While rocketing toward the top of the league, the Lakers have been far from perfect. That’s good news to them.
“A big thing that we talk with our players about a lot is being able to learn and get better and try to correct things even when you are winning,” coach JJ Redick said.
The Lakers (11-2) have won seven consecutive games entering Sunday’s 1 p.m. PST matinee against the Suns (5-6) in Phoenix.
Using a rare multiple-day break between games to audit their performances, coaches and analytics staffers showed slide presentations to players about both offensive and defensive flaws this week. The lectures left the team with one of the best records in the league feeling as if it was one of the worst, forward Ziaire Williams joked.
Already the top-ranked offense in the league, the Lakers should strive to match that by becoming a top-10 defense, Redick implored his team. Williams is not stopping there.
“Top 10 should be at least like our standard, if not better,” the forward said. “Our half-court defense has been great. Obviously, rebounding has been one of the biggest things for us, cleaning up transition as well. But the potential’s there. We have the size, the length, the athleticism. It’s just about going out there and executing.”
The Lakers, ranked 18th in defensive efficiency, thrive on forcing turnovers and protecting the rim. Their 18.5 turnovers forced per game ranks third in the league and they average an NBA-best 11 steals per game. Center Walker Kessler’s 2.2 blocks per game rank third.
But they can’t finish the strong half-court possessions. The Lakers are ranked 28th in defensive rebounding and 25th in second-chance points allowed.
The Lakers staff rewatched every offensive rebound allowed this season. Lack of boxing out was the biggest fault. Then there were instances when players stood and watched.
“For me, if I stand and watch and try and outjump someone else, I’m probably not going to get the rebound,” said forward Jake LaRavia, who has been an offensive rebounding revelation since entering the starting lineup, averaging 2.8 offensive rebounds in the last nine games. “So you have to go and be physical and hit bodies, and then just be able to dive on loose balls, finish possessions, it’s really just who’s going to work harder.”
Kessler is averaging 8.1 defensive rebounds during the Lakers’ seven-game winning streak — which is the second-longest in Redick’s head-coaching tenure — compared to 6.3 during the first six games of the season.
Forward Jarred Vanderbilt, who did not play in the first four games of the season, has made the most of his limited minutes off the bench, grabbing 7.9 defensive rebounds per 36 minutes, the second-best rate on the team among players who have played more than three minutes. Vanderbilt, averaging 3.8 rebounds per game in 11.9 minutes, had 10 rebounds in less than 14 minutes against the Detroit Pistons on Nov. 8.
Transition defense is also sinking the Lakers’ defensive efforts. Teams are scoring 20.2 points off turnovers per game, which ranks 24th. Redick credits some of that to the team’s offensive flaws. Although they are the league’s most efficient offense, the Lakers turn the ball over 16.9 times per game, the fifth-most in the NBA.
Lakers guard Luka Doncic attempts a shot over two Bucks defenders during a win Wednesday in Milwaukee.
(Aaron Gash / Associated Press)
Luka Doncic, the league’s leading scorer at 38.6 points per game, also averages an NBA-worst five turnovers a game. Austin Reaves, who is day-to-day with a left heel bruise suffered Wednesday against Milwaukee, averages 3.4 turnovers and 24.7 points per game.
Doncic is expected to play Sunday despite tweaking his right ankle late in Wednesday’s game. Reaves didn’t participate in practice Saturday.
Guard Collin Sexton was a full participant in practice Saturday. The guard wore a thick band-aid over his right eyebrow and had bruising around his right eye after bumping heads with Milwaukee’s Ryan Rollins but said he doesn’t expect to use a mask while playing. He only needs to keep the cut covered to ensure it doesn’t open up again. The rugged guard is familiar with the protocols; Sexton said this was the 11th time in his career that he’s received stitches in his face.
The short break offered an important opportunity for players to rest after a grueling three-game Eastern Conference trip. They now enter a softer stretch in the schedule. After Sunday’s game in Phoenix, the Lakers play their next four at home against three teams — Charlotte, Sacramento and Utah, twice — that have a combined six wins.
Their next game against a team with a winning record isn’t until Nov. 27 at San Antonio. The 11-2 Spurs, who have won 11 consecutive games, are the only team with an active winning streak longer than the Lakers.