Keep It Rolling...
Thursday night against Golden State at the Crypt, the Lakers picked up right where they’d left off, replicating the fantastic effort and execution used to beat the Wizards, Knicks and the Clippers. In the first half, the Lakers went up by as much as 26, and went into the break up 20.
Things weren’t as smooth after the break. Golden State made a game of it, getting to within five, and while the Lakers never gave up the lead, they were forced to play through the tape in a 120-112 win.
The Lakers are on the cusp of some seismic changes. Luka Doncic and Mark Williams are set to take the floor soon. Doncic becomes the new best player on the team, and the long-term future of the squad. But in the meantime, it’s important not to forget about LeBron James. The old man was on fire Thursday, carrying the Lakers with 42 points, 17 rebounds and eight assists. He was, by a significant margin, the best player on the floor for either team. He provided support for Austin Reaves, who scored 23 points thanks to 15-16 from the line, but struggled with his shot (4-17) and turnovers (4). On a night where it looked like the Lakers might need another member of the supporting cast, whether Rui Hachimura (11 points) or Dorian Finney-Smith (7 points), to produce above norms, LeBron made that less necessary.
In the process, the Lakers won their 10th game in 12 tries, moved to 11 games over .500 (with two games against the Jazz before the All-Star break) and put a little more daylight between themselves and the group of teams stuck in the play-in bracket.
But the real beauty of LeBron’s big night, other than the fun of watching James perform at that level (and yes, made cooler by the fact he’s 40 years old in year 22) is that this sort of performance should be far less necessary going forward. Not just in in terms of scoring, but the work of orchestrating an offense and controlling a game.
He’ll still be able to do it, and at times certainly will, but with Doncic as the headliner, that burden shifts considerably. James can cede a lot of heavy lifting, but it’s not like the capability disappears. That the Lakers can tap into it once the playoffs begin, and do it in combination with Doncic, is what makes the Lakers a very dangerous playoff team. Moreover, it seems pretty clear that while LeBron said the right stuff before, he now sees far more potential for this season than he did a month ago. That’s not a knock on Anthony Davis, but a reflection of how the team has trended over the last few weeks, and optimism around the re-shaped roster.
That sense of purpose is critical for most athletes (the Lakers are likely counting on it with Williams), but for a guy in year 22? It’s even more essential.
—BK
More From This Episode...
-Reaves Struggled, but Got to the Line and Found Ways to Contribute
-Vanderbilt, Vanderbilt, Vanderbilt!!!
-Scouting Mark Williams.
