Flashback to a year ago and the Lakers were in a fairly similar position entering Game 55; a 33-21 record as the Luka Doncic era was just getting underway.
Doncic is certainly the forefront of the now – and future – of the Lakers and is arguably the leading MVP candidate as the Slovenian star stands atop the league with 32.8 points per game. But the 26-year-old has hardly played on a completely healthy squad, most recently becoming the out-of-action Laker himself following a left hamstring strain suffered just before the All-Star break.
Sitting in fifth place in the Western Conference, here are five questions facing the Lakers heading into the final 28-game stretch of the regular season.
Can they get Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and LeBron James rolling at the same time?
Ten games – just 10. That’s how many games the Lakers’ three leaders have played alongside one another this season. During his All-Star media availability on Sunday, James turned straight to health when asked about what the Lakers could accomplish through the rest of the year.
“I think the most important (question) is if we can get healthy, how many minutes we could be on the floor, how much chemistry we can build with the sprint starting,” said James, who has only played 152 total minutes alongside Reaves and Doncic this season. “You would hope that you can have the regular season and kind of build that cohesiveness and things of that nature, but I’m hoping that if we can we can get healthy, that we can start to build that.”
When James, Doncic and Reaves play together, the Lakers are 7-3. And while their respective points per game might be inflated by the fact that at any given moment they could be making up for a teammate’s absence, they are the only trio of players in the NBA who are all averaging more than 20 points per game.
If truly healthy, at least offensively, the Lakers could be dangerous.
But the if of the team’s health looms.
Is the zone defense a permanent solution?
Coach JJ Redick adjusted the Lakers’ defense to a primarily 2-3 zone-based operation, slowing opposing offenses early in the shot clock during their recent eight-game road trip. Since Jan. 20, the Lakers have allowed 112 points or less eight times in 13 games.
Redick said last week that he felt that the zone defense had been “really good for us” and could bleed into the final stretch of the season. The strategy makes scoring inside less likely – Laker opponents average 51.4 points per game in the paint – and creates more outside looks.
The Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs, however, exploited the zone for highly efficient shooting nights against the Lakers before the break. Redick must find an effective balance of zone and man-to-man to hold the Western Conference’s best teams at bay in the postseason.
Can the Lakers’ 3-point shooting improve?
The Lakers have two of the best long-range shooters in the NBA. Bringing in Luke Kennard via trade – to play alongside forward Rui Hachimura – could help build a powerful shooting duo, if used consistently.
Kennard leads the league in 3-point percentage (49.4%), while Hachimura ranks eighth (44.7%).
As a team, however, the Lakers shoot the 21st fewest number of 3-pointers in the league. The Cleveland Cavaliers are the only other team to have two players in the top 10 for 3-point percentage (Jaylon Tyson and Sam Merrill), but they have the sixth-most 3-point attempts.
Getting Kennard and Hachimura more open looks would help open the floor for the Lakers’ star trio.
Does the bench hold up against the rest of the NBA?
Second-to-last. That’s where the Lakers rank when it comes to bench scoring, averaging 29.2 points and recording the fewest total shot attempts and 3-point attempts.
Whereas the Minnesota Timberwolves have Naz Reid (14.2 ppg) and the Denver Nuggets have Tim Hardaway Jr. (13.8 ppg) coming off the bench, the Lakers’ Jarred Vanderbilt and Jaxson Hayes, combining for 12 ppg, rarely spark scoring like their peers across the league.
Before the postseason, building reliable scoring off the bench for when their stars occasionally turn cold, could be the difference between an early exit or a Western Conference finals run.
How can the Lakers’ future change in the months ahead?
Mark Walter’s impact as the franchise’s new controlling owner continues to show up. While most changes to the organization are likely to come during the offseason – including increased investment in potentially expanding the front office, scouting and analytics departments, Lakers president of basketball operations/general manager Rob Pelinka said a few weeks ago – another longtime employee reportedly announced his plans to leave the organization.
Lakers president of business operations Tim Harris, who began his career working for Dr. Jerry Buss in 1990, told staff on Tuesday of his plans to leave the Lakers at the end of the season, The Athletic reported.
As the Lakers’ new regime continues to take shape, more comings and goings could be in the cards as the offseason approaches.