2. A fast pace will strengthen the Lakers’ home-court advantage
What has been the biggest complaint about Lakers fans, especially those of them at Staples Center attending a game?
That they’re too quiet, laid-back, blasé, preoccupied with doing business deals on their cell phones, etc.
Well, those complaints are very fair.
The thing about Angelinos is that you have to give them something that will catch their attention and get them stoked.
When it comes to basketball, especially Lakers’ basketball, that means giving them a show. Which means playing a crowd-pleasing, uptempo game.
In all sports, having a strong homecourt advantage will help your team, especially come playoff time. When the home team is down and playing poorly, a good home crowd will give them the love and positive energy they need to get themselves going and back into the game.
The Lakers did a good job of that during the first half of the 2018-19 season, as they started to create the habit of racking up victories on a consistent basis partly because they were getting plenty of fast breaks and early offensive opportunities, especially off of their defense.