Los Angeles Lakers: How to beat Milwaukee Bucks in a potential NBA Finals series

3. Get Out in Transition

There are times in games when the Lakers’ offense appears stagnant. When the Lakers are at their best on the offensive end there will be fluid ball movement and off-ball screens.

Most of this activity is directed by LeBron James. However, when James heads to the bench the team does not have many options in terms of facilitators. Rajon Rondo can help fill in at point guard, but his minutes on the court have been far from perfect.

If the Lakers want to be successful on offense during these times they will need to become more aggressive on defense. If the Lakers can come up with steals and get some fast-break points it will help take some pressure off of the offense.

With the length and aggressiveness this team shows, getting some clean strips should be a relatively consistent trend. Transition buckets are typically the easiest points that a team can get and can allow you to stay in games even when your offense is not clicking.

When the tempo is raised, the momentum of the team usually also improves. Player confidence can also improve just by watching the basketball go through the hoop, regardless of circumstances. Most players do not look forward to playing defense, but on a team, with apparently strong chemistry, it seems that the Lakers thrive on their defensive abilities.