To say that the Los Angeles Lakers have been on a groove as of late is an understatement. This squad has managed to win seven out of their last 10 games with some of them not even featuring both Anthony Davis and LeBron James. They just got off a massive win over the Memphis Grizzlies and hope to continue that momentum into the last game of the season. A main goal that everyone on Darvin Ham’s squad shares is to win the Larry O’Brien trophy and Spencer Dinwiddie might just know how.
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Every team has a win condition to fulfill before they enter every game. Plays are run through these individuals because they are the ones capable of filling the stat sheet while also netting the squad some entries in the win column. Superstars are likely the ones able to get these roles which means the duo out of the Lakers system is no exception.
Coach Darvin Ham has been using LeBron James and Anthony Davis well in these past couple of games. All of this makes Spencer Dinwiddie think that the Lakers have unlocked their path to victory, via Point Game with John Wall and CJ Toledano.
“I think for us to win a championship, 3-through-15 has to just be fine with whatever, you know what I’m saying? Completely focused, locked in, understand game-to-game changes, not have too many self-expectations in a sense. Like you can’t go into a game and be like, ‘Damn if I don’t get 20 it’s a bad game,’” he declared.
Lakers’ road to a new banner
Spencer Dinwiddie may have a point here. There is no clear-cut third star in the Lakers system that might pop off consistently every night. Austin Reaves, D’Angelo Russell, Taurean Prince, and Jaxson Hayes among others are able to produce big numbers but they are not as grand as LeBron James and Anthony Davis. In their win against the Grizzlies, it was Rui Hachimura who blazed up while others took on different roles on both sides of the floor.
The Lakers may have to adopt the mindset that Dinwiddie is proposing if there’s no constant third star who can consistently churn out high production.
“You gotta just go into it and be like, ‘Okay, what’s the gameplan?’ Locked in, defensive mentality, and then just hoop from there. Because the two juggernauts gonna do what they do, you feel me? But 3-through-15 has to be sacrificial in the mindset of like, ‘What does the team need?” the Lakers guard said.
Clearly, the duo are the stars of the show whenever the Lakers rush out of their locker rooms. So, they will need a supporting cast that is able to do the dirty work in terms of rebounding, hustle plays, setting proper screens, and executing well. If they do hit an insanely good offensive stretch, they might get the ball and run the offense for a while as Davis and James avoid fatigue.
Nothing is certain in the Lakers system. Hopefully, they can carry this mindset and momentum into a successful postseason run.