Los Angeles Lakers: 3 keys to evening up the series vs. Phoenix Suns
Key #3: Andre Drummond must control the boards
Los Angeles Lakers coach Frank Vogel should do everything but intrude Andre Drummond’s personal locker to send him this cryptic message: 16-9, 47-33, and 16-10.
What do these three series of numbers represent?
- 16 rebounds for Deandre Ayton to Drummond’s nine
- 47 rebounds for Phoenix to the Lakers’ 33
- 16 offensive rebounds for Phoenix to the Lakers 10
Drummond has led the league in total rebounds per game four times. While in Detroit, he averaged a staggering 16 rebounds per game. Only Dennis Rodman had eclipsed the 16 rebounds per game mark in the past 30 years.
Wow! How far has the Penguin fallen!
There is not much strategy or film to analyze here. Andre Drummond needs to get EVERY missed shot!
If Andre Drummond wants to get paid this offseason, he better get lots of boards. At least Kawhi Leonard was Toronto’s go-to scorer as well.
That board man got paid. Can this one?
Not if he keeps getting smacked on the boards! He has averaged 13.5 rebounds per game this season. He only had nine in Game 1.
It is unacceptable that a team as big as the Lakers can be outrebounded by double digits to a much smaller Phoenix team. It starts with Drummond getting every defensive rebound and it ends with him getting at least half of the game’s offensive rebounds.
Conclusion:
I am still not convinced that the Los Angeles Lakers have what it takes to repeat as NBA Champions. However, I am absolutely convinced the Lakers can bounce back to win Game 2.
Lakers coach Frank Vogel has long prided himself on a rigid, unbending style of defense. Yet Vogel’s best defensive adjustments have come from thinking outside the box.
Running a gimmicky box and one defense on Devin Booker might work for a few possessions. For the rest of this series, the Lakers need to prioritize getting the ball out of Booker’s hands and into the hands of an injured Chris Paul.
Next. 50 greatest Lakers of all-time. dark
If they can do this consistently in Game 2, then they will return to Staples Center all tied up barring another horrifically bad shooting night.