The Lakers Are Winning: What Changed?
The Los Angeles Lakers are still a far cry from the team that won the 2020 NBA championship in Orlando. However, we can’t deny the fact that they’re finally starting to string together some wins nowadays as they enter Tuesday’s contest with the Cavs on a 3 game winning streak.
While their 0-5 start is still fresh in the memories of fans, the Lakers have now won eight of their last ten games, including a much needed 133-129 victory over Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Milwaukee Bucks. And while they’re still out of the playoff picture in the Western Conference with a 10-12 record, they’re at least within striking distance of the postseason.
Mathematically speaking, the Lakers could still make the 2023 playoffs. So what changed?
A Dominant AD
We’ve said it before and we’re saying it again: a healthy Anthony Davis is a dominant Anthony Davis. The Lakers’ past eight games showed just that.
In his past eight outings, Davis averaged 32.9 points, 15.4 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 2.7 blocks, and 1.4 steals. He shot 63.1% from the field and 86.7% from the free throw line. The Lakers went 6-2 in that span.
Against the Bucks, he stood toe-to-toe against Giannis Antetokounmpo and finished with 44 points, ten rebounds, three blocks, and shot 18 for 27 from the field in 40 minutes.
The only worry the Lakers should have in AD at this point is his health as he’s been associated with tons of injuries throughout his stint with the club. If he remains healthy, he will be a major problem for the rest of the NBA as he also leads the Lakers in win-shares (3.7).
Contributions from Bench
While LeBron James and Russell Westbrook continue to provide their usual numbers to back Anthony Davis’ dominance, the Lakers have also been getting contributions from other players during their recent run.
In their 128-109 victory over the Damian Lillard-less Portland Trail Blazers, Austin Reaves had 22 points, eight assists, four rebounds, and a steal.
In their third victory against the San Antonio Spurs, LeBron James erupted for a season-high 39 points but he wasn’t the lone bright spot. Every player Coach Darvin Ham fielded scored. Dennis Schroder had 21 points and six assists, while Lonnie Walker IV had 19 points, Wayne Gabriel added 15 points off the bench, and Reaves had 11 points.
The Lakers won that game without Anthony Davis.
Even Thomas Bryant had his moments in the games he played and the Lakers won. In those five wins he played in, he averaged ten points and 4.8 rebounds in 15.6 minutes. On November 21st against the Spurs, he finished with 15 points, and nine rebounds and made all of his five attempts from the field. On December 1st, Bryant scored 14 points and added a three-pointer for good measure.
While this Lakers squad isn’t a great one compared to that 2020 roster, they’re making progress. There are still times when the Lakers seem lost on the court, especially when up big. However, we can’t deny the fact that they are now a much improved team compared to the one that started 0-5 this season.
They still feel like they’re a piece or two away from truly becoming contenders, but knowing the front office out west, they’ve likely got a few lines in the water as we speak.
-Iggy Gonzales
Photo: All-Pro Reels. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.