D'Angelo Russell has two very good reasons for believing the Los Angeles Lakers will be properly dialed in for the homestretch of the 2023-24 NBA regular season: LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
“I mean, the leader of our team is LeBron James, got AD following,” said Russell when asked at Lakers practice on Wednesday about the team's sense of urgency over the final 26 games. “Those guys just came off All-Star appearances. That reset helped them. Makes it easier for us to follow them … When you got those two guys leading the back, it makes everything easier.”
D’Angelo Russell on the Lakers’ sense of urgency for the stretch run: "I mean, the leader of our team is LeBron James, got AD following…When you got those guys leading the pack, it makes everything easier.” pic.twitter.com/GJqJeLmMnX
— Michael Corvo (@michaelcorvo_) February 21, 2024
The Lakers entered the All-Star break 30-26, thanks to a timely hot streak. Ignited by the increased aggression of Russell, the all-around playmaking of Austin Reaves, the re-insertion of Rui Hachimura into the starting lineup, and the reliability of LeBron and AD, the once-reeling Lakers have won six of their last eight games.
Their previously middling half-court has hummed. They rank seventh in the NBA in assists per game during that span, while keeping their turnovers generally low. In February, the Lakers' offensive 122.4 offensive rating trails only the Boston Celtics (123.1), whom the Lakers trounced at the TD Garden without LeBron and AD.
The Lakers will also feel encouraged by the impending returns of Max Christie and Cam Reddish (we'll see on Gabe Vincent and Jarred Vanderbilt), and their recent track record of success, in the form of 2023's late-season surge.
Of course, nothing is more important to the Lakers' ceiling than the availability of their stars. LeBron — who may miss Thursday's matchup with the Golden State Warriors due to ankle treatment — is putting up 24.8 points, 7.2 rebounds and 7.8 assists in 49 games in a smidge-too-high 34.8 minutes per game.
Davis has appeared in 52 of 56 games, posting 24.9 points (55.2% shooting), 12.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists (and climbing), 2.5 blocks, and doing everything for the Lakers on defense.
The Lakers trail the New Orleans Pelicans by four games in the loss column for the No. 6 seed. They lag behind the Dallas Mavericks (32-23) and Sacramento Kings (31-23) by three games in the loss column. Their first opponent out of the gate, the Warriors (27-26), are hot on their tail. This should be good.
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