Iztok Franko: Lakers Game Observations: Game 30 vs Kings

December 29, 2025 at 10:44 am

The Lakers responded to a three-game losing streak and what seemed like a season low, reset point on Christmas day against the Rockets, with a strong performance beating the Sacramento Kings 125-101 at home.

Whether it was JJ Redick questioning the team’s commitment and effort, or later downplaying it by saying they simply needed a recalibration, he got the response he wanted. From the opening tip, it was evident the Lakers were locked in. This was a game where they put their foot on the gas early, won all four quarters for the first time this season, and turned it into a rare Lakers blowout.

The game itself was nothing fancy or out of the ordinary, just a display of how a composed, competent team should look when taking care of business against a standings bottom dweller. However, the Lakers have had problems doing that this season, so last night should hopefully serve as an example going forward.

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

Today’s notes:

A reference point for effort, for Luka (VIDEO)

Super efficient LeBron

Way more structure, more flow, and a more deliberate and egalitarian offense

New sub pattern and Nick Smith Jr kicking off his campaign as the third ball handler with a bang (VIDEO)

Concerns not washed away by one game

1-A reference point for effort, for Luka (VIDEO)

The two Lakers leaders, Dončić and James, were the two names called out by the media for their effort and commitment to doing the little things on defense. After the Rockets loss, Dončić acknowledged he needed to return to the level of defense he was playing earlier in the season.

Dončić is not the only problem for the Lakers on defense, and I would say not even the biggest one, but when he is engaged, moves his feet, and makes an effort to stay in front and provide resistance on drives, it changes a lot for the Lakers defense. Last night, and in the past, Dončić showed he can defend when the focus and commitment are there, leading by example by making the effort plays.

Dončić led the way with four stocks (three steals and one block) and was one of six Lakers with at least two stocks, which showed the effort level with which the Lakers played last night.

Offensively, Dončić had his typical 34-point night at the office, along with a dose of absurd passes. His outside shot was still streaky, but he had a dominant run, scoring 15 points in the second quarter as the Lakers built a decisive lead.

2-Super efficient LeBron

Lakers activity resulted in a high turnover game, with the Kings finishing with a total of 19. We have seen this scenario before, when the Lakers showed they can punish bad transition defenses like the Kings, Jazz, and Pelicans by getting out on the run and scoring in transition. Last night, the Lakers posted a 21.3 percent transition frequency, the third highest of the season, and as usual LeBron James was the biggest beneficiary, scoring nine of his 24 points on the fast break.

James complemented his transition highlight reels with elite shot making in the half court, missing only two of his 13 field-goal attempts while playing the role of the second creator and filling the spots around Dončić to perfection.

3-Way more structure, more flow, and a more deliberate and egalitarian offense

The Lakers recalibration was not noticeable only in effort and defense, as the change in offensive execution was even more glaring. You could see there was a clear plan and effort to get all starters touches and shots early, with each of them getting at least one shot within the first three minutes of the game, and the Lakers’ top seven options all finishing with at least 17 front court touches.

Not only were touches distributed more evenly, the Lakers ran more actions and sets not just for Dončić and James, but also to get Hachimura shots off away screens and a couple of post looks for Ayton. All in all, it was one of the better games of the season in terms of balance and creating good looks off sets and concepts, while still allowing Dončić and James the freedom to create on the fly out of pick and roll and isolation actions.

@Sam_Vecenie
Lakers look so much more intentional with their sets and actions tonight against the Kings. Seem like they’re running a lot more actual plays. Have always felt like JJ Redick is at his best as a coach in these 120 or so games when the Lakers are doing that.
4-New sub pattern and Nick Smith Jr. kicking off his campaign as the third ball handler with a bang (VIDEO)

This was the first game for the Lakers in the new Austin Reaves less reality, one they will probably have to survive in for at least a month, if not longer. Redick addressed it by promoting Nick Smith Jr. to a much bigger role as the third ball handler and by tweaking the Dončić and James substitution pattern, staggering their minutes even more to keep one of them on the floor at all times, with Smith Jr. providing a second option especially in non Dončić James minutes.

@DanWoikeSports
JJ Redick says the Lakers will try something new with lineups tonight. Won’t share what. Does say Nick Smith Jr. will be playing consistent rotation minutes for the near future.

Lakers-Kings rotations (souce: basketball-reference)

Smith Jr. embraced the opportunity in the best way imaginable, hitting his first seven shots and scoring 21 points, seamlessly switching between off ball catch and shoot and on ball go get a bucket roles, a skill crucial to succeeding next to Dončić and James. Smith Jr. hit five of his ten three point attempts, and in Reaves absence his shooting could be key for the Lakers offense, which at times struggles to both generate and convert threes at a high volume.

Redick highlighted that this was the third game this season in which the third year combo guard’s microwave scoring proved crucial off the bench in sporadic appearances while filling in during injury absences. Now the next step for him is to prove he can be a consistent contributor and do it against tougher competition.

5-Concerns not washed away by one game

The Lakers stepping up, playing with more effort, looking more connected, and operating a well run offense was definitely a good sight after the disappointments of the previous three games. But it is also impossible to ignore that running a crisp offense is much easier against the underwhelming Kings than against physical, athletic teams that pressure the ball and disrupt at every opportunity. The Lakers experienced that firsthand recently against the Spurs, Suns, and Rockets, struggling both with ball pressure and with athleticism on both ends.

Amid all the good in this game, there were still some elements of old issues, like early struggles containing DeMar DeRozan (we have seen Hachimura struggle to contain a similar archetype against Brandon Ingram in the Toronto game) or awkward offensive possessions with Vanderbilt Kleber lineups, that will be much harder to overcome in games where the margin for error is much lower.

So a true test for the recalibrated Lakers comes in the next game against another young, athletic, and one of the most physical teams in the NBA, the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday.

Comments

LakerTom says

December 29, 2025 at 10:44 am

The Lakers responded to a three-game losing streak and what seemed like a season low, reset point on Christmas day against the Rockets, with a strong performance beating the Sacramento Kings 125-101 at home.

Whether it was JJ Redick questioning the team’s commitment and effort, or later downplaying it by saying they simply needed a recalibration, he got the response he wanted. From the opening tip, it was evident the Lakers were locked in. This was a game where they put their foot on the gas early, won all four quarters for the first time this season, and turned it into a rare Lakers blowout.

The game itself was nothing fancy or out of the ordinary, just a display of how a composed, competent team should look when taking care of business against a standings bottom dweller. However, the Lakers have had problems doing that this season, so last night should hopefully serve as an example going forward.

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

Today’s notes:

A reference point for effort, for Luka (VIDEO)

Super efficient LeBron

Way more structure, more flow, and a more deliberate and egalitarian offense

New sub pattern and Nick Smith Jr kicking off his campaign as the third ball handler with a bang (VIDEO)

Concerns not washed away by one game

1-A reference point for effort, for Luka (VIDEO)

The two Lakers leaders, Dončić and James, were the two names called out by the media for their effort and commitment to doing the little things on defense. After the Rockets loss, Dončić acknowledged he needed to return to the level of defense he was playing earlier in the season.

Dončić is not the only problem for the Lakers on defense, and I would say not even the biggest one, but when he is engaged, moves his feet, and makes an effort to stay in front and provide resistance on drives, it changes a lot for the Lakers defense. Last night, and in the past, Dončić showed he can defend when the focus and commitment are there, leading by example by making the effort plays.

Dončić led the way with four stocks (three steals and one block) and was one of six Lakers with at least two stocks, which showed the effort level with which the Lakers played last night.

Offensively, Dončić had his typical 34-point night at the office, along with a dose of absurd passes. His outside shot was still streaky, but he had a dominant run, scoring 15 points in the second quarter as the Lakers built a decisive lead.

2-Super efficient LeBron

Lakers activity resulted in a high turnover game, with the Kings finishing with a total of 19. We have seen this scenario before, when the Lakers showed they can punish bad transition defenses like the Kings, Jazz, and Pelicans by getting out on the run and scoring in transition. Last night, the Lakers posted a 21.3 percent transition frequency, the third highest of the season, and as usual LeBron James was the biggest beneficiary, scoring nine of his 24 points on the fast break.

James complemented his transition highlight reels with elite shot making in the half court, missing only two of his 13 field-goal attempts while playing the role of the second creator and filling the spots around Dončić to perfection.

3-Way more structure, more flow, and a more deliberate and egalitarian offense

The Lakers recalibration was not noticeable only in effort and defense, as the change in offensive execution was even more glaring. You could see there was a clear plan and effort to get all starters touches and shots early, with each of them getting at least one shot within the first three minutes of the game, and the Lakers’ top seven options all finishing with at least 17 front court touches.

Not only were touches distributed more evenly, the Lakers ran more actions and sets not just for Dončić and James, but also to get Hachimura shots off away screens and a couple of post looks for Ayton. All in all, it was one of the better games of the season in terms of balance and creating good looks off sets and concepts, while still allowing Dončić and James the freedom to create on the fly out of pick and roll and isolation actions.

@Sam_Vecenie
Lakers look so much more intentional with their sets and actions tonight against the Kings. Seem like they’re running a lot more actual plays. Have always felt like JJ Redick is at his best as a coach in these 120 or so games when the Lakers are doing that.
4-New sub pattern and Nick Smith Jr. kicking off his campaign as the third ball handler with a bang (VIDEO)

This was the first game for the Lakers in the new Austin Reaves less reality, one they will probably have to survive in for at least a month, if not longer. Redick addressed it by promoting Nick Smith Jr. to a much bigger role as the third ball handler and by tweaking the Dončić and James substitution pattern, staggering their minutes even more to keep one of them on the floor at all times, with Smith Jr. providing a second option especially in non Dončić James minutes.

@DanWoikeSports
JJ Redick says the Lakers will try something new with lineups tonight. Won’t share what. Does say Nick Smith Jr. will be playing consistent rotation minutes for the near future.

Lakers-Kings rotations (souce: basketball-reference)

Smith Jr. embraced the opportunity in the best way imaginable, hitting his first seven shots and scoring 21 points, seamlessly switching between off ball catch and shoot and on ball go get a bucket roles, a skill crucial to succeeding next to Dončić and James. Smith Jr. hit five of his ten three point attempts, and in Reaves absence his shooting could be key for the Lakers offense, which at times struggles to both generate and convert threes at a high volume.

Redick highlighted that this was the third game this season in which the third year combo guard’s microwave scoring proved crucial off the bench in sporadic appearances while filling in during injury absences. Now the next step for him is to prove he can be a consistent contributor and do it against tougher competition.

5-Concerns not washed away by one game

The Lakers stepping up, playing with more effort, looking more connected, and operating a well run offense was definitely a good sight after the disappointments of the previous three games. But it is also impossible to ignore that running a crisp offense is much easier against the underwhelming Kings than against physical, athletic teams that pressure the ball and disrupt at every opportunity. The Lakers experienced that firsthand recently against the Spurs, Suns, and Rockets, struggling both with ball pressure and with athleticism on both ends.

Amid all the good in this game, there were still some elements of old issues, like early struggles containing DeMar DeRozan (we have seen Hachimura struggle to contain a similar archetype against Brandon Ingram in the Toronto game) or awkward offensive possessions with Vanderbilt Kleber lineups, that will be much harder to overcome in games where the margin for error is much lower.

So a true test for the recalibrated Lakers comes in the next game against another young, athletic, and one of the most physical teams in the NBA, the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday.

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- Buba Touray says
  
  December 29, 2025 at 2:46 pm
  
  Tom, you nailed the big picture, but I think last night deserves even more credit than “taking care of business.” This wasn’t just a reset game — it looked like the version of the Lakers we’ve been waiting to see all season.
  
  The intensity from the opening tip was different. You could feel it in the way they defended, pushed the pace, and actually dictated the flow instead of reacting to it. Winning all four quarters isn’t just a stat — it’s a sign of a team that finally played with sustained focus, something that’s been missing for weeks.
  
  And the Nick Smith Jr. point is spot on. His minutes completely changed the rhythm of the second unit. Suddenly the non‑Doncic/James stretches weren’t survival minutes — they were productive. If he keeps giving them that blend of pace, shot creation, and confidence, it solves one of the biggest structural problems this roster has had.
  
  Redick’s tweaks looked simple on paper, but the impact was huge. Staggering Luka and LeBron more aggressively gave the offense a backbone, and Smith Jr. filled in the gaps instead of the team falling into those long scoring droughts we’ve all suffered through.
  
  Sure, Sacramento isn’t exactly a measuring stick right now, but the Lakers haven’t been handling “should‑win” games like this all year. Seeing them finally dominate one from start to finish is a real sign of life.
  
  If this is the recalibrated version of the Lakers, and if Smith Jr. keeps trending upward, then yeah — “unstoppable” might not be that far‑fetched.
  
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