The Lakers might just be good enough already.
After The Trade, the idea was that the Lakers weren’t going to be contenders this year. They blended their entire structure up too dramatically. They didn’t have the pieces to fit around Luka Dončić, even with LeBron James, to make a real title run.
The Lakers even leaked this, suggesting they were not going to be radically aggressive in pursuing more moves before the trade deadline. They even failed Mark Williams’ physical, which they likely wouldn’t have done if they were desperate to try and make a run this season.
Sure, they’d be fun, but with no real starting center and without knockdown shooters, they weren’t really ready. This was all gravy.
And then a funny thing happened.
They just … won.
They were the hottest team in the league outside of Golden State before the recent spate of injuries.
LA dipped over the last week or so and everyone reacted by pointing to the absence of LeBron James with a groin injury. But then on Sunday, the Lakers ran all over the poor Suns, even with James still out.
Here’s the secret: Luka Dončić is a microwaveable meal. Or maybe it’s more “Just Add Water.”
With Dončić, all you need to be very good is a pick-and-roll big who can run the floor and switch defensively and at least one reliable 3-and-D wing. Two, preferably, but one will work in most situations.
Jaxson Hayes.
Dorrian Finney Smith.
The numbers are pretty clear. The Lakers with Doncic and Hayes are beating teams by 17 points per 100 possessions and holding them to a 102 offensive rating. Add in DFS and it's a +15 net rating in even more minutes.
I’ll spare you more numbers, but everything gets better with Rui Hachimura as well. Again, you add another 3-and-D and the formula works even better.
Hayes struggled for the Lakers before the trade. He had moments but didn’t fit with Anthony Davis. He’ll likely struggle in matchups with bigger lineups, but he even showed in the win over Denver that he can be capable as a big denying Nikola Jokic the ball in fronting situations and helping weakside.
More than anything, what the Lakers have proven is that what should be an immense weakness for them — their defense — has been a strength. In a switching scheme, Austin Reaves and Dončić should provide multiple tender points to attack. But instead, the Lakers’ help defense has held up to cover for those two and they’ve contributed as much as you can reasonably expect.
James will return at some point, and that will make the Lakers even better. The West has tough teams, but they all also have their flaws. What the Lakers have proven is that it doesn’t matter that the timeline wasn’t supposed to allow them to contend this year, or that they don’t have the pieces they thought they needed.
They have the results, and if they just keep winning, who’s to say when it ends?
After all, The Trade is proof enough that the Lakers’ good fortune knows no bounds.
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NBA news roundup:
- The Cavaliers *finally* lost, breaking their winning streak, which had extended since *before the Super Bowl*. Orlando got the win in a sleepy matinee Sunday as the Cavaliers’ shooting luck dried up entirely.
- Oklahoma City, however, kept the good vibes going, knocking off the Pistons and then the Bucks in a weekend back-to-back. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 79 points across the two contests.
- Denver barely got by the Lakers without most of their rotation on Friday, then lost to the Wizards *for the second time this season* on Saturday. Denver’s defense is entirely broken, and they face the blisteringly hot Warriors on Monday night in the Bay.
First-round playoff matchups we really want to see
1. Wolves-Thunder: A possibility in the 1-8 matchup right off the bat, as Minnesota’s physicality and size present a direct counter to OKC’s speed and wings. That series would be a delightful bloodbath and a battle between SGA and Ant for the much-ballyhooed Face Of The League title.
2. Pistons-Knicks: Every young star needs their breakout moment in Madison Square Garden, and this could be Cade Cunningham’s moment to become a household name. The Knicks’ offensive firepower runs into the sheer aggression and relentlessness of Detroit, as Karl-Anthony Towns has to battle Beef Stew and Jalen Brunson has to shake Ausar Thompson.
3. Lakers-Grizzlies: A very possible 4-5 matchup would see a rematch of the 2023 series with a lot of new faces. Luka vs. Ja, LeBron vs. the upstarts, and the Grizzlies’ depth vs. the Lakers’ star power would be a fascinating mix of styles.
4. Rockets-Clippers: Think about it. James Harden comes home. Houston, a much better team without a true star closer has to face a team with two of them. Steven Adams vs. Ivica Zubac. Ty Lue vs. Ime Udoka. This would be a sneaky good series.
5. Pacers-Bucks: The Bucks have righted the ship by beating the Pacers and winning their season series this year, but every game feels a little uncomfortable still for the Bucks. If Milwaukee is going to launch a real title run, it would be good to start with a revenge spot. Indiana’s always fun to watch and Haliburton and Siakam against Giannis and Dame would make for true drama.