Lance Stephenson had a breakout game, as the Lakers get their first win of the season on the road against the Suns. It was a fun game overall but there were a few things to note.
ADVANCED BOX SCORE RECAP:
First, this awesome highlight:
3 OBSERVATIONS
Lance Stephenson Had A Breakout Game
It’s as if Lance had LeBron’s #6 practice jersey out there. He finished the game with 23 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists. He gave solid effort on defense, but more importantly, made simple decisions and didn’t opt for the home run play. Lance was still Lance, and had a few chances to make ’em dance, but finished on 10 of 14 from the field. He was key to spurring on the 44 point Laker outburst in the 2nd quarter. He played a season high 25 minutes, finishing with a +6 net rating, mostly with the second unit.
The Lakers Had 36 Minutes Between Turnovers
It was an outlier game for the entire league, let alone the Lakers. The Lakers had just 2 turnovers at the half, both made in the first quarter. The third turnover didn’t come until two minutes into the fourth quarter. The team didn’t forcefully push the tempo, but was more opportunistic with their transition opportunities. The team rebounded as an entire unit, out-rebounding the Suns +1 at the half and finishing just -1 for the game with the 4th quarter as garbage time. Lonzo and LeBron threw decisive passes to McGee, Hart, and Kuzma in the first half, and there were plenty of clean catches leading into easy opportunities. The Lakers are 3rd in the league with a team 2.41 assist-to-turnover ratio. San Antonio is just ahead at 2.48. The Pelicans lead the league at 2.58.
Almost The Entire Team Played Less Than 30 Minutes
The exception to that was Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who finished with 33 minutes for the game. With the slower pace, KCP was able to get more catch-and-shoot opportunities at his spots, and he finished with 14 points on 6 of 14 from the field, 1 of 6 behind the arc. His confidence built early with a made 3-pointer in the first quarter, and did a better job attacking the basket and getting out in transition. He did a great job defending Devin Booker, who unfortunately left the game with an injury.
In fact, the entire team had incredibly balanced scoring, with seven players in double figures. Who were the Lakers’ leading scorers? Lance Stephenson with 23 points and JaVale McGee with 20 points. I would have lost the house to Vegas on that bet.
JaVale McGee led the team with net rating at +22. Josh Hart was second on the team with +21. LeBron finished third with a net rating of +19.
Perimeter close outs have been an issue for the Lakers early on, but the team as a whole did a better job containing opponent 3-point shooting, allowing just 10 of 31 behind the arc at 32.3 percent compared to the 41.1 percent being given up through the first three games.
2 QUESTIONS:
Will the Lakers look rested on their first back-to-back?
The game was well into garbage time entering the fourth quarter. Halfway through the fourth, some Laker players headed into the tunnel to get an early shower. With most of the players getting less than 30 minutes, there’s no excuse for lack of energy.
Will Kentavious Caldwell-Pope continue to succeed coming off the bench?
Tonight, he looked great coming off the bench. Josh Hart was his usual self, getting out in transition, being physical, hitting three-pointers off screens. He finished with +1.9 on the advanced box score in 26 minutes. He did have issues defending Devin Booker, who exploits that physical defense and draws free throws. KCP came in and put a blanket on Booker for a bit, doing well with pick-and-roll coverage on the ball-handler, good initial ball-denial, and making Booker work just a little bit more to get his shots.
1 PREDICTION:
The Lakers may be in for a wake-up call against Denver.
Phoenix started slow last season, and this game looked like a repeat of that game. The Lakers did a better job with half-court execution and closing out to shooters. That helped extend the lead during the second quarter. It was nice to see multiple players get themselves going, especially Stephenson, Caldwell-Pope, and Lonzo Ball. The Lakers need to carry that confidence and momentum going into the Denver game back at Staples Center. Nikola Jokic has been on an absolute tear to start the season.
*Special thanks to Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images and NBA.com/stats*
