Los Angeles Lakers: 4 Lessons in blowout loss vs. Brooklyn Nets

The Los Angeles Lakers will struggle with small-ball lineups for quite a while!

Here’s where the Lake Show Life Lessons staff gets mixed emotions. On one hand, pointing out issues on a team that has one of the top five records in the NBA is hard. Criticizing the current World Champions can be difficult with Lakers casuals throwing out analytical numbers discrediting what is seen.

On the other hand, there is a sense of satisfaction when everyone starts to see what we are talking about.

In other words, if these “Lessons” turn out to be correct and no adjustments are made, the season ends and Lake Show Life starts preparing for the draft. On the other hand, writing post-game articles through the NBA Finals are a lot more fun (Side note: This writer hates researching the draft!).

Despite Anthony Davis blowing a gasket about the defense and the prior 27 Lessons reports, the perimeter defense has gotten worse. Under the “Fool’s Gold” narrative of being the number one defensive rated team in the NBA most of the season, check out this information from the last four games.

• The Lakers have given up 65 3-pointers (Third most in the NBA) 
• They have given up the third highest 3 point percentage at 43.6 percent. 

Okay let’s take the discussion to the other end of the floor.

• The Lakers are currently ranking in the NBA’s bottom three in both 3 pointers made and percentage. 
• If you add that up, their opponents have outscored the Los Angeles Lakers by 102 points behind the line during that four-game stretch.     

Brooklyn was having pregame shootarounds from behind the 3 point line in this game. Led by Joe Harris’ 3 point barrage, the Nets finished 18-39 for 46.2 percent. This is one of many examples of how the Nets ball movement gave the Lakers fits.

On the other end the Lake Show shot 8-30 from the land of the extra point. To put this in perspective of how bad the regulars were shooting, two of those eight 3 pointers belong to Quinn Cook and Alfonso McKinnie.

If you missed the game, the popular belief of the Lakers struggles would be placed on the lethal backcourt of Kyrie Irving and James Harden. Only it wasn’t them. Harden finished with only 23 points with 11 assists. Kyrie missed all five of his long distance shots finishing with 16. Now look at these guys.

• Joe Harris: 21 points (7-10 shooting 6-7 in 3s), 5 rebounds .
• Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot: 15 points (5-8 in 3s), 2 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals.
• Bruce Brown: 9 points (3-7 shooting), 4 rebounds (3 offensive!) with an assist and a steal.
• Landry Shamet : 10 points (3-6 shooting, 2-3 from distance!) with two rebounds. 

This is a combination of 55 points and 13 rebounds from players that for the most part are not getting consistent rotation minutes besides Harris.

Given the fact that no one is certain when either Schroder or Davis will return, the Lakers have to clean up not only the perimeter defense, but the rim protection as well. Based on the minutes given out to Marc Gasol and Montrezl Harrell, the Lakers have a lot of work to do before the Miami game!