NBA Power Rankings Week 19: April review and the rising Phoenix Suns
By Corey Rausch
12. Los Angeles Lakers
Last Week: Beat Orlando Magic 114-103, Lost to Washington Wizards 116-107, Lost to Sacramento Kings 110-106
This Week: 5/2 vs. Toronto Raptors, 5/3 vs. Denver Nuggets, 5/6 at LA Clippers, 5/7 at Portland Trail Blazers
The month of April was not kind for the Los Angeles Lakers in terms of the standings. They went 6-8 over the course of the month and posted the 24th-ranked offensive rating (108.9). The only good news came with Anthony Davis and LeBron James returning to the court, the latter coming back to end the month.
Dennis Schroeder was the best Laker for the duration, averaging 15.8 points, 8.3 assists and 1.1 steals per game. He is in the most competitive situation he has ever been in and is thriving, which bodes well for the potential run to the title.
Perhaps more important is the emergence of some 3-point shooting threats. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope broke out of a slump and shot a solid 44.4 percent on 6.4 attempts per game. Ben McLemore was a welcome addition to the team, hitting 39.4 of his 5.9 attempts. Even Kyle Kuzma stepped up in a meaningful way, hitting 35.5 percent of 5.8 attempts per game.
The Lakers do not look like the juggernaut they were at the beginning of the season. Andre Drummond is still struggling to find his fit. In James’ first game back, the Lakers lost to the Kings. Since Davis returnedm they have dropped four of five. But give it time. This is a team perfectly made for the playoffs.