Los Angeles Lakers: 3 keys to beating the Portland Trail Blazers in Game 31
By Ethan Temkin
2.) Go small as much as possible
This key kind of goes hand in hand with the previous one. The biggest advantage the Lakers have against most teams is their ability to go small and put Anthony Davis at the center spot. Having such a versatile two-way player is a luxury most teams don’t have, especially the Blazers, whose only true five-man is Hassan Whiteside.
Even though Whiteside gets his stats, his numbers don’t tell the whole story in regard to his impact on the team. His pick and roll defense has always been a major weakness in his game, in addition to his reluctance to go out and guard stretch bigs. Also, his inconsistent effort has also been another point of contention going back to his days with the Miami Heat.
The Lakers can capitalize on this by stretching the floor with Davis at center, and surrounding him with shooters in Danny Green, Kyle Kuzma, Quinn Cook, and Troy Daniels. Even though this unit might struggle on the defensive end, the potential offensive output will definitely be tough to match.
Beyond Whiteside, the team doesn’t have anyone remotely capable of guarding Davis, so by going small the Lakers can stretch the floor, keep the driving lanes open for Davis, and make life more difficult than it already will be for Whiteside.