3 Biggest Takeaways from LeBron, Lakers Inaugural In-Season Tournament Championship Run

On the shoulders of the All-Star duo, LeBron James and Anthony Davis, the Los Angeles Lakers secured a resounding victory in the inaugural In-Season tournament, culminating in a commanding 123-109 win over the Indiana Pacers.

While this early-season success may not reshape the NBA Playoff landscape, the Lakers’ undefeated journey reveals crucial insights. Join me as we explore three key takeaways that could significantly impact the Lakers’ strategic approach as they navigate the remainder of the season, aiming to fortify their position in the push for another playoff berth.

 1. LeBron James Is STILL Top-5 When Healthy

Many believed that entering the In-Season tournament, its potential fatal flaw would rest on whether or not star players would be engaged. Well, no superstar seemed more interested or enthusiastic to participate in the action than LeBron James.

With a newfound sense of rejuvenation and appreciation of the unique situation, the 38-year-old superstar turned back the clock in a way that could convince many that he isn’t in his 21st NBA season. In the six in-season tournament games, James averaged 26.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, 8.2 assists, and 1.5 steals while shooting 58.8% from the field and 62.5% from three. As far as traditional counting stats go, this is on par with his career averages of 27.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 7.3 assists.

 

But one thing that has come along strong this season is his shooting from beyond the arc. Although the 62.5% from three during the tournament is based on a small sample size, James has been shooting lights out all season. So far, over 22 games, James is shooting a career-high 40.7% from downtown on 5.6 attempts per game. For context, his second-best three-point shooting percentage is 40.6% back during the 2012-13 season when he helped the “Big 3” Miami Heat hoist their second consecutive Larry O’Brien trophy.

James credits his recent play to having his first real healthy offseason after suffering nagging injuries over the past few seasons.

“I have been able to be on the court a lot more during off days this year because of the past injuries the last couple of years with my foot or whatever the case may be,” James told ESPN. “So to be able to hone in on everything that I need to do instead of having to get off my foot unless we’re playing games has allowed me to stay in rhythm.  

“I got my bounce back, my spring back, my quick twitch back things of that nature.”

James’ health is easily the most influential factor regarding the Los Angeles Lakers’ hopes to reach another conference finals. But, if this early season run is any indication of things to come, not only will the Lakers be in the mix, but James may play himself into becoming the oldest MVP candidate in the league in history along the way.

2. Lakers’ Defense Is Real

If there is one attribute that you could label as the Lakers’ calling card, it would be their defense. This team held the Indiana Pacers, the highest-scoring team (128.8) and top-rated offense in the NBA, to a mere 109 points. This team may be in the middle of the pack in terms of scoring (17th), but they have one of the top 10 defensive units in the league, led by Anthony Davis.

 

On the season, the Lakers are 10th in points allowed (112.0), 6th in defensive rating (110.7), and they hold opponents to only 45.3% from the field, which is 7th best in the league. This comes from the defensive tone set by Davis, who continues to remind us why he should be considered one of the best big men in the game.

Davis ranks 4th in contested twos per game (9.6), 3rd in total contested twos (212), and 2nd behind only Brook Lopez (325) in total contested shots on the season (278). Pair these rim protection numbers with the fact that he is 3rd in blocks per game (2.7), and we’re looking at one of the best defensive anchors in the league this season.

Dating back to this team’s championship run during the 2020 Bubble, their biggest strength has been the defensive capabilities berthed by Davis’ willingness to play center. When Davis is the man in the middle, locking off the paint, there aren’t many big men who can compete with his talent.

 

Following Davis’s insane performance of 41 points, 20 rebounds, five assists, and four blocks in the In-Season tournament victory, head coach Darvin Ham had high praise for the franchise cornerstone, using a unique NFL comparison to highlight his importance on the defensive end.

“If ‘Bron is our Tom Brady on offense, Anthony Davis is our Ray Lewis. He anchors our defense, he plays middle linebacker, he communicates, he does all that,” Ham told NBA TV.

“He covers up for the mistakes, and he allows for our perimeter defenders to just turn them on the perimeter and be in the passing lanes and be aggressive on the ball. They know he’s got their back.”

Right now, there is a lot of buzz around Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert as the leading candidate for Defensive Player of the Year. Although his recent resurgence gives him a strong case, the recent play of Davis cannot be ignored. Davis has a real chance to win his first DPOY, but it will all come down to health.

We are only a quarter of the way through the season, and Davis has a history of missing time when the Lakers need him most. Hopefully, for his sake and the sake of Lakers fans’ sanity, he can play at least 65 games this season. If he does, the Lakers will likely be in prime position to host a playoff series this season.

3. Bully Ball > Three-Ball

If there is one negative thing to point out about the Lakers’ run, it’s the fact that their team’s three-point shooting has been horrendous. This season, they are shooting the second fewest threes per game in the league (39.7) while hitting them at the 4th worst clip (34.3%). Aside from LeBron James, who is having an outlier year, only two players are shooting above league average. Those two are D’Angelo Russell and Rui Hachimura, who are both shooting 40.5%.

Then you have players like Anthony Davis, who quite literally refuses to take threes this season. Since arriving in LA, Davis has incorporated the three-ball less and less every season. When first joining the team in 2019-20, he was taking 3.5 a game. This season, that number has plummeted to less than one per game, and even then, he is only hitting 23.1% of them.

This team has a clear shooting deficiency, and it will likely continue when Gabe Vincent returns from injury. But where they lack shooting, they make up in physicality.

Led by James and Davis, the Lakers have attempted the 4th most free throws this season (592) behind only the Philadelphia 76ers (619), New Orleans Pelicans (621) and the Orlando Magic (638). They also are 4th in points scored in the paint (56.0) behind the Magic (56.6), the Washington Wizards (57.0) and the Indiana Pacers (59.1). This team’s offense is predicated on getting as many paint touches as possible, aggressive driving to the basket, and creating contact as much as possible.

This team understands their weakness as a shooting team and instead plays to the strength of their size and athleticism. There may come a time when the lack of shooting comes back to bite them. But, as of right now, they have found a loophole around the issue. And as the saying goes, “If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it.” The Los Angeles Lakers are far from a flawed team. But they play with an old-school mentality that is already garnering results. The Lakers are a real force in the Western Conference, and winning the In-Season tournament may only be the beginning.

The Lakers return to action tonight against Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks. It was also announced that they will hang the inaugural In-Season tournament championship banner on December 18th.