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Los Angeles Lakers: 3 important battles to win vs. Trail Blazers

By Kevin Germany

PORTLAND, OREGON - DECEMBER 06: Damian Lillard #0 of the Portland Trail Blazers tries to get around Anthony Davis #3 of the Los Angeles Lakers during the first half of the game at Moda Center on December 06, 2019 in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images)
PORTLAND, OREGON - DECEMBER 06: Damian Lillard #0 of the Portland Trail Blazers tries to get around Anthony Davis #3 of the Los Angeles Lakers during the first half of the game at Moda Center on December 06, 2019 in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Ashley Landis-Pool/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Lakers
(Photo by Ashley Landis-Pool/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Lakers /

Battle #2: How does each team get their two-pointers? 

An interesting conundrum here. How many assisted two-pointers for the Los Angeles Lakers? How many unassisted two-pointers for Portland?

Yes! Each team should go hard in the paint! But how exactly should they get there? Things get a little more complicated.

This metric indicates how the respective offenses are working. The Los Angeles Lakers would want to have all their two-pointers be assisted; it is the exact opposite for Portland.

The Lakers’ offense is fantastic if they are whipping the ball around inside. Anthony Davis overpowers guys on the move! Dwight Howard and Javale McGee finish lobs! Kyle Kuzma and LeBron James attack scrambling defenses! Dion Waiters adds scoring off the catch as a stop on the Waiters Island Tour. 

The Blazers, dare I say, are better off NOT having any of their two-pointers be assisted. It means their offense is in rhythm if there are fewer assisted two-pointers. Dame, CJ McCollum, and Carmelo Anthony are all excellent one-on-one players.

Let me take it a step further: the Dame/CJ/Melo big three is the best iso trio in the NBA. Only the Rockets come to mind as the only other team that is better off not passing the ball inside. All of Portland’s big three are such fantastic finishers that all their passes are intended to be to knock down three-point shooters.

Any pass inside is an admission of defeat. Only lobbing it up to backup center Hassan Whiteside can be construed as a victory on offense. Even Nurkic, an underrated facilitator, likes to back players down like Shaq in 2000 – therefore his baskets inside are generally unassisted.

To summarize: everybody on the Lakers is much better scoring inside via the pass instead of via the dribble. Nobody on the Lakers can reliably stop the Dame/CJ/Melo trio; the focus should be to get the ball out of their hands and force Portland to shoot two-pointers off the catch as opposed to shooting open three-pointers.

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