These are the good times.
The Lakers are coming off a week in which they beat the Nuggets in their first overtime game of the year and won back-to-back contests over the Rockets, earning the tiebreaker and extending their winning streak to seven.
LeBron James is playing better than he has all year, Luka Dončić remains dominant and suddenly, LA is the third seed in the West.
With 13 games left to play, the Lakers are sitting pretty and no goal seems overly optimistic.
Time will tell whether this is a
permanent position for the purple and gold or just the eye of a hurricane, but for now, the scene in Los Angeles is picture-perfect.
5 things I liked and didn’t like
1. Lakers are coalescing
After LA’s overtime win over Denver, Lakers head coach JJ Redick said the Lakers were coalescing. He wondered aloud if that was actually a word and if he used it right, but no worries, coach, your hunch was correct.
LA is gelling in a way few teams have this season.
LeBron is embracing a less on-ball role while Luka and Austin Reaves have taken over that duty. Deandre Ayton is also understanding his job better, showcased by his coming up big against the Nuggets and making crucial plays down the stretch against the Rockets.
With players understanding their roles and seeing the success, Redick has proof of concept that he can show them. Everyone seems on board, and that’s half of the battle. If they can maintain this camaraderie, then the Lakers will enter the postseason as one of the hottest teams in the NBA.
2. Passing the test
This section of the schedule looked like it was going to be a tough test for the Lakers. With multiple games against top teams and their struggles against these kinds of opponents coming into this stretch, it looked like things could get ugly.
However, they not only passed the test, they aced it.
The Nuggets tried their same old tricks with Nikola Jokić being his All-NBA self and Aaron Gordon shooting lights out, but the Lakers flipped the script and outexecuted them down the stretch.
And Houston looked lost when LA came to town. The Lakers blitzed Kevin Durant and he reacted like a high school player trying to break a press by repeatedly turning the ball over as he appeared frustrated and let the game slip away.
This was supposed to be a test for LA, but all their opponents were the ones who didn’t appear ready for the moment.
3. Rotation is shrinking
With the stakes of these games rising, minutes for role players are falling. Redick gave only nine players 10-plus minutes and all four of his bench players played less this week than they typically do.
Given how important these games are, it makes sense that Redick used a more playoff-type rotation, but it also makes it clear who he trusts and how much.
Jake LaRavia, for example, saw the biggest drop in his playing time, going from 24.8 minutes per game to 13.8 this past week.
The team is winning and the vibes seem great, so we’ll see if this is the new normal or if Redick will open up some playing time against weaker opponents. But for now, the hierarchy appears to be established.
4. It’s Austin Reaves time
Redick has made it clear that Reaves is his No. 2 guy, as he mentioned before LA’s game against that he wanted LeBron to be the third-most-used player. This week, he was a bit of a mixed bag. Sure, he was great against the Bulls, and the Lakers don’t win without his brilliant missed free throw followed by his rebound and make.
However, he struggled massively against the Rockets, going 0-8 from deep in the first contest and scored just 14 points in the rematch.
Reaves is expected to earn a big payday this summer and will be part of the backcourt of the future alongside Luka.
For it to work and lead to titles, he needs to consistently bring his A-game, especially when the Lakers play the best in the West. He didn’t do that this week.
5. Marcus Smart is one of one
Smart is a special kind of player.
From knocking down threes against the Nuggets to diving on the floor when the Lakers were up by 10 over the Rockets, Smart was all over the court, making play after play.
He is the ultimate team player and relishes the defensive responsibilities he’s given. And now that he’s adding some offensive production, he’s become invaluable.
On the season, he has the best plus-minus on the team at +222. Second place is Luka Dončić, who is a +142. Lakers fans might not always be happy with what the front office does, but they deserve a ton of credit for bringing Smart to the team.
Stat of the Week
Luka puts up numbers and his 40-point games are becoming borderline normal. They shouldn’t be taken for granted, though. Our Stat of the Week highlights just how special his production has been. This season, Dončić has 12 40-point games, the most in the NBA.
With Luka leading the league in scoring and LA winning so much, he is making his MVP case. While it might be too late for voters to switch from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander or Joker to Luka, he’ll most certainly be on ballots.
Play of the Week
The best play this week was courtesy of Luka.
The Lakers and Nuggets were even at 125 with 7.3 seconds left to play in overtime. LA had the ball and Reaves was at the top of the key with possession. He passed it to Luka and allowed him to go to work.
Dončić had Spencer Jones on him and Reaves’ defender, Bruce Brown, was fully focused on Luka. Brown quickly rushed over to help Jones and that’s when Luka made his move downhill.
Because the Lakers had gone small and cleared out one side of the court for Luka, it meant Luka had room to work even as the double came as he raced to the baseline.
Against most players, a contested midrange jumper is exactly the kind of look a defense wants to give up, but Luka isn’t most players. He made the shot with ease and put the Nuggets to rest.
Player of the Week
Luka won Player of the Week from the NBA and I’m not going to push back on that.
He was stellar, averaging 39.3 points, nine assists and nine rebounds per game. Dončić also shot 42% from three which was the best on the team across these four games.
There might be a lot left to figure out with the Lakers to turn them from contenders to champions, but having Luka at the center of it all sure makes things a heck of a lot easier.
Stories of the Week
The quest for the perfect March Madness bracket – The Athletic
Anyone who has ever filled out a bracket has dreamed of doing so to perfection. Tobias Bass of The Athletic tells the story of his journey toward a perfect March.
So I build scenarios, and the madness of bracket creation begins, unfolds and feeds on itself.
I’ll fill out a few based on my own predictions and analysis.
I’ll make one where the favorites dominate.
Another where upsets take over the first weekend.
One where a mid-major crashes the Final Four.
Another where every No. 1 seed survives.
And another guided by historical data.
And of course, a few randomized.
It’s my way of trying to map the chaos of March Madness — an impossible task that somehow keeps me coming back time and time again. Every year, I fill out more than 60 brackets trying to crack the code. And every year, some team finds a way to crack my code.
Are We Sure NBA Expansion Is a Good Idea? – The Ringer
Everyone, myself included, is excited about the Seattle Supersonics possibly returning and Las Vegas getting a team. However, Howard Beck of The Ringer isn’t so sure that adding two more teams actually helps the current teams or the NBA product.
When NBA figures and pundits talk about expansion, it’s usually about the where and the when but seldom about whether it’s wise.
“The talent levels are higher than they have ever been,” former Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, who retains a share in the team, said in an email. “So I have no issues about dilution. … I’m all for expansion.”
Some of the folks who scout and sign players for a living are not so sure, or sanguine.
“I mean, the quality [of rosters] goes down. Let’s be realistic,” said the Eastern Conference exec. “We’re saying in today’s NBA that depth wins, and so you’re going to take depth away from the top-tier teams. And they’re not going to be as good. We already struggle with some of these starting units that some teams trot out there.”
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.
