At long last — and without Anthony Davis — the Los Angeles Lakers are starting to figure things out. And while 37-year old LeBron James has been on a month-long tear, it's the improved performance of his supporting cast that has helped the Lakers find their mojo.

The Lakers (21-19) pulled away from the Atlanta Hawks, 134-118, on Friday night at Crypto.com Arena. It was the team's fourth consecutive win — the first time they've done that this season — and their fifth victory in six contests. They've yet to lose in 2022.

The Lakers are 9-2 in the past 11 games when they don't have five or more players (and their head coach) in COVID-19 protocols, which resulted in a mid-December five-game losing skid.

Granted, the Hawks don't play any defense. Still, the Lakers don't make the schedule, and the most productive outcome of this matchup was precisely what happened: the Lakers flew around, sent Crypto into a frenzy with above-the-rim highlights, and got big-time performances from key role players. If nothing else, these types of wins build confidence — in each other and the collective.

LeBron James did not win Western Conference Player of the Month for December despite putting up ridiculous numbers and playing all five positions for a squad that was often depleted and deflated. Instead, the award went to Donovan Mitchell, who, while awesome, is arguably the second most valuable player on the Utah Jazz.

The only explanation for this was the Lakers 6-8 record during the month, while Utah won 12 of 14. After the Protocols Lakers fell to the Protocols Nets on Christmas, interim head coach David Fizdale lamented that the Lakers were “wasting” LeBron's epic run of play.

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Since then, the Lakers are 5-1. They've effectively opened the floor up by committing to small-ball. They're 5-0 and averaging 127.0 points per game when LeBron starts at center.

“I guess with me at the 5 it gives our offense more space,” LeBron assessed. “Because I have the ability to pick and roll, I have the ability to pick and pop, I have the ability to, when I set a pick and roll, to be able to get the ball and make plays out of that, not just for myself but for my teammates, and our offense has flowed pretty well with me at that position.”

James' personal production hasn't wavered — nor his locked-in nature, two-way energy, and nightly showmanship. He's averaging 33.8 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 6.4 assists on .532/.458/.763 shooting splits. He's dominated every facet of the sport and has been rightfully gained steam in the MVP race.

It was no different on Friday. LeBron posted 32 points, eight rebounds, nine assists, and four steals (moving into 10th place all-time) vs. Atlanta.

However, the true spark of the Lakers' turnaround has been the play — and mere presence — of his running-mates.

“We're literally getting our guys back, it's that simple,” LeBron explained when asked about their newfound success. “We're starting to see what we have because guys are in the lineup. And soon we get (Kendrick Nunn) as well, and not too far off of that, AD returns. When you have a team that is built on depth and chemistry out on the floor, and you don't have the depth or the chemistry because guys are out, it's just hard to gauge it. And, lately, we've had both of those.”

Malik Monk is enjoying the best stretch of his career. In the six games (five starts) prior to Friday, Monk averaged 20.7 points on 56.6% shooting. Against Atlanta, Monk continued to ooze confidence and finished with 29 points — the final two coming on an electrifying put-back slam.

“What we love about him is he can create and he can be a finisher,” Frank Vogel said postgame. “He’s playing really well. In all ways you can offensively — creating for others, catch and shoot 3s, attacking the basket, scoring in the midrange — and really competing on the defensive side as well.”

Talen Horton-Tucker — the organization's fourth-highest paid player — had looked lost since clearing protocols. In the past two games, he's found his game, totaling 40 points on 15-of-26 shooting.

Avery Bradley continues to be a pest defensively and drill his 3s. His off-ball cutting and nonstop effort rub off on his teammates. Hours after having his contract guaranteed for the season, Bradley helped force eight turnovers from Trae Young while scoring 21 points on 8-of-11 shooting.

“I think the smaller lineup is activating us on both ends of the floor,” Bradley said.

Stanley Johnson, on his second 10-day contract, is undefeated as the Lakers starting power forward (4-0). He provides an obvious physical and athletic presence on the wing that the team sorely lacked.

Russell Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony, and Austin Reaves have continued to do what they've been doing all season. Westbrook makes head-scratching choices and bricks layup after layup, but he impactfully pushes the pace and racks up dimes. He has three total turnovers over the past two games. Anthony has remained dependable as a quick-fire sniper. Reaves is always in the right place, which continues to be reflected in his plus/minus (the Lakers are 16-5 when Reaves plays).

In general, the Lakers were moving the rock as smoothly as they have all year, evidenced by a season-high 37 assists. Their recent lineup consistency has accelerated the development of cohesion.

“I think guys are just getting comfortable with the way we’re playing right now,” Vogel said. “Playing the smaller lineups with Bron at center has just allowed other guys to get a little more comfortable … It’s opened things up for guys like Malik, Avery Talen, even Melo. Russ had a strong game with 13 assists. Just a lot of things open up.”

Not every question is answered. The Lakers will have to figure out how to blend Anthony Davis with their revised style. Nunn's debut will shake up the rotation. Vogel is still experimenting with Dwight Howard's reduced role. Trevor Ariza doesn't have a ton of bounce coming off ankle surgery.

For now, though, I can safely report that vibes around this team are, indeed, good. That's a major development.