5 Key takeaways from the LA Lakers' recent 7-game road trip
The LA Lakers went 4-3 in their recent seven-game road trip without LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Considering their present circumstances, the winning road record is a huge shock to many. The biggest surprise was definitely the win over the Brooklyn Nets and for that to be a blowout is just phenomenal.
But it’s not like the LA Lakers nearly swept their trip so there’s a lot of good and bad with the team’s performances outside of Staples Center.
What does the LA Lakers winning road record mean?
To answer the question succinctly, the LA Lakers’ winning record shows that the team isn’t as bad as people think. In fact, it’s safe to say that this is the team the front office was expecting to get when they put them together minus James and Davis. Once their stars are back, look out!
So what are our 5 key takeaways from the LA Lakers road trip?
5. Defense remains their calling card
Even without King James and AD, the LA Lakers didn’t drop from their lofty position defensively. They’ve been No. 1 in defensive rating almost all season and they managed to stay on top with a 105.5 rating. In terms of points allowed, they are second to the New York Knicks at 105.9 points.
During the road trip, the LA Lakers were a very close second to the Philadelphia 76ers in defensive rating (103.4 to 103.6). It's a testament to coach Frank Vogel and his staff who have shaped the team into a hardworking defensive unit no matter who’s out and how tough the competition is.
4. Some players needed to step up but didn't
This is where the absence of the LA Lakers’ best players hurt them the most. In total, James and Davis were contributing 47.9 points per game. Vogel can’t just suddenly ask each of their next best players to add 10 to 15 more points to their nightly averages and expect them to produce.
Nevertheless, after a few games without their superstars, some players should have stepped up their games and played better.
The trio of Dennis Schroder, Kyle Kuzma and Montrezl Harrell should have used the opportunity to emerge as regular 18 to 20-point scorers. One or two players from this group should have stepped up in a big way but none of them did.
To be fair to the talented but inconsistent Kuzma, he scored 24 and 30 points in three of the five games he played in. But he also scored six, eight and 14 points in the other three games.
The LA Lakers needed more production from these three. Had they done more, their record could have been 5-2 or better. Imagine that.
3. Making 3-pointers made up for lack of offense
Whenever the LA Lakers made 16 or more 3-pointers in a game, it always resulted in a win. That’s probably true for every other team but the fact that the Purple and Gold were able to do it in four of the seven games is quite remarkable.
Prior to the road trip, the LA Lakers had drained 15 or more threes just six times. Moreover, six of the seven road appearances were in their top 20 games in 3-point attempts this season. That’s a telling stat that explains the shift in strategy by Vogel and how they were able to secure those four victories.
It’s not a winning strategy to expect your team to always make such a high volume of trifectas, but it does show how good their shooters can be after being labeled as a poor 3-point shooting team all season long.
2. Dennis Schroder is trying to be a point guard
Without LeBron on the roster, Dennis Schroder was given the assignment to be the team’s primary playmaker. He’s not a point guard in the traditional sense but he has the ability to be a passable floor general.
In seven road games, Schroder averaged 7.7 assists and 3.4 turnovers a night. Not bad for someone who is a better shooting guard than he is a point guard. The LA Lakers veteran had outings of five or more turnovers three times with a high of seven, underscoring how much he needs to improve when taking care of the ball.
To maximize his talents, however, he has to be a shot-maker first and distributor second. LeBron James can’t come back soon enough.
1. Andre Drummond is a work in progress
In the four games that Andre Drummond played for the LA Lakers during the road trip, he averaged 10.5 points on 47.1 percent shooting, 11.3 rebounds and 3.0 turnovers per game.
The two-time All-Star had his best game versus the Nets when he dominated the paint and showed what he could do when motivated and given the opportunity to be part of the offense. He had 20 points on 8-of-15 shooting from the field and 11 rebounds.
There were games, however, when the 27-year-old center looked lost on the floor offensively. He had back-to-back performances of four and three points in his last two games, respectively. But one thing he could always hang his hat on was rebounding. He recorded double-figures in rebounds in all four contests.
With only five games in an LA Lakers uniform under his belt, Drummond needs more time to be an integral part of the team’s offense. I suspect that we won’t be seeing the full measure of his impact until James and Davis return.
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