LeBron’s health, defensive regression and more Lakers storylines to monitor

The Los Angeles Lakers enter the ultimate third of the season as one of many hottest groups within the NBA.

Los Angeles has gained six of seven video games and eight of 11, positioning itself to probably make a run for the No. 6 or No. 7 seed over its closing 26 video games.

With a pivotal stretch arising — together with matchups with the Golden State Warriors, Phoenix Suns and LA Clippers simply within the subsequent week — listed here are 10 storylines to watch for the remainder of the season.

1. Will LeBron and AD maintain up the remainder approach?

That is the defining query of the Lakers’ season — because it at all times is.

LeBron James and Anthon Davis have every managed to remain comparatively wholesome, although James is continuous to take care of an ankle that’s now conserving him out of Thursday’s sport in opposition to Golden State. Nonetheless, the celebrity duo is on tempo to overlook their fewest mixed video games because the 2019-20 season (15 video games).

James had the shortest non-injury minute restriction in NBA historical past. He’s averaging almost as many minutes (34.9) as final season (35.5). Davis, who leads the Lakers in scoring for the primary time within the James-Davis partnership, is enjoying his most minutes since 2017-18 again in New Orleans.

Each gamers have sustained accidents that brought on them to overlook at the very least just a few weeks in every of the previous three seasons. Can they continue to be wholesome? Can they survive their larger-than-expected workloads? That is the query that may decide not solely Los Angeles’ seeding but additionally its odds in any postseason matchup.

2. How sustainable is the offensive enchancment?

The Lakers have ranked nineteenth or worse offensively in three consecutive seasons. They started this season the identical approach earlier than turning a nook in early January — almost midway by the season. Since Jan. 7 — the date of their necessary win over the Clippers that sparked this 13-7 stretch — they’re eighth within the league in offense, averaging 119.3 factors per 100 possessions.

The crew has taken important steps in its understanding and execution of coach Darvin Ham’s new five-out offense, with gamers’ passing and decision-making going to a different stage. The Lakers are second in true capturing share, third within the league in assists, fourth in assist-to-turnover ratio and third in tempo over that 20-game span.

“Taking part in unselfish. Making the additional cross,” Austin Reaves stated at apply Wednesday. “And that exhibits within the final 15 video games the place our offense has been so good. So hopefully we are able to proceed that.”

D’Angelo Russell (extra on him under) has been a driving drive. Ham inserting Rui Hachimura into the beginning lineup and enjoying him extra, consequently decreasing the minutes of Taurean Prince, additionally has added extra verve and juice to the offense. James and Davis belief their teammates in a deeper approach than they did earlier within the season. Gamers are throwing passes to spots, figuring out their teammates can be there.

There was a trade-off, although, which brings us to our subsequent storyline.

3. Can they elevate their protection again to at the very least a league-average stage?

Los Angeles shifting extra towards offense has led to appreciable defensive slippage. Over that very same 20-game stretch, the Lakers are nineteenth in defensive ranking.

A notable motive is their obtainable personnel — Gabe Vincent has solely performed in 5 video games, and Jarred Vanderbilt (six video games), Max Christie (three) and Cam Reddish (14) have every missed time not too long ago. These are the entire Lakers’ finest non-Davis perimeter defenders. They’re presently making an attempt to get by with Reaves, Hachimura, James and Prince, which isn’t going to chop it in opposition to elite offenses with a number of perimeter weapons.

By committing to their new beginning lineup, the Lakers are inherently tilting extra towards offense. Their beginning group doesn’t have a conventional wing stopper. They want both Hachimura to protect down, Reaves to protect up or James to exert extra defensive vitality than he’s able to persistently in lower-stakes settings. Davis, arguably one of the best defender on the planet and a possible NBA Defensive Participant of the Yr candidate, can solely put out so many fires by himself.

The Lakers have to strike a correct steadiness and get their protection at the very least round league common to have a shot of advancing within the postseason. Including two plus perimeter defenders in Christie and Reddish, probably as quickly as Thursday vs. Golden State, helps quite a bit. Vanderbilt’s availability is the X-factor, although. Within the meantime, the Lakers can mitigate a few of their defensive shortcomings by enjoying larger, which grew to become barely harder with the information that Christian Wooden (left knee effusion) goes to overlook at the very least two weeks.

4. Can the supporting solid keep wholesome?

In current seasons, it’s been the Lakers’ stars who couldn’t keep wholesome. This season, although, it’s their function gamers, with a lot of the rotation lacking at the very least just a few video games on account of an ongoing sequence of random accidents.

The Lakers had been dealt two blows popping out of the All-Star break with the information that James goes to overlook the Golden State sport and Wooden goes to overlook at the very least two weeks. This crew simply hasn’t been in a position to get wholesome for a sustained interval, and it’s had an impact on their lineups and rotation.

The entrance workplace designed this crew to be deep and in a position to face up to accidents, in contrast to extra top-heavy groups such because the Denver Nuggets, Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks. But that concept has been tried with the sheer variety of accidents they’ve handled. As reductive because it sounds, LA’s playoff possibilities doubtless come all the way down to the provision of their supporting solid.

5. Will Ham push a lot of the proper buttons once more?

Typically misplaced within the recounting of final season’s historic turnaround from the No. 13 seed to the Western Convention finals is the truth that Ham made a number of good and key choices down the stretch of the season.

Selling Reaves to the beginning lineup. Benching Hachimura late within the common season to get him to lock in additional persistently. Leveraging Davis’ defensive brilliance to assemble an efficient sport plan in opposition to the Warriors’ offense. Using the recent hand at varied factors in varied playoff sequence. Changing Russell with Dennis Schröder in Recreation 4 vs. Denver. Slotting Hachimura and James on Nikola Jokić to permit Davis to roam off Aaron Gordon and act as a second line of protection.

No coach bats 1.000, however Ham’s decision-making has generally been questionable. He’s relied on Prince far an excessive amount of. Conversely, he’s not relied on 4 of the six returning gamers from final season’s run — Reaves, Russell, Hachimura and Vanderbilt — as a lot he ought to have. The present beginning lineup of Davis, James, Hachimura, Reaves and Russell has solely performed in 10 of the 30 video games it’s been obtainable. Gamers have at instances felt like they don’t know their function or tasks sport to sport.

However Ham has made some shrewd strikes currently. He moved Prince to the bench and lowered his function. He’s promoted Reaves, Russell and Hachimura again into the beginning lineup. He was deploying Vanderbilt in good methods offensively earlier than his harm. The crew has prioritized practices and shootarounds extra in current weeks, ironing out nagging wrinkles on each side of the ball.

Ham will face his hardest problem within the coming days and weeks if the crew rounds into correct well being and he has to navigate the landmines of a full rotation. And there may be simply as a lot stress to make a deep run as final season, if no more with James a 12 months older and with a $51.4 million participant potion hanging over the offseason.

6. Will this model of D-Lo proceed?

When factoring within the context of enjoying on a crew with title aspirations, that is arguably one of the best stretch of Russell’s profession. He’s had moments when his numbers have been higher in Brooklyn and Minnesota, however he’s impacted successful extra instantly not too long ago.

The turning level was the James-less loss in Utah on Jan. 15, when Russell exploded with a season-high 39 factors on 15-of-26 capturing to go together with eight assists. As he has defined a number of instances since, Russell discovered from his time away on the finish of December and in early January on account of a tailbone harm that the easiest way to enrich James and Davis is by being aggressive himself.

“Me. Me. Me. Me first. Me first,” Russell stated Wednesday at apply. “Making groups fear about me, after which it turns into straightforward to make these choices versus the opposite approach round. … Beginning with aggression is what will get the ball transferring like that.”

Russell has exceeded expectations over these previous six weeks. Over the previous 16 video games, he’s averaging 23.4 factors on 46.6/46.0/88.9 capturing splits and 6.9 assists.

The questions with him at all times come again to the playoffs and the high-stakes moments. However Russell has carried himself in a different way this 12 months — at the very least since his return. He’s appeared extra assured and safe in his sport and who he’s. He’s leaning into his bravado and aggression. If he can proceed this stage of play into the playoffs, and maintain up in opposition to one of the best and extra bodily imposing groups, he raises the Lakers’ ceiling to a unique stratosphere.

7. How a lot can Vincent assist — if in any respect?

It’s straightforward to overlook that Vincent was the Lakers’ major offseason addition. He’s making almost as a lot this season ($10.5 million) as Prince, Reddish, Wooden and Hayes mixed ($11.56 million), but the Lakers have missed him for all however 5 video games.

Vincent was the de facto Schröder substitute, with the Lakers swapping in higher offense for barely worse protection. Vincent would stabilize bench models along with his 3-point capturing and flammable scoring and probably shut video games in matchups through which Russell or Reaves are struggling.

Now, it’s unclear how a lot Vincent may help after the Spencer Dinwiddie addition and with Prince, Christie and Reddish all additionally able to enjoying capturing guard. There are solely 96 backcourt minutes obtainable — Russell, Reaves and Dinwiddie will take up at the very least 80 of them. At this level, something Vincent offers is gravy, nevertheless it’d be good for the Lakers to have their non-taxpayer midlevel exception contribute this season and, at a minimal, rebuild his commerce worth.

Gabe Vincent hasn’t been round that a lot this season. (Gary A. Vasquez / USA At this time)

8. What does the wholesome rotation even appear like?

This query can be irrelevant if the Lakers’ season continues the best way it’s been going. However within the state of affairs that they’ll one way or the other get near wholesome, Ham can be examined with tough rotation choices. James, Davis, Reaves and Russell are apparent locks. Hachimura has performed nicely sufficient — with the numbers supporting his beginning function — to maintain his beginning spot, even when Vanderbilt returns. Dinwiddie is the backup combo guard.

After that, the remainder of the rotation is much less clear. Vanderbilt may not return — if he does, he’ll play. Prince has performed much less however will nearly actually issue. One might argue Christie is a greater match given comparable capturing percentages however higher protection and rebounding. Reddish began a very good chunk of the season. Hayes has been enjoying higher for a number of weeks. Wooden has largely been within the nightly rotation. Vincent is a relative wild card given his incapability to remain wholesome up thus far.

It’s laborious to whittle down this roster to only eight or 9 gamers. The Lakers’ theoretical playoff rotation has by no means performed collectively. That’s a big unknown variable this late within the season for a crew that’s hopeful to play deep into Could and June.

9. Are they accomplished on the buyout market?

That is doubtless the Lakers’ roster for the remainder of the season. LA is monitoring the buyout market, as The Athletic beforehand monitored, however no viable choices have emerged because the Dinwiddie signing. Plus, if Los Angeles was to waive any of its veteran’s minimal gamers — Reddish, Wooden or Jaxson Hayes — the Lakers must additionally cowl their 2024-25 wage since every participant has a participant choice.

It’ll be attention-grabbing to see if Wooden’s harm impacts the Lakers’ exercise. He isn’t anticipated to overlook a lot time past his preliminary two-week prognosis, however Laker accidents have tended to lag longer than anticipated this season. Within the case that Wooden doesn’t miss a lot time, although, there isn’t a transparent buyout choice who’s well worth the group consuming the longer-term wage.

10. Can they get the No. 6 seed?

A number of Lakers said earlier than the break that their aim is to keep away from the Play-In Event and earn the No. 6 seed. The profit, in fact, is sidestepping the disastrous state of affairs of shedding within the Play-In and lacking the playoffs altogether. Los Angeles is presently 3 1/2 video games again of the No. 5 Suns and No. 6 New Orleans Pelicans, 2 1/2 video games again of the No. 7 Dallas Mavericks and two video games again of the No. 8 Sacramento Kings.

The highest 4 groups within the West are primarily set in some order. Past that, something is not possible. It’s unlikely the Lakers leap all 4 of the catchable groups in entrance of them, however leapfrogging at the very least one or two is lifelike.

They’ve a home-heavy schedule over the subsequent few weeks, with seven of their subsequent 10 video games at dwelling and 9 of their 14 video games in March at Crypto.com Area. To be clear, it’s a troublesome slate — they host the Nuggets, Thunder, Bucks and Timberwolves, amongst a number of different good groups — however Los Angeles has the fifth-best dwelling report within the West (19-9) and may be capable to at the very least tread water.

They play the Suns, Kings (twice), Pelicans and Warriors (thrice) over their remaining schedule, offering ample alternative to make up floor within the standings.

(High picture of Darvin Ham: Darren Yamashita / USA At this time)