With Anthony Davis Back, Lakers' Win Over Nets Proves a Turnaround Is Possible
Published: January 25, 2021 US time
Publishing media: si.com
Article author: Chris Manix
Article translated by de Gaulle
On January 25, local time, at least on this night, the entire basketball world learned one thing, that is, when the Lakers' main lineup is complete, what kind of performance they can play on the court and what kind of possibilities can be created.
Admittedly, beating the Nets without Kevin Durant and Carey Irving at 106-96 wasn't a much-publicized victory for the Lakers who brought back Anthony Davis. The Nets' Big Three are left with only James Harden to support, and while Beard also delivered a triple-double of 33 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists, the Nets' other players have limited support for Harden. In the first half of the game, Nets coach Nash once sent 11 players to find the most suitable set of lineups to play against the Lakers.
However, Nash's attempt did not have too good results, but may be "counterproductive". Before the start of the battle with the Lakers, there were media reports that Harden was "emotionally frustrated" about the current state of the team, especially head coach Nash's thinking on the arrangement of troops.
For this report, Harden also gave a positive response after the game. "Listen, I don't know about any of the reports," Harden said, "of course, I do feel depressed, but that's because our team can't stay healthy, and there are all kinds of elements that interrupt us during the season, including injuries, epidemics and so on." So yeah, it's really frustrating. I think everyone in this team is frustrated right now because we're stronger than what we're showing up in the record now, and we should be on a path of upward climbing. That's the case. ”
After this game, many people have a question in their minds, that is, when both teams are neatly staffed, who can laugh last. From the current point of view, the answer to this question can only exist in the imagination, and in the discussion of fans, no one can give an accurate answer. One thing is certain, though, is what the Lakers will look like in the coming period, and this game gives a good example.
In addition to the victory of the Lakers in this game, the biggest gain is naturally to welcome back the team's interior player Anthony Davis. Plagued by a sprained knee ligament, Davis has previously been on a 17-game streak. In these 17 games, the Lakers only have a record of 7 wins and 10 losses. Coupled with the team's tactical and mental level, there have been many problems in the past 17 games, so Davis is regarded as a "panacea" that can save the team.
After announcing that Davis will return, head coach Vogel also immediately gave everyone a high enthusiasm to "cool down". Vogel has repeatedly stressed that Davis will need some time to adjust to regain his sense of the game. But when the two sides lined up at the Barclays Center, Davis immediately showed how much he could help the team. Just 15 seconds into the opening, in the team's first offensive round, Davis received a pass from James and completed a one-handed empty dunk. Davis's physical and mental state, as if he had never been absent.
In the next round, Davis immediately hit another mid-range jumper. It's an offensive style that has seen his efficiency drop a lot this season and has been met with a lot of criticism, and Davis seems to want to show his form and confidence when he returns. When he was replaced in the middle of the first quarter, Davis' stat sheet was marked with good stats of 6 points and 3 blocks, showing his overall contribution on both ends of the offensive and defensive ends. However, in the later games, Davis's offensive efficiency was far less efficient than in the first quarter, and coupled with being trapped in fouls, he played 25 points and finally scored 8 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists and 4 blocks.
At Davis's personal level, such a performance is not qualified. However, considering that this is his first game after a 17-game suspension, the standard of evaluation of him can naturally be relaxed. Moreover, Davis's return has also contributed to the Lakers in many aspects that the data cannot reflect. "He really changed our defense near the basket," Vogel said of Davis, "and he single-handedly solidified our entire defense, which is really what we've desperately needed in the last period of time." ”
James' assessment was more succinct: "As soon as he's on the court, he makes our team more competitive." ”
Specifically in terms of defensive data, in the battle with the Nets, the Lakers suppressed the opponent's shooting rate at 41.6%, and the three-point shooting rate was as low as 25.9%. Among them, there are factors that the Nets' own offensive feel is not good, and the Interference of the Lakers defense led by Davis cannot be ignored. Better defense brings more opportunities to convert offense, and the Lakers have scored 27 points in this game by relying on fast attacks, 18 more points than their opponents. With 19 rebounds and 13 offensive rebounds, the Lakers can still control the game at most of the time and control the opponent's score below 100 points, which fully shows that they have a great advantage in other aspects.
"If we can defend against the opponent's attack and then run on an open field, then we're really going to be a very threatening team," Vogel said.
The return of Davis not only gives the team a backbone in defense, but also becomes an "attraction point" that can change the opponent's defense in attack. Even if his own offensive efficiency is not high, but he stands there, so that the opponent has to pay attention to him at all times. This attraction indirectly gives more space to teammates, coupled with the excellent form of many players, which leads to the "multi-point blossoming" offensive scene of Westbrook scoring 15 points, Munch scoring 22 points, and Carmelo Anthony scoring 13 points.
Of course, the best performer on the Lakers offensive end is LeBron James, who has been in hot form recently, declaring himself in the "best offensive state". In the previous game against the Heat, James led the team and almost reversed from the disadvantage of trailing by 23 points. After that battle, James said the Lakers showed the "sense of urgency" they needed during certain periods of the game. And when it comes to the game with the Nets, James himself is obviously still on the court with such a mentality.
In the previous 17 Davis truce games, James has been leading the team forward with his excellent form. Now, although Davis is back, James has not relaxed. The 33 points he scored allowed him to extend his record of "25 points in a row" to 18 games. In the 17 seconds around the fourth quarter, he snatched consecutive counter-attack dunks after stealing opponents, almost announcing the outcome of the game in advance.
Seeing James behave like this on his first game, Davis described the big brother as: "He's in kill mode." James himself said: "I just told myself: 'Nothing matters except what you do on the pitch, except to continue to lead your teammates forward.'" I don't care what people outside the dressing room say or what outsiders say about our team or anything else. Nothing else matters except the performance I play every night. ”
Davis's return from injury, James' continued efficiency, the other players' all-round performance, and the Nets, the Lakers got almost everything they wanted. But again, the previously mentioned sentence, winning the Nets, which only Harden leads alone, does not mean that the Lakers' way forward will be bright. Because Davis can't solve all the problems that the Lakers already have, which has been proven in the previous games of the season.
In Davis' 30 healthy games, the Lakers' record is 16 wins and 14 losses, and their position is hovering up and down in the playoffs. Moreover, Davis's inefficiency in the middle and long distances, and his 17.9% shooting rate outside the three-point line, make him no longer the "big killer" when the Lakers won the championship in 2020. According to statistics, when Davis and James appeared on the court at the same time, the Lakers' average 100-round net win score was only 4.0 points, and the Lakers' offensive efficiency was only ranked third from the bottom of the league.
Still, healthy Davis can provide the Lakers with an opportunity and possibility. After about 4 weeks of recovery, Davis not only rested his knees enough to cope with the game, but also allowed his tired body to recuperate. This is definitely a great good news for the Lakers, who are currently on consecutive road trips and will become more and more nervous in the second half of the season.
Next, the Lakers will head to Philadelphia to challenge Embiid, who has been in great shape lately. They then challenged the Hornets back-to-back and finally ended this consecutive road trip in Atlanta. Although the schedule and opponents are not simple, this battle in Brooklyn has given the Lakers the confidence to move forward. "The more time we play together, the more we can see how energetic we can play," James said, cheering the team on.
Before embarking on this six-game streak, the Lakers were reversed at home by the Pacers. After that game, a lot of problems were exposed inside the team. There are rumors about Vogel's unstable position, and the suspicions raised by Westbrook's being pressed on the bench in the fourth quarter. At that time, the public opinion situation faced by the Lakers seemed to be about to fall apart and bid farewell to this season in advance. But after 6 consecutive games, the Lakers achieved a 2-1 result, and also played a good spirit, and the light of hope reappeared.
"It doesn't matter what other people think of our team," Westbrook said, "it's important that we find a solution to the problem from within the team." Hopefully we can come together, win a few games in a row, find the rhythm to move forward, and then push our team as far afield as possible.