It's coming! The Lakers finally have a killer plan against Jokic

Since March, the Lakers have a whopping 70.6 percent win rate, behind only the Celtics (78.9 percent), Mavericks (72.2 percent) and Rockets (72.2 percent). To some extent, the Lakers at this stage are already the top teams in the NBA.

For the Lakers, who have won consecutive games, there are three good points to explain.

First, offensive tactics. So far this season, 21.8% of the Lakers' offensive rounds have been finished by shooting from the spot. In terms of data, like the Clippers, Warriors and other projection teams, catching and shooting after running without the ball is the main offensive tactic of the Lakers.

Second, Russell. It's not the same as the first half of the season, or more accurately, before the trade deadline. Over the same period, the Russell round usage rate increased from 21.5% to 26.4%. That is, Russell's possession was increasing during the same period.

When possession is increased, Russell's approach is as follows: 8.4% shooting and 40.4% shooting from the field, 59.6% shooting from three-point range and 43.6% shooting percentage from three-point range. Obviously, unlike Harden, Russell is not exactly a "magic ball" style of play. It's more like Durant and Booker, who have both mid-range shots on the basis of long-range shots.

Third, Hachimura. During the same period, 14.3% shot and 57.9% shot from the field, while 33.9% shot and 45.5% shot from three-point range. Like Russell, Hachimura also has a mid-range investment on the basis of long-range investment. The difference is that Hachimura can lead some interior players with a certain ability to fight.

For example, in two games against the Bucks, he led the defense of Lopez in 11 minutes and 47 seconds, and in the third game against the Nuggets, he led the sun protection in 12 minutes and 17 seconds.

In addition, during the same period, the Lakers had 5 players, including James and Reaves, with a three-point rate of no less than 40% inside. To add another word, Dinwiddie's three-point rate in 537 games such as the Pistons, Nets, and Mavericks so far in his NBA career is only 33.2%, but it has skyrocketed to 39.6% after coming to the Lakers.

To sum up, when the Lakers "exploded" with multiple shooters, plus the team's main offensive tactic is fixed-point shooting. It's not hard to understand why the Lakers' offense at this stage is like a drop of mercury - 117.5 offensive efficiency in the same period, second only to the Celtics, Pacers and Nuggets.

Like the Lakers, the Nuggets' offense is more "bolted" to Jokic — 121.8 on the floor and 104 when not on the floor. Based on this, for other teams to effectively "choke" Jokic, the Nuggets will have a greater chance of winning.

Take the Timberwolves, for example. In the face of the Nuggets, Gobert was used to defend Jokic, and Towns, McDaniels and others assisted in the defense. Effective top defense + assistant defense, the consumption of Jokic is still very large. As a result, in the meetings so far this season, the Timberwolves have led the Nuggets 2-1.

Another example is the sun. Because of the existence of Durant, Booker, Beal, Grayson Allen, etc., they are more likely to take mid-to-long-range shots in the face of the Nuggets, in order to contain Jokic from the inside. Frequent entry and exit from the interior is still a quick physical drain for Jokic. In this regard, Riokic averaged "only" 22.0 points per game in the three games against the Suns. The Nuggets also trailed the Suns 1-2.

For the Lakers, it doesn't have the twin towers of the Timberwolves. Therefore, emulating the Timberwolves will not work. Still, there's no problem emulating the sun. In other words, I think the Lakers have a killer against Jokic.

Reason: Team tactics + thick eyebrows. Since the rematch against the Pacers, the Bushy Eyebrows have a 31.8 percent three-point rate. Admittedly, there is still a gap between Markkanen, Horford, and Da Lopez. But the efficiency of averaging close to 1 goal (0.9 goals) per game shows that long-range shooting can also be one of the ways to finish the offense.

More importantly, with Reaves, Russell and other outside players becoming more and more brilliant, the Lakers can use mid-range shooting to finish the offense like the Warriors, Clippers, and Celtics.

Just imagine, when Russell/Reaves and Bushy Eyebrows block and pick-and-roll, Jokic is bound to follow. Containment is a drain on stamina, just as the Suns did against Jokic. In addition, the Lakers' losing streak against the Nuggets is more due to the fact that Jokic is firmly on the inside and cannot physically drain him.

In addition, when the outside line is shot, the offensive space is also opened. It's also a breakthrough in James' favor — 10.3 shots per game and 59.4 percent shooting so far this season.

To sum up, the Lakers' killer weapon against Jokic is mid-range shooting. To be precise, like the Warriors and other teams, he uses pick-and-roll shooting to contain Kic.