Los Angeles Lakers survive Orlando Magic comeback, 3 lessons

The Los Angeles Lakers started their road trip in Florida taking on the Orlando Magic. No doubt about it, the game was all about runs until the Lakers finally put the game away. Lake Show Life breaks the game down with Lake Show Life Lessons!

The Los Angeles Lakers have still not lost a game outside of the city of Los Angeles. The Lakers are sitting on a road winning streak of 12 games after losing to the Los Angeles Clippers on opening night.

If the team survives this road trip without a loss, it will be time to start comparing this team to the 69 win Lakers back in the 71-72 season who won 16 straight. Oh, by the way, that team won the NBA Finals. The NBA season is close to two months old and the Lakers can’t lose outside of the state of California.

Well, the beat goes on for the Los Angeles Lakers playing one of their more stranger games in a 96-87 win over Orlando Magic at the Amway Center on Wednesday night. It’s only the 4th game this season the offense couldn’t get to 100 points. This victory shouldn’t be taken for granted. The Magic had owned the Lakers in recent years, winning 10 out of the last 11 games in Magic City.

To be clear here, this game was all about runs. The Lakers had a big run in the first quarter. No check that, the ENTIRE first quarter. Then the Magic exploded on the Lakers to tie the game at 71. Then LeBron James orchestrated a 10-0 run to keep Orlando at bay.

If you think it’s fun to be a Lakers fan now, wait until after the NFL season is over. With each passing game, the resentment around the league is growing. Lake Show Life pointed out the tension from opposing team’s announcers in the game against Utah when they criticized LeBron for celebrating.

Then the Minnesota game had the staff wondering if the Timberwolves announcers even watch Lakers games calling Alex Caruso “non-athletic”.

For the last six years, the Lakers were not hated or resented. It was just nobody cared. Now people care. The debates are no longer if the Lakers are good, but the authenticity of being a Lakers fan. You have to admit, this is funny.

Click on each picture. They actually have produced graphics.

The mystique of the Lakers is back on the level of other revered sports franchises like the New York Yankees (Baseball) and the Dallas Cowboys (Football). At 22-3 and counting, along with two of the top five players in the NBA, the Los Angeles Lakers will be the number one sports story leading up to June.

It’s games like these that certain rules apply to doing post-game reports. Never assume anything. After the first quarter, the Lakers were running Orlando out of the building accumulating a 26-9 lead. To put the defensive dominance in perspective, the Lakers shut out all of the Magic players not named Evan Fournier.

Then the Magic went on an extended 53-29 run over the next two quarters and somehow tied the game at 71. Then LeBron said enough was enough and the game was put out of reach.

The other shoe dropped for Anthony Davis coming off a 50 point demolition of Karl-Anthony Towns and the Timberwolves on a white-hot 20-of-29 shooting. His shooting percentage got lost with the luggage against the Magic.

AD scored just 16 points on 30% shooting from the field. This game belonged to LeBron James, but the supporting cast did their jobs to make up for an off night for Davis. More on them in a minute.

Lake Show Life has prided ourselves on calling it like it is no matter the circumstances record-wise in our Lake Show Life Lessons series. Even though the team owns the best record in the NBA, they have a glaring weakness that got the Orlando Magic back in the game.

The Los Angeles Lakers really need to shore up the transition defense. They are awful!

It’s really easy to overlook a potential downfall to a team that has the best record in the NBA. Lake Show Life won’t and sees that their transition defense needs some major work.

It has nothing to do with injuries. It’s about effort. Bottom line, the Lakers are the second-worst team in the NBA in giving up fast-break points at around 16 points a game. With a team that is in the top-5 in overall defense and offense, how does that happen?

Well, here’s how the Lakers can be 22-3 with such a big issue in their defensive scheme and still win games.

Both teams’ offenses struggled to score the ball at times throughout the game. The difference is the Lakers have two superstars to give enough offense to put them over the top. Good luck trying to find a famous player on the Magic who lives up to the hype of being a star.

The Los Angeles Lakers are at their best when the pace is being pushed and they are knocking down shots. That way, they have time to set up their defense and it is very difficult for opponents to score in their halfcourt offense.

In the first quarter, Evan Fournier was the only player to score an Orlando point. After that the Lakers started missing shots and turning the ball over (Another Lakers issue!), then the Magic started to get cheap baskets running in the open floor.

Long athletic wing players cause problems for the Lakers when they don’t get back. Remember, the three losses this season against the Clippers, Raptors and the Mavericks. All those games got away from the Lake Show when they couldn’t impose their size advantage to slow the offense. All the teams won the games on the fast break using wings to break down the defense with pace.

A perfect example here.

First, the Lakers turn the ball over which affects the defensive balance to get back. The Magic have a 3-on-2 break with Troy Daniels and Jared Dudley as the defenders. The problem here is Alex Caruso did not rush back, complaining to the referees, and Anthony Davis is slow getting back as well.

Michael Carter-Williams receives the pass running the lane and puts up a shot with little resistance from Daniels. That causes further slippage on defense. When Williams missed the shot, Aaron Gordon catches it off the rim and dunks it. Notice where AD is at this point.

This play was part of a 53-29 extended run. This happened at times in all of the losses this season. This can be overcome against weaker teams like Orlando that lacks firepower. It won’t cut it against contenders.

Breaking News to Lake Show Life. LeBron James is pretty good.

Introducing to the Los Angeles Lakers fans the reason their team won. LeBron James!  

When LeBron James started this narrative of “Revenge Season” one has to wonder if Lake Show Life post-game reports from last year were read. Every report that criticized his behavior on and off the floor has been corrected. Where was this LeBron last year? The man is bullying people in the post now? Most highlight shows will bring up Mo Bamba blocking LeBron’s dunk.

Who cares? At least you see the aggressiveness of LeBron setting the tone for the team when offense was a challenge.

https://twitter.com/Lakers/status/1204929238152839169

Remember Evan Fournier had nine points at the end of the first quarter. The best way to slow down a scorer is to put pressure on him on the other end.

LeBron receives the ball to post Fournier up. When the Magic didn’t double, BBQ chicken alert on the baseline for a left-hand lay-up. Fournier scored nine points the rest of the game. This is the type of play that was in theory last year. No one can stop this guy one on one in the post. It’s not happening.

Now, this is just ridiculous.

https://twitter.com/Lakers/status/1204938507434647552

Who does this? A close to fullcourt alley-oop pass on the money? Really? This pass was so good, the Magic players didn’t know the pass was in the air until it was too late. A special shout out to JaVale McGee finishing the play. Most can’t do it.

LeBron James led all scorers with 25 points to go along with 11 rebounds and 10 assists. James has now tied Russell Westbrook with six triple-doubles this season, accounting for the second-most in the NBA behind Luka Doncic‘s seven.

The Lakers really needed LeBron in this game to set the table. The offense was disjointed at times when he was out of the game. He provided the energy to get his team over the top. He was the best player on the floor and it wasn’t even close. He had more made shots (7) and assists (3) than all of the Orlando starters COMBINED in the first half.

AD didn’t play well, somebody had to pick up the slack right?

KCP is playing as well now in contrast to how bad he was playing at the beginning of the season!

If KCP continues to play like this, the Lakers fan debates (Also read whining at times!) will start about who will start in the backcourt when Avery Bradley fully gets back in the fold after his injury.

Head coach Frank Vogel kept Caldwell-Pope in the starting lineup despite the fact that Avery Bradley was healthy. KCP, who looked like at times last year into this year would be looking over his shoulder, just played his game.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope looked good for the Lakers, scoring 15 points on 5-of-10 shooting from the field (4-of-7 from distance!). Looking ahead, the Vogel decision to make Caldwell-Pope the full-time starter will be an important one. Some players play well as starters like Caldwell-Pope, while others can dominate off the bench (Lou Williams).

Now that Bradley is back from his injury, could he be “Wally Pipp”-ed? Stay tuned.

Now for this Jared Dudley dude. There will be trade rumblings in about four days (The trades for all the players signed in the summer are eligible!) so Jared Dudley’s name will come up. Guess what? He ain’t going anywhere.

It’s time for a Lake Show Life reminder about what Jared Dudley said on Media Day three months ago. He said the would take the fine if LeBron or AD was messed with. Well you see, Dwight Howard might be on that list too.

https://twitter.com/SportsCenter/status/1204949954290241537?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1204949954290241537&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Flakeshowlife.com%2Fwp-admin%2Fpost.php%3Fpost%3D107062%26action%3Dedit

Dwight Howard was fouled and put his elbow into Mo Bamba. Michael Carter-Williams asked Dwight where was his Rolex watch for Christmas and everyone got involved. When Wesley Iwundu got mad for getting an XL ugly Christmas sweater instead of a medium, Dudley shoved Iwundu. Both Dudley and Iwundu got ejected.

Jared Dudley took one shot inside the arc trying to drive to the basket (Dude what were you thinking?) before remembering himself, shooting 3-of-4 from the 3-point line. Once again, to the fans that boast Dudley’s ouster in the next six weeks, you don’t follow the team.

Umm, that’s the franchise player saying that.

The Lakers play the Miami Heat on Friday. This is not the same Heat team that LeBron gave 51 points to last year. They are the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference, with Jimmy Butler balling and young shooters in the fold. The Lakers can’t sleep for two quarters and expect to win.