Los Angeles Lakers: 3 Lessons learned from Sacramento Kings, Atlanta Hawks sweep

The Los Angeles Lakers continue to roll along defeating the Atlanta Hawks and the Sacramento Kings. What was learned over the weekend that shows the Los Angeles Lakers are sitting back on the top of the NBA? Lake Show Life shows why in Lake Show Life Lessons!

The Los Angeles Lakers are sitting at the top of the NBA right now. Let that sink in Lakers fans! This team is better than the rest of the teams in the league and nobody can tell you differently. Two games that brought back some bad memories were exorcised when the Lakers swept both of their games against the Sacramento Kings on Friday and the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday.

It was a reunion on many levels as former Lakers coach, Luke Walton, made his return to the Staples Center on Friday since he left two days after Magic Johnson made his resignation plans known. Kobe Bryant took time to hang out with his daughter at the Staples Center as he watched a motivated LeBron James put on a show.

Lake Show Life has a two for one sale, breaking down the highlights of two games and what players shined over the weekend along with questions that may have popped up.

Sacramento Kings almost got the Lakers again with the same play: 

There are many differences between this year and last year’s train wreck of a season. The first difference is that the Lakers have mostly taken care of business against inferior opponents. Another major difference is the Lakers find a way to win even though they fall into bad habits. Finally, the Lakers are not losing trap games anymore.

Last year, if the Los Angeles faced a Kings team missing De’Aaron Fox and Marvin Bagley, the game probably would have been a loss. Last year, the Lakers were up two points and about to steal a game on the road and this happened.

Fast forward almost a year to the day and the Los Angeles Lakers were up two points again. The Los Angeles Lakers almost blew it again on defense. This time Anthony Davis saved the game and tacos for the Staples Center crowd in one swoop over Harrison Barnes to block his shot to preserve the win.

LeBron James and Alex Caruso both owe Anthony Davis dinner. Somehow, Harrison Barnes got a lane to the basket off of a defensive breakdown only to be cleaned up by a great block by AD. Most thought Davis fouled Harrison Barnes, but according to the NBA officials’ two-minute report, it turned out that LeBron was the one that fouled him.

Oh well, a win is a win. When it appeared Luke Walton would get revenge over his former organization, Luke Walton did things that got him dismissed. Then, for some reason, he ignored the fact that LeBron James was hot (More on that later!) and didn’t double team instead placing players like Cory Joseph and Wenyen Gabriel to guard him straight up with no help.

The Lakers rode James’ hot hand and Walton’s “decisions” and beat Sacramento 99-97.

During the Atlanta game, Kobe Bryant walked out a little bit happier than when Kentavious Caldwell-Pope started his meme career:

Remember back in the day when Kobe Bryant brought out his family for some family fun? Then against the Warriors at the end of regulation, KCP shot an airball to send it to overtime. Kobe Bryant had the look that Lakers fans will never forget and Twitter made famous by turning it into a meme that will live forever.

With Kobe Bryant in attendance with his daughter, LeBron James started shooting 3-point shots that hit nets instead of air as the Lakers rolled the Atlanta Hawks 122-101 win on Sunday night.

The Los Angeles Lakers started the game on a 21-4 run behind 10 first-quarter points from the guy that sent Kobe home looking at him like bad milk in the fridge, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.

Caldwell-Pope basically saved his spot in the rotation for now playing improved basketball for the second straight game. KCP played on both ends as he made Trae Young work for his 31 points. Young’s missed shots and turnovers provided the Lakers a break and they seized the momentum to start the evening. After letting the Hawks make runs here and there, the game was put away by James with a 3-point barrage.

This win moves the Lakers to 11-2 on the season. They match up with the OKC Thunder for a back to back on Tuesday. The first game is in Staples Center, then both teams travel to Oklahoma City.

Lake Show Life Lessons breaks down who’s playing well and the ones that aren’t.