Iztok Franko: Lakers Game Observations: Game 41 vs Raptors

January 19, 2026 at 8:01 am

FROM ABOVE ARTICLE:

Much-needed quality wire-to-wire win
The Lakers still have some fight left.

Just like they did after a recent three-game losing streak, when they responded with a quality win against Atlanta, they bounced back again here. This time with a very solid, end-to-end performance against the fourth-best team in the East, the Toronto Raptors (25–19).

The Lakers haven’t had many double-digit wins this season, especially against above-.500 opposition. So seeing them put their foot on the gas and win decisively was a welcome sight for a team about to head out on the road for the next 15 days, with eight straight away games during the Grammy trip.

Source: ESPN

Today’s notes:

JJ flips the game with zone and super-big lineups

Ayton thriving inside against another smaller team (VIDEO)

Vando thriving in a junked-up, zone-heavy game

Two-option attack (VIDEO)

Gimme Timme (VIDEO)

1-JJ flips the game with zone and super-big lineups

The way the game started, it looked like it might be one of those nights where the Lakers are overmatched by a young, athletic opponent. With Jakob Poeltl sidelined, the Raptors didn’t play a traditional center, instead starting three long wings: Scottie Barnes, Brandon Ingram, and super-active rookie Collin Murray-Boyles. The latter gave the Lakers all kinds of problems early, blocking two Luka Dončić shots (one being an obvious goaltend) and crashing the glass. The Raptors grabbed four offensive rebounds and scored 18 points in the paint in the first quarter, building a seven-point lead.

JJ Redick had seen enough of the Raptors bullying their way inside and decided to junk up the game. He opened the second quarter with a super-big lineup of Marcus Smart, LeBron James, Jarred Vanderbilt, Drew Timme, and Deandre Ayton, closing the lid on the paint by having the Lakers play mostly zone for the rest of the game and leaning into super-big lineups with Ayton, Timme and Vanderbilt again in the fourth.

It was a smart strategy against one of the worst shooting teams in the NBA, allowing the Lakers to pack the paint. And the longer the Raptors couldn’t buy a three—they finished the game 7-of-32 from deep—the more confident and persistent the Lakers became with the zone.

41 zone possessions marked the fifth-highest zone usage frequency in a game this season. Only the Bucks (three times) and the Timberwolves have played more zone in a single game than the Lakers did last night, per Genius Sports tracking data.

2-Ayton thriving inside against another smaller team (VIDEO)

If the defensive recipe was different, the success on the other end looked familiar, echoing what the Lakers did in their previous win against Atlanta. In that game, Deandre Ayton punished the smaller Hawks, who featured Onyeka Okongwu (6’10”) at center, by dominating the glass and consistently scoring against an undersized backline defense.

Already without Poeltl, the Raptors also lost Murray-Boyles to a hand injury in the second half and had no player taller than 6’9” available in this game. The Lakers looked to feed Ayton inside early, which resulted in a couple of early James turnovers.

But unlike in some other games, when those mishaps might deter them from going back to Ayton, the Lakers stayed with it. Ayton rewarded that persistence by going a perfect 10-of-10 from the field, scoring 25 points and collecting 13 rebounds for his ninth 20-and-10 game of the season.

Dončić had four assists finding Ayton inside, while James and Smart added three each. The Smart experience is always a bit of a rodeo. He had some wild passes and a team-high five turnovers in this one. But when it comes to Ayton, he has been one of the most deliberate playmakers all season, consistently trying to get the enigmatic big man going.

3-Vando thriving in a junked-up, zone-heavy game

Vanderbilt is another player whose uncontrolled game can swing chaos on both ends, for better or worse. I have written a lot about his limitations as a shooter and how that has affected Lakers spacing during the recent stretch in which he has been getting significant rotation minutes.

Despite his reputation as an elite defender, his on-ball defense against top wing scorers and his off-ball work, where he is gamble-prone and often undisciplined, have not been impactful enough to consistently compensate for those offensive limitations.

However, last night’s less predictable environment, with heavy zone usage that allowed him to roam and disrupt passing lanes, was far more suitable for his game. And he delivered one of his better all-around performances, often serving as a key defender in big lineups while collecting nine rebounds, two steals, and two blocks in a vintage, energy-filled 21 minutes.

Lakers Nation
@LakersNation
JJ Redick on Jarred Vanderbilt:

“When our team is at our best, we have guys that star in their roles without necessarily scoring the basketball… Vando has now had a month-long stretch, outside of a couple games, where he’s starred in his role, and tonight was another example
9:11 PM · Jan 18, 2026 · 44.7K Views
6 Replies · 40 Reposts · 913 Likes

4-Two-option attack (VIDEO)

With Austin Reaves out, Redick has leaned more heavily into staggering Luka and LeBron to keep one primary playmaker on the floor at all times. And over the last couple of games, the Lakers have essentially run two different offenses. One look is a Luka-led, big pick-and-roll heavy attack. The other shifts to LeBron as a mismatch hub, operating either on the block or from the elbow.

Last night, the Lakers were far more successful with the latter option, having Smart initiate empty-side pick actions to get LeBron into mismatch situations and play off that advantage. The Lakers also did a good job using Vanderbilt and others in weakside actions to mitigate the lack of shooting and prevent defenders from sagging off them and collapsing into the paint.

The Lakers went on two of their biggest runs with Dončić on the bench, leaning into big lineups and running the offense through James. They did create good looks with Dončić at the helm as well, especially in the second quarter, but failed to convert several wide-open attempts from beyond the arc.

I know the internet and player stans will turn this into another poisonous Luka versus LeBron debate. I would rather appreciate the fact that Redick can throw different looks and attack from different angles over the course of 48 minutes.

5-Gimme Timme (VIDEO)

When the Lakers decided to replace Christian Koloko with the 25-year-old, 6’10 Drew Timme as their end-of-bench backup center option on a two-way deal in late November, it was an intriguing move. Koloko profiles as a lob-catching big in the mold of Jaxson Hayes, while Timme’s skill set is entirely different.

Timme got the chance to show that he is a uniquely skilled big man, one who can operate and punish mismatches on the block, hit the open three, make a floater on the move, and pass. He did exactly that when he got his first real opportunity, collecting 19 points and three assists in 14 minutes against the Trail Blazers.

Still, seeing Timme play 16 minutes in this game was a surprise, but also a reminder of the value of a floor-stretching big skill set that we have not seen next to Dončić in a while. Maxi Kleber filled that role during the 2022 Conference Finals run, but has not been a reliable or willing shooter since. Timme hit a pick-and-pop three out of an action with Dončić, showing that a pop threat can be just as lethal and just as important as a vertical lob threat.

Timme lacks the size and athleticism, and the Lakers lack a long, defensive-minded four to mitigate his defensive limitations, making it difficult for him to carve out a larger role. But if he can continue to fill a situational niche and provide a different pitch in certain matchups, his diverse skill set can be a valuable addition to an otherwise very limited Lakers bench.

Comments

LakerTom says

January 19, 2026 at 8:01 am

FROM ABOVE ARTICLE:

Much-needed quality wire-to-wire win
The Lakers still have some fight left.

Just like they did after a recent three-game losing streak, when they responded with a quality win against Atlanta, they bounced back again here. This time with a very solid, end-to-end performance against the fourth-best team in the East, the Toronto Raptors (25–19).

The Lakers haven’t had many double-digit wins this season, especially against above-.500 opposition. So seeing them put their foot on the gas and win decisively was a welcome sight for a team about to head out on the road for the next 15 days, with eight straight away games during the Grammy trip.

Source: ESPN

Today’s notes:

JJ flips the game with zone and super-big lineups

Ayton thriving inside against another smaller team (VIDEO)

Vando thriving in a junked-up, zone-heavy game

Two-option attack (VIDEO)

Gimme Timme (VIDEO)

1-JJ flips the game with zone and super-big lineups

The way the game started, it looked like it might be one of those nights where the Lakers are overmatched by a young, athletic opponent. With Jakob Poeltl sidelined, the Raptors didn’t play a traditional center, instead starting three long wings: Scottie Barnes, Brandon Ingram, and super-active rookie Collin Murray-Boyles. The latter gave the Lakers all kinds of problems early, blocking two Luka Dončić shots (one being an obvious goaltend) and crashing the glass. The Raptors grabbed four offensive rebounds and scored 18 points in the paint in the first quarter, building a seven-point lead.

JJ Redick had seen enough of the Raptors bullying their way inside and decided to junk up the game. He opened the second quarter with a super-big lineup of Marcus Smart, LeBron James, Jarred Vanderbilt, Drew Timme, and Deandre Ayton, closing the lid on the paint by having the Lakers play mostly zone for the rest of the game and leaning into super-big lineups with Ayton, Timme and Vanderbilt again in the fourth.

It was a smart strategy against one of the worst shooting teams in the NBA, allowing the Lakers to pack the paint. And the longer the Raptors couldn’t buy a three—they finished the game 7-of-32 from deep—the more confident and persistent the Lakers became with the zone.

41 zone possessions marked the fifth-highest zone usage frequency in a game this season. Only the Bucks (three times) and the Timberwolves have played more zone in a single game than the Lakers did last night, per Genius Sports tracking data.

2-Ayton thriving inside against another smaller team (VIDEO)

If the defensive recipe was different, the success on the other end looked familiar, echoing what the Lakers did in their previous win against Atlanta. In that game, Deandre Ayton punished the smaller Hawks, who featured Onyeka Okongwu (6’10”) at center, by dominating the glass and consistently scoring against an undersized backline defense.

Already without Poeltl, the Raptors also lost Murray-Boyles to a hand injury in the second half and had no player taller than 6’9” available in this game. The Lakers looked to feed Ayton inside early, which resulted in a couple of early James turnovers.

But unlike in some other games, when those mishaps might deter them from going back to Ayton, the Lakers stayed with it. Ayton rewarded that persistence by going a perfect 10-of-10 from the field, scoring 25 points and collecting 13 rebounds for his ninth 20-and-10 game of the season.

Dončić had four assists finding Ayton inside, while James and Smart added three each. The Smart experience is always a bit of a rodeo. He had some wild passes and a team-high five turnovers in this one. But when it comes to Ayton, he has been one of the most deliberate playmakers all season, consistently trying to get the enigmatic big man going.

3-Vando thriving in a junked-up, zone-heavy game

Vanderbilt is another player whose uncontrolled game can swing chaos on both ends, for better or worse. I have written a lot about his limitations as a shooter and how that has affected Lakers spacing during the recent stretch in which he has been getting significant rotation minutes.

Despite his reputation as an elite defender, his on-ball defense against top wing scorers and his off-ball work, where he is gamble-prone and often undisciplined, have not been impactful enough to consistently compensate for those offensive limitations.

However, last night’s less predictable environment, with heavy zone usage that allowed him to roam and disrupt passing lanes, was far more suitable for his game. And he delivered one of his better all-around performances, often serving as a key defender in big lineups while collecting nine rebounds, two steals, and two blocks in a vintage, energy-filled 21 minutes.

Lakers Nation
@LakersNation
JJ Redick on Jarred Vanderbilt:

“When our team is at our best, we have guys that star in their roles without necessarily scoring the basketball… Vando has now had a month-long stretch, outside of a couple games, where he’s starred in his role, and tonight was another example
9:11 PM · Jan 18, 2026 · 44.7K Views
6 Replies · 40 Reposts · 913 Likes

4-Two-option attack (VIDEO)

With Austin Reaves out, Redick has leaned more heavily into staggering Luka and LeBron to keep one primary playmaker on the floor at all times. And over the last couple of games, the Lakers have essentially run two different offenses. One look is a Luka-led, big pick-and-roll heavy attack. The other shifts to LeBron as a mismatch hub, operating either on the block or from the elbow.

Last night, the Lakers were far more successful with the latter option, having Smart initiate empty-side pick actions to get LeBron into mismatch situations and play off that advantage. The Lakers also did a good job using Vanderbilt and others in weakside actions to mitigate the lack of shooting and prevent defenders from sagging off them and collapsing into the paint.

The Lakers went on two of their biggest runs with Dončić on the bench, leaning into big lineups and running the offense through James. They did create good looks with Dončić at the helm as well, especially in the second quarter, but failed to convert several wide-open attempts from beyond the arc.

I know the internet and player stans will turn this into another poisonous Luka versus LeBron debate. I would rather appreciate the fact that Redick can throw different looks and attack from different angles over the course of 48 minutes.

5-Gimme Timme (VIDEO)

When the Lakers decided to replace Christian Koloko with the 25-year-old, 6’10 Drew Timme as their end-of-bench backup center option on a two-way deal in late November, it was an intriguing move. Koloko profiles as a lob-catching big in the mold of Jaxson Hayes, while Timme’s skill set is entirely different.

Timme got the chance to show that he is a uniquely skilled big man, one who can operate and punish mismatches on the block, hit the open three, make a floater on the move, and pass. He did exactly that when he got his first real opportunity, collecting 19 points and three assists in 14 minutes against the Trail Blazers.

Still, seeing Timme play 16 minutes in this game was a surprise, but also a reminder of the value of a floor-stretching big skill set that we have not seen next to Dončić in a while. Maxi Kleber filled that role during the 2022 Conference Finals run, but has not been a reliable or willing shooter since. Timme hit a pick-and-pop three out of an action with Dončić, showing that a pop threat can be just as lethal and just as important as a vertical lob threat.

Timme lacks the size and athleticism, and the Lakers lack a long, defensive-minded four to mitigate his defensive limitations, making it difficult for him to carve out a larger role. But if he can continue to fill a situational niche and provide a different pitch in certain matchups, his diverse skill set can be a valuable addition to an otherwise very limited Lakers bench.

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