PORTLAND, Ore. — The Lakers are on the lookout for solutions relating to maximizing their star trio. For the star duo of LeBron James and Austin Reaves, issues have been rather less cluttered Thursday evening because the pair took turns dragging the Lakers to a much-needed win after terrible back-to-back losses.
James and Reaves made the most important pictures, acquired the most important stops and, on an evening after they didn’t have Luka Doncic, pushed the Lakers to a 110-102 win over the Path Blazers.
James scored 40 on the second evening of a back-to-back and Reaves added 32, each gamers getting key stops as Portland (23-33) pushed within the fourth quarter.
The Lakers’ battle to win, significantly from James and Reaves, left Lakers coach JJ Redick in awe, pouring reward on his leaders.
“He really just defies anything that’s normal. And not just the physical feats and the plays. It’s the mentality,” Redick stated about James. “He’s, I believe I saw the other day, he’s a billionaire. And he’s playing on the second night of a back-to-back at 40 after 22 years with every fricking record and every accolade. … He’s one of the greatest competitors.
“And [Lakers assistant coach] Nate [McMillan] and I were talking about before the game. It’s like, he’s amazing to coach. He brings it every single day. … He sets the standard for how you’re supposed to approach this craft. And that’s to me, the most incredible thing. It’s just a mindset to do it, get up the next day, do it, get up the next day, do it over and over again.”
So why not take the evening off Thursday?
“Because I still love the game and I still got a lot to give to the game, to give to my teammates, to give to this league for while I’m here,” James stated. “I don’t have much time left. So, while I’m here today in this time, I’m going to try to give what I got when I’m out on the floor. So, why? It’s the love of the game and I have an opportunity now to show my son the ranks of how to be a professional in this league. And to be along [with] him every single day, that’s a treat.”
And in Reaves, Redick has a participant who fought consistently towards a Portland workforce that attempted to bully him off the ball, sustaining a reduce on his shoulder within the course of. Reaves made a trio of big defensive performs within the fourth quarter to assist hold the Lakers forward.
“He’s going to give you every ounce of competitive juice that he has every single night,” Redick stated. “That’s really what it comes down to.”
The model of the Lakers that can end this season is nowhere near being determined. The workforce is caught between the model that labored its technique to 10 video games above .500 and the one they dedicated to after they traded Anthony Davis and Max Christie for Doncic.
Doncic, who has appeared in three video games since Christmas, is anticipated to play for the Lakers in back-to-backs transferring ahead, with Redick saying the workforce is simply being cautious in his return from a calf pressure.
“Speaking with him Tuesday night after practice, we sat down together. He’s all in,” Redick stated of Doncic. “He’s [over] the mental part of the shock and everything, he’s in a really good place. And now we’ve got to get him physically where he needs to be to be Luka.”
Doncic and Jarred Vanderbilt are on monitor to play for the Lakers on Saturday in Denver.
The Lakers (33-21) are nonetheless ready for Doncic to get into some form of rhythm after his prolonged absence, although Redick stated the workforce is centered on discovering methods for James, Reaves and Doncic to shine collectively.
“It’s all of us. It’s not just the staff. It’s the players too. It’s them and us working together to find the balance to allow our three best players to be at their best,” Redick stated. “You’ve seen this happen a million times in the NBA. It doesn’t happen in three games. It might not happen in three months. That’s just the reality of how these things work. We’re all committed to making it work. I think we can all be a little more organized.”
However the battle the Lakers confirmed Thursday, as they labored off rust from the All-Star break coupled with fatigue from one of many hardest geographic back-to-backs on the NBA schedule, is one thing they’ll construct upon.
“The best way to compete in this league is to play hard,” James stated. “You can get through a lot of games if you’re able to just play hard. You’re able to cover up for a lot of mistakes.”
James’ evaluation on what it takes to win within the NBA was echoed by his coach.
“I had this revelation, like I don’t know, six weeks ago, two months ago,” Redick stated. “And the math stuff, it’s important. Like it really is. Try to generate high value shots. You strategize around throw-aheads and what those create, like all that stuff. It’s super important. Game plan defensively, it’s all important. Guys have to communicate all that stuff. There’s actually only one cheat code in the NBA, and that’s playing hard. If you play hard every night, you have a chance to win. If you don’t play hard every night, you’re probably going to lose.
“…You give yourself a chance to win every night if you play hard.”
