Los Angeles Lakers: 3 areas to improve ahead of Game 2

2. Rebounding

If the Lakers had one advantage in this series besides LeBron James and Anthony Davis, it was their ability to rebound. As previously mentioned, the tallest player in Houston’s starting five is Covington at 6’7,” and the tallest rotational player they have is Jeff Green, who stands at 6’8″. With the towering big man trio of Davis, McGee and Howard, the Lakers should have feasted on the boards.

Surprisingly, however, the Rockets finished Game 1 with 41 total rebounds, the exact same number the Lakers had. Although Houston is small in stature, that provided them with a strategical advantage against LA’s big men in Friday’s game, which opened the door to more rebounding opportunities.

Due to Houston’s speed, McGee played just 12 minutes in Game 1 and Howard logged only 11 minutes as they were unable to keep up with Houston’s fast-paced tempo. The pair spent most of the night sidelined, which allowed Houston more chances on the glass.

Davis and LeBron did a bulk of LA’s work on the glass, combining for 22 of the team’s 41 total rebounds, but this battle of the boards should not be close. Houston’s size gives them some advantages, but rebounding should not be near the top of the list.

If the Lakers are going to let the Houston Rockets grab just as many rebounds as they do in a postseason game, this series could go south for them fast. Rebounding undoubtedly needs to be a focal point for the Lakers in Game 2, and they certainly have no shortage of height to capitalize on it.