Luka Doncic may be the future of the NBA, but Christmas was proof that the league’s gift still resides in Los Angeles. In fact, the heir to the throne of LeBron James as the best NBA player may just be his own teammate. Anthony Davis dominated with 28 points from 10 out of 16 shots on the way to the Lakers’ 138-115 victory, which pushed the title champions to 0.500 with 1-1. The Mavericks, meanwhile, are now 0-2 while awaiting the return of the great star Kristaps Porzingis.
The Lakers’ 138 points represent one of the best offensive performances of the LeBron James era. It would be the second highest total of last season, and it happened in a game in which James and Davis added just 61 minutes. Dallas, however, has not yet solved the defensive problems that Porzingis’ absence has created. without a true rim guard, they were no match for a Lakers team that significantly improved the league roster from last season.
Things just get easier for the Lakers from here. Seven of their next eight opponents missed the 2020 playoffs. The Mavericks, meanwhile, have to face another Los Angeles star-studded team, the Clippers, next Sunday. Here are the four biggest conclusions from the Christmas clash.
1. D stands for “depth”
“Who is the Lakers’ third top scorer?” was the predominant issue of the 2019-20 season. In the end it didn’t matter. The Lakers were so good in defense that it took just a little kick at the right moment to take the James-Davis team to the top. With an off-season to solve the lack of extra scores, Rob Pelinka went to work. He left with the top two in last year’s Sixth Man of the Year: Dennis Schroder and Montrezl Harrell, and his impact has been pronounced so far.
Kuzma and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope were third and fourth top scorers in last season’s squad and, in total, accounted for about 17.7 percent of the team’s total points. The Schroder-Harrell combination has scored approximately 28.7 percent of Lakers’ points so far this season, and they have helped the Lakers achieve a rare feat by last season’s Christmas standards: winning the minutes James spent on the bench. Kuzma, at best, was downgraded to the top scorer on this list. This is a terrifying notion for teams hoping to get the Lakers off their pedestal as the best team in the NBA.
2. Dallas is not close to full strength
Dallas’ defeat on Phoenix’s opening night was familiar. After finishing 2-11 in games with a single possession last season, they were unable to close another game in the fourth quarter on Wednesday. The Christmas demolition they experienced against the Lakers is another issue, and yet another emblematic one of the concerns this team faces without Kristaps Porzingis.
The Lakers won the rebound battle by 26. Porzingis may have closed that gap. It may have made it harder for the Lakers to pair up with Doncic or catch him in full court, which the Lakers did during the victory. Just having Luka will keep the Mavericks afloat. They will remain in the playoff dispute until Porzingis returns, and will move up the rankings later. But the idea that Dallas could prosper without his second best player suffered a major blow tonight, and so did Doncic’s MVP hopes.
3. LeBron is embracing his age
Let’s take a quick look at LeBron’s filming for the past few seasons
|
Season |
Attempts to 3 points per game |
|
2015-16 |
3.7 |
|
2016-17 |
4.6 |
|
18-2017 |
5 |
|
2018-19 |
5.9 |
|
2019-20 |
6.3 |
There is a general trend line here. As James gets older, he trusts more and more strongly in the 3 points. In addition, it increasingly depends big ones 3 points. James made 21 30-foot shots last season. He never reached 14 in a single season before that. There is common sense in this. Shooting 3s is easier for the body than attacking the basket, especially when those 3s are wide open (which is usually the case with other shots). The more assets James spends spacing the floor, the more energy he can conserve for the moments when he needs to become an attacker.
He took that approach even further this season. LeBron hit eight points in each of the first two games the Lakers played this season. That’s impressive, but even more so when you remember that he played just 59 minutes in total this season. James spent more than 32 percent of his field shots in 3s last season, a career record, but this season? It is at 45.7 percent. No two LeBron seasons are the same. He adjusts his game constantly to accommodate teammates and his own aging. But this is his most aggressive pivot so far, and the best chance we will have to see him post an elite 3-point shooting season in general.
4. Christmas kuzma
See, samples from four games are meaningless, but if you’re looking for a fun vacation statistic, Kyle Kuzma basically turns into Stephen Curry at Christmas. As a rookie, he hit 6 of 11 behind the hoop on his holiday debut, and followed that up by hitting eight of his 19 3-point attempts in the three Christmas games he has played since. That’s a total of 14 out of 30, or 46.6 percent compared to a 33.1 percent mark for your career as a whole. Calling him Curry may mean less than him. Golden State’s two-time MVP made only 43.4% of his career’s long-term attempts.
Is it sustainable or meaningful? Not even a little. But, hey, if you’re a Laker, you’re probably going to play a lot of Christmas games, so a little holiday magic doesn’t hurt.