The Lakers’ problems aren’t exactly resolved after Tuesday’s 109-102 Game 2 win over the Suns. But now heading back to Los Angeles tied at one game apiece, it’s become a lot easier to envision LeBron James and Co. finding their groove in a run to the 2021 Finals. Even if this isn’t the juggernaut many expected entering the year, it’s hard to identify any true favorite outside of the purple and gold.
There will be no round-one cakewalk. There won’t be a Lakers funeral in a few days, either.
The series’s first two games in Phoenix did reveal some troubling signs for the Lakers. LeBron isn’t yet at the peak of his powers, currently choosing to pick his spots and distribute his way through the early portion of this series. We’ve seen flashes of LeBron at his best, from an early alley-oop to his dagger three with 49 seconds to play. It’s still unclear whether James can kick it into high gear for 40-plus minutes.
Betting against LeBron returning to form isn’t exactly a smart gamble. Are there reasons for concern outside of The King? Perhaps. Marc Gasol is a step slower, and he doesn’t want to shoot unless absolutely forced to. The Andre Drummond experiment can turn disastrous against the wrong opponent. Another secondary playmaker could be of use. After cruising through the 2020 playoffs, any run to the 2021 Finals will be more of a slog.
Los Angeles’s warts are legitimate, yet they’re more likely to be ancillary in this series than ultimately fatal. James is the best player on the planet (even as he’s hobbled) until proven otherwise. Anthony Davis can be the top offensive big in the game on the right night. Head coach Frank Vogel has devised the league’s best defense, and while he’s not quite a cerebral genius like Rajon Rondo, Dennis Schröder provides a legitimate scoring spark. This isn’t like it’s the 2018 Cavaliers currently alongside James in Los Angeles.
Vogel’s ability to generate complete defensive buy-in was an underlying current throughout last year’s Finals run. Los Angeles has been the Western Conference’s best defense in each of the last two years, smothering the Nuggets and Heat en route to the championship last season. This is a seriously large team with plenty of length. The two-center look bludgeons opponents–though Dwight Howard was a bit more imposing than Drummond–and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is quite the quality option on the wing. Devin Booker torched the Lakers in Game 1 on Sunday. Pope helped stymie him in Game 2. As Chris Paul continues to battle a shoulder issue, the Lakers should be able to contain Phoenix’s attack in the subsequent games of this series.
Paul’s shoulder trouble is likely what will keep this series from being a first-round classic. The Point God is still able to manipulate the Lakers to a degree in a pick-and-roll, but recognizing a hampered Paul allowed Los Angeles to alter its scheme in Game 2. The Lakers sagged on Paul as he skipped through the lane, knowing they could provide a late contest on his ailing jumper. Handoffs to Devin Booker were answered with the requisite pressure on the young shooting guard, recognizing Paul is currently more of a decoy than a true scoring threat. Tuesday night was almost remembered as the Cam Payne game before the Lakers pulled away (Payne scored 19 points on the night). There’s effectively zero chance this is remembered as the Cam Payne series years from now.
We shouldn’t exactly bury Phoenix as it heads to Los Angeles with the series tied 1–1. The Lakers’ offense often becomes a clogged, stale attack with James off the floor. Paul’s shoulder could improve in the coming days, and we could see a better performance from three for the Suns than Tuesday’s 8-26 mark. Though looking for the series to flip back in Phoenix’s favor may ultimately be wishful thinking. This still feels like a team a piece or two away from winning the West. Deandre Ayton is still just 22. Contributing pieces Cameron Johnson and Mikal Bridges will continue to grow with age. Tuesday night isn’t Phoenix’s death knell. But the reality of a round-one exit is increasingly likely.
So what should we make of the Lakers after their first two playoff games in 2021? In truth, we’re still seeing an incomplete picture, with the ceiling of this team dependent on James’s health. If LeBron can’t round into form, the West remains open. The Eastern Conference champion would likely be favored in a potential Finals battle. But if healthy, back-to-back titles is certainly in play. Those who hit the panic button following Game 1 look a bit foolish after Tuesday night. James is never to be discounted, and this is still the Western Conference favorite ahead of Game 3.
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• Nets’ 130-108 Game 2 Rout of the Celtics Puts Series Out of Reach
