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When you’re away for two weeks, the packing list gets long. The Lakers brought four variations of their uniforms, packed bag after bag in a huge trailer.
But what could help them the most is to bring their defense, starting with Thursday’s game against the league’s best goal team.
The Lakers are set for another compelling game with the Milwaukee Bucks (9-5), a team that started another season with astronomical offensive numbers (an offensive rating of 117.7) and a promising bid to finally qualify for the NBA final behind two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. With LeBron James and Anthony Davis, it’s a tilt making headlines with three of the best players in the NBA.
But what coach Frank Vogel asked for at Wednesday’s movie screening was more attention to protecting the basket: With fewer traditional centers patrolling the paint, the Lakers are more reliant on aid rotations than ever before. defense, and the base men of their plan did not fire. their weight.
“I would say the last few games, three or four games, even though we won, weren’t played at a high enough level for my liking,” he said. “This is something we will improve at. We do a good job overall on that side of the ball, but you can always improve.
It’s a responsibility that’s typically attributed to Lakers’ big men by the baseline, including Davis and James. When drivers get penetrated, they have to swing inside to challenge hits on the rim. This is one of the reasons Davis has at least three blocked shots in seven of his last eight games.
When it comes to blocks, this year’s Lakers (6.5bpg) are not far from their 2019-2020 mark (a league-best 6.6bpg). But that’s not a number that tells the whole story. Last season, they allowed 58.9% to shoot inside the 5-foot mark, which was the fourth best in the NBA. This season, they allow 59.7% to shoot inside 5 feet (13th in the league) – and 61% in the last five games.
On Monday night, the problem peaked against Golden State. Of the Warriors’ 24 second half baskets, 14 were within 3 feet of the rim. Even for a Lakers team that didn’t have the rim protection from last year’s roster, that’s not a good number. Clips from these rim workouts show the indecision, confusion or even inaction of Lakers players assigned to challenge rim drivers as the last line of defense.
It was the focal point of the Lakers’ morning practice before they flew to Milwaukee to begin their seven-game, 12-day road trip.
“The low man hasn’t been as good as all season,” said forward Kyle Kuzma. “So little shortage, but it’s something we have to come back to.”
The opener against the Bucks will be a stress test: Milwaukee is one of the best indoor 5-foot finishing teams (65.3%, fifth in the NBA) thanks in large part to Antetokounmpo. There are few players who can put as much pressure on the rim as the 6-foot-11 forward, who is known for his heavy load towards the basket, and the Milwaukee offense incorporated a player in the spot. “Dunk” on the baseline, waiting to pounce if Antetokounmpo attracts too much help and passes out.
It will take discipline, perhaps more than anything, – something the Lakers haven’t always shown in their 11-4 start to the season. Vogel said he can see how the fourth-quarter disappointment against Golden State could inspire further efforts from his group, although he wishes it wasn’t necessary.
“If you look at a ray of hope that will get us pissed off in this Milwaukee game, maybe there is something there,” he said. “But I think when you play against one of the best teams in the league, you’re going to play pissed off, anyway.
MATTHEWS BACK TO ORIGINAL STATE, OLD TEAM
Wisconsin is where Wes Matthews grew up; it was there that he went to college in Marquette; last year that was where he played again, winning 56 regular season games. And yet, for most of his career, Matthews said, it’s been a milestone on the road as well – meaning a coming home doesn’t feel as much like a coming home as it might be. think.
“To be honest, it’s a business trip. That’s how I attack him, ”he says. “Other than a year, Milwaukee has always been a road game for me.”
The 34-year-old was a starter and a valuable wing piece for the Bucks last season, but he quietly downplayed the importance of the game. When asked if this is a test for the league-leading Lakers, he said every game on the calendar is a test. When asked about two tilts with the Lakers last season that were seen as potential finals previews, Matthews said he just wanted to beat everyone.
Perhaps the most insightful perspective on Matthews’ tenure has been offered by his former teammates. Khris Middleton said Matthews was appreciated for his selfless play, for his focus on defensive effort and victory rather than how many times he touched the ball. Matthews had a voice in the Bucks locker room that weighed on the field and away – he was one of the main figures involved when the team decided not to make their playoff game in Orlando after the Jacob was filmed Blake.
“You can tell it really hit home for him, because it happened in his backyard, in his home state, a place where he spent many years growing up,” Middleton said. “He definitely expressed his opinion on how hurt he was about everything that happened. And he’s still there preaching and fighting for his community.
Matthews said he remains socially active in Wisconsin. He said President Joe Biden’s inauguration on Wednesday had helped him hope that divisive times in America might turn around, but he also said he had no intention of dropping calls for the social change.
“It will always be at home. I will always have roots there, ”he said. “I will always push for the improvement of the state which I am proud to claim. It doesn’t change, no matter what the uniform, no matter what state I live in, what city I live in. The effort will continue. We need efforts to continue. ”
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