NBA
4 Takeaways From Los Angeles Lakers 120-101 Win Over Hornets
After coming from their first win of the season against the Utah Jazz, the Los Angeles Lakers took care of business once again as they defeated the Charlotte Hornets in a convincing fashion. The Lakers were able to pull away in the fourth quarter, which resulted in a comfortable win. There’s still a lot to clean up, but you should feel good about this win if you’re a Lakers’ fan.
1. Offense bounces back
After scoring just 95 points while shooting 39.5% from the field against the Jazz, the Lakers were able to bounce back offensively by scoring 120 points, while shooting 52.7% from the field and 35.5% from behind the arc. Last game against the Jazz, the Lakers couldn’t find any offensive consistency throughout. There were moments when they had runs, but their offense was definitely inconsistent. Throughout the entire game against the Hornets, the Lakers were able to produce points in ease. Playing good defense has always been Coach Frank Vogel’s mindset, but if the Lakers are able to get going on offense consistently, watch out.
2. It’s always someone different
We all know how good Anthony Davis and LeBron James are, but this is about the depth that the Lakers have. Against the Los Angeles Clippers, Danny Green stepped up as he scored 28 points. In the game against the Jazz, it was Troy Daniels producing 15 points off the bench. This game, it was Dwight Howard, who posted 16 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 blocks while shooting 8/8 from the field. I said this once and I’ll say it again, this team has an insane amount of depth. The Toronto Raptors were able to beat the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals last year. It wasn’t just because of Kawhi Leonard, but also because of the supporting cast. Depth is very important in this league, especially when playoff time arrives. The Lakers have plenty of it, period.
3. Defense needs to find consistency
The Lakers were able to play good defense against the Jazz quarters one through four. Against the Hornets, the Lakers somewhat struggled defensively in the first half. Vogel’s philosophy has always been playing efficient defense. Playing good defense is one thing, but playing good defense without fouling is another thing. Unfortunately for the Lakers, they committed a few too many fouls throughout the first half. That resulted in 62 first-half points for the Hornets. It slowed the pace down as well, but fortunately enough for Los Angeles, they were able to get their offense going throughout the whole game. Playing good defense without fouling is a tough assignment to accomplish, especially in this era. This will be an ongoing issue for the Lakers moving forward, however, it’s all part of the growing pains.
4. Frank Vogel
When Coach Frank Vogel was first hired as the Lakers head coach, many were not impressed. The media and fans believed that the Lakers should’ve went in a different direction, which featured hiring James’ former coach, Tryonn Lue. Despite it being on three games in the season, Vogel has done an exceptional job with his rotations. This game showed that his choices and timings of specific substitutions had a positive impact on the team. An example of this would be during the fourth quarter, when the Lakers needed a spark to go on a run, Vogel subbed in Alex Caruso. Caruso had just five points this game, but those five points sparked a huge run in the quarter. He also spread energy throughout the team. That specific substitution put the Lakers well ahead of the Hornets as they were able to run away with the game. Give Vogel credit.
Written by Shreyas Kar
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