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If the idea of the first of it’s kind NBA Free Throw Contest appeals to, well, last night was the game for you! For the rest of us, the 3+ hours affair had one true bright spot: the Lakers won. In what was billed as a battle of the current and future stars of the NBA in Vic vs. Luka, the free throw line reigned supreme as we saw three Spurs foul out, while Luka, Jake LaRavia & Marcus Smart finished with 5 for the Lakers. In a game where neither team seemed inclined to adapt to loose whistle and saw both teams shoot a combined 84 exciting and pulse racing free throws, the Lakers managed to contain Wemby for and scratch out their 5th win in a row. Still, that marh to the stripe…over…and over…and over again…was thrilling.

1. Rui Hachimura needs to be more selfish. Pretty sure that’s what he said the staff told him this summer. Pretty sure we. as fans, have been clamoring for him to have a alarger role in the offense, and on a nightly basis he keeps showing us why. Rui led all starters with a +/- of +6, shot 55.7% on mostly jumpers while going 2-3 from three. The ultimate release valve on a team that desperately needs one based on our overall shooting (33% as a team, good for 24th in the league although it is trending upwards). Rui’s presence as starter is vital, he provides needed spacing and he doesn’t give up much on the other end. His lack of aggression hurts him in the rebounding department but I can live with that. He played solid defense on Wemby, keeping him from getting to his spots and making sure he felt a body on him. All in all, Rui is the kind of cog you need in a playoff machine. Like James Worthy, Rick Fox and Lamar Odom before him, Rui can fill that scoring, solid defense (if not elite) that help grease the wheels for success.
2. Smart being smart. In a game with such quick whistles, Smart was able to bait the Spurs into foul after foul which helped offset another really bad shooting affair. Smart’s shooting will be an issue, because it’s bad. he is, by far, the worst shooter on the team which does nothing to deter him from launching shots at any point in the clock. I’m still working my way into fully believing Marcus Smart should be relied on as a either a starter or closer. Some probably would compare his game to Rondo’s but, in my opinion, there are several differences: Rondo won championships, Smart has not. Rondo’s outside shooting improved over the course of his career, Smart’s has not. Rondo was able to blend multiple alpha egos…as a rookie…into a cohesive winning force. Smart was traded away and his team instantly improved. None of that is written in stone, Marcus has the ability to add to his story and add that elusive missing piece: a ring. But he needs to become a better release valve for Luka and Reaves and, eventually, LeBron James on offense and hit those open shots. It’s a make or miss league and one has to wonder if Smart, like Vanderbilt, will have severe limitations because of his streaky shooting come the playoffs.
3. 50. Speaking of Vando, he hit his 50th three pointer against the Spurs. Like Smart, his intangibles are more important in the regular season. We’ve seen him played off the floor in the playoffs before and, if he wants to reach another level, it’s going to come from scoring the rock more consistently and from range. Smart isn’t gun shy, which can be a gift and a curse (or gifurse, as I call them) and you can see Vando mulling over all the misses from three’s he’s had over the years. He needs to get past that and play more freely. His role as the back up 3/4 seems pretty defined, I don’t really see him losing minutes when The King returns (that honor will go to Hayes, Knecht and LaRavia, I think) but if he wants to see a bigger and more consistent role it’s all on him to score at a higher level.
4. LaRavia up and down. Jake had a rough outing against San Antonio. Missed shots he normally makes, the nature of the game didn’t really play to his strengths and his foul issues plagued his overall defensive impact where he seemed limited. I like Jake and see him as a big piece for the future (and one of the reasons we might see a Rui trade this season if Jake can shoot half as well) but one of the biggest hurdles young players face is discovering how to be consistent. Add to that, if your shot isn’t falling…how else can you have a positive impact on the game? Jake usually doesn’t allow his offense to dictate his effort but I felt like last game he struggled with that. None of this is a critique of his regular season game, he’s been pretty solid. This is all about finding a combination of players that can rise to the challenge of winning at the next level.
5. Luka’s elite D. I’ve been pretty impressed with Luka overall. The only gripe is when he gets into the teeth of the D and you realize dude has no plan. His defense has been solid and, against the Spurs, it was elite. 5 steals is getting it done. Especially in a game where the shots just aren’t falling (9-27, 4-11 from deep). The defense, along with his game high 13 assists, was enough to secure the win (barely) but seeing compete at the level he has been on D has been wonderful to watch.

5 game road trip kicks off tomorrow night (my 51st birthday) so just hoping for a birthday win for yours truly.