"The Los Angeles Lakers stars can't play together" was the battle cry for all those who wanted to completely write off the franchise during this campaign. It was always a weird sentiment. It has been made out to look all the more rough after the All-Star break.
Sure, the fit among Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, and LeBron James is not three perfect pieces of the puzzle slotting in beside one another. However, an issue that had much more to do with what was being done around them was pinned on their shoulders. This is where it gets awkward.
The big defining argument everyone had was the stats from when the trio shared the court together. They were bad. Clearly, the proof was in the pudding (and not the sample size or nuance that was worth considering). Fast forward to mid-March and none of those things hold up anymore.
Doncic, James, and Reaves have turned the corner on the totality of the season, averaging a net rating of 3.2 in their 362 minutes on the court as a trio. That number looks even prettier since the All-Star break. They have posted a net rating of 12.6 in the 10 games and 210 minutes they have under their belt during that span.
Lakers have figured out how to maximize Doncic, James, and Reaves
That net rating of 12.6 following the break includes two figures worth mentioning on their own. The offensive rating that goes into that mark is 116.0. The defensive rating? It would be a stellar 103.4.
The latter is worth so much more discussion here. So much for the narrative that having those three stars would always equate to an unbearably bad defensive unit, since none of them allegedly play basketball on that end. The defense has the stronger figure of the two.
It all really goes to show how lazy some of the talking points can get in NBA spaces.
So many of the things that were supposed to be true about the Lakers are now getting thrown out the window. A surging team in Los Angeles is peaking at the right time and threatening to be more than a first-round out in the NBA Playoffs.
JJ Redick deserves a lot of credit for the work done. The improved rotations and personnel decisions around the three stars, as well as tinkering with the schemes, has allowed the Lakers to hit their stride. A five-game winning streak suddenly has many desperate for answers as to why Los Angeles is this good.
No one will sit here and sell the idea of the Lakers being a bona fide contender. There are still plenty of flaws that can prevent that upside. However, with the trio buzzing, Redick coaching well, and the arrow firmly pointing up on the trajectory, they should not be completely dismissed by any means.