The Lakers are now at the midpoint of the first season under coach JJ Redick. The team is sitting in sixth place in the Western Conference with a current record of 23-18.
The Los Angeles Lakers have had plenty of highs and lows early on this season. They were at one point 10-4 this season after a six-game winning streak in November but their struggles on the road have hurt them.
“Yeah, I think we’re still searching for more consistency night-to-night,” said Redick after their home game last Tuesday night. “I really love our group. I really love our group when we’re connected, and we play professional competitive basketball, and we execute. We’re a really good team when we do that. I think even though we’ve had ups and downs; to be a top six team in the West right now, Scotty (coach Scott Brooks) again today reminded me of the Atlanta and Orlando games. We’re like two games away from where we would feel really good about how things are, but I like where the team is at.”
The Lakers have already made a move hoping to improve their roster when they traded guard D’Angelo Russell to the Brooklyn Nets for Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton few weeks go.
Finney-Smith is coming off his most productive game with the Lakers so far when he scored 16 points in the 111-88 win over the Washington Wizards last Tuesday night. His defensive effort and versatility have been a positive for Los Angeles so far in his short stint. “I thought [this was] Doe’s (Dorian Finney-Smith) best game. He made shots but his activity defensively was great tonight,” Redick said.
Lakers star forward Anthony Davis has been healthy so far this season and has been playing some very good basketball leading the Lakers alongside LeBron James. Davis is averaging 25.7 points on 52% shooting from the field adding 11.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2.2 blocks and 1.3 steals per game.
Davis is hoping the Lakers can retain their “professionalism” to keep the team competitive no matter who the competition is.”Just approaching each game with professionalism, no matter who we’re playing,” Davis said after the team’s latest game. We’ve got to have the same approach of coming out and doing what we’re supposed to do. I think if we can just find that consistency of having the right mindset coming into each game, we will be okay.”
The NBA’s all-time leading scorer James, who is now 40 years old has been a revelation seeming to continue to defeat Father Time. James is averaging 23.7 points shooting 51.3% from the field and 39.8% from 3 while adding 9 assists and 7.5 rebounds per game.
James is unsure where the team is currently but knows there is work to be done. “I don’t know. I haven’t even really given us an assessment as far as our midway point, but we want to continue to play good basketball, and obviously the Clipper game, the San Antonio game were not good games for us, but we have to try to continue to build throughout these next 41.”
Los Angeles has helped on the way as forward Jarred Vanderbilt has been medically cleared to make his season debut on Saturday against the Golden State Warriors on ABC, barring any unforeseen setbacks.
Even with his return people within the Laker organization say the Lakers stars, Davis and James are hopeful the team makes moves to strengthen the roster around them in hopes of making a championship run this season.
No matter who is on the roster alongside the star players the team will need to improve their play and be more consistent if they expect to move towards the top of the Western Conference.