3 questions the Lakers still need to answer ahead of the playoffs

When a player with flowing hair hits a game-winning 46-footer against you, a team has only two choices. They can either fold to the “devastation” and let things spiral or they can dust themselves off.

The Lakers chose the latter.

Following their crushing defeat to the Chicago Bulls and being a LeBron James tip-in away from losing five straight, the Lakers notched an important win against the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday to temporarily right the ship.

Given the opponent and their recent skid, the victory couldn’t have come at a better time. With only eight games remaining for a team that has taken on more identities than Mick Foley this season, there are still plenty of questions that need answering ahead of the playoffs.

Let’s dig into some of the most important that could decide the Lakers’ postseason fate.

Can the big 3 hit their collective stride?

It’s a problem every basketball coach dreams of having. To employ not one, but three, dynamic on-ball players is a rare luxury the Lakers now have with Luka Dončić on board.

However, getting all three on the same wavelength and groove simultaneously is the critical task at hand for JJ Redick.

Before their game on Saturday, Redick attempted to expedite the learning curve between his three stars by holding a meeting that focused on the precision of their three-man actions.

His players emphatically responded by having their best collective game since Dončić arrived in Los Angeles and became the first trio in NBA history to each register at least 25 points, five rebounds, five assists and at least two 3-point makes.

“I think the meeting was just still trying to build that chemistry amongst the three of us to help the team be successful,” Reaves said. “Tonight, it just showed that when we play the right way and trust one another, especially offensively, we can have open looks on almost every possession…It was really just a conversation about how bad all of us want to win and win at a high level.”

Although they are still a work in progress with just 559 shared possessions, the glimpses of how much of a matchup nightmare the trio can be for opposing defenses were made apparent in their performance against Memphis.

Despite the initial skepticism regarding the fit between the three players whose best moments have come on the ball, the early returns thus far have been encouraging. When Dončić, James and Reaves have been on the floor, the Lakers are posting a 116.5 offRTG and 57.6% eFG%. That would rank ninth and third best, respectively, this season.

There are, however, still moments when the lack of time together is evident. Whether it’s the offense becoming a your-turn-my-turn attack, waning individual usage rates or the limited sets that involve each player, the scarcity of games remaining puts their cohesion under a magnifying glass.

Even though the offense has looked electrifying, it is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore the team is losing the minutes (-6 netRTG) the trio has been on the floor. This is mainly due to their woeful defensive numbers.

When removing garbage time, lineups featuring the trio have a woeful 122.4 defRTG, and among lineups who have logged at least 100 possessions this season, the Doncic, James, Reaves groups would rank in the third percentile in terms of half-court defense and fourth percentile in transition.

While that looks concerning on the surface, zooming in reveals the defensive warts may not entirely be due to the trio’s limitations, but rather, who has been at center. This is a literal big issue that may prove to be the linchpin to their playoff ceiling.

Will the small-ball groups hold up defensively?

By trading away their defensive anchor for an on-ball perimeter player, the Lakers created an expected ripple effect up and down the roster. As a result, many believed the Anthony Davis-sized hole at center would cripple the team’s defense. But, in the immediate games following the blockbuster deal, the opposite happened.

The Lakers’ defense rallied and were as stingy as ever before. They adopted a swarming, rangy and mean identity that flummoxed offenses through collective effort instead of an individual stalwart. But as injuries chewed away at their depth like termites and opponents’ shooting regressed the other way, the limitations of their approach began to come into focus.

With only Jaxson Hayes as the sole traditional center in the everyday rotation, the Lakers have had to rely heavily on their small groups. But after the initial encouraging surge, they too have begun to show signs of fracturing.

Determining the right defensive configurations around their Big 3 will be among the most important tasks for the coaching staff. The trio’s aforementioned defensive numbers are not pretty, but that mainly is due to who is at center. Since the trade, lineups featuring Dončić, James and Reaves have a horrific defRTG of 131.6 when no traditional center (small ball) is on the floor.

However, with Hayes in the middle, the Lakers are posting a more respectable defRTG of 115.5. And when rounding out the group with Rui Hachimura — their starting lineup — they are posting a stellar number of 107.2.

All this to say, a lot is riding on Hayes. It’s not an ideal situation to be in for a team with title aspirations, but it’s the one the Lakers find themselves in.

The Alex Len signing has not panned out. And while both Trey Jemison and Christian Koloko have had flashes, both currently are still on two-way deals and would be ineligible for the postseason unless converted to a standard contract by the end of the season.

There was likely always going to be some slippage from being the best defense in the NBA post-Davis trade. Yet at the same time, the Lakers are also not as poor on that end as their recent numbers suggest. So, like most things, the answer to how good their defense is is likely found somewhere in the middle.

But with no other in-house options available, how far the team ultimately can go may rest in how effectively their small-ball groups can perform.

How much does seeding matter?

The basketball gods have a funny way of reminding you they exist. Play stupid games, and better believe you’ll win stupid prizes. They have League Pass, they watch it all and they take notes.

That should be a reminder for every team currently in postseason contention that is having the annual internal debate of whether they should illicitly attempt to maneuver around the standings. The Lakers are likely among them.

As it stands, Los Angeles is in sole possession of the No. 4 seed out West after beating the Grizzlies. With the win, the Lakers are a full game up on Memphis and also secured the season tiebreaker. If the season ended today, the same two teams would meet in the first round with the Lakers owning the home-court advantage.

Despite having the second-toughest remaining schedule, the Lakers are in control of their destiny thanks to key matchup wins this year.

Beyond the Grizzlies, the Lakers also own tiebreakers over the Warriors, Clippers and, if they can hold on to the Pacific Divison lead, will also leapfrog over the Nuggets if caught in the standings as the division leader receives the tiebreaker nod over a team if their head-to-head is tied.

The same would apply to the Rockets as well if the Lakers sweep their remaining two games against Houston.

Beyond the fact that a team should play every game to win, it would behoove the Lakers to do just that the rest of the way so they can secure home court.

Despite several ups and downs, the one constant for the Lakers this season has been their excellent play in Los Angeles. At 28-9, they currently have the second-best home record in the Western Conference behind only the Thunder.

Nabbing a final-four finish in the standings is also important because they are also the only team in the current top seven with a losing record on the road.

While it is inevitable, the team must find a way to win on the road when it matters the most. Creating as many opportunities to play in front of their fans should be their goal from here on out, not who they play in the first round.

But if they’re cute and try to wiggle their way to a more favorable matchup, funny things tend to happen. Sometimes a ball bounces the wrong way, a bad call goes against you or a half-court heave miraculously goes in.

All stats courtesy of Cleaning the Glass unless otherwise stated. You can follow Alex on Bluesky at @alexregla.bsky.social.

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