over all five of these teams. It’s been yet another season of parity and razor-thin margins in the Western Conference. But the only remedy for uncertainty is simply to win.

    For now, we know that the Lakers will finally avoid the vaunted play-in. However, a worst case scenario could see them drop as low as the 5 seed. Every single team below them, that’s still in the playoff chase, will be aiming to avoid the play-in as well, so there will be stiff competition for how the West’s playoff picture will shake out. The Lakers next game will be against Houston, who are above them at the 2 seed, and locked in to that spot. The Lakers have already beat Houston, doing so only a few days ago during their last homestand. It would benefit them to come out again with that same intensity, and put their best foot forward in order to secure a well-earned playoff seed. After that, they will have some clarity as to where they stand on the playoff bracket and will head into the playoffs with some measure of momentum, something ALL championship-aspiring teams should always look to do. Short of that, they will likely find themselves in a pressure-filled game against Portland (in Portland) where they have always been persona non-grata and where the home fans will be hungry for their team to play the role of spoiler, and drop the Lakers out of home court advantage in the first round. Not to mention, they run the risk of getting leapfrogged by the teams that are currently below them. 

    It’s important for the team to buckle down and play focused basketball in these last two games, in order to enter the playoffs with some swagger and pizzaz, as opposed to merely limping into them. These Lakers have quite simply played great basketball during the seasons’ second half, particularly after the Luka Dončić trade. So it would be a shame to see the team dip in the standings because they took their foot off the accelerator during these last two games. So in my opinion, the teams’ objective should be a rather simple one: WIN and hopefully have the playoffs be an extension of a strong regular season finish. Go Lakers.

  • Operation: Homecoming

    From tipoff, it was clear that this wouldn’t be your ordinary early April game. Emotions were pouring from the hometown fans for their former hometown kid. A player whom they saw drafted, developed and blossom into a star. A young man who made his journey from Slovenia (by way of Real Madrid) into the bright lights of the NBA seven years ago in 2018. A generational talent who led Dallas to its third NBA Finals berth just last year, and was considered by many to be the franchise’s cornerstone. The Prodigal Son, Luka Dončić, returned to his old stomping grounds in Dallas for the first time since being traded to the Los Angeles Lakers on February 2nd. 

    The Lakers looked to get back on track, on the second night of a back-to-back, following a tough 1136-120 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder last night. A game that saw Dončić receive a questionable ejection after being handed a second technical for the night during the final minutes of the fourth quarter. To make matters worse, this was a game The Lakers seemed to be in control of, before Luka’s ejection. Safe to say, the team was in dire need of a win tonight, as they’re looking to secure a top 3 playoff seed and avoid the vaunted play-in tournament; and dropping consecutive games would certainly not help that cause. The stage was set and the lights were bright for Dončić to return to the American Airlines Center in Downtown Dallas, a place he once called home, and put on a show for the hometown fans while helping his new team secure a much-needed road win. And put on a show he did. 

    The Lakers prevailed in a hard-fought 112-97 win. Dončić wasted no time going to work. His 45 points matched a personal season-high, becoming just the second player in NBA history to record 45 point outings for and against the same team in the same season. LeBron James added 27 points (with 13 of them coming in the final quarter) while Rui Hachimura and Austin Reaves each contributed 15 and 11 points apiece. Naji Marshall, of the Mavericks, lead his team with 23 points, while former Lakers Anthony Davis and Max Christie (both part of the Luka trade) scored 13 and 11 points respectively. 

    Game-plan-wise, the Lakers continue to have an answer for opposing teams’ big men, holding AD to just 13 points on 13 shots. Davis was double-teamed or trapped after virtually every catch, mostly in delicate areas of the floor such as the baseline, which limited Davis’ passing angles and court vision. It bears mentioning that Dallas’ main perimeter star Kyrie Irving is out with injury, and their other marquee name Klay Thompson did not play to his standards (only scoring 6 points). The LA defensive trio of Jarred Vanderbilt, Gabe Vincent and James Goodwin were instrumental in disrupting passing lanes and forcing Dallas turnovers, particularly during their half court sets. Luka also had a strong defensive game with 4 steals. The Lakers won the turnover battle 12-20. 

    Offensively, LA spread the floor, attacking primarily from a 5-out set. Early on, they found success running pistol action (which is when two wings combine for either a handoff or a ball screen at the wing, with the center trailing the play at the top of the key), which often led to switches, leaving Dallas center Derrick Lively guarding either Reaves or LeBron out in space. The team continues to thrive in transition (15 fast break points to Dallas’ 13) anchored by the playmaking of the trio of Luka, Reaves and LeBron. One particular play of note was a breathtaking alley-oop from Reaves to LeBron early in the 2nd quarter. 

    But the star of the night was one Luka Dončić. His 45 points led both teams substantially, and also tied his Lakers season-high which he set versus Milwaukee earlier this season. Coach JJ Redick made a conscious effort to allow for Luka to operate in space within the half court, often targeting switches that Luka successfully attacked. It was clear that this was a game were he would get to shine his offensive prowess. It didn’t hurt that he shot a blistering 7-10 from beyond the arc, mostly on stepbacks, when attacking said switches. In my opinion, Rui Hachimura had a strong performance with 15 points (on 3-7 from beyond the arc) successfully spacing the floor for Luka on the half court, draining a couple of corner threes, and finishing his baskets in transition. Dallas tried hedging on Luka ball screens late in the 4th quarter, but they were successfully countered with Rui and Austin Reaves short rolls. Austin is a great playmaker in these situations, and Rui can hit the pull up jumper when the defense sags. LeBron James also did his part to help the team pull away late, scoring 13 of his 27 points in the final quarter. Luka put the finishing touches after hitting a stepback three and a driving layup in consecutive possessions before exiting the game to a round of cheers and nostalgia-ridden applause. 

    It was a bitter sweet moment for the Mavs faithful, but from a Lakers perspective, this was certainly a performance to build upon. The team was gassed following a tough loss last night, but they found a way to tough it out and find enough balance to complement Luka’s Superstar Of The Night performance and triumphant homecoming. The goal now should be to finish the season strong and secure that 3 seed. Go Lakers.