How Luka and LeBron can coexist in the Lakers offensive
How will two stars that dominate the ball sharing? How much could the defense of Los Angeles suffer? AM850 analyzes the LeBron-Luka association.
Last season, with the Dallas Mavericks losing for two points in the last quarter of a confrontation in December against Los Angeles Lakers, Luka Doncic He won his own number near the top of the area.
I had the pivot of the Lakers, Jaxson Hayesagainst the ropes before making a couple of drip to your left and getting up as if it were to shoot in short jump. Hayes got up briefly before challenging what he thought would be a 7 -foot jumping shot.
The problem was that Hayes couldn’t see what Doncic was doing next, because the court manager had taken the ball and had it behind Hayes’s head before throwing a ten cents with his left hand with a left hand to a Dante Exum Completely discovered, which was pointing towards the arch and led a triple to give the advantage to the MAVs. The pass seemed taken from a promotion of the Harlem Globetrotters, and surprised both the multitude of Dallas and the broadcasters.
“What’s up!” Kevin Harlan said while it happened.
“How did that pass among all those defenders get?” Asked the analyst Reggie Miller.
It was the type of magic from which the Lakers, who had just acquired to Doncic, 25, on Saturday night, hope to benefit, now and in the future, with him wearing purple and gold.
Once you can return from the calf injury that has left it out since the end of December, those moments will surely arrive for both Doncic and its new superstar teammate LeBron James. But go far in the playoffs could depend on how the Lakers, which increased their advantage for fifth place after Tuesday’s win The clippersaddress the key problems of this template, either on the court or before the deadline for changes on Thursday.
Here, we break down the different ways in which Doncic seems to reinforce, and possibly complicate, things for the Lakers while navigating this new chapter.
LeBron can take care of his legs more
No other player in modern history has made his body and James surrender, who appeared in 168 playoff games (more than two complete regular seasons) from 2011 to 2018. And, even at age 40, James averages the a whopping of 85 Touches per game, the highest total tenth of the NBA.
Having Doncic (who has averaged 90 touches per game in the last five seasons) knocking down the defenders and spreading the ball throughout the court to give assistance during many of them, will undoubtedly relieve the management load of James’s ball. Even in a season in which the Management of the MAVs was apparently frustrated more and more with Doncic’s habits and defect Players with at least 300 penetrations this season.
This does not mean that James never rests. It is the fourth slowest player in the League, with an average of only 3.67 mph on the court. Doncic is just a little faster, with 3.75 mph. But having it should make James’s life easier.
It will be fun to see the Pick-And-Rolls de Luka and LeBron
Los Angeles He already had a couple of Screen-And-Roll full of stars in James and Davis, who helped the organization win the title in 2020. But the remarkable difference of then to now, even with Davis being one of the most dominant players From the League, it had been the ability to light triple as a threat of pick-and-pop. After launching 33% from the deep season in which the Lakers won everything, Davis launched a little less than 26% during the rest of his mandate in Los Angeles.
Even with a rate slightly below the 35% league average from the three -point line in his career, Doncic cannot simply be left alone from the outside, which makes it a threat, whether driving the ball or does the Block in such plays with James. The Lakers already have the highest free throw rate in the league, and could reach that figure more frequently with a player that causes fouls such as Doncic.
Justin Reaves should prosper playing without the ball
One of the players who will probably benefit more with the arrival of Doncic is Reap four minutes of possession of last season.
Reaves is a very capable ball handling that he is achieving higher counting statistics from his career after the team moved his partner Escort D’Angelo Russell To Brooklyn. But its efficiency has fallen compared to the last two seasons with less opportunities to catch and shoot. Reaves has triggered 39% from the deep on those opportunities, compared to 35% in Pull-Up attempts that he creates himself, according to Second Spectrum. Doncic ball control should help unlock the efficiency of Reaves.
The field spacers could raise LeBron-Luka’s offensive
Although the championship championship championships are improving with betting houses, there is still much skepticism about Si Doncic makes them a contender to the title at this time.
The equipment has obvious holes to fill; Some of which should probably be solved during the low season. The Lakers, who take 18 in a percentage of triples, would do well to acquire more perimeter threats to maximize the space that Doncic and James have to reach the basket and to maintain the unbalanced defenses.
The president of the Lakers, Rob Pelinkayou need to do more to optimize the template and give them wide space on the court to work with. Even so, the Lakers, which seem to be a slow rhythm club that stands out in isolation plays such as the rockets of the era of James Harden and Chris Paulthey should have better opportunities in the offensive due to Doncic’s ability to attack paint from different angles. A good example: the MAVs led the league in triple attempts from the corners last season before reaching the finals, and the Lakers this season have the fifth minor number of attempts from the corners. With elite players, Los Angeles should continue to be incredibly efficient with the two appropriate players around Doncic, James and Reaves.
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Luka Doncic: “It’s a dream come true” play with LeBron
Luka Doncic is excited to play with LeBron James and talks about how he can share the court with the superstar of the Lakers.
A (current) lack of hoop protection could condemn LeBron-Luka’s defense
However intriguing it is to think about the potential of the offensive of the Lakers, the defense is more difficult to imagine now that Davis is no longer the anchor of the background. Davis, a perennial candidate for the defensive player of the year, has limited the opponents of 45.6% of shots in trays and stuck when he is the contestant defender during the last two months, the fifth best rate in the NBA among the players with at least 150 games.
That ability will miss a lot in Lakerland. In addition to delivering to Davis, the defense of Los Angeles, classified in position 21, perhaps lost his best Ala defender, Max Christie, in the exchange. “The teams are going to test without rest with this defensive group,” said a Cazatalantos of the West Conference. “There is no feet speed anywhere.”
At the same time, the club supports Doncic, who, despite all his talent in attack, leaves something to be desired at the other end of the court. The Mavs executive, Nico Harrison, said insistently: “The defense wins championships” by explaining one of his main motivations to make the surprising decision to change Doncic for Davis.
Doncic has been deficient in defense, to put it gently. In the last two seasons, no league player has had a higher pass rate (the percentage of times that the ball handlers exceed it at the point of attack) that 44% of Doncic, according to Second Spectrum.
While Doncic dazzled in attack during the NBA finals last season, the Celtics prospered forcing Dallas to make defensive rotations after inciting Doncic teammates frantically after overcoming it after the drible.
The Lakers themselves know, and with Jaxson Hayes being their only center that does not play in two addresses, they are expected to seek defensive help, but before the deadline for the extent on Thursday, then certainly later in the acquisition market. “We know we have the need for a big one,” Pelinka said at Donc’s presentation press conference on Tuesday. Los Angeles, who has the seventh remaining remaining calendar in the League, will undoubtedly be put to the defense while preparing for the postseason.
A particular section – a list of six games in March against Milwaukee, Denver, Phoenix and San Antonio before facing the Nuggets and Bucks – will repeatedly challenge the Lakers in the middle, forcing them to defend some of the largest offensives and efficient league in painting, with Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic and Victor Wembanyama.
Unlike the adjustments that Los Angeles made two seasons Even so, the long -term benefit of this agreement makes it an obvious, even if the Lakers fail to set at the end of this season.
