#17 Pick – Jalen Hood-Schifino, 6-6 G, Indiana

Playing in the Big 10 and going through highs and lows in his lone freshman season at Indiana, Jalen Hood-Schifino was not the most popular pick the Lakers could’ve made at #17. With top-5 projected pick Cam Whitmore falling down the draft board reportedly due to worrying medicals, there was a sense that the Lakers would be the team to give in and take the high-end talent that was Whitmore. Instead, the Lakers trusted their board and went with a guy who has plenty of talent in his own right to go along with his high IQ and scalability alongside the two stars in LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

Jalen Hood-Schifino is a smooth, but big guard. Standing at 6-foot-6 and weighing in at 216 lbs, the Lakers should welcome him with open arms as he adds more size to their backcourt. He has a slick, tight handle that allows him to traverse the court with ease, and has the strength to shield off defenders while deploying his handle. As far as standout traits go, his steady ability to operate and score out of the pick-and-roll is very impressive to watch at such an early stage of his basketball career. 

Indiana, under former NBA coach Mike Woodson, ran a ton of pick-and-rolls between Hood-Schifino and Trayce Jackson-Davis (a well-rounded big that went 57th in the draft to the Golden State Warriors). Hood-Schifino’s sweet spot on the court is the midrange from 10 feet all the way out to right before the arc. He is very comfortable there and will go to that pull-up midrange a ton as he ranks in the 73rd percentile on off-the-dribble jumpers out of all D1 players. He was able to knock down a good amount of open looks due to Jackson-Davis’ impeccable screening but JHS was also able to play make in these situations as well. To add further context, the personnel on Indiana’s roster made the spacing complicated and playmaking chances were narrowed, but Hood-Schifino made the best of what he had to work with. He showed some impressive playmaking with either hand and mostly to Jackson-Davis who he had amazing chemistry with. Last season after the trades, coach Darvin Ham loved to run the three-guard lineup consisting of D’Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves, and Dennis Schröder, and due to his skill and size Hood-Schifino should be able to plug and play in this lineup as needed. At Indiana, he was not asked to be much of a connector as he was the primary initiator in most cases but with his slick passing, awareness off-ball, and decisive attacks, he has the tools needed to be a good enough connector to play alongside other ballhandlers.

Improvement Areas on Offense: Two massive warts in Hood-Schifino’s game right now are his finishing and 3PT shooting. Per Synergy, he shot 52.5% at the rim and 30% on his catch-and-shoot threes. With his size and wingspan, I think his finishing will be an easy area to correct, but as of right now he just doesn’t have the finishing craft required for guys without elite athleticism. The craft—deceleration, using the shoulder bump effectively, high finishes off-glass, not taking off from far away—should be skills he learns and utilizes as he gets older and gets more experience in the league. He only had four dunks on the year and all of which were of the “Rimgrazer 2K dunk package” variant and you’d just expect more lift coming from a 6-6 guard. The shooting is a bit tricky though, as he shot 30% on his catch and shoot threes but interestingly shot a much better 37% on his off-the-dribble threes. And this is a complete contrast to his high school numbers at Montverde Academy, where he shot 35% on his catch-and-shoot threes but 15% on his off-the-dribble threes, so his 3PT shooting is a bit all over the place. However, there is some optimism that with how good of a midrange shooter he is, he can expand that jumper to beyond the arc on a consistent basis. This would be very beneficial for the Lakers’ yearly spacing concerns and would make the offense more dynamic as a whole.

Defense: Hood-Schifino’s size and length with his 6-10 wingspan make shooting over his contests a struggle for opponents. His tenacity combined with strength and mobility at the point of attack is something that few players had in this draft class and was a trait that made him stand out. Overall, his screen navigation is solid, however, when he does get caught up on a screen he doesn’t recover and get back into the play as much as I would like him to. He has a lot of moments in pick-and-roll situations where there wasn’t enough communication which ultimately led to open shots for the other team, but now with Anthony Davis defending pick-and-rolls with him, that shouldn’t be an issue. Hood-Schifino can also be overaggressive at the point of attack where he can get beat just by guarding the player farther out than needed. Occasionally he did get beat by quicker guards which leads me to think he could be more suited as a wing defender instead of being primarily at the point of attack. Either way, he’s versatile enough where I would trust him to guard 1-3 and be solid all around. Off the ball, he’s an engaged team defender and was a really good nail and stunt/recover defender in Indiana’s scheme that was tactically very sound and drilled really well. He was also good at making sound rotations although his closeouts could be better, these are the little things that will get him on the court early so they’re just as important as the bigger things. 

Expectations: It would not surprise me at all if Hood-Schifino had a slow/rough start to the season but, he has a good enough foundation in all facets of the game for me to trust him long-term with good development. I expect he will be used in a lot of pick and roll, but he will also have to grow as an off-ball player to prove he can be the versatile connector that so many contending teams desire. He’s very well rounded, thinks the game well on both ends, and from multiple reports from the Lakers and at Indiana, is a high character person on and off the court with tons of work ethic. I think we will see him going up and down from South Bay to the main squad as he adjusts and gets acclimated to the next level. Over the course of the season, I could definitely see him getting more and more comfortable, eventually leading to consistent rotation minutes on the main squad.

#40 Pick – Maxwell Lewis, 6-7 W, Pepperdine

The big get the Lakers were able to pull off in the (almost) consensus opinion of the draft community, was acquiring Maxwell Lewis at the 40th pick as this might not have even been the case if they didn’t deal with the Pacers to move up a couple spots. Lewis was projected in the 20s throughout most of the year but was one of several players in this year’s draft to have a surprising slip down the board. Nonetheless, the Lakers were able to add somebody who oozes talent in a variety of ways.

Lewis is a 6-7 skilled wing that simply knows how to put the ball in the basket. Per Synergy, he graded out as “Good” or “Very Good” in the following play types: spot-ups, transition, P&R ball handler, post-ups, off-screen, and cuts. His versatility as a scorer will be very welcomed on a Laker team that had a couple of guys who were only comfortable in certain situations and only could score in certain play types; that isn’t the case for Maxwell.

It starts with his jumper where Lewis has pristine mechanics and can get it off comfortably in a lot of ways. Catch-and-shoot, coming off of screens, pump fake one dribble jumper, midrange pull-ups, 3PT pull-ups, stepback threes, sidestep threes, and even turnaround and face-up jumpers in the post, Lewis is capable of pretty much whatever is required of him in the moment of each particular scoring situation. Although Lewis’ overall 3PT percentage was an average 35%, he shot a blazing 44% on catch-and-shoot threes which is something he will be doing a lot when he gets to the big leagues. It’s also his jumper that allows him to exploit defenders who guard him too high up expecting a three, where he’s able to drive around them with ease. Or when defenders are overplaying him off-ball and he can cut to the rim and show off his athleticism and finishing package. He’s shown the ability to attack off the catch as well, bursting through the gaps of a rotating defense although I’d like for him to hone in on this even more. Lewis shot a very good 63% at the rim this season which can be a bit surprising looking at his slim and slender frame. He uses long strides to get to the rim and utilizes his long wingspan effectively when at the rim to finish around contests.

Improvement Areas on Offense: At Pepperdine, Lewis was relied upon a lot, leading the Waves (easily the best team name in college ball) in FGA and in usage rate. And since Lewis was so efficient in several different areas well, they went to him a lot and for good reason, but this came with a drawback. Lewis posted a negative assist-to-turnover rate of 2.8 assists to 3.3 turnovers per game and at times, looked a bit over-tasked as the primary shot-creator for the team. Combined with his loose handle and wild pass accuracy, he can produce some chaotic possessions that added up at the end to 5, 6, or even 7-turnover nights. Lewis also doesn’t have the best vision when creating and can get stuck in “scoring mode” very often. Now that isn’t to say he can’t pass, as he loves mixing in a dump-off pass, throwing it to a diving big when the defense blitzes him, and can through the occasional cross-court pass. Still, reading the court more consistently will be something he’ll need to improve upon at the next level.

A couple of other improvements I would like to see offensively is he had a lot of traveling calls at the start of an attack, mainly in spot-up situations but this is a minor issue and should be ironed out over time. Another improvement he can make and probably his biggest is that he should be cutting to the rim way more often so he can use his plus athleticism to his advantage. On offense, he can kind of just float off the ball and stand in one spot if there isn’t some set motion or actions going on and he really doesn’t cut unless he is being overplayed. This led to games where he would end up taking only 7 or 8 shots as the team’s best player which made you leave scratching your head wondering where he disappeared to on offense. Mixing in some smart cuts would be found money for him going forward and I’d love to see it.

Defense: Now, on to the main question mark of Maxwell Lewis and what will ultimately determine his floor as an NBA player, his defense. I’ve seen him get a two-way label slapped on him from various Twitter accounts and as a prospect, Lewis was definitely not a two-way player. The simplest way to put this is, when I watch Lewis it feels like he’s just out there. Not going that extra mile to be a positive, but is doing just enough to not be a negative. His reaction time isn’t that great and he doesn’t follow his man as tight as you would want off-ball, allowing slips in the crack for his man to exploit by smart cuts. These mental mistakes combined with the fact his technique on that end isn’t that great and he gets blown-by way more often than he should, he will have a lot to work on defensively once he gets in the league. There were many plays where I thought he could’ve slid to help and actively tried to create somewhat of a defensive presence but he just doesn’t. This is where his upside comes in with his 7-foot wingspan; he most definitely has the tools to become a positive defender. But this is also the reason why he slid; at Pepperdine, was it that he didn’t try to put in the extra effort on defense due to him being the star? Or does he just not have the defensive intangibles needed to be a positive defender? And the latter question is the worrisome outcome if true because the offense will have to weigh out the defense and that pathway isn’t something you can bet on unless the player’s offense is clearly a significant positive for his team every time he’s on the court.

Expectations: If the Lakers gave Maxwell Lewis the “Talen Horton-Tucker Plan” of pretty much exclusively playing in the G League while the main team is trying to contend, that would not shock me one bit. Especially with Lewis’ thin frame, it could take him a while to get used to NBA-level basketball and that is fine. The Lakers are not in a situation where they need him to be a contributor from day one like what might’ve been the case a couple of rosters ago. All that matters for this upcoming season is reps and development because the outcome could be pretty special if it all pans out.

The post Lakers Draft Recap: Skill to Build Upon appeared first on Swish Theory.

The Lakers have developed a positive reputation around NBA circles for their drafting in recent years, picking up Jordan Clarkson, Larry Nance Jr., Josh Hart, and Kyle Kuzma with late first or second-round picks. And maybe even more impressive, have signed and developed undrafted free agents like Alex Caruso and Austin Reaves that have shown great promise to have long, sustainable NBA careers.

Team Needs

With the Lakers being in a win-now mindset with an aging LeBron James and Anthony Davis, for the #17 pick, the team should be looking for short-term fit prospects with upside alongside the two stars instead of long-term projects. 

As far as on-court fit, in the playoffs we saw some holes the Lakers should be addressing in the off-season, and here’s how I would rank them.

1. More size among frontcourt
   • To close out games, Lebron and AD as your two frontcourt options make a formidable backline but across a full 82-game season, it would be the wrong move to put all of the interior burden on them. We also saw in that Denver series, playing with more wings and guards led to LA getting obliterated on the boards and this would help with that.
2. Backup center (can also play with AD)
   • If the Lakers could find a consistent option to back up AD while also being a solid enough option to play alongside Davis, it would do wonders for the team’s depth and rotations while also alleviating some size concerns as well.
3. Overall shotmaking
   • We saw D’Angelo Russell, Dennis Schröder, Jarred Vanderbilt, Malik Beasley, and Troy Brown Jr. shoot below league average from three in the playoffs and it cost the team in the long run. On paper you should be able to trust Russell, Beasley, and Brown Jr. but the Lakers just may need more reliable shooters than that group. 

Six Fits for #17

Jordan Hawkins, 6-5 SG, UConn

Hawkins is an off-ball gunner. The way UCONN used him endlessly running around off-ball screens to get open and knock down shots drew comparison to a former UCONN great, Ray Allen. Hawkins has great deceleration and footwork coming off of those screens to stop on a dime and knock down deep contested looks. While that is his selling point, the slim shooter hailing from Maryland has an array of moves off the dribble as well. Whether its step backs, sidesteps, or pull-up midranges, do not think Hawkins is just a one-trick pony. He can also attack hard closeouts or good back pressure from defenders very well and get to the rim for floaters, dumb-offs, or finishes at the rim but this is a big area for him to improve on. Hawkins only shot 55% at the rim this season, which is below average and on film, he can produce some wild attempts at the rim trying to finish through defenders (which is a plus) but with his slim frame, he’ll lose control of the ball or just get overwhelmed by the defender.

As far as defense, Hawkins is a very attentive defender that does his job and can play with a physicality that some may not expect with his frame. He is comfortable going chest to chest with ball handlers and walling them off and also has the foot speed to stay with plenty of guards. He defends with high and active hands which can throw off defenders even with a mild +2 wingspan at 6’7. Hawkins is a defender that you won’t really notice when watching and that is a good thing! His ability to execute the team’s scheme and stay locked in while rarely having slip-ups or miscues can go a long way. 

I could see Hawkins fitting into Malik Beasley or Lonnie Walker’s role like a glove and with his movement skills, it could open up an array of attacks that the Lakers could exploit on the opponent’s defense. 

Kobe Bufkin, 6-5 PG/SG, Michigan

Not to mention him being named after a franchise legend and attending Lakers’ general manager Rob Pelinka’s alma mater, but Kobe Bufkin fits the “guards with high feel for the game” mold the Lakers have shown to value in the draft with the acquisitions of Austin Reaves and previously Alex Caruso. Bufkin is trustworthy and steady with the ball in his hands while being a quick ball mover and decision-maker. Bufkin has shown to be a three-level scorer as well, although on low volume. The lanky lefty shot 36% from three, 55% from two, and 69% at the rim (!!). His craft around the rim is very impressive as he can make finishes over contests at obscure angles and use his long wingspan to get around the limbs defending the rim. His offensive play style suits either being off the ball, playing next to high-usage creators where he can fill in where needed, but he can also up his own usage if need be and still leave a positive and efficient impact on the game. 

This is where context should be added to Kobe Bufkin’s sophomore season at Michigan. As his teammate and projected 1st rounder, Jett Howard, slowed down in production and dealt with injuries later in the year, Bufkin’s offensive load increased tenfold along with his production which didn’t come with a noticeable drop in efficiency either (very much a green flag). In his last 10 games, Bufkin had six games where his usage rate was over 25%, compared to his 23 previous games in the season where he had a total of three games with that high of usage rate. And over those last 10 games, the former four-star prospect averaged 18 ppg shooting 56% from two and 44% from three. 

Bufkin is a pull-up threat from two and three, uses long strides and advanced angles to get to the rim but is a bit better off of actions rather than creating from a standstill in isolation. A wart in Bufkin’s offense is his burst and explosiveness off the dribble which can limit his on-ball effectiveness. His shot will also need to be sped up at the next level, but it is clear the shooting touch is present. 

Where Kobe Bufkin really excels though is the defensive side of the ball where, in my opinion, he is in the top class of perimeter defenders in this draft class. Bufkin’s screen navigation and footwork is just elite on and off the ball. He can slither around screens and recover to get back in front of the ball handler with ease. His 6’8 wingspan mixed with his tenacity at the point of attack can really harass opponents and force misses. His off-ball defense is supreme too, where he is a great communicator, very attentive to all actions on the court, is a good chaser, and an even better rotator. A couple of holes in his defense though is his strength as he can get powered through and sometimes is a bit too aggressive on-ball when defending fast guards and can get burned. Bufkin is pretty much an all-around prospect and will impact winning wherever he lands. 

Leonard Miller, 6-10 PF, G-League Ignite

A year ago, the draft community was saying Leonard Miller had an unorthodox, funky, and questionable play style in terms of translatability to the league. Now, after his instrumental stint with G-League Ignite, I can see crystal clear how Miller can potentially have a big role impacting winning at the next level.  

Standing at 6-10 with an already defined frame, Miller’s work starts in the paint where he is as physical a 19-year-old you’ll see. Miller loves engaging in and playing through contact while going up strong each and every time. He has impeccable touch around the rim with either hand and can make tough layups look easy. With that touch, he also has an impressive floater game that he uses from time to time and again, with either hand. As a natural lefty, you would think Miller would shy away from using his right hand but after watching him finish with his right so many times, I always come back questioning if he really is left-handed. His good touch is also exemplified by his 79% shooting at the free-throw line. Another place Miller thrives is the offensive glass, creating and maintaining good position on the boards to get 2nd opportunities which he makes the most out of. 

That is what he can produce with his eyes closed but where the intrigue comes with Miller is his ability to create advantages from the perimeter at his size plus his finishing ability. He’s still raw in this area of the game and can produce some ugly turnovers and bad possessions, but the flashes are very real. Attacking closeouts for turn-around jumpers, going coast-to-coast in transition after defensive rebounds, and sometimes even creating rim looks from a standstill is why Miller’s stock has continued to rise throughout the year. Also given his proven touch on the interior and at the line, there is hope that one day he’ll be able to stretch that out to three. He does have a pretty wacky form but shooting 33% from three for the year gives a solid floor that teams can trust to work from. 

Miller’s biggest drawback however is his defense where he has grown throughout the year to be fair but can look lost on defense a lot of the time. His defense will potentially limit him from sliding down and giving positive minutes at the center position because his rim protection skills, well they just aren’t great to say the least. And if you want to switch with Miller, he has shown of bad possessions just not being able to stay with smaller players on the perimeter and giving up drives way too easily. 

As far as his fit on the Lakers, Miller would slot in as a bigger forward off the bench who would help a ton with rebounding and just potential size mismatches. He could play alongside Anthony Davis where Miller’s defensive miscues won’t be as detrimental with Davis on the backline. While the Toronto product is not the shot in the dark he once was, he will still command a lot of development time for him to reach his fullest potential.

Maxwell Lewis, 6-7 SG/SF, Pepperdine

Hailing from the Lakers’ backyard in Southern California, the team should be very familiar with Maxwell Lewis and it wouldn’t surprise me at all if he is the name called at pick #17 on draft night. At a macro-level, Lewis looks like your prototypical, long and rangy 3nD prospect with a bit of upside but looking closely, it’s not as black and white as it may seem.

The intrigue with Lewis is his offense and how he has the ability to do more than your prototypical 3nD role player. Lewis already possesses a solid handle with a silky-smooth jumpsuit where he loves to pull up from midrange and beyond the arc. Lewis only shot 35% from three this year which is a bit on the lower side for a prospect that’s shooting is supposed to be his strong skill, but the touch on his jumper and ability to get them off quickly has given me faith in the shooting in the long run—also Lewis shot an impressive 43% on catch and shoot threes this season. He also can shoot off of a variety of looks with the pull-up being his go-to but can also shoot off of step backs, sidesteps, PnR, and off of movement off-ball.

Lewis works well as a secondary/tertiary player in the offense attacking bent defenses where he can exploit the creases and get good looks. He is a solid passer in these situations and has some burst and explosiveness to attack the rim in these situations as well. Lewis shot a really nice 61% at the rim this season and with his frame, it is a bit surprising, but he uses his length really well around the rim and takes long, unorthodox strides to throw off defenders when finishing. He is another player where he is much better when getting looks off of actions and attacking off of other player’s primary attacks rather than creating something alone from a standstill. He’s not going to generate that much separation off the dribble but he’s adept enough at scoring to put the ball in the basket either way.

On the defensive side is where Maxwell Lewis falls short of that 3nD label. Lewis’ consistency and attentiveness on that end of the court is definitely something he will have to improve upon throughout the course of his career. His technique can be refined a bit as well, as he can let ball handlers drive too easily without much resistance which will be something he could get subbed out for immediately in the NBA. Lewis has the frame and solid enough athleticism to be a plus defender but is missing a few key intangibles that people can take for granted with great or even good defenders. But with the coaching in this league, I would expect Lewis to improve upon his defense rather quickly upon his arrival in the big leagues.

As a fit on the Lakers, Maxwell Lewis provides another option in the wing room which the team has desperately needed for a couple of years now. With one year of NBA development already down for Max Christie, it would be fun to see those two on the wings alongside the superstar duo with Lewis being the more offensive-inclined wing and Christie being more defensive-inclined.

Cason Wallace, 6-4 PG/SG, Kentucky

With the departure of Alex Caruso in the 2021 offseason, the Lakers have had trouble replacing the defensive presence the former fan favorite brought to the team at the guard position. But getting Cason Wallace a few years later would be a hell of a replacement in that area. 

Wallace is a tough, rugged 6-4 guard with all of the hustle intangibles you can think of. Fights for every loose ball, is the first one on the floor, knows where to be at all times, and is just a smart and physical defender. With Wallace’ frame, it allows him to guard up in position so that he can take on taller wings and even some forwards and still have success defending them. Where Wallace really excels on the defensive end though is off of the ball where he can be a nuisance to the opposition at all times. He’s an elite weakside rim protector for the guard position and is seemingly always in position to make a play on the ball no matter where he is. He is that rare mix of always being a steady, smart defender while also being a defensive playmaker which just leads to him being a massive positive whenever he’s on the court. A couple drawbacks on his defense though is his screen navigation as he can get caught up on more screens than you would like and also he isn’t as nimble to stay with super quick guards which could hinder his versatility on that end. 

Now onto the offensive end where the totality of Wallace’s game really shines and makes him such a good guard prospect. Wallace can operate on or off the ball and spent a lot of time doing both throughout the year. As Kentucky starting point guard, Sahvir Wheeler, got injured midway through the season, Wallace, who was starting at the shooting guard position, slotted down to play point and his impact remained large. After averaging 3.5 assists per game to 1.9 turnovers playing alongside Wheeler, in the last 10 games of Kentucky’s season with Wheeler out, Wallace averaged 5.8 assists per game to only 2.6 turnovers. His already solid playmaking was able to perk up without also seeing a spike in turnovers as well which is a great sign.

Wallace is very comfortable operating in the pick-and-roll game making reads, or being a scorer. He has a professional midrange pull-up game he loves going to and is a great finisher as well, shooting 71% at the rim (!!!) this season. His steady rim pressure he can provide is what also makes him a constant positive when on the court. His 3PT shooting will be a talking point as that part of his game fluctuated a great deal throughout the season. In his first 16 games of the season, Wallace shot 42% from three but in his last 16 games of the season, he shot 25% from three so the truth is in the eye of the beholder. And from going on priors and what I’ve seen from Wallace going back to high school, I am a firm believer that he’ll become at least an average shooter at the next level (which is 36% from three). 

His fit on the Lakers would be very seamless as the roster has needed some defensive size and athleticism in the backcourt which Wallace definitely brings. Whether it would be to outright take Dennis Schroder’s backup PG role or play him next to a PG, Wallace should fit in where needed and LeBron should be more than welcomed to add another quick processing athlete to the team.

Jett Howard, 6-8 F, Michigan

Who would I be the absolute least surprised to hear the Lakers choose with the #17 pick? That would be nonother than Jett Howard, who attended Rob Pelinka’s alma mater and is also a son of Juwan Howard, Pelinka’s former teammate on the “Fab Five” Michigan teams in the 90s. Over the past couple of years when it comes to adding people to the Lakers organization whether it’s in the front office or on the court, the Lakers have shown to go with people they are familiar with and those who already have ties within the organization. I mean Rob Pelinka himself got the general manager position with his most prominent prior experience being that he was Kobe Bryant’s agent.

However, that isn’t to say that Jett would purely be a nepotism pick because he gives the Lakers one specific skill they have and always will desire—shooting. Jett Howard is one of the premier catch-and-shoot players in the class, shooting 39% on catch-and-shoot 3s this season. At his height and at the forward position, this can be a luxury to have slotted in between two rim pressure gods in LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Howard is also able to excel with shooting off of movement in screening actions which can warp defenses to a certain degree and open up offenses to new possibilities. Along with the shooting, Howard has shown the capabilities to be a good secondary playmaker as well, being able to make nice dump-off passes or make solid kick-outs for threes.

His on-ball game is a bit divisive in the draft community though as he does possess a nice handle to create a solid amount of looks on his own, but the drawback is those looks are mostly all tough shots over defenders. Howard does not possess a great deal of burst at the point of attack, and it limits him in situations where he is looking to create. This also limits the range of shots at his disposal where most of the time, he resorts to tough midrange or 3PT pull-ups instead of getting good looks at the rim because his athleticism just doesn’t allow him to in standstill isolations. With him being a 6-8 forward, it was surprising to see Howard with only six total dunk attempts this season and only 47 attempts at the rim overall.

And while offensively he wasn’t perfect, defense should be Jett’s main priority in terms of what to improve over the course of his rookie NBA season because it was rough. With Jett already not being the best athlete, it would need to take a lot of clever technique, effort, and engagement to overcome that deficit and Jett really didn’t show much of those three essentials. Howard really struggled to contain drives on the perimeter and at times was a target for opposing guards to go after and attack. Already not having the best foot speed, Howard compounds that by having poor technique when defending the ball, not being in a proper stance when guarding and subconsciously giving up a lane that guards can attack. Howard also doesn’t provide much resistance when defending the post and can be moved around pretty easily there as well.

And the last thing that Howard will have to improve upon is his rebounding. Averaging 2.8 rebounds per game for the full season is just not acceptable for a 6-8 forward who will be depended on to help with rebounding no matter what team he goes to. Howard had poor box-out tendencies throughout the year and let his man easily get around him for offensive rebounds a number of times. While Jett Howard in theory would be a great fit between LeBron and AD with his shooting and secondary playmaking, it would be instrumental for him to improve his game around the edges so that he isn’t just a one-trick pony.

Fits for #47

• Amari Bailey, 6-4 G, UCLA
  • Local freshman product whose potential was being untapped throughout the year. Dribble/pass/shoot guard with athleticism and good defensive frame.
• Jalen Slawson, 6-7 F, Furman
  • Savvy upperclassman with great defensive instincts and 7-0 wingspan. Above average ball-handler and decision-maker for his size, great passer in DHO, Delay, Elbow actions.
• Mouhamed Gueye, 6-11 F/C, Washington St.
  • Fluid athlete for his size. Developing shot with nice form, solid ball skills for size and solid rim protector with 7-3 wingspan. Live athlete as well, gets off the floor quickly.
• Toumani Camara, 6-8 F/C, Dayton
  • All-around, modern PF. Great interior finisher and offensive rebounder with solid outside shot and can attack closeouts. Great athlete with defensive mobility.
• Nikola Djurisic, 6-8 G, Mega Basket
  • Great tools and feel being a 6-8 guard but underwhelmed statistically overseas. In theory, is a dribble/pass/shoot tall guard but is a bet on development.
• Julian Strawther, 6-7 SF, Gonzaga
  • Knockdown shooter at the wing position and is a great rebounder. Average across the board pretty much everywhere else though.

It should also be mentioned that this could all be for naught if the Lakers end up trading their pick(s) for a proven rotation player. Given LA hasn’t picked in the 1st round since 2018 (Moritz Wagner being the pick at #25), it definitely wouldn’t be shocking if they elect to go the trade route again, but I also could see them wanting to get back to drafting high-quality young talent. As Jovan Buha of The Athletic reported, “The most likely outcome is the Lakers keeping the No. 17th pick, according to multiple team sources not authorized to speak publicly.” At the end of the day though, the Lakers’ front office and drafting department hasn’t done much wrong in recent years, so I trust them to make a good selection no matter who it is. Whoever they see worthy enough to fit in and develop alongside the two stars, I have full confidence in that player just like the front office will. 

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This conference finals matchup is bound to be a great battle focusing on the dualities of each team’s approach. Denver with their offense centering around, well, a center in Nikola Jokić as he’s literally in the middle of everything they do. Whether it be in the middle of the free throw line, on the block, or on the perimeter—when Jokić is on the court, he’s the center of attention, and for very good reason. 

Whereas for LA, their offense is more of an egalitarian approach where their leading scorer, LeBron James, is only at 23.8 points per game for this playoff run, compare that to Jokić who is at 30.7 points per game. James also leads the Lakers in touches at 71.6 per game which pales in comparison to the Nuggets’ two stars with Jokić at 110.9 touches per game (1st in the league this postseason with the difference between #1 and #2 being the difference between #2 and #27) and Jamal Murray at 85.6 (9th in the league this postseason). 

These two teams offer different questions for the other to solve which should make for a super entertaining chess match between two of the league’s best.

Matchups

For Denver:

• Kentavious Caldwell-Pope on D’Angelo Russell
• Jamal Murray on Austin Reaves
• Michael Porter Jr. on Jarred Vanderbilt
• Aaron Gordon on LeBron James
• Nikola Jokić on Anthony Davis

For Los Angeles:

• Austin Reaves on Jamal Murray
• D’Angelo Russell on Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
• Jarred Vanderbilt on Michael Porter Jr.
• LeBron James on Aaron Gordon
• Anthony Davis on Nikola Jokić

With Denver having a stout defender in Aaron Gordon to matchup with LeBron, the rest of the frontcourt comes into question. And a question that could have an important outcome in this series is “Who is ‘guarding’ Jarred Vanderbilt?” 

Why should you pay attention to the person guarding a 25% 3PT shooter, you ask? 

Well, it is a question of whether Denver wants to help off of Vanderbilt or hide on Vanderbilt. In LA’s previous series, Vanderbilt’s spacing issues were causing a big problem for the Lakers offense as both series went on, and ultimately reached an inflection point in Game 6 of the 2nd round vs the Golden State Warriors where they pulled the plug on Vanderbilt as a starter and replaced him with Dennis Schröder, the veteran speedy ballhandler. The Warriors were helping off of Vanderbilt at any chance they could get if that meant it would slow down an attack from LeBron or Davis. And well, I would assume that would be the same approach from Denver and the Eastern Conference team the Lakers would face if they make it to the Finals. 

However, Denver is known to mix up their matchups particularly when it comes to who Jokić is assigned to. Jokić had multiple sequences in their series against Phoenix where he was guarding a non-shooter like Josh Okogie and it threw an interesting wrench into the Suns’ offense when it happened. 

As for the Lakers, these are the standard matchups and I would not be surprised if these are different even in Game 1. With Vanderbilt’s questionable fit alongside LeBron and AD, Darvin Ham could look to another starter to begin this series and would change the matchups completely. But if Vanderbilt still does start, I could definitely see him guarding either one of Murray or Porter Jr. as the coaching staff pretty much trusts him on anybody. 

As Davis will have his hands full with Jokić, I would look to LeBron guarding Gordon to a similar degree that the Nuggets will guard Vanderbilt and also how the Lakers guarded players on the Warriors and Grizzlies — simple not caring if they were to launch threes. LeBron’s best defensive role for a good amount of years now is as a helper and potential roamer where he can be a pest in passing lanes, take charges in driving lanes, and come over for huge blocks if that is the last resort. LeBron will also have to be wary though of Gordon’s cutting and his impeccable chemistry with Jokić where the latter will find the former as soon as there is an opening in the defense. 

Denver’s Advantages

Going into this matchup as the #1 offense in the playoffs, Denver will pose a different threat to the Lakers’ defense they really haven’t seen this postseason. Not only is it pretty post-centric but the guy that can post up can also space you out and that could be the real concern. 

In the recent years of Jokić’s dominance throughout the league, which incidentally came after the loss to the Lakers in the 2020 Bubble, he has been a tough matchup for AD and he is of the build of player that AD can have trouble against. With his high center of gravity, Davis can often look light when going against bulky 7-footers will a low center of gravity and they can move him around a bit. Guys like Jokić, Ivica Zubac, or Jusuf Nurkić all fit the description and have given AD more trouble than you would think from a defensive player of his caliber. While Davis will definitely make him work, I think Jokić will have the edge over him in those 1-on-1 battles in the post that will inevitably happen.

If Jokić is not in the post, however, he can still stretch Davis out with his ability to shoot and if Davis provides no pressure to Jokic on the perimeter, it will give him ample amounts of time to read the floor and play make as one of the league’s best in that category. This will be a challenge the Lakers will have to solve throughout the series since they won their first two series by stationing Anthony Davis near the rim as best as they could through all methods and it worked to near perfection. With Jokić operating a lot from the top of the key and elbow, that alone can pull Davis out from under the rim and other Nuggets’ players will feel much more free at the rim when Davis’ presence isn’t near. 

Denver is also a more controlled and secure offense in comparison to the Grizzlies and Warriors who both ranked in the bottom-7 in most turnovers per game by playoff teams, meanwhile, Denver ranks 1st, giving up the fewest amount of turnovers this postseason. This matters a ton for the success rate of the Lakers’ defense of course but also hinders their transition game as well if they don’t turn the Nuggets over enough. 

With Aaron Gordon’s phenomenal work on Kevin Durant in Denver’s previous series, he will be a formidable defender to have the LeBron assignment. Strangely enough, Gordon is one of the few defenders who actually match up in stature and frame to LeBron which could provide an interesting challenge for the legend at this stage of his career. 

I expect Denver to be flying up the court in transition at every opportunity that arises. The Lakers’ transition defense has left a lot to be desired with the number of athletes and high-IQ players on the team. If Denver is able to fly in transition while also being a problem in the halfcourt offense and on the offensive glass, they could spell trouble for the underdogs very quickly.

Lakers’ Advantages

Throughout the LeBron and AD era, the Lakers have had one offensive identity—attack the rim. In the regular season, the Nuggets allowed the 3rd highest FG% at the rim and it has always been a weakness of theirs in recent years. In the regular season with LeBron and AD both healthy and playing, the Lakers have had a 4-1 record over the Nuggets since 2019-20 and that doesn’t include the 4-1 series win over Denver in the Bubble. During the regular season and postseason, the Lakers have always been a tough matchup for the Nuggets although this year, Denver is fielding easily their best supporting cast around Jokić since his birth as a star in this league. 

Rim protection is one of Jokić’s biggest weaknesses as a player and the Lakers will make sure to exploit that when they have the chance. With LeBron and AD being two of the best rim attackers in the league, I’m sure their minds will be made up on getting to the rim and it will be up to the Nuggets to stop them from getting there which was their plan in that 2020 series. 

In that 2020 Western Conference Finals, the Nuggets stunted extremely hard off the Lakers’ role players whenever LeBron had the ball in a concerted effort to make him beat them off of jumpers and it was a good strategy. Before Game 5, LeBron only averaged 24 points per game and in Game 4, he shot 7-of-18 from the field. But in Game 5, James had one of those statement games where he reminds you that sometimes, it just doesn’t matter. 

That’s how the previous series ended off and one might ask, what has changed since then? Well, the Lakers have shooters. And those shooters are also ballhandlers that can create for themselves and for others. And LeBron is not as on-ball dominant as he once was which can throw the defense for a loop in that his attack will not be as predictable. 

In the December 16th matchup between the two teams, LeBron how devastating that versatile skillset can be especially when he has a favorable matchup at the rim. He killed Denver on cuts through the defense when the attention shifted off of his which made for some highlight dunks and uber-efficient possessions. 

With this current version of LeBron in the postseason, I think we could see this a lot as a way of offense for him when not creating on-ball like so many of us are used to him doing. 

And while there is so much talk around how the Lakers will guard the Nuggets, Denver will probably be the most advantageous defense to the Lakers that they will see this postseason. In the Grizzlies and Warriors series which feature two top defenses and two All-Defensive defenders, the Lakers got stuck in the mud a few times and the other teams were able to stall out LA’s pick-and-roll offense and pet actions. I just don’t see that being the case in this series. 

In the regular season, the Lakers were able to go back to an ol’ reliable play from the ‘19-20 season when nobody really had an answer for it: the LeBron and AD pick and roll. Ever since then, teams have just switched that action and would much rather one of those two attack individually vs help instead of combining to convert a masterful possession. Now, with Davis sliding to be a full-time center, that means Jokić will match up with him and if the Lakers run that LeBron and AD pick and roll, would Denver want to switch Nikola Jokić onto LeBron James? No! At least that’s what the film says and it drew great results for the Laker offense. 

Also with Jokić being on AD, that opens up a Lakers pet action of the AD wide pin-down where he sets up in the corner and a guard sets a pin-down screen for AD to curl off of and attack while on the move. I’d imagine this would be a difficult action for Jokić to guard given that centers usually aren’t used to running around screens and that’s why it’s so effective. 

On top of the offense being unlocked a bit, the Lakers’ defense has sneakily been one the best in the league at slowing down the Joker with smart tactics from the coaching staff. While some think letting Jokić cook in the post 1v1 all game is the key to beating Denver, LA has actually found success in smartly sending help to Jokić to effectively get the ball out of his hands without him realizing the advantage quick enough and also the Nuggets players not executing quick enough either. 

The Lakers used a heavy diet of helping from the strong side then bumping the next defender over to help the helper. This causes a chain reaction within the defense and the original helper’s new man will be the one in the weakside corner after he helps on Jokić. Since some of Joker’s first reads were taken away and the Nuggets didn’t weren’t ready to be thrown a Jokić pass that didn’t really create that much of an advantage, the offense sputtered at times in those regular season matchups and it was pretty much all due to the gameplan and the execution from the players.

X-Factors

Nuggets:

• The Others

Yep. That’s right. Literally every single player not named Nikola Jokić is an x-factor for the Nuggets because simply he will need all the help he can get. If Jamal Murray can tap into that efficiency he had when in the Bubble it would go a long way. He does not have the margin of error that he had in the series against Phoenix to have ice-cold games and still come out with a win. Michael Porter Jr. and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope have to be consistent shooters and consistent decision-makers when the ball is put in their hands. Aaron Gordon can’t be afraid to shoot the ball and has to always make himself a threat through cutting or his outside shot. How much can the bench help? How much can Bruce Brown and Christian Braun contribute offensively? They’ll need everybody to chip in in some ways that aren’t normal for them and they may be put into uncomfortable situations where they will still have to succeed if they want a trip to the Finals.

Lakers

• LeBron James
• Timely adjustments (both)

Anthony Davis has unequivocally been the best player for the Lakers in this playoff run but he will need all the help where he can get it as well and I think LeBron has a chance to make a huge imprint on this series. With his athletic advantages and as a prime pressure point for the Nuggets’ weakness, his production, and primarily his health, could swing the series one way or the other.

Michael Malone is one of the best coaches in the league and this should not be a pushover matchup (like the 2020 series). These two teams are pretty evenly matched to where if you don’t counter an adjustment or don’t execute enough of the gameplan, the other team will send you right on home. Neither team has the margin for error to mess around and drop games because of an unplanned-for coverage or the team can’t execute the proper coverage or offensive exploits.

Prediction

Lakers in 6.

Much like the series against Golden State, LA is coming into this series with an optimal gameplan that we have seen work in the regular season and should be put in place again in the upcoming series. I do expect Denver to be ready for the Lakers’ first move and they have the coaching to be able to counter as best as they can then it will be on the Lakers to make their move once again. I believe the Lakers have the tactical advantage, weakness advantage, and rotation/versatility advantage with the Nuggets at a strict 8-man rotation while the Lakers have nine or even 10 guys they can go to on a nightly basis and tweak their style of play just a bit to accommodate that player and play him into their advantage. On top of that, the last game that LeBron played was his best game of this postseason and he ended the series off shooting 39% from three after Game 1. Who’s to say that can’t carry over?

Either way, this should be an extremely entertaining series that will have many plenty of adjusting and countering and best of all we get to see another series of just some of the best in the world go at it. Jokić has grown a lot since that series in Orlando and it would be a pretty good story if he were to beat the same team that knocked him out for a spot in the Finals a while back. But unfortunately for the Joker, I think his road will stop at the same spot and we will see the first 7th seed in NBA history claim their spot in the NBA Finals.

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Stephen Curry vs LeBron James. A rivalry that defines this generation of the NBA will potentially have its last dance and like the infamous football/soccer coach, Pep Guardiola, once said—”we will be there” (not actually there because the prices for these games are already off the charts but anyways).

This should be an electric series between two teams that have had their share of ups and downs and are coming in hot with a chip on their shoulder. But enough with the talking, let’s dive into what this all will look like on the court.

Matchups

For Los Angeles:

• Austin Reaves on Stephen Curry
• D’Angelo Russell on Klay Thompson
• Jarred Vanderbilt on Andrew Wiggins
• LeBron James on Draymond Green
• Anthony Davis on Kevon Looney

For Golden State:

• Klay Thompson on D’Angelo Russell
• Stephen Curry on Austin Reaves
• Draymond Green on Jarred Vanderbilt
• Andrew Wiggins on LeBron James
• Kevon Looney on Anthony Davis

Starting with LA, the talk around the matchup is the “who guards Steph?” problem, and out of that first group, I trust Austin Reaves to be the guy. Per BBall Index, Reaves graded out as an A- in Off-Ball Chaser Defense and in Ball Screen Navigation, two very key skills you need to have defensively if you want to take on the task that is Stephen Curry. 

There has been talk from media and fans about Davis potentially guarding Draymond and LeBron guarding Looney which I can see, but to start the series I think Darvin Ham will go with a vanilla approach and not get too cute just yet. Looney is involved in a lot of Golden State’s actions, just like Draymond, and I think AD could split time between the two while still having the same impact defensively. 

For Golden State, I think the key here is Draymond on Vanderbilt. In the regular season matchups, Draymond showed little to no respect to Vanderbilt when he was “guarding” him and at times spent whole possessions heavily shadowing Anthony Davis who was primarily guarded by Looney. With Green roaming to help on Davis, this could cause trouble for LA in terms of Vanderbilt’s usage offensively and the spacing problems that could pursue from that matchup.

Stopping Steph?

In the famous words of the legendary Kevin Harlan, “You can not stop him, you can only hope to contain him!”

Long answer: stopping Steph is a proposition that many teams have tried and have failed in doing so. Do you go all out in stopping him or do you let him cook while you try and shut off Golden State’s other avenues to score? I think the Lakers will lean heavily toward the latter.

The Lakers and Warriors played in three games after the trade deadline with LA’s new cast and they defended Golden State the same way every single time. Putting a heavy emphasis on gapping the Warriors’ poor/non-shooters—Green, Looney, Kuminga, JaMychal Green to some extent, and I would assume Gary Payton II to be in this group although he didn’t play in these matchups—to cut off passing angles and for the Warriors free-flowing, spaced out offense.

And although Kuminga made that three, you’d much rather him taking threes than Steph, Klay, Poole, Wiggins, or Divincenzo getting threes or layups like how they usually do in their offense. This gap defense can disrupt how Golden State normally attacks and it will be on them to counter. The guards guarding the shooters running around will also have to top-lock (when a defender stands between the screener and the person you’re guarding) to deny easy handoffs and if the guards cut, they’ll cut right into Anthony Davis or LeBron James. With off-ball chasers like Reaves, Dennis Schröder, Troy Brown Jr., and even D’Angelo Russell who is really solid in this role when locked in, LA has the personnel to execute this defense fairly well. 

But we still haven’t answered the proposed question of stopping or even containing Steph. The best way to contain him while also containing their offense as a whole would be—prepare yourselves—drop coverage. 

But no, not that drop coverage with the big man sinking all the way in the paint and daring the ballhandler to hit pull-up jumpers. It’s Steph Curry. I’m recommending a higher variation of drop where the ballhandler’s defender still goes over the screen, but the big man is much higher, usually anywhere from the free throw line out to the 3-point line. 

Just like the other scheme against Golden State, the Lakers ran this during all three of those meetups post-deadline and it worked to a tee.

Now of course this isn’t the ultimate cheat code defense that will hold Steph to 20 points per game on bad efficiency. Steph will still get his because of his greatness but you have to play the long game with this defense and focus on the process of “how hard of looks are they getting?” vs the results of whether or not the ball is going in for them. 

With the greatness that is Anthony Davis on the defensive side of the ball, nothing seems too farfetched as he is the key to this defensive strategy and is one of the few guys in the league that could actually execute it. We are asking him to be our main rim protector while also being fairly high on Steph where he can contest and maybe even block a couple 3s. It will be a tough task for The Brow but I honestly believe there is nobody in the league I’d rather have for this gameplan.

Answers for AD?

Speaking of AD, the Warriors will have to navigate how they deal with him while they’re on defense as well. In the latest matchup between the two teams, Davis detonated for 39 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 blocks on 64% True Shooting while hitting a mean dagger post shot over the lauded defender, Draymond Green. 

Davis presents a harder challenge for the Warriors than what they dealt with in the first round with Domantas Sabonis. Draymond and Looney were able to sag off of Sabonis and give him a great amount of space since Sabonis isn’t really comfortable as a scorer if he’s right near the rim for a layup. That meant post shots, floaters, midranges, and threes were off the table and were a complete non-factor for Sabonis as Draymond and Looney camped under the rim. 

You simply can not do that against Anthony Davis. 

AD is more of a finesse and quickness big with real touch and is perfectly fine with living in the post hook/floater range if need be. A primary attack I’d like LA to go with in terms of getting AD going would be to get him flowing off of movement so that he can attack the foot speed of Looney, in particular, but even Draymond as well. We saw the Lakers go to this way of attacking for that last matchup where Davis dropped a near 40-piece, running a lot of 5-out delay sets and setting pindown screens for AD for him to attack Looney. 

This isn’t the only way though, Davis will kill any 1-on-1 matchups in the post if you don’t send some type of help. AD actually had a very uncharacteristic post-up efficiency series against the Grizzlies where he got his typical looks that he makes most of the time, but just missed them. I would have to expect that those shots are bound to fall eventually and I think this can be the series where that happens. 

On top of AD being a hell of a mismatch on the ground, the Warriors can not match his verticality either. The tallest player the Warriors play in their rotation is Kevon Looney who is 6-9 but very floor bound. This is a complete contrast to what Davis had to deal with last round with the 6-11 terror Jaren Jackson Jr. who could match AD’s size and even still he had a very rough time guarding him. 

Because of all this, I’m expecting the Warriors to commit a ton of attention and help toward Davis’ way. Although they seem very locked in on not letting him get free Pick-and-Roll lobs and layups, they do not seem as disciplined in their post defense whereas Memphis very much was and it could’ve been one of the factors that kept AD’s efficiency for the series way lower than what we expect from him. Think this could potentially unlock some of AD’s passing too as he will have to make some pretty solid reads in order to counter the help they will send his way. The Warriors will make it tough for AD but this isn’t anything he hasn’t seen before and I think he just completed the test against a tougher Memphis matchup for him offensively. 

X-Factors

For Los Angeles

• LeBron James and Anthony Davis
• Lakers guards

Outside of Anthony Davis on the defensive side of the ball, the stars for LA were pretty average in the 1st round matchup against Memphis. I think there is a world where Davis could have the same or even a bigger impact than Curry in this series and the Lakers will need that type of production from their superstar to win this one. With LeBron tending to his lingering foot issue, I’m just unsure of what he will bring to the series on the offensive end. Will he be the on-ball engine like we’ve seen throughout the previous 19 years of his career or again will he be this off-ball cog in the machine? And if he continues to be off-ball which is fine by me, he’ll have to be able to shoot threes at a respectable clip which he did not against Memphis.

LA’s guards again will have a big impact on this series. Austin Reaves is pretty much the only guard in the Lakers rotation that consistently produces and you don’t have to worry about him on the offensive side of the ball really. But D’Angelo Russell, Dennis Schröder, and possibly Malik Beasley and/or Troy Brown Jr. could all play huge swing factor roles on the offensive side of the ball. Not sure how it looks in the stats, but just from a feel perspective, it seems like when D’Angelo Russell has a good game, the Lakers have a 90% chance of winning. I think he will be a little bit more looser than he was in the Memphis series with him not having to deal with as much physicality. The Lakers will be depending on Schröder’s defense so that’s why he is an x-factor but if Beasley or Brown Jr. could just start hitting shots, it could go a long way. Those two combined to shoot 6-for-30 (a whopping 20%) from three in the Memphis series so just them hitting shots could swing the series in LA’s favor.

For Golden State

• Draymond Green
• Klay Thompson/Andrew Wiggins

Draymond Green’s offensive ability will be tested in this series. Just like how the Warriors tested Sabonis’ ability in the first round. He will have to have the mindset of being aggressive on offense and not minding being a scorer which he’s shown he can have at times—Game 5 vs Sacramento—but can he do it efficiently and consistently? That is the real question and should be answered throughout the series.

On top of Klay and Wiggins just having to hit shots, they may be relied upon to create and provide some offense that may be more than usual for them. I think Golden State will look for mismatches on these two when they can and try to get them post looks which will be helpful. But after both had a pretty average first-round series on the offensive side of the ball, their number could be called a lot more vs Los Angeles.

Prediction Time

Lakers in 7.

I believe this will be a long, hard-fought series that will end with the Lakers coming out victorious. Whether it’s six and they win at Crypto.com Arena or seven away on the road, I think the Lakers are coming into this one with the tactical advantage over the Warriors and will try to impose their strength and size against a small-ball Warriors team. LA will be forceful in trying to establish their paint presence just from points in the paint but also on the free throw line where they drew the second most fouls per game in the regular season. Meanwhile, the Warriors committed the third-most personal fouls per game, so the whistle should play a factor and be in LA’s favor just based off of playstyle.

Either way, I simply cannot wait to enjoy this series to the fullest and live through what may be the last chapter of LeBron vs Steph. Two legends that had their hand in reshaping the game into the way it is now and I’ll forever be appreciative towards them for that. But again, enough with all the talking man—let’s hoop!

The post Warriors vs Lakers Series Preview: Steph vs LeBron Part V appeared first on Swish Theory.

One Laker had 29 points on 11-of-14 shooting while another scored 14 points in the 4th quarter to close out the game. Neither were named LeBron James or Anthony Davis.

Rui Hachimura’s graceful 29-piece and Austin Reaves’ boastful closing touches in crunch time showed how the Lakers finally don’t have to depend on LeBron or AD to have superstar offensive outputs to win games. Hachimura was huge mostly in the 3rd quarter, first hitting a contested three in the corner which opened up the floodgates. The former 9th overall pick was 5-6 from three, feasting off of open looks generated from LeBron or AD’s gravity on the defense plus Memphis sagging off of him and daring him to make shots and he made them pay. 

Down the stretch with Lebron and AD on the court, it was Austin Reaves getting ball screen after ball screen and absolutely killing the Grizzlies’ drop coverage every time down. Reaves snaked around a reaching Jaren Jackson Jr. for a layup, hit a deep pull-up three as Desmond Bane went under the AD screen, then hit a leaning pull-up midrange jumper to put the dagger in the coffin and screamed “I’M HIM!” while running to the bench. The duo of Reaves and Hachimura combined for an absurd 14-of-15 shooting performance in the 2nd half and it was a much deserved coming out party for the two new Laker fan favorites.

All of that isn’t to say that LeBron or Davis didn’t play well though, especially Davis who had one of his best defensive performances to date with 3 steals and a playoff career-high 7 blocks. The big man set the tone early with 3 blocks in the first 9 minutes of the game and the rest of the team followed his lead on that end while he continued to dominate defensively until the final buzzer. Davis finished with 22 points, 12 rebounds (4 offensive), 3 assists, and was a staggering plus-27. LeBron even chipped in with 3 blocks of his own, all in a pin-the-glass fashion which is a LeBron favorite, and he also pitched in an efficient 21 points and 11 rebounds.

As far as Memphis and what to look for in the rest of the series, obviously the main concern is the health of Ja Morant. Morant took a hard fall and landed on his wrist after a charge attempt from Anthony Davis with under 6 minutes to go in the 4th quarter and was ruled out the rest of the game. Without him, you can wish the Grizzlies’ chances farewell but when Morant was in, the Lakers did contain him fairly well, limiting him to only 2 assists to go with 6 turnovers and zero free throws attempted on the night. Morant rarely, if ever, got a full head of steam toward the rim for layups, and when he did he was met by the defensive stalwart that is Anthony Davis. 

Jaren Jackson Jr. had a superb game in what was really the only great performance by a Memphis Grizzly. The newly-minted All-Star had 31 points on 13-of-21 shooting with 2 threes and brings a potential problem for LA to solve. With or without Morant in the next couple of games, the Lakers have to think about sending more bodies toward Jackson Jr. when he’s posting up. His playmaking is not one of his standout skills and when going up against anybody not named Anthony Davis, he dominated 1-on-1 matchups in the interior. 

The Lakers crushed Memphis on the glass, with 45 rebounds (10 offensive) to Memphis’ 34 (6 offensive). Related, and as a potential swing factor for the series, LA won the fastbreak points battle with 26 to Memphis’ 17.

If the Lakers get even better offensive outputs from LeBron or Davis with the rising performances of the supporting cast, things could get tricky for Memphis in a hurry, especially with their superstar’s health in limbo.

The post The Rui & Reaves Show: Lakers Prevail in Game 1 Against Memphis appeared first on Swish Theory.

We Got Shootas!

The Lakers’ shooting after the deadline has surprisingly stayed around the same spot in terms of overall 3-point percentage — 24th after the deadline, 26th before the deadline — but with the new acquisitions, their shooting prowess on the perimeter can lead to nights where the Lakers just torch the nets. Last Tuesday though, they torched the Pelicans in a franchise record-breaking effort of 15 made threes in the 1st half. Led by Malik Beasley who provided seven of the 15 threes, the Lakers were able to capitalize on the Pelicans’ defensive game plan focused on Anthony Davis — who had 35 points on his own so I guess that didn’t work — which led to miscues all night.

The improved shooting talent on the roster has particularly shown in the midrange. Prior to the deadline, LA shot 38.8% on pull-up 2PT shots which would tie the Houston Rockets for last across the full season. Since the trades, the Lakers are shooting 43.1% on those shots, which would rank 13th across the full season. With the additions of D’Angelo Russell and Rui Hachimura while also increasing the minutes of Austin Reaves and Dennis Schröder, LA has found a new scoring range they can rely on.

A Star (and a lineup) Was Born

Speaking of Austin Reaves, the dismissal of Russell Westbrook and Kendrick Nunn has opened up minutes for him at the guard position and he has taken full advantage. In the month of March, Reaves is averaging 18.5 points (64.8% from two [!], 37.5% from three, and 83.3% from the line on 8.2 attempts), 5.6 assists, and only 1.8 turnovers per game. Reaves’ threat as a perimeter skill-guard has fit in seamlessly with the interior presence of Davis and also complements the slashing game of Schröder. The rise of Reaves — and the absence of LeBron who is nursing a foot injury — has brought coach Darvin Ham to concoct a new guard-centric lineup when they were once frowned upon.

Earlier in the season, whenever a lineup of three guards entered the game for the Lakers (usually a combination of Westbrook, Nunn, Schröder, Reaves, Patrick Beverley, and Lonnie Walker IV), there was a collective groan from all Laker fans in the Twittersphere. For a three-guard lineup to be effective, those guards must have some type of shooting, positional size, and adequate defense, and most of those lineups before the deadline didn’t have any of these prerequisites. However, the combination of D’Angelo Russell, Dennis Schröder, and Austin Reaves checks pretty much all the boxes for a three-guard lineup to work — and boy, it has.

Through 93 minutes, that trio has posted a plus-minus of plus-66, while generating a 131.4 offensive rating and 92.5 defensive rating, for a mind-boggling +38.9 NET rating. That’s insane. And those staggering numbers won’t hold as the sample grows larger, but the Lakers can now put out optimal lineups that just make sense and guess what? They work and are contributing to winning.

Back to the Basics

In the 17 games after the trade deadline, the Lakers boast the number one defensive rating in the league at 109.6 in that span. With the addition of Jarred Vanderbilt and the subtraction of many negative defenders — I’m looking at you, Russell Westbrook, Kendrick Nunn, Thomas Bryant, and Lonnie Walker IV who has found his way out of the rotation — the Lakers have seen massive improvements on that side of the court. Vanderbilt can cover a wide range of elite players, from guards to wings, that were previously guarded by the likes of Westbrook and/or Beverley — his best work being on Brandon Ingram (twice) and Luka Dončić in the miraculous 27-point comeback vs Dallas.

Through 307 minutes, the staunch defensive pairing of the two University of Kentucky products, Vanderbilt and Davis, have posted an impressive defensive rating of 106.8. This destructive duo is at the forefront of the Lakers bringing back the defensive foundation that the 2020 title team was built upon.

With the two previous rosters — yes, I’m counting the pre-deadline 2023 Lakers as a separate roster — the idea was to have a smash-mouth offense surrounded by shooters which was well removed from the identity of the team that had just won it all. LeBron James and Anthony Davis alone can provide more than enough interior pressure so instead of spending a large cap slot on another paint-based player, the Lakers reloaded — pun intended — with real perimeter threats and a proper defensive infrastructure.

A Focus on Now

With LeBron in street clothes and the Lakers fumbling away winnable games, time is ticking on this season. As of writing, the Lakers currently sit at the 10th seed and need to rack up results quickly if they want to get to the postseason safely.

Through almost two seasons of turmoil on and off the court, the Lakers have finally found stability in terms of performance and inside the locker room. With the 5th-best win percentage since the deadline, one can only imagine what this roster could’ve done with a full season to play with. But in the scenario they found themselves in now, the Lakers will have to earn their right in the postseason and as this fanbase knows too well after these last couple of seasons, nothing is promised for the purple and gold.

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