Welcome back to the Lakers newsletter, where we’re packing our passports for a difficult Eastern Conference trip.
Besides getting to go to Toronto for the first time ever, I’m looking forward to this upcoming trip because we could learn a lot about these Lakers. One-quarter of the way through the season, they’re 15-5 and second in the West.
But it’s easy to look good against the New Orleans Pelicans.
How real is this thing?
After accounting for five of the Lakers’ eight turnovers against the Pelicans, Austin Reaves reprimanded himself because some of the mistakes were just him “being bad.” He could have meant it from a purely basketball sense, but it almost sounded like the type of scolding a parent would give their child for playing with their food.
Against losing teams, the Lakers can afford to mess around and still find themselves in the win column. The Phoenix Suns gave them a swift slap on the wrist on Monday.
The Suns loss, which was not as close as the 125-108 final score suggested, was the first of five consecutive games against teams with winning records. This stretch will reveal the truth about where the Lakers stand against teams with legitimate playoff hopes.
The Lakers are 4-4 against teams that entered December with winning records. Two of the fourt wins — at Minnesota and at home against San Antonio — were final-possession nail-biters. When it came time to test themselves against the defending champions, the Lakers got steamrolled in Oklahoma City, showing how far they are from the NBA’s top tier.
The 29-point loss to the Thunder was a rude awakening for the Lakers, who went 1-2 to start their previous extended trip. Facing another test this week in Toronto, Boston and Philadelphia, the Lakers hope to “redeem ourselves a little bit,” center Deandre Ayton said.
“We’re playing against some teams that are really good,” Ayton said. “I just think those games and those amount of days will really test our stamina and our mental stamina as well.”
Not only will the Lakers play three teams that are all better than .500, but they’ll be doing so in four days. Coach JJ Redick said he’d never seen a California-based NBA team with this type of logistical challenge to go to the opposite corner of the league and play three games in four days.
The Lakers will travel to Toronto one day early and practice Wednesday before Thursday’s game. Before a long flight, ice buckets were stationed at nearly every locker after Monday’s game, which was also the team’s third in four days at home. LeBron James spoke with reporters while soaking both feet in an ice bath.
James’ reintegration to the team felt seamless during his first four games as he let Luka Doncic cook. But against the aggressive Suns, his willingness to play second fiddle backfired. Whole shifts passed and it felt James didn’t touch the ball at all. He stayed camped in the corner while Doncic turned the ball over nine times. It wasn’t until James had to fight to maintain his 1,297-game streak of 10-point performances that he perked up.
James is averaging 15.2 points and 7.2 assists in five games since returning from sciatica. He missed one more game while managing a lingering left foot injury that kept him out for half of last weekend’s back-to-back. With another busy stretch coming, Redick said the team hopes to build James’ conditioning back to the place where he could be available to play in consecutive games again this season. A set of games against Toronto and Boston on Thursday and Friday are the first of 10 more remaining back-to-backs.
The Luka Doncic effect
Luka Doncic during the game against the Dallas Mavericks on Nov. 28.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Redick called Doncic “one of the greatest offensive engines to ever play basketball,” and the 26-year-old guard is driving everyone around him to new heights.
Deandre Ayton was shooting a blistering 71% from the field entering Monday’s game, on pace to blow his previous career-high percentage for a season of 63.4% out of the water. Rui Hachimura (54.5%) and Jaxson Hayes (75%) are also shooting career best percentages from the field, and Hachimura has credited some of his success to Doncic and his surgical dissection of double-teams for creating so many easy looks.
“This is what Luka does to defenses,” Redick said.
Doncic, of course, can still stuff the stat sheet for himself, too.
He was named Western Conference player of the week Monday after leading the Lakers to a 3-0 record against the Clippers, Mavericks and Pelicans. The NBA’s leading scorer averaged 37.3 points, 8.7 rebounds and 10.3 assists in the three commanding wins. It was his first weekly award while with the Lakers.
On tap
Stats and records are current entering Monday’s games
Dec. 4 at Raptors (14-7), 4:30 p.m. PDT
The Raptors are one of the biggest surprises in the East, rising to second in the conference after three consecutive playoff-less seasons. The offseason addition of Brandon Ingram has paid off as the former Lakers draft pick is averaging a team-high 21.5 points.
Dec. 5 at Celtics (11-9), 4 p.m. PDT
The Celtics looked to be mired in a transitional year after star guard Jayson Tatum tore his Achilles during last season’s playoff run, but are still hanging around play-in range behind guard Jaylen Brown. Brown made Celtics history with 41 points, seven assists, six rebounds and five steals — the first player in franchise history to reach those marks in a game — in Boston’s loss to Minnesota on Nov. 29.
Dec. 7 at 76ers (10-9), 4:30 p.m. PDT
Joel Embiid (knee) and Paul George (ankle) have played in 12 combined games, but the 76ers are still contending in the East behind Tyrese Maxey. The six-year guard is third in the NBA in scoring with 32.3 points per game while playing 40.7 minutes a night.
Best thing I ate this week
The Thanksgiving spread with braised short ribs (bottom center) and mashed potatoes, and, clockwise, potatoes au gratin, parmesan roasted brussels sprouts, sausage and apple stuffing, kale, apple and cranberry salad, and carrot salad.
(Thuc Nhi Nguyen / Los Angeles Times)
It should be no surprise that Thanksgiving is my favorite American holiday to celebrate. Family, friends, football and food? Who says no?
The trade off for getting to work in sports media is that I barely ever get to celebrate holidays with my family; I’ve only been home to Seattle one time for Thanksgiving in the last 10 years. But I love getting to host my fellow non-traveling friends at my place.
I made braised short ribs as the main course. Shout out to my brother, who first made me these short ribs with soy sauce, fish sauce, lemon grass and whole spices including star anise, cloves and cardamom. We also had carrot salad, kale, apple and cranberry salad, sausage and apple stuffing, parmesan roasted brussels sprouts and, because I bought a 10-poung bag of potatoes from Costco, potatoes two ways: au gratin and mashed.
In case you missed it
Lakers’ seven-game winning streak shattered in blowout loss to Phoenix Suns
Lakers try to fight the boredom of seventh straight win
No LeBron, no problem: Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves lead red-hot Lakers past Pelicans
LeBron James won’t play for Lakers vs. Pelicans as he continues to manage injury
Former Lakers star Anthony Davis makes long-awaited return to L.A. after trade
Lakers takeaways: What the Lakers are looking for as LeBron James rounds into form
Until next time…
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