Iztok Franko: Lakers Basketball Is Finally Back

December 18, 2025 at 11:25 am

FROM ABOVE ARTICLE:

After another prolonged downtime and a weird schedule pause caused by the NBA Cup, Lakers basketball is finally back tonight.

The opponent is familiar. The Lakers face the Utah Jazz for the third time already this season, which makes this a good moment to step away from the usual preview format. Instead of rehashing matchups we’ve already seen, this piece focuses on the Lakers themselves. What to watch for. What they can lean on. And what needs to start taking shape not just tonight, but over the next stretch of games leading into the Christmas matchup against the Rockets.

With extended practice time and a chance for some introspection, this feels like a moment where the Lakers need to send a response. A solid, convincing performance. Something they can build on after the encouraging change in approach and rotations against the Suns, while also showing real progress on the areas that have tripped them up lately.

digginbasketball is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Lakers (18-7) @ Jazz (10-15) game facts
Rest: LAL on 3 days of rest; UTA on 2 days of rest

Ranking: LAL 13th in Point Diff (+1.7), UTA 25th in Point Diff (-7.6)

LAL vs UTA 2025-26 record: Lakers lead 2-0 (see Game 15 observations here, Game 16 observations here)

LAL injuries: Austin Reaves (OUT), Deandre Ayton (OUT)

UTA injuries: Walker Kessler (OUT), George Niang (OUT), Lauri Markkanen (questionable)

LAL projected starting five: Luka Dončić (G), Marcus Smart (G), Rui Hachimura (F), LeBron James (F), Jaxson Hayes (C)

LAL key reserves: Jake LaRavia, Gabe Vincent, Jarred Vanderbilt, Adou Thiero, Dalton Knecht

UTA projected starting five: Keyonte George (G), Svi Mykhailiuk (G), Ace Bailey (F), Lauri Markkanen (F), Jusuf Nurkić (C)

UTA key reserves: Kyle Filipowski, Brice Sensabaugh, Isaiah Collier, Taylor Hendricks, Cody Williams

Banshee rotation, hustle needs to carry on

Before the Suns game, I wrote about possible adjustments the Lakers could make to fix their defense, and the main suggestion was simple: increase the minutes for the so-called banshees. Jarred Vanderbilt, Marcus Smart, Jake LaRavia, Gabe Vincent, and Adou Thiero. When his energy and focus are right, Jaxson Hayes belongs on that list too. JJ Redick was on a similar wavelength, reintroducing Vanderbilt into the rotation after a ten-game stretch completely out of it.

Vanderbilt responded with one of his best games as a Laker, a 15-minute stretch packed with havoc creation through hustle, defensive playmaking, and crashing the boards. Other banshees followed suit in extended minutes, and their collective impact was the main reason the Lakers were able to escape with the win despite a near-collapse down the stretch.

The Lakers need to show that this wasn’t just another occasional, flip-the-switch-on burst of effort we’ve seen from them in short stretches, but rarely for full games this season. With Austin Reaves and Deandre Ayton missing this game, more minutes for the banshees should come almost by default. The key for the Lakers is to make this a longer-term adjustment and keep the minutes of the hustle units up even when Reaves and Ayton return. To do that, Redick will need to find ways to reduce the minutes for Dončić and James into the mid-to-low thirties, and potentially find a sweet spot for Ayton and Hachimura in the 25–28 minutes per game range.

The Smart–Vanderbilt perimeter combo

Another thing I’d like to see more of is a few additional minutes with Marcus Smart and Vanderbilt defending together, giving a clearer look at how a Lakers defense with more perimeter pressure could function. More possessions like this, with Smart starting as the primary point-of-attack defender and Vanderbilt either switching or creating havoc with gap help. Or the other way around.

I understand Redick’s concerns about the balance on the other side of the ball, where teams have been comfortable disregarding both and using their defenders to help off them and shrink the floor. But if there’s a game and an opponent to try this against, it’s the Jazz and their fourth-worst defense. They’re also a team that struggles to control the ball, ranking bottom five in turnover rate, so generating more defense-to-offense opportunities could be a very valid strategy. Especially if Lauri Markkanen, who is questionable, isn’t ready to go, I’d like to see the Lakers use Smart, Vanderbilt, and Vincent to apply constant pressure on Keyonte George, who averaged 30.5 points in the previous two matchups, for extended stretches and at much higher pickup points.

Even if this pairing isn’t sustainable in the long run, I think the Lakers need to see how lineups with more perimeter pressure and force function around Dončić, if only to add more sample to their future team-building templates.

Finding better flow and process on offense

Dončić has had a couple of rough shooting games since returning from his short but taxing cross-Atlantic trip to Slovenia. Like Reaves, who got a well-deserved week of rest, he’s looked a bit run down and less springy lately. Hopefully, with the extended time off since the Suns game, he can get back on track. Dončić has been under some justified criticism lately for his shot selection. He’s averaging a career-high 10.7 three-point attempts per game and is currently converting just 32.4 percent of them.

So a game, or better yet a stretch, with a more decisive and focused Dončić who looks to attack gaps rather than settle for step-backs feels due, and it would help the Lakers establish a better offensive flow. When Luka gets into the paint, good things usually happen. When he’s efficient and clinical in his dissection of less aggressive pick-and-roll coverages, adjustments and double teams tend to follow. That, in turn, creates 4-on-3 opportunities and a much smoother offensive rhythm.

Another thing to watch for is Redick moving Dončić and James around more — to the post, to the elbow, or using James as a screener even more. That added movement would bring variety and unpredictability to an offense that can drift into repetitive, middle-of-the-floor pick-and-roll attacks.

Comments

LakerTom says

December 18, 2025 at 11:25 am

FROM ABOVE ARTICLE:

After another prolonged downtime and a weird schedule pause caused by the NBA Cup, Lakers basketball is finally back tonight.

The opponent is familiar. The Lakers face the Utah Jazz for the third time already this season, which makes this a good moment to step away from the usual preview format. Instead of rehashing matchups we’ve already seen, this piece focuses on the Lakers themselves. What to watch for. What they can lean on. And what needs to start taking shape not just tonight, but over the next stretch of games leading into the Christmas matchup against the Rockets.

With extended practice time and a chance for some introspection, this feels like a moment where the Lakers need to send a response. A solid, convincing performance. Something they can build on after the encouraging change in approach and rotations against the Suns, while also showing real progress on the areas that have tripped them up lately.

digginbasketball is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Lakers (18-7) @ Jazz (10-15) game facts
Rest: LAL on 3 days of rest; UTA on 2 days of rest

Ranking: LAL 13th in Point Diff (+1.7), UTA 25th in Point Diff (-7.6)

LAL vs UTA 2025-26 record: Lakers lead 2-0 (see Game 15 observations here, Game 16 observations here)

LAL injuries: Austin Reaves (OUT), Deandre Ayton (OUT)

UTA injuries: Walker Kessler (OUT), George Niang (OUT), Lauri Markkanen (questionable)

LAL projected starting five: Luka Dončić (G), Marcus Smart (G), Rui Hachimura (F), LeBron James (F), Jaxson Hayes (C)

LAL key reserves: Jake LaRavia, Gabe Vincent, Jarred Vanderbilt, Adou Thiero, Dalton Knecht

UTA projected starting five: Keyonte George (G), Svi Mykhailiuk (G), Ace Bailey (F), Lauri Markkanen (F), Jusuf Nurkić (C)

UTA key reserves: Kyle Filipowski, Brice Sensabaugh, Isaiah Collier, Taylor Hendricks, Cody Williams

Banshee rotation, hustle needs to carry on

Before the Suns game, I wrote about possible adjustments the Lakers could make to fix their defense, and the main suggestion was simple: increase the minutes for the so-called banshees. Jarred Vanderbilt, Marcus Smart, Jake LaRavia, Gabe Vincent, and Adou Thiero. When his energy and focus are right, Jaxson Hayes belongs on that list too. JJ Redick was on a similar wavelength, reintroducing Vanderbilt into the rotation after a ten-game stretch completely out of it.

Vanderbilt responded with one of his best games as a Laker, a 15-minute stretch packed with havoc creation through hustle, defensive playmaking, and crashing the boards. Other banshees followed suit in extended minutes, and their collective impact was the main reason the Lakers were able to escape with the win despite a near-collapse down the stretch.

The Lakers need to show that this wasn’t just another occasional, flip-the-switch-on burst of effort we’ve seen from them in short stretches, but rarely for full games this season. With Austin Reaves and Deandre Ayton missing this game, more minutes for the banshees should come almost by default. The key for the Lakers is to make this a longer-term adjustment and keep the minutes of the hustle units up even when Reaves and Ayton return. To do that, Redick will need to find ways to reduce the minutes for Dončić and James into the mid-to-low thirties, and potentially find a sweet spot for Ayton and Hachimura in the 25–28 minutes per game range.

The Smart–Vanderbilt perimeter combo

Another thing I’d like to see more of is a few additional minutes with Marcus Smart and Vanderbilt defending together, giving a clearer look at how a Lakers defense with more perimeter pressure could function. More possessions like this, with Smart starting as the primary point-of-attack defender and Vanderbilt either switching or creating havoc with gap help. Or the other way around.

I understand Redick’s concerns about the balance on the other side of the ball, where teams have been comfortable disregarding both and using their defenders to help off them and shrink the floor. But if there’s a game and an opponent to try this against, it’s the Jazz and their fourth-worst defense. They’re also a team that struggles to control the ball, ranking bottom five in turnover rate, so generating more defense-to-offense opportunities could be a very valid strategy. Especially if Lauri Markkanen, who is questionable, isn’t ready to go, I’d like to see the Lakers use Smart, Vanderbilt, and Vincent to apply constant pressure on Keyonte George, who averaged 30.5 points in the previous two matchups, for extended stretches and at much higher pickup points.

Even if this pairing isn’t sustainable in the long run, I think the Lakers need to see how lineups with more perimeter pressure and force function around Dončić, if only to add more sample to their future team-building templates.

Finding better flow and process on offense

Dončić has had a couple of rough shooting games since returning from his short but taxing cross-Atlantic trip to Slovenia. Like Reaves, who got a well-deserved week of rest, he’s looked a bit run down and less springy lately. Hopefully, with the extended time off since the Suns game, he can get back on track. Dončić has been under some justified criticism lately for his shot selection. He’s averaging a career-high 10.7 three-point attempts per game and is currently converting just 32.4 percent of them.

So a game, or better yet a stretch, with a more decisive and focused Dončić who looks to attack gaps rather than settle for step-backs feels due, and it would help the Lakers establish a better offensive flow. When Luka gets into the paint, good things usually happen. When he’s efficient and clinical in his dissection of less aggressive pick-and-roll coverages, adjustments and double teams tend to follow. That, in turn, creates 4-on-3 opportunities and a much smoother offensive rhythm.

Another thing to watch for is Redick moving Dončić and James around more — to the post, to the elbow, or using James as a screener even more. That added movement would bring variety and unpredictability to an offense that can drift into repetitive, middle-of-the-floor pick-and-roll attacks.

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