Lakers: Five Reasons to Be Optimistic About LA
There is no sugar-coating the Lakers disappointing season so far. After last night's home win over the Jazz, the Lakers enter the All-Star with a 27-31 record (9th in the West). They have 24 games left to put it all together.
Despite being seemingly destined for the NBA play-in tournament and with Anthony Davis likely to miss time with an ankle injury, here are five reasons to be optimistic about the Lakers moving forward.
5. The play of Austin Reaves
This will likely be received as reactionary after Reaves drained a three-pointer to seal the Lakers Wednesday's win, but Reaves is the type of player every playoff team needs. He's well aware of his limitations as a player, but knows how to maximize his capabilities. Reaves has proven to be a plus-defender in his rookie season. He has the highest individual defensive net-rating on the team (104.2).
Reaves is never going to single-handily win a game for the Lakers, but he knows how to contribute while on the court with LeBron, Russ, and AD. That is no easy skill.
Whether it's taking charges, effectively rotating on defense, making timely threes, or just general on-court energy, Reaves is the archetypal role player that successful playoff teams need.
4. There's No Faking Desperation
Let's be honest, this veteran Lakers team thought they were going to coast to respectable seed in the West this season. Injuries to LeBron James and Anthony Davis are partly at fault, but the Lakers have not consistently played with a sense of urgency.
Time is running out and the Lakers energy in their last two contests against the Warriors and the Jazz demonstrated that this squad still has some fight in them.
Their backs are officially against the wall, and typically, talented teams find way to respond.
3. An Improving Defense
Entering February, the Lakers ranked 18th in defensive-rating (110.2). This month, they're currently ranked 12th. On Wednesday, they held Utah's top-ranked offense to 101 points and a 41.8% field-goal percentage. Maintaining that trajectory with Davis out will be a challenge, but it's not impossible.
Defense is the calling card of Lakers head coach Frank Vogel. If the players buy-in (Hello sense of urgency!), LA can be a top-ten defensive team in their final 24 games.
2. Russell Westbrook Gets Better in the Second Half
Look, the Lakers guard has had a miserable season. He leads the league in turnovers (230) and has been benched multiple times in the fourth quarter.
However, Westbrook's career stats suggest that he's at his best after the All-Star break. Russ owns a career true-shooting percentage of 52.7%. For his career, February (54.6%) and March (45.0%) are his best months.
Those stats hint that Westbrook needs more time than most to adjust to the roster around him. Especially this atypical Lakers roster.
He's not going to morph into league MVP form, but better times could be ahead for the Lakers third fiddle.
1. LeBron James and Anthony Davis
In what seems like a lifetime ago, the Lakers held a 2-1 series lead over the Phoenix Suns in the second-round of the 2021 NBA playoffs. The Suns were better, but the Lakers had LeBron and AD. Two of the top-ten players in the league.
Then, AD went down and it all unraveled.
Davis is expected to be sidelined for at least two weeks after injuring his ankle on Wednesday. Even if he's out for a month, LeBron can keep the Lakers afloat in play-in tournament land. Not ideal, but it's a reality.
LeBron is having his best offensive season in years. His 52.2% field-goal percentage is his highest since 2017-2018. He's fourth in scoring average (29.1). If you have any questions on what LeBron is still capable of, look no further than him willing the Lakers to a victory on Wednesday with a 15-point fourth quarter.
If Davis comes back healthy for the play-in tournament, does any team really want to play a Lakers team with two of the best players in the NBA in the first-round of the playoffs?
