The actual test starts now for Darvin Ham. The Los Angeles Lakers and Memphis Grizzlies get two days and change to make adjustments as their first-round series moves to Crypto.com Arena tied at 1-1. Pencils up.
Ham established himself as an even-keeled captain in his first year at the helm, holding a steady hand through waters choppy and smooth. But the regular season is a marathon; the playoffs are chess boxing. It's not about vibes, travel schedules, or discrepancies in “want-to.” Instead, it's about physicality, scouting, and tactics. (Taylor Jenkins, Ham's close pal and former colleague, is one of the league's finest strategists.)
The pause between Game 2 and Game 3 — four quarters with Ja Morant, four without — opens a window for the Lakers and Grizzlies to critically reassess. (Winners of 1-1 Game 3s advance about 70% of the time.)
“We were able to get Game 1,” Ham said following his team's 103-93 loss on Wednesday. “Unfortunately, we were unable to get Game 2. Having a split nonetheless, good trip. We just have to go home and defend our home court.”
Here are a few basic adjustments for the Lakers to consider, which should make Magic Johnson happy.
3. Tighten the rotation
Ham preferred a 10-man rotation during the regular season. Fine. The Lakers have 13 rotation-caliber players. He used a nine-man group in Memphis. Too many.
If Ja misses Game 3, Rui Hachimura should supplant Jarred Vanderbilt. Rui has scored 20+ points off the bench in both games this series while bringing stout interior defense. Vando's relentless energy is less advantageous in the playoffs when everybody is truly going hard, and his perimeter skills are negated sans Ja. The Lakers could make Rui the primary 4, stick him on Jaren Jackson Jr., and have Anthony Davis check Xavier Tillman Sr./man the middle. (LeBron on JJJ was disastrous in Game 1.)
The Lakers could experiment with LeBron or Rui at the 5 when AD sits. Dennis Schroder-D'Angelo Russell-Austin Reaves lineups have a 39.7 net rating (!). Those three around LeBron and Rui would make a potent offensive squad.
Ham has to choose between Malik Beasley and Troy Brown Jr. Beasley can heat up in a flash, but he has been room-temp with the Lakers. Ham talks up Beasley's defense, but it's a glaring weakness that has already been exposed by the Grizzlies. Brown should seemingly fit in this series because of his defense, rebounding, and catch-and-shoot prowess, but he hasn't moved the needle.
Russell won't be pulled from the rotation. He had a solid Game 1, but was abysmal in the Play-In and Game 2. He's a grounded point guard basketball player who plays at his own pace and struggles with quick backcourts. He's a minus on defense.
Russell is 10-of-37 since the Play-In. He has shot under 50% in all 13 of his playoff games, per ESPN. His playmaking skills are valuable. His role will be fascinating to monitor as the playoffs progress.
2. Start faster
The Lakers got outscored by 11 and 16 points, respectively, in the first halves of Games 1 and 2, and they trailed by 11 at halftime of the Play-In, as Silver Screen & Roll's Cooper Halpern analyzed. That's a dangerous game to play.
“We came out a little bit lethargic in the first quarter, a little irresponsible with the ball,” Ham said Wednesday night.
“The first quarter was really the problem,” added Reaves. “They were desperate, and they played harder than us.”
The 2022-23 Lakers almost always bring the effort. Their flat Game 2 performance was inexcusable. Ham has to get his guys out of the gates with more juice on Saturday.
1. LeBron: Score!
Here's an idea: LeBron James could help lead the charge.
The Lakers need AD to be more aggressive than he was in Game 2 (13 points, 4-of-14 FG, 4 FTAs against mostly single coverage). But, they can survive with him scoring in the low-20s, assuming he dominates on defense and the glass.
LeBron is a one-way player in Year 20 with a torn foot tendon, besides irreplaceable communication and the occasional chasedown block. His possession-by-possession dissection of defenses is unmatched, but the Lakers need him to resemble the 30-ish PPG scorer of the last two seasons. For too many possessions in this series, LeBron has idled off the ball and either waited for a catch-and-shoot 3-pointer or played bystander. James had five total drives in Game 1 and took one shot in the fourth quarter. He has taken eight free throws in two games. He's 4-of-16 from downtown.
The Lakers woke up when LeBron did in Game 2. His personal 8-0 surge in the third quarter helped cut the Grizzlies' lead from 20 to nine. Los Angeles remained within shouting distance until the final minute of regulation. More of that.
LeBron sounded motivated to bring his A-game on Saturday.
“Both teams feel like they can win on each other’s floors, so it gives us no comfort that we’re going home, and we shouldn’t feel comfortable going home with a 1-1 tie. Game 3 is the most important game of the series, and if we’re not comfortable going into that game, they could very easily come on our home court and take the series back.
“I believe this is our first game at the house (with a full crowd) … So, I’m excited for that.” (The Lakers have not hosted a full-capacity playoff game in DTLA since 2013.)
The Lakers — who scored their lowest point total of the season in Game 2 — could jump-start the offense (and the crowd) by turning on the jets.
“We definitely could play with more pace,” LeBron said. “They switched a lot of our pick-and-rolls today, which sort of stalls your offense out. We were trying to go to a lot of the mismatches once we got the mismatch after the pick-and-roll. And it got us down in the shot clock. We were playing up against the shot clock a lot, especially in the second half.”
We've seen LeBron use the early stages of a playoff series for reconnaissance as he concocts a momentum-shifting explosion. I expect him to place his foot on the gas early and often in Game 3. The Lakers need it — and they'll follow his lead.
Plus, it's not like anybody challenged him to drop 40.
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