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The new-look LA Lakers got their first taste of NBA action without LeBron James in the lineup. The 36-year-old superstar hurt his ankle in their last game against the Memphis Grizzlies. Desmond Bane rolled over James' ankle after colliding with Dwight Howard mid-air on a layup attempt. It was a deja vu sight for the Laker Nation as they experienced something similar last season with the Hawks' Solomon Hill. However, King James got up with a spring in his step and played till the end of regulation.
Coach Frank Vogel exercised caution and asked his talisman to rest for the game against the San Antonio Spurs. It was the front end of a back-to-back schedule and giving LeBron James another day to rest and heal was probably the perfect decision. However, now a lot of fans were eager to see the LA Lakers without James on the floor. Can Russell Westbrook perform at a high level and end his slump? Can Anthony Davis continue his stellar game without his frontcourt partner? Who will step up in LeBron James' absence?
The game ended with a victory, but it did go into overtime and there was a possibility of a loss. Would we have looked at Westbrook's and Davis' stat lines the same way if they were in a losing effort? Let's look at what we learned from the LA Lakers' game against the San Antonio Spurs.
Russell Westbrook shone without LeBron James
Although it took him 27 shots to get there, Russell Westbrook scored 33 points in the win against the Spurs. But his efficiency wasn't that bad. He shot 15-27 (55%) from the field and made half of his four free throws. He shot 1-4 from beyond the arc but it isn't breaking news that Russell Westbrook is a below-average three-point shooter. So he technically shot 14-23 (60.8%) from two-point range.
Russell Westbrook commented on his successful night and suggested it was because he slowed down instead of speeding up. He said:
"Just slowing down a little bit...Last, first three games, rushing around the basket, which I don't really need to. Get there taking my time and then focusing on making a layup"
17 of his 27 shot attempts came in the paint and he was using his full repertoire on Tuesday. Anthony Davis and DeAndre Jordan were setting screens for him and he was not only driving for his own shot, but also making the right passes. Russell Westbrook had eight assists in the game with just three turnovers, which was a key takeaway from his game.
It was a breakout game for Russell Westbrook and it certainly brought his confidence back. He has not averaged less than 20 points per game in a season since 2010 and is currently at 17.3 PPG across the four games played. The LA Lakers will need a lot more of these type of performances from him if they want the same Westbrook that we have all known for the past decade. He did grab 10 rebounds and three steals, but that is something he does even on his off nights.
However, if one looks at the bigger picture, this game was only possible because LeBron James was not playing for the LA Lakers. Any game one of them plays without the other is a game not worth considering in the long run. Russell Westbrook posted a 31.5% usage rate, the highest so far, and also more than doubled his shot attempts, from 12 in the first three games to 27 on Tuesday.
It is no secret that LeBron James needs the ball in his hands to be effective. He is by far the best playmaker in basketball and he deserves to post the maximum usage rate on his team because he rarely makes the wrong play. But that minimizes Russell Westbrook's game because he needs the ball too. Westbrook doesn't set screens; he averages less than one screen set per game and he will need to do that more often when James is on the floor.
Role Players stepped up for the LA Lakers
Anthony Davis had a monster game with 35 points, 17 rebounds and four blocks. But we aren't going to talk about his night because he posts that stat line with or without LeBron James or Russell Westbrook. Instead, let's look at the role players.
No LA Lakers starter was negative in box +/- at the end of the game. Kent Bazemore was +6 for the night in 31 minutes after posting five points, three rebounds, one assist, two steals and a block. Malik Monk was game-high +31 after scoring 17 points on 6-15 shooting including a dagger three-pointer in the dying minutes of overtime.
Austin Reaves had a good game for the LA Lakers well. He registered 10 points on 3-5 shooting, including 2-4 from three-point range along with two rebounds and one assist. Dwight Howard was the only bench player with a positive box +/- with +12. He scored six points on 1-1 shooting and made all four of his free throws while grabbing eight boards, two blocks and a steal in 18 minutes.
LeBron James took on a coaching role for the night as he kept advising his LA Lakers teammates off the bench.
The LA Lakers looked good offensively against the Spurs but struggled a lot defensively. The role players got more shot attempts and they delivered without hesitation. Nevertheless, if Russell Westbrook manages to keep his rhythm with less on-ball time, the LA Lakers will go right back to their winning ways.
Guess the Lakers players!
