2026 Playoffs: (4) Lakers Vs (5) Rockets - Discussion

This might work defensively but is pretty rough offensively. I hope that when LeBron is out, all of our best remaining players are in.

Kennard, Smart, LaRavia, Rui, Ayton.

It's possible to manage the minutes for this, if JJ tries to. If it's no LeBron and 3 bench players, it could be a disaster.

 

True but I think our offense will always struggle with the current setup. And better defense generates easier offense. We were getting in transition with this group. Smart was available so if you plug him in it's a bit better

Plus, with their off rebounding they'll get multiple 2nd opportunities so we really gotta limit their efficiency and 2nd chances.
They had 47% Offensive Rebound% in the season series with us. 39% is the record in the league. We are a very bad rebounding team. We really need to make up ground there
If they score in every possession because they get rebounds until they make it, no offense can offset that.

I think Vando plays a key role in this matchup.
I also imagine we role some small ball lineups with Bron, Rui and Vando together

I also think Kennard will struggle in this series

 

Yeah, I like the Vando, Rui, LeBron frontline construction when Sengun is out. Then plug in 2 of Smart, Kennard, and LaRavia.

I think Kennard needs to do well for us to have a chance. If you're right about him struggling, we could be toast.

In the lineup you proposed earlier, if you plug in Smart instead of Bronny, it looks fine for a backup unit. Smart, LaRavia, Vando, Rui, Ayton. I still prefer having 2 out of 3 of Smart, LeBron, and Kennard out there though, bc in the above lineup, if they double Smart (or Bronny if you had him in there), then the offense falls apart and it's probably an automatic turnover on lots of possessions.

 

Great point, that lineup is going to have to survive a good 12 mins without Lebron. I’m curious if JJ will throw Nick Smith Jr in at times to try to generate some offense. Not long now…

 

hope i get to watch this one as it's happening tonight (with children it's dicey). just curious to see if jj has some fun tricks to try to get the drop on houston.

 

Children? Lakers?

 

Shouldn’t your children be watching with you?

 

https://x.com/danwoikesports/status/2045639367352570013?s=46&t=6-sxM4NpvzeWdNMn3aVCqg

 

MUST win for us. You have to seize this opportunity. Then test that knee his first game back.

 

With Sengun being the guy, I force he and Sheppard in every single action until Udoka makes an adjustment and pulls one of them or you get them in foul trouble. Time to go hunting (not Malone style).

 

Did you see our last game against OKC? I’m not buying it. We looked like we didn’t even belong on the same court as those guys. The same thing has happened in multiple matchups against the Thunder. We just don’t have the athleticism to match up with that team even if Luka and Reaves are healthy.

 

I don't agree. They were a better team last year and we beat them before the playoffs. It's one game, where we made alot of mistakes. We're nowhere near as bad, and they're nowhere near as good as that single instance.

I think they have the perimeter defence to bother us. But we also have the wings to bother them, Lebron and Luka are really good against them when we settle down. We can compete with OKC at our best. It's just when they're at their best, they have more horses than we do and end up ahead.

If we had one more good starting player like a Wiggins, we're right there with them. Next year when they lose a few pieces, and we add a few, it'll be close.

 

Tell me again just how much Hayes has developed his “non foul” game.
Three fouls in six minutes.

 

You ask for a miracle, I give you the F-B-I (Durant’s knee contusion).

 

Yeah, right.
Let’s just let Kennard walk by offering him a pitiful vet min this summer.
Dude deserves more, and should get it from us.

 

Well everyone showed up game 1.

• Lebron with a masterclass in managing the game 10 assists in the first half to get the team going and then closed out the 4th with some scoring
• Rui played big minutes, competed defensively and hit some shots, we needed his points tonight when Lebron was off the floor
• Smart was once again a game changer defensively, but his 8 assists helped us out in the non Lebron mins
• Jake was useful off the bench, gave some of the guys a breather and chipped in

Special mentions to DA who defensively was excellent across the board tonight and scored so efficiently, we don't win it without him. Man of the match probably has to go to Kennard, did his best impression of Luka in the first quarter scoring 11 and then closed it out with some 3's.

JJ coached us really well tonight, everything from rotations to minutes, to play calls was a lot better than last year. We out executed them.

One worrying trend is they had 27 more shots than us. I know they get alot of offensive rebounds so they're about 10-15 shots ahead and those offensive rebounds are a result of missing alot of shots. But 27 is playing with fire.

To combat that, we need to get some turnovers down, we had about 6 turnovers in transition and that should be much closer to zero. We have also have to do a better job of keeping them off the offensive boards, at least better than 21-3. If they've got 10 more than us, we can deal with that but not close to 20.