Week 1 Review: The Lakers Rebounding Problem
Four games have been played in the Lakers version of Hell Well. In three of the games, the Lakers were outrebounded and outhustled. Their underachievement in this area of the game led to more opportunities for their opponent, more possessions, more points, additional time on the clock, another go round at defense which the Lakers are not particularly good at. Their numbers are rock bottom in any area you want to measure.
They are last in point differential. They are last in opponent points. They are last in opponent field goals. They are 26th in opponent assists. They are last in three point differential. They are 27th in rebounding. They are 27th in blocked shots. So it makes all the sense in the world that they are the only team in the Western Conference not to have won a game.
Oct 31, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Jordan Hill (27) scores over Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin (32) in the second half of the game at Staples Center. Clippers won 118-111. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Rebounding, the how-bad-do-you-want-it stat, is one example of the Lakers inferior play. In Oakland, on Saturday night, the Golden State Warriors missed 37 shots (although it seemed as if they never missed.) The Lakers leading defensive rebounder that night was Kobe Bryant, if that makes any sense. How can a shooting guard lead a team in rebounding on a back to back night when he is 36 years old? Kobe had six rebounds, five defensive. Ed Davis had four defensive rebounds. Jordan Hill had 1 defensive rebound. All in all, the 39 missed shots by the Warriors led to 20 rebounds by the Lakers.
Compare that to the night before, against the Clippers. The Clippers missed 37 shots too. But the Lakers rebounded 31 of the misses. It is the primary reason the game came down to the last possession, the Lakers toughness around the rim. Clichéd as it may sound, more often than not, the team that outrebounds the other team is the team that wins only because they are playing harder.
So, here we are in the second week of the season. The personnel evaluation has to include taking a second look at Robert Sacre as the starting center and shifting Jordan Hill to power forward. Sacre is a seven footer who in the same way as a DeAndre Jordan who emerged under the tutorial of Doc Rivers, can raise his output tutored by Byron Scott and his staff. Sacre (should) play at least 18 minutes in the lane as a big body who can deter traffic. His offense is an afterthought and even that isn’t half bad. He hits a mid range jumper every now and then. But the Lakers need Sacre to play like a 7 footer which balances out what the rest of the Lakers can do on the glass and with their rotations.
Outside of Jordan Hill, the only effective rebounder is Kobe Bryant. Carlos Boozer looks like a disinterested five or six rebound player. Ed Davis plays hard on the offensive glass but he is not big enough going up against Andrew Bogut and Tiago Splitter and Marc Gasol whose bodies and strength will overpower him. The Lakers need size in the middle.
The Lakers offense is coming together, improving with each game as Jeremy Lin figures out how to balance aggression with coach-on-the-floor responsibilities. The team’s execution is more nuanced and less predictable and the ball is moving more. Their shooting percentage after the first week, with so many new players, is 44%, middle of the pack. That will only improve as offensive players like Ryan Kelly and Nick Young return to the lineup. The Lakers are one of the top teams in getting to the line, thanks to Kobe Bryant who gets there 8 times a game. They average 29 free throws per game but only make 76% which needs to improve.
But on the defensive end, the Lakers use their hands when they are beaten off of rotations, a consistent pattern. The result is a parade of free throws for the other team. The Lakers are second in the league sending the other team to the line. Once again, the Lakers are giving away extra points when they have such a small margin for error.