Why LSU is Such a Different Team When Fully Healthy

Just like any well oiled machine, all of the parts must be in sync and running at full capacity for LSU to maximize its potential this season.

We've heard it plenty from coach Will Wade about how important every piece to the puzzle is for the Tigers and for the first time in a month, LSU looked like a team that started its season 14-1 and was well within the top 25 rankings. In desperate need of a win, the Tigers saw the return of senior guard Xavier Pinson to the starting lineup and boy did it ever pay off.

While it may not have shown up in the stat sheet with Pinson scoring 11 points in an all around very disciplined, in control game, his presence on the court and being around his teammates is what makes all the difference in the world.

"He's a leader, someone who puts us in our spots, very vocal so it felt like it did in the beginning of the season," forward Tari Eason said. "I feel like we've really come together as a team and really just locked in on the little details. I think we're going in the right direction and we want to build on it.

"He was 85-90%. If you can't see it looking at that, he makes a world of difference," Wade added. "It's really just the rotation, X makes a huge difference but those top seven guys, we need all of them. That's what makes the whole thing work. Those top seven guys, when they're healthy, we're a lot better."

Those top seven guys of Pinson, Eason, Brandon Murray, Mwani Wilkinson, Darius Days, Efton Reid and Eric Gaines are all so integral to what LSU does that even losing one of those pieces throws the whole system out of whack. What Pinson in particular does so well is his organization skills with whoever is on the floor.

He takes it upon himself to be that extension of Wade on the court, helping the team get settled on both ends of the floor. His communication and leadership responsibilities are a big part of what LSU has missed for the last several games and why him being active and healthy made all the difference.

"It's a difference being on the sidelines and trying to instill confidence and trying to coach them up and actually being on the court and guiding them," Pinson said. "Being able to coach my guys, try my best to keep us organized throughout the game."

LSU still needed to go out and execute the game plan and for the first time in three games it didn't get off to an atrocious start. Instead the purple and gold came out swinging in College Station to build an early 20 point advantage through lockdown defense and timely three pointers.

But there was just another element to the way it all looked that should have fans excited about this team again. The 22 turnovers were, as Wade put in the postgame press conference "abysmal." But when the Tigers weren't coughing the ball up, there was ball movement, open looks and just more of an organized look to the offense.

LSU recorded 17 assists on its 25 makes for the game after not scratching the 15 assist mark just once in the previous nine games. LSU averages just 12.4 assists per contest this season, far removed from the upper echelon of successful offensive teams around the country.

Getting back to the normal rotation will help this team get back to sharing the ball a bit better. That's something that Pinson says comes from familiarity with one another and where the best spots for each player are on the court.

"When this team is healthy and where we need to be, we win," Pinson said. "There's no question about that. All of our losses came with one or more guys out. That's no excuse but we've gotta be honest about it. When we have our full roster, we win and when we don't, we have problems. We're getting better and better everyday."

Now that the losing streak is snapped and this team is relatively healthy, LSU faces a critical final three week stretch of SEC play that will determine where it finishes in the conference. The goal is a top four seed and the Tigers can inch a little closer with a win over Mississippi State on Saturday.

Wade and his team know what's at stake and is proud of the effort his team gave in the face of recent adversity in a must win road battle.

"I had a good sense we were ready to roll," Wade said. "We knew what was at stake, we're not idiots and we had to find a way to dig this thing out. I'm proud of our guys, it's not easy to do when everybody's piling on you and coming out and bowing up like we did, that says a lot about our guys."