Iztok Franko: Lakers and Kings Hidden Gems

March 2, 2026 at 8:51 am

FROM ABOVE ARTICLE:

Business first. Wizardry later.

The Lakers got another win, which is probably the only thing that counts in games like this in March against teams whose priorities are on the other side of the W–L column.

They won for the second game in a row, on the second night of a back-to-back, with a 128–104 rout of the Sacramento Kings. It was their second consecutive blowout win, another high-octane offensive outburst that pushed them back into the top 10 in offensive rating and nudged their point differential into positive territory at +0.5.

It’s hard to find any real big-picture takeaway from games like these, so I mostly look for smaller signals that could matter, and for the fun flashes and highlights that make watching basketball fun.

Today’s notes:

Continued emphasis on sharing the ball

An encouraging turnover trend

Marcus Smart and Maxi Kleber, the veteran hustle leaders (VIDEO)

Luka’s highlight mixtape (VIDEO)

Adou Thiero takeoff sighting (VIDEO)

1-Continued emphasis on sharing the ball

After the win against the Warriors, I wrote about a visible Lakers emphasis on sharing the ball and increasing ball movement. That carried over into this game, with four starters attempting more than five shots but none more than 10 in the first half. And with the way JJ Redick talked about Luka Dončić setting the tone with eight assists at halftime, and about the team’s 18 first-half assists in his postgame interview, it is easy to recognize the current area of focus.

After scoring only six points over the previous two games, Deandre Ayton got more early touches, scoring 10 of his 12 points before halftime. And because the Lakers took care of business early, none of the starters played more than 29 minutes, with Dončić and Reaves sitting out the entire fourth quarter again. Dončić finished with 28 points and nine assists. LeBron James, who had another efficient night from three, added 24 points and five assists. Reaves chipped in 12 points and five assists, becoming the third player with at least five dimes.

We’ll see how this ball movement and more egalitarian offense hold up against tougher competition, but the early returns are encouraging.

2-An encouraging turnover trend

Post–All-Star break, the Lakers haven’t been overly inspiring. Three disappointing losses to the Celtics, Magic, and Suns exposed some of the same old weaknesses. However, if the recent uptick in ball movement and ball sharing is a sign of change, the fact that the increased passing has also come with low turnover numbers adds another layer of promise.

A high turnover rate was a defining factor in many of the Lakers’ high-profile losses earlier in the season. For a team led by Dončić, James, and Reaves, being a high turnover team was one of the more disappointing trends and a key reason they were not operating as a top-five offense.

Post–All-Star break, the Lakers have flipped that trend, ranking among the better teams at taking care of the ball over this six-game stretch.

As with the improved ball movement, we need a larger sample size and more proof against stronger, more aggressive opponents. But ball control will remain crucial for this team, especially because their transition defense continues to be one of their biggest flaws.

3-Marcus Smart and Maxi Kleber, the veteran hustle leaders (VIDEO)

In a game that had an All-Star Game kind of up-and-down vibe, where defense was often optional, two players stood out by playing hard.

Like he has all season, Marcus Smart set the tone with his hustle, creating deflections and diving for loose balls. Sacramento is a team that can get reckless and turn the ball over at a high rate, and Smart took full advantage of that, finishing with five steals.

Maxi Kleber is another Laker who consistently brings effort, focus, and attention to detail, always trying to make the right defensive play. Being a high-effort, low-mistake player has always been his strength, but what once made him special was pairing that with above-average mobility and athleticism, at times even exceptional for his size.

In the last couple of games, we’ve seen flashes of that version again, with the German veteran making several highlight plays on both ends.

Interestingly, with Kleber looking as athletic as he has in a while, it is the other defensive specialist, Jarred Vanderbilt, who has lost his rotation spot to him. For the second game in a row, Redick also used Kleber primarily as the third big, playing him mostly at the center position.

Unadjusted one-season on/off data can be skewed and should be interpreted with caution. But I don’t think it’s a coincidence that both veterans lead the team and stand out in this category, especially on a team whose key flaw has been maintaining the right level of effort and focus for prolonged stretches.

4–Luka’s highlight mixtape (VIDEO)

Redick highlighted Dončić for setting the tone with his passing and for playing the right way in the first half. But for better or worse, one of Dončić’s tendencies has been to get a little bored in games against weaker opponents when his team builds a big lead. Sometimes that results in sloppy plays. Other times, geniuses produce their most unconventional work out of boredom. Last night, with his team up by nearly 20 midway through the third quarter, Dončić delivered two gems that made an otherwise forgettable game memorable.

First was a one-handed rocket skip pass to Luke Kennard in the corner. Luka highlight lovers will appreciate the added flair, with both Dončić and Reaves turning their backs the other way, already knowing the sharpshooter would not miss the wide-open look. The X’s-and-O’s junkies like me will obsess over how difficult it is to guard a Dončić stack pick-and-roll, with a vertical lob threat, Reaves as the back screener, and two elite shooters spaced in the corners.

The highlight of the night came on the very next possession. Dončić tried to hit the brakes and get into his signature step-back. But instead of shaking his defender, Dawqwon Plowden, this time Dončić dropped himself. Somehow, though, he managed to keep his dribble alive, popped back to his feet, and drilled a ridiculous contested fallaway three.

Watch the ESPN Los Angeles slow motion edit for another angle of this remarkable play. Postgame, Dončić claimed he slipped on purpose and said it will be part of his And-1 mixtape. Who am I to question an artist Jason Kidd once called a basketball Picasso?

5-Adou Thiero takeoff sighting (VIDEO)

One of the Lakers’ bigger challenges in their effort to re-build around Dončić is the lack of cost-controlled young talent on the roster, especially players who could help close the massive athleticism gap they face against most teams in the league. That is why drafting Adou Thiero with the 36th pick in last year’s draft was such an intriguing, low-risk, potentially high-reward gamble.

Health was a major reason Thiero slipped, and the 21-year-old has had a rookie season largely defined by injuries, with the team taking a cautious, long-term approach to his ongoing knee issues. Thiero’s offensive game is still very raw, but that does not stop fans from dreaming about the what-ifs whenever flashes like this pop up.

Even with all the cap space and flexibility this summer, the Lakers will need to uncover a hidden gem, a low-cost young player who can make a leap and become a real rotation contributor. Thiero’s first year has not been particularly encouraging, but among the current Lakers development projects, he still has the highest upside.

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LakerTom says

March 2, 2026 at 8:51 am

FROM ABOVE ARTICLE:

Business first. Wizardry later.

The Lakers got another win, which is probably the only thing that counts in games like this in March against teams whose priorities are on the other side of the W–L column.

They won for the second game in a row, on the second night of a back-to-back, with a 128–104 rout of the Sacramento Kings. It was their second consecutive blowout win, another high-octane offensive outburst that pushed them back into the top 10 in offensive rating and nudged their point differential into positive territory at +0.5.

It’s hard to find any real big-picture takeaway from games like these, so I mostly look for smaller signals that could matter, and for the fun flashes and highlights that make watching basketball fun.

Today’s notes:

Continued emphasis on sharing the ball

An encouraging turnover trend

Marcus Smart and Maxi Kleber, the veteran hustle leaders (VIDEO)

Luka’s highlight mixtape (VIDEO)

Adou Thiero takeoff sighting (VIDEO)

1-Continued emphasis on sharing the ball

After the win against the Warriors, I wrote about a visible Lakers emphasis on sharing the ball and increasing ball movement. That carried over into this game, with four starters attempting more than five shots but none more than 10 in the first half. And with the way JJ Redick talked about Luka Dončić setting the tone with eight assists at halftime, and about the team’s 18 first-half assists in his postgame interview, it is easy to recognize the current area of focus.

After scoring only six points over the previous two games, Deandre Ayton got more early touches, scoring 10 of his 12 points before halftime. And because the Lakers took care of business early, none of the starters played more than 29 minutes, with Dončić and Reaves sitting out the entire fourth quarter again. Dončić finished with 28 points and nine assists. LeBron James, who had another efficient night from three, added 24 points and five assists. Reaves chipped in 12 points and five assists, becoming the third player with at least five dimes.

We’ll see how this ball movement and more egalitarian offense hold up against tougher competition, but the early returns are encouraging.

2-An encouraging turnover trend

Post–All-Star break, the Lakers haven’t been overly inspiring. Three disappointing losses to the Celtics, Magic, and Suns exposed some of the same old weaknesses. However, if the recent uptick in ball movement and ball sharing is a sign of change, the fact that the increased passing has also come with low turnover numbers adds another layer of promise.

A high turnover rate was a defining factor in many of the Lakers’ high-profile losses earlier in the season. For a team led by Dončić, James, and Reaves, being a high turnover team was one of the more disappointing trends and a key reason they were not operating as a top-five offense.

Post–All-Star break, the Lakers have flipped that trend, ranking among the better teams at taking care of the ball over this six-game stretch.

As with the improved ball movement, we need a larger sample size and more proof against stronger, more aggressive opponents. But ball control will remain crucial for this team, especially because their transition defense continues to be one of their biggest flaws.

3-Marcus Smart and Maxi Kleber, the veteran hustle leaders (VIDEO)

In a game that had an All-Star Game kind of up-and-down vibe, where defense was often optional, two players stood out by playing hard.

Like he has all season, Marcus Smart set the tone with his hustle, creating deflections and diving for loose balls. Sacramento is a team that can get reckless and turn the ball over at a high rate, and Smart took full advantage of that, finishing with five steals.

Maxi Kleber is another Laker who consistently brings effort, focus, and attention to detail, always trying to make the right defensive play. Being a high-effort, low-mistake player has always been his strength, but what once made him special was pairing that with above-average mobility and athleticism, at times even exceptional for his size.

In the last couple of games, we’ve seen flashes of that version again, with the German veteran making several highlight plays on both ends.

Interestingly, with Kleber looking as athletic as he has in a while, it is the other defensive specialist, Jarred Vanderbilt, who has lost his rotation spot to him. For the second game in a row, Redick also used Kleber primarily as the third big, playing him mostly at the center position.

Unadjusted one-season on/off data can be skewed and should be interpreted with caution. But I don’t think it’s a coincidence that both veterans lead the team and stand out in this category, especially on a team whose key flaw has been maintaining the right level of effort and focus for prolonged stretches.

4–Luka’s highlight mixtape (VIDEO)

Redick highlighted Dončić for setting the tone with his passing and for playing the right way in the first half. But for better or worse, one of Dončić’s tendencies has been to get a little bored in games against weaker opponents when his team builds a big lead. Sometimes that results in sloppy plays. Other times, geniuses produce their most unconventional work out of boredom. Last night, with his team up by nearly 20 midway through the third quarter, Dončić delivered two gems that made an otherwise forgettable game memorable.

First was a one-handed rocket skip pass to Luke Kennard in the corner. Luka highlight lovers will appreciate the added flair, with both Dončić and Reaves turning their backs the other way, already knowing the sharpshooter would not miss the wide-open look. The X’s-and-O’s junkies like me will obsess over how difficult it is to guard a Dončić stack pick-and-roll, with a vertical lob threat, Reaves as the back screener, and two elite shooters spaced in the corners.

The highlight of the night came on the very next possession. Dončić tried to hit the brakes and get into his signature step-back. But instead of shaking his defender, Dawqwon Plowden, this time Dončić dropped himself. Somehow, though, he managed to keep his dribble alive, popped back to his feet, and drilled a ridiculous contested fallaway three.

Watch the ESPN Los Angeles slow motion edit for another angle of this remarkable play. Postgame, Dončić claimed he slipped on purpose and said it will be part of his And-1 mixtape. Who am I to question an artist Jason Kidd once called a basketball Picasso?

5-Adou Thiero takeoff sighting (VIDEO)

One of the Lakers’ bigger challenges in their effort to re-build around Dončić is the lack of cost-controlled young talent on the roster, especially players who could help close the massive athleticism gap they face against most teams in the league. That is why drafting Adou Thiero with the 36th pick in last year’s draft was such an intriguing, low-risk, potentially high-reward gamble.

Health was a major reason Thiero slipped, and the 21-year-old has had a rookie season largely defined by injuries, with the team taking a cautious, long-term approach to his ongoing knee issues. Thiero’s offensive game is still very raw, but that does not stop fans from dreaming about the what-ifs whenever flashes like this pop up.

Even with all the cap space and flexibility this summer, the Lakers will need to uncover a hidden gem, a low-cost young player who can make a leap and become a real rotation contributor. Thiero’s first year has not been particularly encouraging, but among the current Lakers development projects, he still has the highest upside.

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