The Los Angeles Lakers received much-needed help from the bench in their postseason run.
During the regular season, before the coronavirus hiatus, the Los Angeles Lakers suffered a lack of bench contribution and consistency. So much that, with the playoffs approaching, general manager Rob Pelinka was forced to look for some helpful addition in the poor buyout market post-trade deadline.
Markieff Morris turned out to be the only valuable piece available, while the Lakers had to work out J.R. Smith and Dion Waiters for backcourt help.
All three of them ended up on the LA roster and the seeding games in the bubble gave Frank Vogel a chance to insert them in the rotations and try their fit.
They were provided fair playing time and proved they could contribute some way to the team’s cause. But what happened shortly later had not been taken into consideration or, at least, not hoped.
As the 2020 NBA playoffs kicked in, the Lakers’ bench has suddenly been reborn. Since the Game 1 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers, the backup players showed the willingness to leave their mark on this postseason run, making everything necessary to help the Lakers get the championship.
It all started with Kyle Kuzma‘s 14 points despite a bad shooting night in that early Game 1. Alex Caruso followed with his defense and Dwight Howard with his usual energy and effort.
From that moment on, they never slowed down, giving the Lakers’ chances an unexpected boost, extending their dominance in the game when the starters are resting. In the first round, Kuzma averaged 10.8 and 4.4 rebounds, while Caruso’s defense was instrumental to limit Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum.
In the second round, everything changed further where Rajon Rondo was finally able to step on the court. It was time for Playoff Rondo to show up, and he did, with every kind of performance in the series.
A +28 plus/minus performance, a 21 and 9 night shooting over 70 percent from the field, almost a triple-double. He managed to make up for Caruso’s offensive shortcomings while the latter stayed on the floor to keep providing an exceptional defense. Rajon found every way to have an impact on the game, not least his defensive effort as well.
Howard did not see the floor almost at all in the series against the small-ball Houston Rockets, then it was time for Markieff Morris to step up, and he did.
In the last two games, even rookie Talen Horton-Tucker made his debut and performed well, with five and nine points in less than ten minutes per game.
For the playoffs, Kyle Kuzma is averaging 11 points. Rondo is averaging 11 points, 4.6 rebounds, 7 assists and two steals. Caruso, Howard and Morris over six points each.
The Los Angeles Lakers’ bench is first in points among the surviving teams with 36.3, second overall in win percentage and sixth overall in plus/minus. They also lead the postseason in efficiency differential.
A little bit of disappointment for the latest additions, as J.R. Smith struggled to find a rhythm while Waiters has been forced to sit with a groin injury, but head coach Frank Vogel could not be happier of the production he is receiving from his unit and the way they raised their game in the most important moment of the year. This is certainly an aspect to not overlook in the hunt for a championship, a precious element, often decisive in deciding a series.
The shorthanded Rockets and Blazers were easy prey for the Los Anegles Lakers’ bench. In the next round, though, they’ll face someone (either the Los Angeles Clippers or Denver Nuggets) with a deep roster, able to answer blow for blow. It will not be as easy as it was so far, and LA backups will have to respond to the challenge — bringing their game to another level.