The Lakers played a tough game at home against the Rockets. It was a physical game and it had a few dangerous moments on the floor. Despite a surge near the end of the third quarter and into the fourth quarter, the Lakers’ focus got derailed, and couldn’t execute down the stretch.
THREE OBSERVATIONS:
Defensive Improvement
The defense was much better as a unit. Unlike the game against the Blazers, the team was better locked in to team rotation and closing out to shooters. LeBron James did a much better job rotating out to corner shooters, namely P.J. Tucker. Kyle Kuzma had a couple events in isolation, against James Harden and Chris Paul, and finished with a blocked shot on their attacking drives. Josh Hart and Brandon Ingram defended James Harden with mixed results. Lonzo Ball seemed to be the best defender on Harden, keeping up with his footwork and not transferring his weight to his hands on the shot contest.
Kyle Kuzma DENIES CP3 ????????????
(via @clippittv) pic.twitter.com/7C9pILi0z3
— Def Pen Hoops (@DefPenHoops) October 21, 2018
Where is KCP?
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope looked a little lost out there. The Lakers did make some effort to get him shots early, but KCP didn’t take advantage. Other shots in the first half just seemed out of rhythm. He tried to help himself out of it in the third quarter, but by then, Josh Hart was rolling on offense, getting out in transition and knocking down three-pointers. Frankly, Hart looks comfortable with the scramble play of transition and the disorganization within the half-court.
Lebron no look pass to Josh Hart for the easy layup | Spectrum SportsNet pic.twitter.com/us4qMt1brr
— The Render (@TheRenderNBA) October 21, 2018
Lonzo Shooting Like He’s At UCLA
Lonzo Ball got himself going offensively. He finished 5 of 10 from the field; 4 of 8 behind the arc. His makes were in catch-and-shoot situations, and any slight hesitation on his shot led to a bad miss.
Lonzo Ball with his 3rd 3pointer in a row pic.twitter.com/1ExM0hNZX4
— The Render (@TheRenderNBA) October 21, 2018
Alex noted one area of weakness from the last game.
Did The Lakers Respond?
While the Lakers did make an adjustment as a team, the answer is, no. The team made a more concerted effort to rebound. Players weren’t really leaking out so forcibly. Rebounding was close with the Lakers being down by two to Houston at the half. Unfortunately, the Lakers were outrebounded 29-21 in the second half. Houston finished the game with a 54 to 44 rebound edge, led by Clint Capela and Carmelo Anthony, both grabbing double digit rebounds.
The Lakers had an offensive rebounding percentage of 27.9% last season. This season, it’s 18% or less through two games.
Shooting remained a problem as well. The Lakers shot 4 of 16 behind the arc by the end of the first half. That was mirrored again in the second half, where the team finished 8 of 32, just 25% behind the arc. This issue was magnified by how rarely the Lakers got to the free throw line. They finished with 18 free throw attempts to Houston’s 30.
Tie in bad perimeter shooting with lack of offensive rebounding and lack of free throw rate, and it should be surprising that the past two games have been close.
A Fight Broke Out
First, it’s worth noting that Josh Hart got rolling in transition, and James Ennis clotheslined him.
Then, James Harden was out in transition and ran into Brandon Ingram. The foul was called on Ingram, and he didn’t take kindly to it.
Replay Review (Game Crew): player altercation in Q4 of #HOUatLAL. Ruling: Fighting technical foul ejections assessed to Rondo and Paul, two technical fouls and ejection assessed to Ingram. pic.twitter.com/EKSguqcDnk
— NBA Official (@NBAOfficial) October 21, 2018
After this incident, the Lakers ran one great half court set, but couldn’t get on the same page on both ends of the floor. P.J. Tucker hit a corner three behind LeBron James’ back, who didn’t even turn around and rotate to the corner amidst the defensive confusion. The transition game wasn’t enough to get the Lakers over the hump.
Two Questions:
How Bad Is The Laker Rebounding Going To Be?
Against the Trailblazers and the Rockets, the Lakers’ opponents grabbed 27% on the offensive glass. The Lakers can match length at the 5-spot with McGee, but they had issues against P.J. Tucker and Carmelo Anthony. Even with guard help, it’s not enough, and that’s just on the defensive glass. It’s just as bad on the offensive glass, where guards don’t tend to help often.
How Will The Lakers Adjust To The Lineup Changes?
No official ruling has been made from the league yet. While the Lakers played a multitude of lineups last season, this season has been played with a tighter rotation. There are no hockey substitutions of yesteryear. Brandon Ingram lost his poise late in the game. Now it’s up to the rest of the team, young players and veterans alike, to grow from this experience, and still play competitive basketball.
One Prediction:
The Lakers lineup will stabilize more. If both Brandon Ingram and Rajon Rondo are out of the starting lineup, it’s possible that Lonzo Ball and Kyle Kuzma step in their place. Both were more comfortable as starters, evident from last season. Josh Hart has been doing very well as a 6th man. Michael Beasley needs to step up as a back up center. But in the end, LeBron may have no other choice other than to play even more time at 5.
*Advanced box score provided by Jacob Goldstein. Tweets from Def Pen Hoops, The Render, and NBA Official. Video coverage by CaChookaManTv. Cover Photo from Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images*
