Since their win at home over the Denver Nuggets on Dec. 16 — where they lost Anthony Davis, Los Angeles is 7-5, the 13th-best mark in the association since that date. Over the last 20 games, they are 10-10, which is also the same rank, and since that game against Denver, the Lakers are 23rd in defensive rating and 22nd in opponent points. When the season began, they looked improved on that end because of their shredded age and the slight boost in athleticism.
Offensively, on Dec. 16, they were 11th in points per game, and they had the fifth-best offensive rating for the month. LA is now ninth in that category, as well as ninth in points per contest. LeBron James has been putting up 36.2 points, 6.5 assists, and 7.5 rebounds on a blazing 59.6% shooting through his last six.
Lebron James is helping lead the Lakers’ recent surge.
The Lakers are ninth in pace with the 10th-best assist ratio. James has averaged seven assists in the absence of Davis to go with Russell Westbrook’s 8.2 assists. Among the help provided by returnee Thomas Bryant with his 16 and 9.6 points with 66.1/55.6% splits without Davis, the team has also been very good on the glass, ranking within the top 10 in rebound percentage.
Westbrook, the alleged scapegoat from last season’s tip, is no longer a narrative. Buying into Ham’s process is an understatement, but Westbrook has become a spark plug for the team and second unit ever since the change went into effect. A nominee for the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award, he leads all bench players in points, rebounds, assists, double-doubles, and triple-doubles.
Mr. Triple-Double himself recorded three in December, becoming the first player in history to have three off the bench in a season. There is for sure plenty of uncertainty for what lies ahead for Westbrook with the forever-rumblings of the Lakers pulling off some sort of deal come February and whether or not there is any interest in bringing back the hometown impending free agent this summer after he has turned his play and contributions around. For the time being, the guard has absolutely turned things around following the abundance of noise and managed his sanity.
Can the Lakers continue to hang on in the absence of Davis?
With Anthony Davis expected to be out for a minimum of months, the team was seemingly dead in the water. Over some extra opinions and time to heal, Davis is currently encountering the path for returning to the court for a ramp-up regarding his comeback.
James and Westbrook can continue to ignite the team’s engine and keep them afloat through a tough schedule. Some of those upcoming matchups involve beasts such as Sacramento, Denver, Dallas, Philadelphia, and Memphis. Not to mention the hated rivals at the end of the month in Boston and the Clippers, including Brooklyn.
One of the downgrades the team just got informed of is that they will be without two of the Lakers’ unsung heroes at the wing in Austin Reaves and Lonnie Walker IV for x number of weeks. Reaves has put up 10 points a night this season on 48.8% shooting (36 from three), bringing energy and upping his game a tad in Davis’ absence. Walker has averaged 14 points per game this season while shooting 45.5/38.4/87.5%, similar to what Malik Monk did in purple and gold last year but providing more on the defensive end. He averages 16 a night at Crypto.com Arena.
Meanwhile, Dennis Schröder, here in his second run with the Lakers, has found his legs and that capable scoring stride. In his last four games, the 29-year-old has recorded 18.5 points and 4.5 assists, shooting 45.8% from the field and 40 from distance. In those 11 contests without Davis, Schröder is averaging 15.6 on 47.2/42.6% splits, slowly forming into the needle-threader that experts thought he could be next to LeBron and AD as a desperately needed three-level scorer that can make plays. He provides them with another piece that helps the Lakers stay in range.
Overall, the Lakers, while certainly hobbled, have played well enough to give themselves a chance to make the play-in tournament this season. That doesn’t mean that they will, but they still have a chance.