 |
Column: With the return of the 'glue people,' everything for the Lakers might be coming together. |
The Lakers got their New Year's Eve celebrations started early, racing out to a sure-footed, straight-shooting start against Portland on Friday and continuing that momentum into a game that may end up being more than just a laugher that heightened the holiday spirit.
The Trail Blazers, who rank among the NBA's worst defensive teams, should have known they were in for a rough night at Crypto.com Arena after LeBron James' successful three-point jumper on the opening possession of the game. And they were, with James scoring a season-high 43 points and grabbing 14 rebounds in the Lakers' largest win of the season, a 139-106 rout.
Coach Frank Vogel, who returned after missing six games due to COVID, stated, "We felt like we grew over the past few games even though we haven't been collecting the victories, and I think we were determined to come out and grab that 'W' and execute at a very high level."
They were efficient and decisive, scoring a slew of noteworthy accomplishments, including James' eighth consecutive game with at least 30 points. They also had seven turnovers, which was a season-low. As the Lakers improved to.500 at home, Russell Westbrook scored his fourth consecutive triple-double (15 points, 13 rebounds, and 12 assists) (11-10).
The most important consequence of the Lakers' win on Friday would be whether it sets a trend for the five-game homestand that begins Sunday against the Minnesota Timberwolves, who have thrashed the Lakers twice this season.
The Lakers have yet to put together a significant winning streak, and their lineup will fluctuate based on matchups as long as Anthony Davis recovers from the knee injury he sustained on Dec. 17. They'll have a chance to do more than tread water as Davis recovers if James continues to excel while playing center.
The return of Austin Reaves and Trevor Ariza from the league's health and safety standards, as well as the grit of Stanley Johnson, made the game a possible launching point for a good run. Together, they instilled a feeling that the Lakers' (18-19) season is improving, that reinforcements and new energy have come, and that they're reclaiming a piece of the defensive identity they established during their 2020 championship season.
"We've proceeded to add another piece of our core back over the last five games." "A game here, a game there," James explained. "We're going to get all of our soldiers back." They are well-versed in our system. They are aware of our intentions.
"Our glue men are on their way back." Austin Reaves, Avery Bradley, Trevor Ariza, and the rest of our glue players, they do the hard work for us, which was something we were missing when they were in the protocol. They're the ones who do the grunt labor. They're the glue men. They're still coming back in now. Stanley Johnson has now joined us as a glue man and a dirty-work player."
Johnson started against Portland and recorded 10 points, three rebounds, and two assists in a 10-day deal signed on a hardship exemption on Christmas Eve. In little over 23 minutes of work, he was also plus-25.
"He's taken up our system pretty quickly," James said, referring to the Lakers' G-league club. "Part of it is because he was with South Bay and that provided him a cheat sheet, which we needed." "At the wing position, he added some toughness." There's also some defensive toughness.
"The defensive side of the court is where we've put our hats for the previous three years." A man who is starving. Obviously trying to win a roster place, you could see he's hungry and has been playing terrific basketball from the Christmas Day game, the road trip, Houston, Memphis, and now [Friday], and hopefully he can keep it up."
Vogel is another enthusiastic Stanley Johnson supporter. "With Dame Lillard double-teams, we noticed a little bit more footspeed in Stanley." "There was no Jusuf Nurkic out there who could really put his size on us," Vogel added.
"One of the things I enjoy about Stanley is his aggressiveness. He's not just faster, but he's also a monster of a man."
With the Lakers this season, there's a lot of waiting and seeing, but they've at least put their supporting players on the right track toward creating some stability. "It means a lot to us," Westbrook added. "We had a lot of those players out, and as you can see, we need everyone on this current roster, and today was a nice night to get guys back into a defensive rhythm." It was enjoyable."
On Sunday, the Lakers could get a break. Karl-Anthony Towns, who scored 29 points in a 107-23 Minnesota triumph on Nov. 12 and 28 points in a 110-92 Timberwolves win on Dec. 17 in Minneapolis, was under the NBA's health and safety guidelines as of Friday and missed his team's game against Utah. D'Angelo Russell, a former Laker, was also in the protocol and missed Minnesota's final two games.
When asked what made Minnesota so effective against the Lakers — and how the Timberwolves can stop Towns — Vogel acknowledged he hadn't yet planned his approach or lineup. "We have no idea if he's in or not," Vogel added. "However, he's one of those guys who, by virtue of his stature and perimeter game, makes such selections tough." I haven't given much consideration to how we'll proceed. However, it will be on a game-by-game basis."
That may work if James continues to carry the scoring load and the glue players keep the rest of the team together.
Click here for more trending news
You can also follow us on our Facebook page
You can also follow us on our Twitter page