As Lakers coach JJ Redick talked after practice Monday about the long list of players who would be listed as day-to-day for Tuesday night’s game at Phoenix, he at least knew that center Deandre Ayton will be back after missing two games because of left elbow soreness.
Redick said Luka Doncic (left leg contusion), Austin Reaves (mild left calf strain) and Rui Hachimura (right groin soreness) are day-to-day. Gabe Vincent (lower back tightness), however, is expected to be out longer.
Redick said Doncic was injured when he was kneed by Clippers guard Bagdan Bogdanovic during Saturday night’s loss at Intuit Dome. Redick said the Lakers have noticed that Doncic, who leads the NBA in scoring (34.1) and is fourth in assists (8.8), gets hit in his lower leg a lot during games.
“It could just be the de-ce. I don’t know,” Redick said, alluding to the way Doncic decelerates with the ball in his hands. “The way he uses his body? I don’t know. … We’re talking about looking into ways to potentially protect against these, so sort of like, collisions.”
Reaves, who’s 10th in scoring at 27.8 points, missed the last three games. He was on the court shooting after practice Monday, and Redick was asked what it will take for his guard to get back in games.
“Given the nature of that area, I think it’s when he feels 100% confident and he doesn’t feel it hurting,” Redick said. “It’s fun, guys. It’s fun. It’s fun. It’s a fun day to talk about injuries.”
Redick said there was no real update on Hachimura’s injury, but that Ayton was a full participant in practice.
Ayton, who is second in the NBA in field-goal percentage (71%) and is averaging 15.3 points and 9.0 rebounds, was asked if he was playing against his former team the Suns. He averaged 16 points and 11 rebounds in the first two matchups.
“Most definitely,” he said. “I’m straight. Most definitely.”
The film tells the truth. The Lakers are not a good defensive team, evidenced by the sight of the NBA’s top guards blowing past Lakers defenders into the paint during a 10-game defensive swoon that ranks among the league’s worst.
Yet when coach JJ Redick shows his team the tape and then backs it up with the numbers, there’s still cautious optimism that the Lakers can improve.
“I don’t think there’s anybody in that meeting room that thinks we’re a good defensive team right now,” Redick said, “but I also don’t think there’s anybody in that meeting room who thinks we can’t be a good defensive team. We’ve got to get better.”
In the 10 games since LeBron James returned to the lineup, the Lakers have scored 121.8 points per 100 possessions, a significant increase in their offensive rating of 115.4 during the first 14 games of the season. While their offensive rating ranks fifth in the league during the last 10 games, their 120.9 defensive rating ranks 27th. It’s a dramatic increase from their previous 113.7-point defensive rating.
The most glaring issues are the team’s defense in transition and early in the opponent’s offense, Redick said. The Lakers give up 1.19 points per possession in transition, fifth-worst in the league.
Sunday’s game in Phoenix against the Suns, who scored 28 fast-break points against the Lakers on Dec. 1, will be a significant test as the Lakers (17-7) try to avoid their first losing streak this season.
Led by Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves — who is out for at least a week because of a left calf strain, the team announced Friday — and the 40-year-old James, the Lakers are not destined to be a fast team on either side of the court. They were outmatched against San Antonio’s dynamic backcourt led by the speedy De’Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle, who combined for 50 points Wednesday as the Spurs scored 27 fast-break points and knocked the Lakers out of NBA Cup contention.
Losses like that exposed the Lakers’ lack of speed on the perimeter, but the team also has shown flashes of excellence against the best guards. The Lakers held 76ers star Tyrese Maxey to five points on two-for-six shooting in the fourth quarter of the Lakers’ four-point win at Philadelphia on Dec. 7.
“It’s less of scheme stuff. A little more of urgency,” guard Gabe Vincent said. “A little more of doing all the little things. If you don’t do them, like I said, there are some great players in this league that will expose you.”
One of the team’s top defensive options is on the bench. Forward Jarred Vanderbilt has played only three minutes in the last 10 games. He entered the game against Philadelphia only after Jake LaRavia took a shot to the face that loosened a tooth.
Vanderbilt, an athletic forward, has been a consistent force on defense during his career but struggles to contribute on offense. While he impressed coaches with how hard he worked in the offseason to improve his shooting and ballhandling, Vanderbilt made only four of 14 three-point shots in the first 14 games. He averaged 5.6 rebounds per game before James returned to the lineup Nov. 18, pushing Vanderbilt to the bench.
Before the Lakers’ last game against the Suns, Redick said part of it was a numbers game with James’ return and felt the team would settle on a nine-man rotation. Vanderbilt had tasks he “needed to be able to do consistently to play” even before James returned, Redick said.
Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox, scoring against Lakers guard Luka Doncic, and teammates continually drove past their defenders during an NBA Cup game Wednesday at Crypto.com Arena.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
But making changes at that time was difficult, the coach acknowledged. The Lakers were in the midst of a seven-game winning streak. But they’re 2-3 in the last five games, which have laid their defensive struggles bare, and coaches are “looking at everything.”
“If this continues,” Redick said Friday, “he’ll definitely get his opportunities.”
After practice Friday, Vanderbilt stayed on the court shooting extra three-pointers with staff members.
Meanwhile, Reaves will be reevaluated in approximately one week, the Lakers said after practice.
The guard averaging 27.8 points, 6.7 assists and 5.6 rebounds has led the Lakers in total minutes played as the team weathered stretches without James and Doncic. Reaves responded with a career-best start. He is ninth in the NBA in scoring and could be on track to earn his first All-Star nod as he enters a critical contract decision this offseason.
Reaves will miss at least Sunday’s game at Phoenix, Thursday’s game at Utah and a Dec. 20 game at the Clippers. After another game at Phoenix on Dec. 23, the Lakers begin a stretch of five consecutive home games, starting with a marquee Christmas Day matchup against the Houston Rockets.
Etc.
The Lakers assigned guard Bronny James to the G League on Friday.
Welcome back to the Times’ Lakers newsletter, where we’re all about finding beauty in the struggle that is a basketball season. In a game with 68 free throws, five technical fouls and one potential dagger three-pointer marred by an ejection, there was definitely a lot of struggle.
The thought still made JJ Redick smile.
“It’s about growth,” Redick said after the Lakers survived a slugfest against the Phoenix Suns on Sunday. “It’s not about perfection.”
“Consistently, when they have been challenged on a very specific thing, they have responded to those challenges,” Redick said of his players.
The latest challenge was shaping up on defense. The Lakers confronted their deficiencies in a meeting last week during which coaches presented film of the team’s mistakes and stats showing how far the Lakers had fallen. From giving up 113.7 points per possession during their first 14 games, the Lakers allowed 120.9 during the next 10 games.
Redick specifically asked his players for consistency and urgency on defense. For example, instead of being up to touch half of the time, he needed the bigs to be at the level of the screen every time. While allowing teams to shoot 41.3% on corner threes (the second-worst for any team on such shots), Redick noticed a mixture of improper pick-and-roll coverage, bad transition defense or lack of on-ball containment. He asked for simply more consistent execution of what the team had shown it could do.
Some defensive inconsistencies were forgiven during the seven-game winning streak against teams that have a combined .465 record as of Dec. 15. But a 3-3 record during a six-game stretch against .500 teams proved the Lakers can’t hide anymore.
Center Deandre Ayton called it “embarrassing” to see what other teams thought of their defense.
“JJ really got on us and basically showed us, ‘Y’all showing y’all ass right now,’” Ayton said. “‘And it’s time to tighten up a little bit.’”
Playing against a sometimes undersized Suns team Sunday, the Lakers answered by dominating the boards. Ayton grabbed 13 rebounds. The Lakers were without Austin Reaves because of a mild calf strain but leaned on Marcus Smart in the starting lineup for defense and toughness.
Smart missed the previous game against Phoenix with an injury when the Suns got hot during the first half and the Lakers simply had no answer for their opponents’ energy. When the Suns’ Royce O’Neale hit four of his first five three-point attempts and former Laker guard Jordan Goodwin forced turnover after turnover, the Lakers could have folded again.
Instead, they clapped back.
“Nothing’s ever gonna be perfect, especially in this league,” said Smart, who leads the Lakers in per-game plus-minus. “… We know the saying, ‘Pressure busts pipes and makes diamonds.’ We’re gonna see what you’re made of. And that’s the beauty about these games when it comes down to that: finding out who you are individually and as a team.”
Return of the Vandolorian
Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt waits for a rebound.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
He spent a month on the bench. Then Jarred Vanderbilt needed only 17 seconds to reintroduce himself.
Immediately after entering Sunday’s game to begin the second quarter, the 6-foot-8 forward snagged an offensive rebound and scored on a putback. Vanderbilt had been waiting for that kind of opportunity.
“I haven’t played in a month, so naturally it was built up,” said Vanderbilt, who scored seven points with seven rebounds in 15 minutes against Phoenix after playing only three minutes in the Lakers’ previous 10 games. “But I feel like I bring that every game I play regardless.”
Vanderbilt was the Lakers’ long-awaited X-factor in their nail-biting win over Phoenix, providing the exact defensive and energetic lift the team had needed during its recent slump. As the defense started slipping during the last 10 games, Redick emphasized that everyone needed to get back on defense and be disruptive within the system. Lamenting that his team struggled to do the little things that affected winning such as crashing the boards and forcing turnovers, Redick found the quick answer in Vanderbilt.
“He starred in his role tonight,” Redick said. “He was awesome.”
With Vanderbilt setting the tone for the energetic bench unit, including Gabe Vincent, Jake LaRavia and Jaxson Hayes, the Lakers had a season-high 54 rebounds against the Suns. They forced 20 turnovers.
Vanderbilt fell out of the rotation as soon as LeBron James returned from his 14-game sciatica absence. Although Vanderbilt, who was struggling with injuries in recent years, reinforced his potential as a strong defender during an impressive preseason, he was still sidelined because of his offensive limitations. Because teams don’t respect his shooting, it can create spacing issues for Luka Doncic or James.
He made up for it Sunday by relentlessly crashing the glass. Six of his seven rebounds were offensive.
Even before putting Vanderbilt back in the rotation, Redick praised the 26-year-old’s professionalism and work ethic during a difficult situation.
Smart noticed the same thing. That’s why when the guard saw Vanderbilt running behind him in transition in the fourth quarter against the Suns, Smart attempted to flip him the ball blindly over his head to help Vanderbilt get what could have been a highlight dunk.
It was a disaster. It sparked the Suns’ 20-point fourth-quarter comeback. Smart recognized that it nearly cost the Lakers the game. But Smart did connect with Vanderbilt on another big shot.
Smart assisted on Vanderbilt’s three-pointer with 6:41 remaining. It was Vanderbilt’s first made three since Nov. 14.
On tap
Records and stats updated entering Monday’s games
Thursday at Jazz (9-15), 6 p.m. PST
This game is a respite from the stretch against winning teams, but the Lakers shouldn’t overlook the Jazz. Guard Keyonte George has averaged 30.1 points in his two games against the Lakers this season.
Saturday at Clippers (6-19), 7:30 p.m.
Somehow things have gotten worse for the Clippers since the last time they played the Lakers. After losing 135-118 at Crypto.com Arena on Nov. 25, the Clippers lost five of their next six. They unceremoniously waived Chris Paul in the middle of the night. James Harden, one of the season’s only bright spots, landed on the injury report with a calf strain before Monday’s game in Memphis.
Status report
Austin Reaves: calf
The Lakers announced last Friday that the guard will be out for approximately one week with a mild left calf strain.
Maxi Kleber: back
The forward has missed two games with a lumbar muscle strain but remains day to day. Redick said Kleber felt the injury during practice on Dec. 9 and missed half of the session.
Favorite thing I ate this week
The Pilgrim from Cornish Pasty Co. in downtown Phoenix. The handpie is filled with roasted turkey, onions, sweet potatoes and house-made stuffing.
(Thuc Nhi Nguyen / Los Angeles Times)
I hung Christmas decorations in my house this week but I’m still not over Thanksgiving. So looking for any opportunity to eat more stuffing, I stopped by Cornish Pasty Co. in downtown Phoenix. The “Pilgrim” handpie was filled with roasted turkey, onions, sweet potatoes and made-in-house stuffing (my favorite Thanksgiving side) with a side of cranberry sauce. The pastry was perfectly flaky while not being so soft that everything fell apart. Sign me up for any version of a portable Thanksgiving meal.
The question that elicited the response above from Austin Reaves: How was he feeling physically?
Reaves doesn’t make excuses, and he wasn’t about to start now, not in the wake of a 132-119 defeat by the San Antonio Spurs at Crypto.com Arena on Wednesday night.
Except Reaves didn’t look “good” in the loss.
He finished with a modest 15 points, including only four in the first half.
The underwhelming performance followed an 11-point game against the Philadelphia 76ers three days earlier.
“Just didn’t get the ball to go in the basket,” Reaves said.
Or was it something more?
Was the offensive burden he shouldered up to this point starting to take a toll on him?
Had the former undrafted free agent really elevated his game to a new level or was he just on a six-week heater?
The answers will be revealed in the coming weeks.
The Lakers, however, already know they can’t win with Reaves playing the way he did against the Spurs, when he made only two of six shots in the opening half.
Reaves has to score for this version of the Lakers to beat a team like the Spurs. He has to score because they can’t stop anyone.
Their on-ball perimeter defense is atrocious.
Their three-point defense is dreadful.
Their transition defense is shocking.
“Very few teams don’t have something that you can expose and we consistently got exposed to the same things,” coach JJ Redick said.
Bill Parcells once said you are what your record says you are, but that might not be the case with the Lakers, who are 17-7.
In their last six games, Lakers opponents have shot 49%, including 45% on threes. Redick’s team has allowed an average of 122 points per game.
“The things that help you win on the margins, we’re just not very good at right now,” Redick said.
The defense against the Spurs was particularly awful, the visitors making 50% of their threes in the first two periods to take a 70-58 lead into halftime with their franchise player Victor Wembanyama sidelined with a calf injury.
The Spurs’ athleticism clearly troubled the Lakers, who lack footspeed on the perimeter.
“They were just going downhill, driving and [kicking],” Lakers guard Luka Doncic said. “They scored like 10 three-pointers in the first half. They got up real quickly.”
Spurs guard Stephon Castle finished the game with 30 points. He was one of seven players to score in double figures. The Lakers were behind by as many as 24 points.
“Obviously, it’s a unique team,” Lakers forward LeBron James said. “They got six or seven guys that can break you off the dribble. Super fast, super quick.”
Unlike the Lakers, who have slow-moving guards in Doncic and Reaves, a 40-year-old player in James and an inconsistent center in Deandre Ayton.
The Lakers were eliminated in the playoffs last season by a more physically gifted team in the Minnesota Timberwolves and they once again look incapable of overcoming such a disadvantage this time around.
Asked what they could do to remedy their defensive shortcomings, James replied: “I mean, obviously, you can’t do it individually by yourself. It has to be five guys on a string, communication always at an all-time high, letting you know what’s going on behind you and things of that nature.”
Redick shared a similar view, but made it sound as if the process could take time. In the meantime, he said he expected Reaves to recover from his two-game slump.
Even after the Spurs game, Reaves ranked ninth in the NBA in scoring at 27.8 points per game.
“Yeah, look, the reality is the guy carried us for six weeks and that takes a toll on you,” Redick said. “He kept fighting and I appreciate that. But he’s gonna have a lot more great nights than frustrating nights.”
He better. More frustrating nights for Reaves figure to result in more frustrating nights for the Lakers.
