I don't know if everyone has a feeling that the Lakers have adapted to each other very much, and even some contradictions have been replaced by another kind of harmony.
From this game against the Nets, we see an improvement in the overall atmosphere of the Lakers, and this improvement is even stronger than the improvement against the Jazz. If there is a kind of heroic wrist-breaking spirit for the promotion of the Jazz, and in the face of the Nets, the Lakers' promotion is a bit logical.
Speaking of which, first of all, we must talk about the problem of the Lakers before.
The biggest problem is the problem of defense, and then the problem of attack caused by the low adaptability of the players.
Defensive problems were actually seen at the beginning of the season because they didn't have many well-defended players.
Without even a good single-defense player, coupled with a structure with too many guards and too few fronts, the Lakers will not be able to develop a good overall defense. In the championship season, they have Danny Green, Pope, etc. on the outside, Davis on the inside, and James on the front, which can create a top-level defensive system. However, the current structure of the Lakers seems to have never taken defense as a thing, so the problem of defense is naturally a very normal thing.
In addition, James's injury, Davis's injury, James's defensive choices on the court and Westbrook's bad defensive habits will all be related to each other, and then form a bad tone for each other, resulting in the team struggling very much in defense.
How to solve the problem of defense, in addition to improving everyone's defensive morale, there is no other way to do it. This mainly depends on the way the coaching staff and the stars lead the team, and the most important thing is to bring everyone together. Offense can actually improve defense, and when the offense is very smooth, it will counter the rhythm of the opponent, which in turn will be conducive to defense.
The Lakers' offense is also subject to injuries and run-ins, and injuries and run-ins are mutually beneficial.
If the stars cooperate sincerely, there is no possibility of failing to cooperate, and James and Westbrook, as the big core of the ball, have many inappropriate places, but their efforts are obvious.
James' efforts are to improve his participation in the no-ball end, improve the efficiency of shooting and fast attacking, and get more done with as little ball as possible. It's something James has been doing all his career, and at this point you can always believe in James.
Wei Shao's efforts are to reduce the possession of the ball, while increasing his own stability and reducing mistakes. That helped the Lakers improve in terms of turnovers and helped him find a better rhythm. The only regret is that the Lakers are difficult to match the "fast" of Shangwei Shao.
When the opponent can't match Wei Shao's "fast", teammates can pinch Wei Shao's ball holding, everyone knows that Wei Shao's ball holding does not have a top change, and his shooting is not stable, so such a pinch is effective. Opponents will often create this trap, which is a way to split the Lakers' offense.
The solution is for the Lakers to help Wei Shao as much as possible - more attacks to form an offensive level, so that the opponent does not dare to easily wrap Wei Shao. Another approach is to slow down on the initiative of Wei Shao. However, the latter has lost too many possibilities compared to the former, and the Lakers still have to seize more opportunities for fast attack.
From Westbrook's point of view, it is the most reliable act to cooperate with James as soon as possible in the fast attack, because James' fast attack is the first in the league.
James's defense has been criticized, but from the general direction, his defense is targeted, accurately considered, ensuring physical strength at the same time, ensuring the team's 50% winning rate. Judging by the lack of Davis' lineup, that's enough.
During Davis' injury suspension, James took the lead, with more than 30 points on the field, becoming the only object that could be relied on, and James' problems were the least among the Lakers players. At the age of 37, leading the Lakers' offense and defense, it is already the top in history, who can be so responsible?
If it weren't for James' score, the rest of the Lakers could theoretically stand up, which is actually likely to lead to more chaos. This is an unproven theory, and James' possession is the top control that has been recognized since entering the league. So it's logical for others to cooperate with James, and it's unreasonable for the Lakers to create their own logic to break James's rule.
When Westbrook or other possession players are present, James' role as a scorer is also more important than that of the ball-handling player. No matter who controls the ball, James' role as the main scorer is unlikely to change, so the logic of possession is also to help James play a better scoring offense.
Against the Jazz, James gave the outside ball carrier full trust when he was flanking away, and gave the ball carrier a high degree of pressure on the defensive end. This was a change after his apology at the time, and the Lakers' vitality was significantly improved. When facing the Nets, James improved efficiency, defended key players, played the climax of the scene with defense, and finally stabilized the field, and directed a correct, rational, long-term starring good play.
James is at the heart of everything for the Lakers, and no one can replace his status and function.