Los Angeles Lakers: 4 Lessons in double overtime marathon over Pistons
By Ronald Agers
The Los Angeles Lakers coaching staff had better start figuring out the defensive leaks!
Ever since the Atlanta game this week, Lake Show Life has started to see some chinks in the armor when it comes to the overall defense. Whether it’s the inability to stop Trae Young running the pick and roll, to the debate of Dennis Schroder’s defensive intensity, to the tired old analysis of Marc Gasol’s replacement. One thing is clear.
The defensive slippage is evident. Especially on the perimeter.
The Detroit Pistons nearly beat the Lakers again with the three ball. Instead of Blake Griffin and Wayne Ellington firing bombs to open up Derrick Rose’s damage underneath, it was these three players that nearly took the Los Angeles Lakers out.
Jerami Grant:
You will look at the 11-27 shooting and think that Grant just gunned all night. Here’s the caveat. He missed his first five shots in the game. After that, the Lakers struggled big time to stop him especially in the last quarter and the first overtime. The Lakers made him a rich man after the Western Conference Finals. He gave the 32 points in this one thanking them.
The weakness: The Los Angeles Lakers struggles with big athletic forwards. Lakers Nation, you can put that on your list of player wishes under a center. They are killing the Lakers defense!
Josh Jackson:
The funny thing about Josh Jackson was in the first half, Pistons announcer Greg Kelser actually stated that he would rather see Jackson slashing to the basket instead of shooting 3 pointers. The Lakers would have preferred that too.
Jackson knocked down five 3 point shots (Three in the 4th quarter!), scoring 8 points in the third quarter and 13 in the fourth. He got around to slashing to the basket to send it to the first overtime!
https://twitter.com/NBATV/status/1358286942606036992
To think this guy was in the G-League with his reputation in tatters. Jackson scored 25 of his 28 points in the second half and overtime. The only thing that stopped him was fouling out.
The weakness: The Lakers guards are a second late losing sight of the shooters at the 3 point line. The Pistons dropped 14 shots from the land of the extra point in Detroit. In this game? The Lakers gave up 16.
Delon Wright:
There is no excuse for Delon Wright slicing up the defense for 22 points (8-9 shooting!) and 10 assists. Let’s take this further. When was the last time anyone has seen Svi Mykhailiuk hit three shots from distance in the same half? Okay you get the point.
All of the bench players were in the negative on plus/minus. The same criticisms that Lake Show Life put on Dennis Schroder against Denver could be put on Talen Horton-Tucker. Even though he filled the box scores (10 points, 4 assists and 2 rebounds!), he kept getting caught looking in the post and Svi and Jackson both made him pay at times.
Folks when the Lakers turn the ball over…it gets ugly.
https://twitter.com/DetroitPistons/status/1358278884131799040
Lakers weakness: the Lake Show is number one in the NBA in fast breaks points scored. However they are 12th in points given up. This could be a problem in a game filled with turnovers (22) and the offense goes the final four minutes of regulation without scoring.
If not for Alex Caruso giving the Lakers a spark in the first overtime after a slow start (10 points!) this is a very different post game report.
But give credit to the Pistons. They played like they get paychecks too. They stayed close battling for loose balls and kept their heads above water against the champs before Josh Jackson and Jerami Grant went off to send things into extra periods.
Enjoy the Super Bowl everyone. The Lakers play again Monday night.
dark. Next. Players who could be waived for a buyout signing
Lake Show Life has extended its post-game coverage this season! There will be a short post-game reports shortly after the game in addition to the extended post-game of Lake Show Life Lessons!
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