The start of the season was not comfortable for the Lakers. Three home games before a five-game trip away from LA very difficult of West where almost all competitors are very difficult: Timberwolves, Suns, Kings. At the moment, 2-0 after hitting Wolves and very convincing Suns (123-116). Not only is it the first 2-0 for the Lakers since 2010, which is said early; Above all, it means an injection of hope and energy, a margin of confidence and a mountain of good vibes for the start of the season (we’ll see if it comes to that). It was JJ Redick.. It’s only 2-0, of course. But 0-2 would just be 0-2 and it’s easy to imagine the narratives in that case: what the hell is a group of teams training? podcast by LeBron James; why the franchise only cared that LeBron was playing with him his son Bronny (he didn’t stand on the court against the Suns, by the way)why a transfer was not attempted this is a defensive front o that rebounding center…
The point is that It’s 2-0. Against two teams that almost every expert (will still be, I imagine) put the Lakers ahead (with logic) for this regular season. So those are two very good wins. The first one against the Wolves was very convincing, the second one against the Suns is very important because a great comeback was needed: 23-45 at the start of the second quarter became 107-95 which essentially put the game to safety midway through the final quarter. From -22 with ten minutes left before the break to 94-87 with ten minutes left. That is, in what was basically two rooms true of the game, a 71-42 run that showed that the Lakers are on a completely different emotional line than last season. Committed and activated. And well-trained, from what we’ve seen so far: organized, prepared and with alternatives for each matching situation.
Things ended so badly with Darvin Ham, the disconnect between the team and the coaching staff was so obvious, it’s refreshing to see a clear game planAnthony Davis relies on a clear desire to create possession whenever possible, an instinct to generate good shots and ability elastic change defenses and confuse the rival. More modern and structured, the Lakers’ game seems more capable despite whatever comesalso an incredible start for the Suns, who scored eight triples in the disastrous first quarter (23-38): their 8/11 from the three-point line in contrast to the 1/5 of the Lakers with only eight baskets in total. In the second quarter, when the game seemed to fade away, the rookie Dalton Knecht (he’s playing a lot) scored two triples that kept the Lakers alive and, from then on, he started to score, very quickly, points from a disadvantage that looked decisive.
Austin Reaves played a great game: 26 points, 8 assists, 3 steals and the same three-pointers (5/7) as the whole team against the Wolves. Reading the game, vision of the angles, management of the timing… Reaves was absolutely amazing, the most important player next to Anthony Davis right now in MVP sensations: this time 35 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocks and 17 free throws (13/17 , the same as all the Suns) against a rival without answers for its superiority in the zones. Neither did the Wolves, and Davis is the first Lakers player to start a season with at least two 35-point games since Elgin Baylor (1962) and Jerry West (1969).
LeBron James appeared this (on the way to 40, you know) in the first part (4 points), but it came later: 21 total with 8 assists. Hachimura once again performed very well as a secondary player (14+7) and they helped a lot from the bench, as well as Knecht, Gabe Vincent (on the court to avoid D’Angelo Russell’s tears) and Jaxson Hayes, one of the quiet keys to this great start for the Lakers and an instrumental player so that Davis can. able to play with another center next to him, the format that worked so well in 2020. This will be the case at least until the team does something in the trade, if it does, or until Christian returns Wood, who is still out. Like Jarred Vanderbilt, he should be a must once he puts those foot problems behind him which has been weighed down for too many months now.
The Lakers were the clear face of a game that also leaves the Suns as a very clear cross. Those from Arizona, among one thing and another, saved the Clippers’ court furniture in their first game, but They fell off the cliff thrown by their bad habits. Those who were to be left behind with the arrival of Mike Budenholzer to the Bench: too many losses (many errors by Jusuf Nurkic), indefensible lapses in defense (due to lack of effort and lack of specialists) and flow offensive that usually disappears as the minutes go by, something that should have changed, or was meant to, with the arrival of point guards (Tyus Jones, Monte Morris). Devin Booker started very well (10 points in the first quarter) and suddenly lost activity (23 in total); Bradley Beal barely touched the ball in the key moments of the second half after good minutes in the first; And Kevin Durant scored 30 points but let the Lakers take him to that game of individual actions with excess bounce where he scored a lot (of course: it’s Kevin Durant) but which leads to the end of a team mirondisconnected.
in its entirety all in in a project that is clean all or nothing, All bad symptoms (and even more if they are echoes of the past) are a stab to the Sun. Budenholzer, a two-time Coach of the Year, did no better than Redick who has only been an NBA coach for two games. They have decided, yes, with a very good grade. And the Lakers, who usually so many times in recent years start in suits and starts, walk around with a smile from ear to ear. It’s early, but of course everything is better this way. And whatever is to come, it will come.
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