On Christmas, the Lakers made the best offensive team of last season look second-rate. And they're just getting started: https://t.co/urWIXWJfhj
— Kyle Goon (@kylegoon) December 26, 2020
A 138-115 Christmas Day victory over the Dallas Mavericks rang glad tidings for the Lakers offensively, as they rolled over their counterparts with brisk shooting figures and a variety of looks. What might be most frightening for the NBA in this early stage is how balanced the Lakers were on their way to victory: Five Lakers scored at least 13 points, and no one scored more than Anthony Davis, who had 28.
Schröder and Harrell shine as supplementary scorers
When the Lakers reshaped their roster this past offseason, this was the type of gaudy performance they envisioned: producing 138 points with four players scoring 18-plus each: Anthony Davis with 28 points, LeBron James with 22, Montrezl Harrell with 22 and Dennis Schröder with 18.
As James said postgame, last season’s team had two heavy hitters in James and Davis, with complementary pieces that could step up when necessary. But the offense was often predicated on James, Davis or Rajon Rondo creating opportunities for others.
But this season, the Lakers have added Schröder and Harrell, the top-two finishers for Sixth Man of the Year. The two can coast into 15 or more points. Kyle Kuzma and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, the third and fourth options last season, have now slid down into their more appropriate spots as the fifth and sixth options on the roster, respectively.
This is exactly what Rob Pelinka had in mind when he added Dennis and Trezz in the offseason. It’s the Lakers version of load management. Take the pressure off LeBron and AD to have to score big every game. Make the Lakers a much more dangerous and difficult team for opponents to defend. Make the game easier for the other role players by giving them multiple options to look for when we need a basket. Like the opener against the Clippers, it’s just one game but it clearly showcases Rob Pelinka’s offseason genius.