Hard to believe the regular season is already here. Way back in April, Kobe said goodbye with a 60 point farewell and since then we’ve seen the Lakers fire Byron Scott, hire Luke Walton, draft Brandon Ingram and Ivica Zubac, sign (and trade for) veterans in free agency, play summer league, go through training camp, and play 8 preseason games. Through it all fans have been waiting to get to this point where the games actually matter.
Now they will.
We already covered our big picture thoughts for the season, so I won’t rehash those now. There is a general excitement to watch this team play and, while there is not a lot of hope for a huge bounce back in terms of wins, I think expecting some good progress throughout the campaign is more than fair.
That, of course, begins tonight with a match up against the Rockets. Rather than get into what they present as a team, do yourself a favor and watch this breakdown from Pete Zayas of @LakerFilmRoom who does a great job of showing fans what Houston likes to do on both sides of the floor:
Keeping those tendencies in mind, I think the biggest goal for tonight is managing the pace of the game. The Lakers, like the Rockets, want to play fast — but not to the same extreme. The Lakers must be cognizant of not getting too caught up in the tempo the Rockets play, focusing instead on being smart and selective in how often they try to get out in the open court.
Obviously the way the Rockets play will put a stress on the Lakers’ defensive continuity, forcing them to help, recover, and rotate with precision. When at their best, Houston will put teams in position to make a series of difficult choices with the intent of getting either a shot at the rim or behind the arc. The Lakers must do a good job of covering up the rim to force kick-outs and then closing out with effectiveness to run shooters off the line and into the mid-range.
Further, the Lakers must curtail their fouling. All preseason Luke Walton noted that his team was fouling too much, citing a combination of getting stuck in bad positions and then reverting to bad habits. James Harden is one of the league’s best (if not the best) at drawing fouls. Whoever draws the defensive assignment tonight must play him tightly, but must not reach or contest shots so aggressively that they draw contact. It is a fine line to walk when defending Harden, but there is a blueprint and it must be followed or he will torch you. And he still might torch you anyway.
Offensively, the Lakers had an up and down preseason, but as we have covered there are some encouraging trends developing. Against the Rockets, it is important to build on those guiding principles to try and expose their flaws. Guys like Harden, Eric Gordon, and Ryan Anderson already do not have strong defensive pedigrees, but get them moving off the ball and they all can lose connectivity which will compromise the team’s scheme. Cut hard, screen hard, and move the ball onto the open man in order to get this team into their rotations. Then, when the opening presents itself, be ready to attack.
In terms of specific actions, I’d like to see more P&R to force their big men to hedge and recover. When their big men step out, I’d love to see pocket bounce passes to split the defense and get into opportunities where the team can play 4 on 3 behind the high hedge. This may also be a game where Julius Randle’s tendency to slip screens actually aids him. If his man does hedge high, he can get a quick first step into the teeth of the defense where he can use his passing ability to pick out shooters in the corners. Deng, Ingram, Young, and Lou can all feast if Houston takes too aggressive an approach with Randle (or Nance) sliding into the FT line area with options in front.
Lastly, I just want to see this team play hard and be scheme committed. So often we talk about process vs. results and being able to invest in what the team is doing even if the outcome isn’t what we want. With Walton now in charge, I get the sense there is more buy-in than in previous seasons. I would like to see that hold and for the players to continue to work their scheme and force the Rockets to continue to have to play through possessions until the end. No more letting teams off the hook by settling for bad shots or drifting into low efficiency isolations with too much time on the clock.
And with that, enjoy the game, folks. The new season is here and I can’t wait to see how it goes.
Where you can watch: 7:30pm start time on ESPN.
Kareemez says
This one is for Warren.
Clay Bertrand says
Darius, the game is a National Exclusive with BSPN. No Spectrum except pre and post game coverage. Their first one is Friday at Utah.
Hopefully, the OKC-Philly game doesn’t go long and eclipse our start time like ALWAYS!
J C hoops says
There should be a BSPN!
Basketball sports network.
30twhite40 says
Russell with a 4-point play. Off to a good start tonight.
Joel_ says
Defense optional apparently…
Mid Wilshire says
Harden has 12 points and 9 assists in the 1st Quarter. Amazing.
The Lakers obviously have no answer for him. (Neither does any other team.)
bluehill says
I thought the all-star game was later in the season.
Mid Wilshire says
Nick Young has started out 1-7 overall, 1-5 from 3. Ho-hum.
Mid Wilshire says
At half time, the Rockets’ starting guards (Eric Gordon and James Harden) have combined for 31 points, 14 assists, and 7 rebounds.
So much for improved defense.
30twhite40 says
Lakers offensive efficiency 118.87, defensive efficiency 133.96. Need better defense in the second half.
LKK says
Lots to like offensively, but the defense is cringeworthy. Lakers have got to rebound better as well.
Mid Wilshire says
Jordan Clarkson who has 20 points (on 6-10 shooting) in 18 minutes has turned this game around for the Lakers. Nick Young, meanwhile has struggled. He’s 2-9 for 6 points in 21 minutes.
I hope they’ll leave Clarkson in there the rest of the game. I think they need him. Furthermore, he’s their best defender in the backcourt.
Joel_ says
Gotta love the endless Harden parade to the FT line.
Jokr says
I too wish Luke would play Jordan more. Hes the future. Not Nick. Let Jordan get some more minutes.
Joel_ says
Randle moves his feet better than most of the Laker guards.
MT87 says
That just happened
30twhite40 says
Clarkson (25 pts), Russell (20 pts), and Randle (18 pts) help lead the way to a Lakers opening night win;
new rr says
Nice win.
Mid Wilshire says
An excellent win for the Lakers on opening night. This has got to be a shot in the arm for them.
In hockey, at the end of the game they name the 3 best stars of the game. My choices (Lakers only, otherwise Harden would be at the top of the list) would be as follows:
#1 Star — Jordan Clarkson: 25 points (on 8-12 shooting), 3 rebounds, 1 assist, and 3 steals in 24:23 (with 23 points in the 2nd half alone);
#2 Star — D’Angelo Russell: 20 points (7-16 shooting), 1 rebound, 3 assists in 28:51;
#3 Star — Julius Randle: 18 points (9-11 shooting), 7 rebounds, 6 assists in 28:59.
A few observations: the Nick Young experiment did not quite work out tonight. I’m still a bit skeptical about Nick’s ability to sustain the right style of play for 82 games. Also, the Lakers were called for 24 fouls tonight (not bad) and had an assist to turnover ratio of 21:15 (this can be improved although it’s a big improvement over last year).
All-in-all, this is very encouraging. Of course, it’s only one game. But I’m looking forward to the rest of the year.
Congrats to the Lakers and to Luke Walton on a great start to the new season.
LKK says
A good start to get a win in a winnable game. Good to see the team competing hard. Obviously the D needs to improve, but we can see progress. Congrats to Coach Walton on his first Laker win. We saw big contributions up and down the line. Even Metta played a role; he shook up Harden just a bit!
bluehill says
Ugly, but a win is a win. They showed some grit in the third when they fell behind. That’s good sign. Clarkson picking up where he left off and with some better D. Another good sign. DLo’s offense and Randle’s offense!?!? All positive. Team D will be a work in process for a while, but they did a lot better in the second half. They are going to get a lot of PnR practice because every team is going to run it until they show they can defend it better. But that’s a topic of the next game. For now, it feels good to get a win!
KenOak says
I managed to catch the end of the game and was pleasantly surprised with the win! Team played pretty well down the stretch and got some stops when needed. I didn’t get to see Randle do most of his work, but his stat line looks beastly. 9-11 is super efficient plus 7 rebounds and 6 assists? Nice game.
Busboys4me says
@ Mid-Wilshire
While I agree with almost everything you said, I do not agree with NickY’s effect on the team and game. He hustled, he tried and he gave an effort. Though his shooting was off and Harden torched him, he never gave up. He should have been credited with forcing Harden into two additional turnovers but the refs blew two 8 second half court violations. His offense was ineffective so he made it up with effort. I’m pleased and will add this is why Anthony Brown is not with the team.
Let me add that I’m tired of Dlo being careless with the rock. His laziness is going to cost us games like it did in the preseason. I truly appreciate Clarkson’s effort and preparation and hope that he rubs off on Dlo and Randle. Especially when it comes to concentrating and making free throws. Clarkson and Harden took them seriously. They slowed down and made them while the other two just took them for granted and shot. Bad habits make bad results.
Hersho Barazi says
The Lakers opened their season with a win over the Houston Rockets- no small feat for a team that had to deal with a scorching hot James Harden, who finished with 34 points, 7 rebounds and a career high SEVENTEEN assists!
Those who downplay this win by alluding to D’Antoni’s defensive schemes (or lack thereof) are missing the greater point: this team is young, fun, hard-working and have truly bought into the system! This is as refreshing as can be after two seasons of stern, stoic, arm-crossing from a certain coach who shall not be named in this post.
I’d like to add a few take-aways that others here have not pointed out.
1. Jordan Clarkson clearly was not stymied by his new role off the bench, as he completely exploded for 23 of his 25 points in the second half, making key plays down the stretch on both ends of the floor. If he’s given starter minutes and chances to close out the game, I don’t think he even cares that he’s coming off the bench, which is great to see.
2. Julius Randle played a great game like many noted, but what NOONE has mentioned so far is that the only two shots he missed were a three point attempt and a midrange jumper. This may seem like a negative for those who crossed their fingers while hoping to catch a glimpse of his so-called “improved” outside shot, but let’s not write him off just yet as he is a 21 year old who for all intents and purposes is basically beginning his sophomore year. Furthermore, this means that he finished 9-9 AT THE RIM! He did not miss ONE shot! I was shocked noone caught that or mentioned that considering it was one of the biggest areas that troubled fans and analysts alike last year, when he finished in the low 40’s at the rim. This is why I would say, to Mr. Mid Wilshire , that JR deserves the #2 player of the game.
3. Tarik Black looks a little undersized in the paint when guarding guys like Clint Capella but he really does bring every ounce of energy that he can muster to every arena he steps in. Unfortunately, he does not receive much support from our other players when he helps on penetration drives. Help the helpers fellas! Come on!
All in all, this was a fantastic game that I truly enjoyed watching. The last two regular season Lakers games (Kobe’s 60 points) have really been something to smile about. The future is so bright that I finally decided to create an account to comment on this brilliant forum that I’ve been following for a couple years now. I’ll admit I know almost all of the regular’s names by heart, but have always felt that if I was going to sign up, I better be consistent with commenting. This season brings plenty of incentives to do just that. Thank you to the best Laker forum community, and to Darius for the consistently superb analysis.
Kareemez says
Hersho Barazi Mid Wilshire Welcome to the community, Hersho.