The Los Angeles Lakers may be without Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves right now, but that doesn't mean that LA doesn't have a clear plan of attack to defeat the Houston Rockets in the first round of the NBA playoffs.
Though this plan may test the limitations of LeBron James' 41-year-old body, the Lakers will rely heavily on James to operate as an offensive hub against the Rockets, creating a ton of 3-point looks for his teammates. If the Lakers can cash in on these shots, they're hoping to push the games in this series into crunch time, a place where Houston has choked repeatedly in 2025-26.
That all sounds good in theory, but there are other boxes the Lakers must check so that the entire plan doesn't topple. First and foremost, LA absolutely must rebound at a competent level, and that won't be easy against one of the best rebounding NBA teams in recent memory.
The Lakers have to stay competitive on the boards to beat the Rockets
On Thursday, LeBron indicated to reporters after practice that LA's need to rebound in this series is obvious to the point of self-explanation.
“They’re the best rebounding team in the last 25 years," James said. "The message is, 'get your ass in there, box out and rebound.' Don’t need to have a message. We’re all grown men. Do your job."
Deandre Ayton and Jaxson Hayes will have their work cut out for them on the glass, but the Lakers will have to adopt a five-man approach to rebounding to avoid getting dominated. Guys like Rui Hachimura and Jake LaRavia will have to be more aggressive than usual on the glass. Marcus Smart and Luke Kennard can't be leaking out; they, too, need to box out on every possession and seek out the ball with full force.
Then there's LeBron, who can add a special emphasis on rebounding to the endless list of responsibilities he'll be carrying on his shoulders in this series.
Lakers can set the tone of the series by attacking the glass
In a way, the Lakers asserting themselves as a worthy opponent on the boards will set the tone for the series. If they can quickly show the Rockets in Game 1 that they aren't going to be exploited in the one area where Houston has a clear advantage, it'll result in psychological benefits from the get-go.
When LA drew the Rockets in the first round, it was seen as a huge victory for the Lakers' chances to advance. This is the matchup they wanted, but if they don't bring the proper physicality on the glass, this series could very quickly turn into a one-sided affair.
Add us as a preferred source on Google