Hoops Habit
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Should the Los Angeles Lakers panic over their playoff situation?

By Craig Cochran

LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 30: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts end of the game after losing to the Sacramento Kings at Staples Center on April 30, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 30: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts end of the game after losing to the Sacramento Kings at Staples Center on April 30, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) /
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Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports /

The Los Angeles Lakers’ ascent is not a matter of if, but rather a matter of when.

Regardless of what critics are so quick to say, each potentially bottom-biting flaw mentioned above—as barefaced as they may have sounded—oddly possesses a silver lining.

Yes, the Lakers’ offense does tend to slow down and ugly-up a game but come sweaty-palms time in the grind that is the NBA playoffs, this is the exact style in which the Lakers thrive. As of February 7th, the Lakers held the seventh-highest offensive rating in the NBA. Since then, while battling through periods without Anthony Davis and LeBron James, the Lakers have cratered all the way to 24th in this category. However, though the two are just beginning to ease into their returns, the duo did not miss much as far as offensive style of play goes.

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Granted, the Lakers’ firepower has lacked that extra bit of oomph with James and Davis on the sidelines, but the system has essentially remained the same. By plugging in two of the seven most offensively gifted players the league has to offer (and upon Dennis Schroder’s return), the Lakers will hopefully find themselves healthy for the first time in months. As the league found out last season, few things are scarier than a fresh LeBron and AD in an inevitably slowed down, grind-it-out playoff series.

As far as the defensive side of the ball is concerned, and as has already been mentioned, the Lakers remain the highest-ranked defensive team in basketball. The concern surrounding Los Angeles’ tightfisted defense solely revolves around the idea that James and Davis will be without an added level of athleticism and intensity. While this notion could bear fruit—both factors may become a hindrance given their injuries—one must instead consider how intelligent the duo is on this side of the floor.

James is a master at picking his spots to ratchet his defense up to ten; when he does, he is still one of the most hard-nosed, all-around defenders in the game. With Davis also returning to man the lane behind an already stout perimeter unit while the game simultaneously turns into a war of slow-paced attrition that so heavily favors a team of their genetic makeup, the Lakers are bound to continue their defensive dominance.

And if team chemistry is your primary concern, look no further than the Lakers’ palpable Championship culture. With an outspoken leader in LeBron at the helm, basketball’s best sidekick in AD, a proven coaching staff led by Frank Vogel, and a never-ending Rolodex of hard-working role players that remain starving for success, the chemistry question should come as easy reading a periodic table.

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