The Los Angeles Lakers improved to 4-1 after a 103-87 win over their crosstown rivals, the LA Clippers. This game was a massive test for the entire Lakers roster and JJ Redick’s whole coaching staff, as this was the first game of the new campaign without Luka Doncic.
For a team like the Lakers that leans on Luka so heavily offensively, especially in the half-court, this game was bound to have some not-so-pretty moments. It did.
Throughout different periods of this game, LA couldn’t hold onto the ball, didn’t know how to get into their offense or, better yet, didn’t know what their offense even looked like with no Luka. On top of that, the Clippers' defense was doing its absolute best to deny Austin Reaves any opening to get into a rhythm, which only added to the team's offensive struggles.
But credit to Redick and the players because they figured it out and made it out of this one with a win, and that’s all that matters.
Fingers crossed that the Lakers won’t have a ton of games this season where they are playing without Luka in the lineup. If they do, at least there is a clear formula of how to win the Luka-less games. The two key principles that I’m taking away from this game are letting defense lead to offense and crashing the glass hard.
Lakers have already found a winning recipe without Luka Doncic
When you’re a team that is used to having one guy in the half-court who can make a play every time you come down the court, adjusting to life without said player is going to be hard. It can also lead to your team being much easier to scheme for because oftentimes players have gotten super comfortable in their designated roles.
This was a problem all night for LA and was only amplified by what was a really tough game for AR.
So how did the Lakers find efficient shots and win this game, you ask? By defending their butts off and letting stops lead to easy baskets the other way.
A large portion of Quentin Grimes' 23 points came from generating steals and getting out in transition to score easy twos. Two of Matisse Thybulle’s corner triples were because the Lakers turned the Clippers over. He then ran to the corner for an open 3-point look.
When you don’t have a star-level self-creator on the court, being able to attack a defense that isn’t properly set is one of the most efficient ways to have a solid offense.
The other thing the Lakers did well was crash the glass. LA as a team had their highest rebound total of the season with 48 rebounds, 17 of which came on the offensive glass, resulting in 15 second-chance points.
Without Luka there to maximize each offensive possession, being able to earn second chances is super valuable. Everyone had their fingerprints on the O-glass. Jake LaRavia grabbed five offensive rebounds, Sandro Mamukelashvili had four, and Collin Sexton and Walker Kessler each had two.
We’ve seen teams that struggle in the half-court, like the Houston Rockets last season, make a living off hard-nosed rebounding. When the Lakers play without Luka, that seems to be a key.
The only other note I have about the offense is that when the ball was moving at a high rate, the Lakers' offense was at its best in the half-court. But the passing was extremely sloppy in this one, with LA turning it over 19 times to only 16 assists.
Nonetheless, the Lakers got the win, and that’s what matters most. It was unfortunate to see Luka not play in this one. It also gave Redick a good idea of what works and what doesn’t if Luka is forced to miss time down the road this season.
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