The Los Angeles Lakers were able to get a big win on the road against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Here are three lessons from the win.
If you are a Los Angeles Lakers fan trying to figure out what is going on with the roster, the coaching situation or anything going forward, I have some advice…
Just take it like the post game reports, game-by-game and see what happens next. Anything else will drive you nuts trying to speculate. Because no one knows what is going on with this team and anyone that tells you different is lying to you.
No one knows. This game is all the proof you need…
After losing to the New York Knicks about two weeks ago, after getting embarrassed by the Cleveland Cavaliers and nearly blowing it against the Chicago Bulls…
You had to know the Oklahoma City Thunder would blow them out of the building on their way to Houston right? I mean the Thunder have the best statistical defense in the NBA! The Lakers are dead last in offense since LeBron James got hurt! Boy is this going to be ugly!
Umm…right?
That’s why they play the games.
The Los Angeles Lakers overcame a 17-point deficit in the first half. After a few lineup changes, the Lakers go on a 21-5 to get back in the game. They used that run as a platform to win 138-128 over the Oklahoma City Thunder in one of the more difficult arenas in the NBA to play.
As big a shock as the Lakers loss on Sunday, this probably a more shocking Lakers win that may have saved Luke Walton’s job for the rest of the season (Any comments with the I told you so…will be ignored!). This game showed that if the team comes out and plays hard and smart, this team can hols the line until LeBron James comes back. Each win represents more time off and rest for James.
One of the major storylines in this game was the slow starts the Lakers were prone to that led to lineup changes. One of those lineup changes was JaVale McGee being supplanted in the starting lineup for Tyson Chandler. It wasn’t the timing of McGee’s benching, just the circumstances.
The lineup change didn’t help as the Lakers fell behind 39-27 at the end of the first quarter. This summed up the first quarter…
But there was three more quarters and an extra five minutes!
Strap up it’s going to be a wild ride…
Here’s the Lake Show Life lessons!
Luke Walton avoided losing his job this week
Believe me Lakers fans, Luke Walton was standing at the plank on Monday morning. A Chicago loss would probably been either the end of Walton’s tenure or a huge showdown between Lakers ownership (Ms. Jeanie Buss) and the Lakers front office (Earvin Johnson and Rob Pelinka). Things couldn’t get much lower and if you paid attention to Walton’s actions…you would agree.
The JaVale McGee benching showed desperation. It wasn’t because of his play. It was because in my opinion, because he went to the media after the Utah game and basically showed defensive deficiencies…
"“I just feel like some of the coverages that we were in should have been adjusted earlier,” McGee said. “But, we didn’t adjust and they kept succeeding at what they were doing.” He added, when asked about Mitchell: “They were setting good screens, and he was getting to the rim, and [Rudy] Gobert was dropping really hard, so it was kind of a conundrum being in between the Gobert lob or the Donovan Mitchell layup.”"
For the record, the Lakers still have a few things to work on (Also read: JaVale McGee is right!). Houston basically rolls the ball to James Harden for option A,B,C offensively, but they play a ton of pick and roll. The lineup change is not changing much if that is the reason why he made the change at the center position.
However…
For the first time all year-long, Luke Walton made noticeable in-game adjustments and found 5 guys that would play hard on the court. He benched his starters and went to his bench with another group. When that group did not work, he tried something else. He found a combination of players that would compete and that turned the ENTIRE game around.
He absolutely coached circles around Thunder coach Bill Donovan! He did outstanding and more importantly, he stuck with what was working.
People make a big deal about rotation patterns in a game. Let’s make it simple, rotation patterns are nothing but finding five guys that are playing well and find the best combination to finish a game with in crunch time. This was the one and only game I saw evidence of it.
Plus the fire came out of Walton in this game. He basically called his team terrible in a TNT interview after the first quarter with Allie LaForce, when it came to competing and sent a message to the team the right way…
Compete or sit! Plain and simple!
Neither JaVale or Tyson set the world on fire so Luke Walton was left with one last option…
Walton saved his job…but Zubac saved Walton’s hide
The defensive debate that played out in the media was a big deal. Tyson Chandler being in the starting lineup did not fix the slow starts the Lakers are suffering from these days. After the first quarter, Zubac had his chance.
Man if he didn’t take advantage of it…
Kyle Kuzma and Lonzo Ball will get the headlines, but on the sneak, Ivica Zubac destroyed the Thunder interior defense to the tune of a career-high 26 points and 12 rebounds. Zubac will make millions in the NBA because he runs the floor and is always prepared to play and is always in position.
He beats the opposing big man down the floor playing the trailer on the fast break and is ready to follow-up if there is a miss…
He is always there as an outlet when his teammates drives to the basket and his man goes to cover being in position at the rim…
I don’t base performances fully on stats, but these are Wilt-like. In 28 minutes, Zubac hit 12-14 shots, grabbed 6 offensive rebounds and had a plus/minus of +35. Here’s the big story…
Oklahoma City Thunder center, Steven Adams had 8 points before the crowd sat down four minutes into the game. He had 9 the rest of the game which included overtime!
Ergo…he played defense too!
Kyle Kuzma is finding the balance on the court
Ever since the Detroit game, Kuzma has been wildly inefficient on the court. Bad defense, bad shot selection and forcing plays that were not there.
He was a lot more efficient against Oklahoma City…
He dropped 32 points and grabbed 8 rebounds in a game that was more important than the Pistons explosion was to the Lakers season.
He picked up two early fouls which included a charge early in the first quarter. After getting chewed out by Walton (Man…folks this was different dude last night!!!) Kyle Kuzma turned in one of his more efficient performances of the season.
The difference, he allowed the game to come to him instead of forcing the issue. Kuzma dropped seven 3-pointers which was a career-high. When it was time to take over in overtime, Kuzma calmly scored every time.
Truth be told, the final shot that ended regulation missed by about four inches. He shot that well against the Thunder.
Lonzo Ball is your point guard! Get used to it…
If you are a Lakers fan and get tired of people dogging Lonzo Ball about his play, ask them to describe his defensive capabilities. If they can’t, walk away. They haven’t watched the games.
Lonzo Ball for the last two games versus OKC could have chartered a limo for Russell Westbrook.
Why? To make sure he got to the game okay.
Russell Westbrook is shooting 10-50 combined against the Lakers this year. Don’t let those final stats fool you and get caught in the…”Russell Westbrook just missed a triple-double! No, Westbrook shot 7-30 for the game. Yes, Lonzo Ball fouled him at the end of regulation. Yes, Westbrook hit the three free throws to get the game into overtime. Yes, LeBron James had something to say on social media…
So what really is “in the shooting motion” rule?!?!? Asking for a friend @OfficialNBARefs 🤔
— LeBron James (@KingJames) January 18, 2019
Lonzo Ball scored 18 points, dished out 10 assists and added six rebounds. For the second straight game, this dude was aggressive. He led the future of the Lakers on overtime.
Check out the first two highlights that put things away in OT!
When he gets in to the habit of not hesitating you get this…who beats a taller player in Jerian Grant in a jump ball, then shoots from distance? Your point guard!
As for Brandon Ingram…
He is an acquired taste for Lakers fans. Either you are going to love him or hate him. Brandon Ingram was out of rhythm with his shot missing his first eight, only finishing with 8 points. But he dropped 11 dimes in the game including this sweet one to Lonzo Ball that got TNT announcer, Chris Webber out of his mind screaming…
Sure, he didn’t shoot well, but he did find other ways to influence the game. That’s all you can count on at times.
Plus he had help…
Ivica Zubac led the Lakers off the bench but he was not alone
The Los Angeles Lakers got an absurd 61 points from their bench! Josh Hart played well scoring 12 points and grabbed 10 rebounds and finished with important minutes in overtime. Svi Mykhailiuk hit two timely 3 point shots. JaVale McGee caught somebody under the rim…
It’s a serious adjustment for McGee though. Only nine minutes. This is a dynamic that needs to be watched.
Finally, the Lakers shooting!
If the Lakers throw bricks up for the rest of the season, feel free to come back and reminisce here. The Lakers shot 50 percent from the field, 47 percent from the land of the extra point.
The free throws…are you sitting down? 19-21 for the game.
Nothing left to be said…
I’m out like Brandon Ingram hitting my first and only shot in the game to finish things…
The Los Angeles Lakers are now past the halfway point in their long journey through the NBA season. Lake Show Life will be there every step of the way. Continue to check in for Lakers news, previews and reviews.