The Los Angeles Lakers got long-awaited good news prior to last night’s game against the Chicago Bulls. The Lakers took the floor as healthy as they have been all season long, as seven of the eight players listed on their injury report suited up. However, Rui Hachimura and LeBron James’s being able to play ended up being the Lakers’ only good news in their blowout loss to the Bulls.
What Does Rui Hachimura and LeBron James’s Return Mean For The Lakers?
About an hour and one-half before the Lakers were set to tipoff, Dan Woike of the LA Times reported that JJ Redick told the media Hachimura would be available, though the 27-year-old would be on a minutes restriction. About 45 minutes later, Woike tweeted that James would also be available. That means Maxi Kleber is the only player who remained sidelined, and he isn’t expected to return right before the beginning of the playoffs.
As probably could be expected, without their core players for several weeks, LA looked very disjointed in their 146-115 loss to Chicago. It was only the seventh time that Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves, Hachimura, and James played together this season. With the loss, the Lakers dropped to 4-3 in those games.
Lakers’ Worst Defensive Effort All Season
The 146 points allowed by the Lakers were a season-high. LA kept it close in the first half, trailing 65-62 after 24 minutes, as they shot 50% from the field and made 10 threes on 23 attempts (43%). However, the Lakers also committed 11 turnovers and allowed the Bulls to connect on 54% of their shots.
The second half was much different for the Lakers offensively, though the same defensively. The Lakers allowed 81 points over the final 24 minutes as JJ Redick emptied his bench, and 14 of the 15 players saw over six and one-half minutes. The Lakers scored 54 points and shot 46.8% from the field in the second half, though they also committed 10 turnovers. They finished the game with 17 three-pointers and shooting splits of 48.2/41.5/72.7.
However, LA finished the game with 21 turnovers or 18.2% of its possessions. The Lakers have turned the ball over 20 or more times nine times this year and are 2-7 in those games.
Chicago definitely capitalized on their opportunity. The Bulls converted those 21 turnovers into 27 points and recorded 30 fastbreak points. The Bulls scored 74 points (51.3% of their total) in the paint and finished the night shooting a season-best 58.4% from the field.
“That was the worst our defense has looked, frankly, maybe all year,” Redick said, per The Athletic’s Jovan Buha. “But certainly in the last three months.”
“Honestly, I thought when we came out, we looked flat,” Redick added. “We felt flat. We moved flat. They just moved better than us all night. … And it just didn’t feel like our group overall really had like juice tonight, if that makes sense.”
Hachimura and James Return
Hachimura and James returned after missing 12 and seven games, respectively. The Lakers went 7-5 during that 12-game stretch, averaging 112.1 points with a scoring margin of +0.6. In those 12 games, the Lakers shot 46.1% from the field and 38.1% from the 3-point line with 15.1 makes while doling out 25.3 assists and committing 14.3 turnovers.
Comparatively, in the 10 games—from Feb. 6-27 and last night’s game—the Lakers went 7-3, and that is with James sitting out one game and Doncic three. The Lakers averaged 115.8 points and posted a 3.6 margin of victory—remember that includes last night’s 31-point setback.
James scored 17 points on 7 of 16 shooting, including 1 of 2 from beyond the arc, with three assists and five turnovers. Meanwhile, Hachimura contributed five points on 2 of 6 from the field, including 1 of 4 from the 3-point line, and two boards in 18 minutes off the bench. James (-27) and Hachimura (-4) were a combined -31 in plus/minus rating.
“ A little rusty,” James said about his performance last night, “but I was happy to get back out there.”
I just take it day by day,” James added to Mark Medina of Sportsnet. “I can’t worry about what can happen in the future. But I got through today.”
With James and Redick returning, Redick had to adjust his rotation. Dorian Finney-Smith remained in the starting lineup against the Bulls and likely will for the rest of the season. Redick told Buha that Hachimura would be restricted to 20 to 24 minutes for the time being.
Is Hachimura Healthy?
Like the rest of the team last night, Finney-Smith was awful. The 31-year-old tallied two points on 1 of 4 shooting, two rebounds, and one assist, along with five fouls, in 21 minutes. However, the 32-year-old has been very efficient since coming over from Brooklyn. Finney-Smith has helped solidify the Lakers’ defense. LA is 13-3 when Finney-Smith starts while outscoring their opponents by 7.9 points a game.
Hachimura was the first player off the bench against the Bulls, although Jordan Goodwin, Gabe Vincent, and Jarred Vanderbilt also saw some time in the first quarter. Vincent saw nearly 20 minutes, and Goodwin was on the court for over 15 minutes.
Based on Redick’s rotation last night, it figures that he plans on using an eight- or nine-man rotation for the rest of the season, with rookie Dalton Knecht being the odd man out. But we have to be conscious that Goodwin only has two games of eligibility left until he must be added to the 15-man roster, or he can’t play the remainder of the season or postseason.
It is not surprising that Hachimura is on a minutes restriction, as he hasn’t played since injuring his knee on February 27. A few days ago, ESPN’s Dave McMenamin said that he had been able to play 3-on-3 as part of his ramp-up process.
Hachimura did reveal to Buha that his knee is not 100%, estimating that he’s at “70 to 80” percent physically and may not be for a while.
“My knee is going to be like that for a while, I think,” Hachimura said. “I can’t really get back to 100 percent right away. I got to rest for a long time to get back to normal. But I don’t think we have that, so we just got to maintain and manage it.”
What Is The Key For The Lakers Down Stretch?
With 12 games left, Los Angeles is in fourth place in the Western Conference at 43-27. The Lakers, who have lost two straight and dropped six of nine, are one-half game behind third-place Denver and one-half game ahead of fifth-place Memphis. They also are three games out of second and three clear of seventh.
LA begins a four-game road trip on Monday in Orlando. The Lakers’ schedule is the third toughest in the league down the stretch, with their opponents combining for a .568 winning percentage.
“Just holding each other accountable, pouring into the team, pouring energy into the team. That’s what’s most important,” James said via Medina. “We got 12 games to position ourselves in the postseason. We pretty much can control our own destiny if we win ball games and not have to be in the Play-In.”
Eight of the Lakers’ 12 contests are on the road, where they are three games below .500 (15-18) with a -2.7 scoring margin. The Lakers face Oklahoma City (twice), Houston (twice), and Golden State (once). The Lakers are 20-15 against teams with a winning record, so they have plenty of opportunity to improve their playoff position.
JJ Redick Says Defense Is Key To Success
What will the Lakers’ key be down the stretch? According to Redick, it is playing with an edge and defending.
“That’s the word that we’ve used a lot is edge, and you gotta play with an edge,” Redick told Khobi Price of the Orange County Register. “I told them this just and I don’t think this is like a secret, so I’m comfortable sharing this. But our success this season, since January, has been based on our defensive disposition, our ability to defend as a team, our individual pride on the ball and our individual pride in doing your job with whatever it may require.
“A low man, a box out, a gang rebound, whatever it may require. That’s gonna determine our success for the next three weeks. And that’s gonna determine our success if we are able to secure a postseason berth.”
Photo Courtesy of © Jonathan Hui, Imagine Images
