The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Sacramento Kings 125-101 on Sunday night behind an impressive defensive performance as head coach JJ Redick made a rotation tweak. The coach called out the defense after the Christmas Day loss. They had given up 122.5 points per game over their last six and were not playing like a team with serious title aspirations. Staggering Luka Doncic and LeBron James more certainly helped against the Kings.
Sacramento was down three starters and is one of the worst teams in the West, but LA needed a get-right game. The Lakers snapped a three-game losing streak and won just their third game in the last seven. They started the season looking like a title contender, but have struggled since LeBron returned. Coach Redick may have finally found the solution.
The Lakers are without Austin Reaves for the next four weeks, which shakes up their trade deadline plans. They have struggled with Luka and LeBron sharing the floor this season, so coach Redick shook things up. He removed Doncic with two and a half minutes left in the first quarter and went back to LeBron. The improved stagger sparked the Lakers and got them back on track.
Lakers increased the Luka Doncic and LeBron James stagger to solve the defensive woes
Coming into the win over the Kings, Los Angeles had a negative-13.2 net rating with Luka and LeBron sharing the floor. Their 124.0 defensive rating would be by far the worst in the NBA. Fans know the defense is a problem, but the rotation tweaks and uncomfortable conversations sparked the Lakers.
Luka and LeBron both responded. Doncic had 34 points, six rebounds, seven assists, three steals, and one block in 33 minutes of action. James had 24 points on 11 of 13 shooting from the field with two steals. The Lakers won the minutes with LeBron on the floor by 20 and took Luka’s playing time by 22.
Los Angeles gave up just 80 points in the first three quarters and had a commanding 19-point edge entering the fourth. Coach Redick kept his foot on the gas to ensure a win before emptying the bench with four and a half minutes left.
The Lakers will score with the best teams. Contending for them comes down to defense. They brought it on Sunday night, but the lock-in, energy, effort, and want to have been questionable since King James returned after missing the 14 contests. LA must commit to maximizing their defense if they want to compete with the best teams.
Coach Redick teased rotation changes, but they were minimal. Marcus Smart replaced Austin Reaves in the starting five. He relied on just nine players and did not allow Doncic to play the entire first quarter. This made the stagger more natural, and the Lakers didn’t have to rely on Nick Smith Jr. to run the offense at any point.
The small tweak seemed to unlock the Lakers on both ends of the floor. They played stout defense and rarely missed. It led to a blowout win, but little was learned. Everyone expected LA to respond against the Kings. Sacramento is 8-24 and headed to the lottery.
The Lakers were shorthanded too. Gabe Vincent and Jaxson Hayes joined AR on the sidelines. LA has to go deep into their bench, but there are no excuses. It is next man up.
The Los Angeles Lakers still have serious defensive questions, but head coach JJ Redick appears to have found a rotation that gives his team a chance to shine on both ends of the floor. They need Smart to start and to rely more on Jarred Vanderbilt and Maxi Kleber for their defensive contributions. Sometimes small changes make a big difference. It did on Sunday, and Lakers fans hope this is the start of a positive change. Stay tuned to see how it all shakes out.