Thought Starter...
The Lakers are 3-0, and now head off for their first road trip of the season. Five games, starting tonight in Phoenix against the Suns. From there, they’ll visit Cleveland, Toronto, Detroit and Memphis. That’s three playoff teams, and two that aren’t expected to be all that competitive. It’s a tough trip, which underscores how nice it is for the Lakers to have run the table over their first three games. Had they lost one or two, the prospect of a 2-3 trip—very possible even if they play decent basketball—brings the team back home at or under .500. Now? There’s a good chance the Lakers return to LA with a winning record.
And the way they’re playing, with confidence high and Anthony Davis dominating, surely the Lakers feel they can win more than they lose on the trip. So the practical implications of a 3-0 start are there. But make no mistake, vibes matter, too, and the vibes right now with the Lakers are very, very healthy.
Words of Wisdom...
On Lakers’ Early Season Performance: “The 3-0 Lakers head out on a five-game road trip. What’s the rotation going to look like?”
On Lakers’ Bench Dynamics: “Dalton Knecht, has really distinguished himself and it will be interesting to see if he does start to eat into the minutes of other players on the team.”
On Lakers’ Strategy: “It’s very clear there is a directive to have the ball in Austin Reeves’s hands more as a playmaker and a facilitator.”
On D’Angelo Russell’s Adjustment: “He’s somebody that is used to having the ball in his hands a lot. So the he is not somebody that you can expect to make the most out of 10 field goal attempts or 8 field goal attempts.”
