The Lakers may not be a “good” team, but they’re at least as successful as last season and there are still 31 games to play. By beating the Denver Nuggets 120-116 on Tuesday night, the Lakers earned their 17th win of the year in game #51 — equal to last season’s disastrous 82 game total. If nothing else, then, this win symbolizes a bit of progress even if the dips and struggles since the team’s 10-10 start still weigh heavy.
A scan of the boxscore will tell you who the key players in the game were:
- D’Angelo Russell: 34 minutes, 22 points, 10 assists, 7 rebounds, only 2 turnovers.
- Ivica Zubac: 21 minutes, 17 points, 8-9 shooting, 6 rebounds, 1 assist
- Nick Young: 29 minutes, 23 points (team high), 5-8 on 3’s, 3 rebounds, 3 assists
- Lou Williams: 24 minutes, 21 points, 4-5 on 3’s, 7 assists, 5 rebounds
So, if you’re doing the math at home, those four players combined for 83 of the team’s 120 points and 21 of the team’s 25 assists. Basically, these guys won the game and if that’s all you wanted to know, you can skip to the bottom for my extra notes on the game.
But those numbers don’t really tell the entire story. For me, at least, there was a rhythm, control, role to, and hierarchy about the way the game flowed which was significant. I mean, one might look at those scoring totals and say “here we go again, Lou and Nick were relied on too heavily; I’d much rather it be Clarkson or Ingram who put up those points.” For what it’s worth, I’d prefer it be Clarkson and Ingram too. But those guys played poorly (more on that later) and Young and Lou stepped up.
Anyways, just focusing on their numbers doesn’t fully capture how this game played out. For one, Russell was the most important player on the floor. In his return from a three game absence, Russell’s fingerprints were all over this game. He expertly organized the team’s offense, moved the ball well, and could have easily had 3-4 more assists than he did if guys would have finished a couple of bunnies near the rim off his setups. After the game Luke Walton even noted that Russell’s two turnovers were good passes and not the “high risk” variety which (based on that phrasing) they’ve been coaching him on.
Nick Young on tonight's performance: "D'Angelo Russell was moving the ball, making plays."
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) February 1, 2017
That quote is especially pertinent when you consider that of Young’s 9 made baskets, 7 were assisted by Russell. D’Angelo consistently found Young in the open court for open threes and easy shots at the rim.
As for Lou, he played his typical game, but did so in fewer minutes than what would be expected by his shooting performance. It should also be noted that down the stretch Lou played next to Russell and did a lot of work off the ball to start possessions in favor of Russell organizing the action. That last point isn’t minor. This season Lou has not only had a high usage rate — a reflection of how possessions end — but he’s done so by also dominating the ball throughout a possession either via initiating the set or by bringing the ball up and shooting without making a pass. Against the Nuggets, there was more deference to Russell and the 2nd year PG made the right choices to help the team win.
Lastly, I’ll say more about Zubac in a bit, but this kid really can play. He makes at least 2-3 plays a game offensively which no other C on the roster effectively makes — or at least can make looking as smooth and natural as he does. His soft hands and touch combined with his general headiness on where to be on the floor and what play to make once he has the ball in those spots. Oh, and he’s only 19.
Ivica Zubac sets career-highs in points (17) and made field goals (eight) while missing just one shot from the field in the #LakersWin pic.twitter.com/h0ffE7GvuZ
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) February 1, 2017
Now, on to the notes…
- After going scoreless in his two previous games, Brandon Ingram did get a couple of buckets but his overall play still wasn’t very good. In 20 minutes he went 2-8 from the field for 4 points while only grabbing 2 rebounds. At this point, I’d argue he has very much hit the rookie wall. Consider that at Duke last season Ingram played in 36 games for a total of 1,246 minutes. Tuesday’s contest was his 51st game and he’s now up to 1,414 minutes on the season (highest on the team).
- I have been hard on Jordan Clarkson this year, but he’s actually been playing well lately. Before the Nuggets’ game, he’d been scoring about 16 points a game on nearly 50% shooting over a stretch of 8 games. Yes, there are parts of his game which frustrate, but when he plays the way he had been before Tuesday — efficient scoring, some added playmaking (with Russell out) — I can live with those frustrations. Tuesday, however, was not one of those days. Clarkson did have a couple of nice passes which I was impressed with (including a whip pass out of a sideline P&R to hit the corner spot up shooter). But overall, he played with too much tunnel vision and had a couple of forced shots/drives which were difficult to stomach. His last one early in the 4th quarter found him on the bench for the remainder of the game and I don’t blame Walton one bit for making the decision he did.
- With all the love Zubac has (deservedly) been getting, it’s also worth noting that Mozgov had 12 points and 6 rebounds on 4-5 shooting in 22 minutes. After the game Walton offered praise to Timo, saying he not only played well but has also been instrumental in helping Zubac during practices and as a sounding board during games.
- With Julius Randle out, Tarik Black has been getting more minutes at PF and has done alright there. His work on the glass remains strong (8 rebounds in only 17 minutes vs. Denver) and I very much appreciate his communication and effort as a backline defender.
- Larry Nance was quite bad this game. There are times where raw plus/minus doesn’t tell the story of a player’s game, but Nance’s -19 in 18 minutes is right on the mark. He took bad angles defensively, over-passed offensively, and on a few possessions simply seemed out of it when he spectated off the ball instead of cutting/screening/etc. He doesn’t have games like this often and it might be just him still finding his stride after returning from injury a few games ago, so I think he deserves a pass. But it’s still worth noting he just didn’t have his typical game.
- Zubac sets good, wide screens. On the shot Russell hit with 43 seconds left to put the Lakers up 3, Zubac set a fantastic screen on Jameer Nelson to free up Russell.
- Moving to the Nuggets, I really like Gary Harris. Shoots the ball well, gets after it defensively, and doesn’t really ever force things. In a way, he reminds me of Rodney Hood playing the style he does.
- I also really like Jamal Murray. Another really good shooter who plays with confidence offensively. A better defender than I thought he’d be. I actually think Mike Malone should have turned to Murray late rather than sticking with Nelson at PG.
BigCitySid10552 says
Nice team win, especially w/ Randle out. Russell & Zubac really stepped up. Bottom line: 17th win, matching last years’ total w/ 31 to go says it all, team is heading in the right direction. Interesting upcoming stretch of games before the All-Star break. 6 of 7 are on the road & 5 of 7 vs sub .500 teams. It will be interesting.
BigCitySid10552 says
Nice write up on Tarik Black: https://theundefeated.com/features/tarik-black-lakers-masters-degree/
KevTheBold says
Great read Darius !
I think Russell is showing that he could be our answer to pg,..
At least he’s got the potential to be that,..
I must admit however to being swayed by our other members here, to wondering how he would perform as shooting guard.
stats2 says
BigCitySid10552 Thanks for sharing. Great piece. I hope there is always room for players with character like Black’s. An impressive guy.
stats2 says
Great write up Darius. You convinced me the other day (via offensive output stats per possession) that even though Russell was failing my “eye test”, he was doing alright. I don’t know if it was his play or my new attitude, but he passed the eye test last night. With flying colors.
As for Zubac: I love his efficiency. Little wasted motion.
Clay Bertrand says
“After the game Walton offered praise to Timo, saying he not only played well but has also been instrumental in helping Zubac during practices and as a sounding board during games.”
______________________________________________________________________________
Well there it is………Timo IS Zubac’s personal mentor and is responsible for all of his development. He is a bargain at $16Million!!!!!! Who Knew!?????? ; )
LKK says
Nice to see the guys pull one out for a change. Good execution and shot making down the stretch. Dlo, welcome back! Nice aggression and leadership from him. Zu continues to impress. Really looks like he belongs. Young fella plays like a center and knows how to utilize his size. Hope this is the start of big things from him.
Totally agree that Ingram’s heavy minutes total is catching up with him. I also sense a little frustration from him about the lack of calls he receives. NBA refs don’t treat rookies very well. I also think Lou Williams has been overworked due to injury and circumstances. It’s good to see Russ playing well. If his minutes increase it’s a good thing.
I’m thinking Larry Nance may not be fully recovered. He looks tentative and is not looking for his shot at all. Junior needs to seek out opportunities to score a few baskets to keep defenses honest and to flesh out the offense when he’s on the floor. JC needs to slow down a tad. He’s prone to overdribbling when he’s defended well. He definitely needs to move the ball a lot better.
I really like Tarik Black. He provides the type of quality depth a good team needs. Hope he’s around as the team starts to trend upwards. Brings a bit of toughness.
Hoping the young guys keep making progress. Their growth is a big part of the team’s future.
CHearn says
Considering the Lakers players are 1-year more experienced this year, it is a bit misleading to constantly use last year’s win total as a barometer of this year’s team. This year, D’Angelo is not acting like some petulant child whose thought-process and main impetus for joining the Lakers was a rite of passage to instant likes on Instagram and Twitter. Nick grew up and discontinued his righteous indignation towards Russel, the coach, and the team for being outed as a philanderer. Young knew he was on the trade blocks, so he came to camp in exceptional shape, looking to show the new coach that he was worthy of retaining. Last year, Randle was a rookie. He was unsure of his leg and his skill set as it pertained to the NBA. This year, Julius has an uptick across the board in every category, albeit slight. Through 44 games this year, for instance, his field goal percentage is .489, compared to last year’s .429. Randle’s assists last year was 1.8 compared to his current 3.8. So far, none of his stats showcase a turning point on his potential in this league but he has time on his side. Personally, I’d like to see Julius grab a rebound and pass the ball to the point guard, so he can fill the wings like James Worthy. His foot speed and sprinting are being offset by constantly dribbling the ball up the court. The Lakers would be less predictable if Randle ran the floor and attacked the defense before it’s set. With easy conversions, the floor opens up for 3-pt shots and forays in the paint for DUNKS and rebounds.
The Lakers replaced six players from last year’s team—no, seven players because of this year’s version of Nick. So, there is no sense in comparing the win-loss record from that year with this year.
Clarkson is developing into a dependable NBA player, despite the Lakers ever-changing requests on him as a player. Jordan received minimal playing time his rookie year but he continued working hard and listened to anyone that would give him instruction. And, when Scott called on him to start, Clarkson reveled in the opportunity even garnering a few wins. His sophomore year, the second-round pick came to camp prepared for the starting point guard position. The only problem was the Lakers drafted D’Angelo for that role and Marcelo to man the backup guard position. Instead, he spelled Kobe as the shooting guard. No problem, the summer of his second year Jordan spent the summer shooting jumpers and learning how to play defense, so he could assume the spot that Kobe vacated. Surprise, Coach Walton decided to insert Nick Young into that position and bring Clarkson in off the bench. That’s three separate expectations the Lakers had for him in three years! Hopefully, during the 2017 offseason, Jordan will know his role on the team allowing him the opportunity to prepare to assume that part.
Zoo!!!!! Oh, yea!!!!!
new rr says
BigCitySid10552
Most teams that get as low as the Lakers did bounce back at least a bit the next year; frankly, the Lakers *should* be better than 17-65, after replacing Scott, Kobe retiring, and having some cap room, and it would be more surprising if they had not improved the W-L pace a bit. The season to this point has been a mix of plusses and minuses, like almost any season.
Plusses:
Zubac’s efficiency and productivity on O, Black and Nance looking rotation players, Randle’s game diversifying a bit, Russell’s reasonably solid production on O, Ingram’s seemingly sound mental approach, evidence of Walton’s offensive coaching acumen.
Minuses:
Team D still at bottom of the NBA, none of the young guys appears to be a franchise cornerstone, continued reliance on Young and Williams, Deng and Mozgov deals.
HaleHailHell says
CHearn
I haven’t been able to check out an entire game in a season and a half so thank you for speaking up about Clarkson. It seems that he has been jerked around for three seasons now and has handled taking the best out of whatever opportunities available to him. He has worked on his individual game over what might be less than a team game as he has been forced into a swiss army knife role. My concern is that he’ll find his true role in a team that is not constantly experimenting which basically means not with the Lakers. Seeing his minutes in the box leads me to believe they have squandered the opportunity to see what kind of bond he and Russell could develop.
Anyway, here’s hoping that post-AllStar break is all youth movement.
Clay Bertrand says
HaleHailHell CHearn Clay Bertrand
: )
Clay Bertrand says
Magic is back in the buildin’!!
The end Jim’s reign is coming for sure now…………