Don’t look now, but the Lakers are winning — and with consistency. Including their close call over the depleted Pelicans the other day, they have strung together five straight victories; outside of the ridiculous outlier being preserved by the Cavaliers, the run is the best in the National Basketball Association. Notwithstanding the temptations of drawing conclusions from a small sample size, this season’s version of largely the same roster as last is clearly exceeding itself.
The answers, of course, are equally evident. The installation of the supposedly inexperienced JJ Redick as head coach has injected uniqueness to a system that hitherto relied on the gravity of all-timer — and, yes, old-timer — LeBron James. The Lakers’ offense, in particular, has been humming in light of its increasing reliance on big man Anthony Davis, currently among the league leaders in scoring and efficiency. They aren’t actually employing anything new insofar as their sets are concerned; rather, it’s their placement, and the directions they take, in half court, resulting in far less predictability and far more success.
To be sure, the Lakers’ numbers are precariously skirting the thin line between achievement and disappointment. Even as they’re putting points on the board at a remarkable clip, their defense leaves a lot to be desired. In fact, their plus-one point differential is worse than any of those currently in the Western Conference play-in bubble. And only two and a half wins separate them from their fourth-place standing and the view from outside playoff seedings.
Still, that the Lakers can boast of progress is in and of itself reason to rejoice. They may have systemic infirmities that limit their potential, but there can be no doubting the confidence they sport whenever they meet the competition. And they’re not even at full strength; against the Pelicans, they missed the services of Rui Hachimura, Jaxson Hayes, Cam Reddish, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Christian Wood. Yet, they won, because Davis has been a rock on both ends of the floor, and because the supporting cast has been extremely productive.
In other words, the Lakers are no longer a two-man show. If anything, there have been moments — or, to be precise, stretches — when James shows his age, and yet they appear to lose little in terms of competitiveness. Often, it has been said that he makes those around him better regardless of circumstance. This time around, he is helped by astute planning from Redick and assistants Nate McMillan and Scott Brooks. It has placed them in position to fare well. And they have responded accordingly.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and human resources management, corporate communications, and business development.