2023, 2024, same fight for the Lakers! Like last season, the Lakers finished the first part of the season, and therefore attack the second with a record of 20 victories for 21 defeats. They will have to roll up their sleeves to get to the playoffs, and last season, Anthony Davis and his teammates had five victories in a row to rush towards the “play-in”.
Convincing winners of the Thunder, the Lakers have the opportunity to do the same since they play their next five matches at the Crypto.com Arena, including one as visitors to the Clippers. They will notably host the Nets, the Blazers and the Bulls. Opponents who should allow them to switch to the positive. On condition of confirming this physical density seen against the Thunder, and this desire to share the ball. But also to show continuity with the return of its starting five from the start of the season: D'Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves, LeBron James, Taurean Prince and Anthony Davis.
Address, size, creativity…
“We simply wanted to put as much quality and skill as possible on the field around our two captains (LeBron and Davis),” explained Darvin Ham after the game. “ These five have been our most consistent players since the start of the season. So just put them together. Barring an injury, for the foreseeable future, this will be our starting five. »
Three weeks ago, the Lakers had already won against the Thunder, on the OKC side, and we found Cam Reddish and Jarred Vanderbilt in the starting five. But the team has found a better balance with the Russell-Reaves duo at the back. No doubt staying three weeks in Los Angeles made it possible to train more and find the best possible formula.
“Our circulation of the ball and our rhythm are very important,” believes LeBron James. “We try not to play at the 24-second limit, and give ourselves the opportunity to get really good shots. When we don't lose the ball – and I know we lost a few late in the game – we end up with a lot of assists because the guys feel in rhythm. »
Defenseless, no salvation
For Davis, “the Lakers are on the right track” if they continue to play like that. “We can score… and for us it’s just about defending. Are we able to defend again like we did tonight? I think defense is what allows us to make the difference and win more matches. »
By placing Davis back at the center of their game, both in defense and attack, the Lakers are first relying on their size and physical density. “In attack, we want to share the ball, not lose it, and AD remains our number 1 option in attack. It's about playing him early and often.” LeBron repeats. “And then defensively, we have to help each other. And we have to help AD rebound. And when we do that, our five can be very good.”
