LOS ANGELES — As the Lakers turn their attention to closing out 2023 on a high note, they’ll do so with their focus continuing to be on the defensive end of the floor and trying to figure out their identity.
The Lakers will close out the calendar year with back-to-back road games against the Western Conference-leading Minnesota Timberwolves (23-7) on Saturday and the New Orleans Pelicans (18-14) on Sunday.
“We just got to continue to do what we do,” Lakers forward Anthony Davis said. “We got to defend. Obviously that’s a great team in Minnesota. A lot of great weapons. But we’re a great team as well.
“And if we go out and defend how we’re supposed to, we can win those games. And it’s a team that we’re trying to catch. Same thing for New Orleans. They’re ahead of us right now and we’re trying to catch them as well. Two important games to close out ‘23.”
The defensive side of the ball has been a focus for the Lakers (17-15) all season, but especially since coach Darvin Ham made the decision to replace guard D’Angelo Russell with forward Jarred Vanderbilt in the starting lineup – giving the team an entire first unit of players 6-foot-6 or taller.
It was the second significant starting lineup change of the season after Cam Reddish supplanted Austin Reaves in the unit five games into the season. Rui Hachimura started in place of Reddish in Thursday’s home blowout win over the Charlotte Hornets, with Reddish sidelined because of left groin soreness. The victory was just the Lakers’ third in the past nine games.
The changing of lineups and improved health have the Lakers still trying to figure out what their identity is 40% through the season.
“For the most part, it’s figuring out really what we want our identity to be,” Reaves said. “At this point, we would like to 100% know, but it’s hard because we’ve not had a full roster. Guys have been in and out.
“I feel like we can be so versatile that sometimes it might hurt us a little bit. Because if we stick to one thing and just get really good at that one thing and then expand from that, we’ll become a huge problem. I believe that every time we step on the court that we can beat anybody we play. But just figuring out really what our identity is is, in my opinion, the main thing because we can be so good when we figure that out.”
How Davis sees it, what Reaves was speaking about is more beneficial than a hindrance.
“We got good problems,” Davis said. “We got a lot of different lineups. Obviously, you want to stick with one lineup and kind of have it set where guys know their rotations and where they’re going to get their shots and where they’re going to play, but if we need to make an adjustment, we can always throw anybody in the spot. Because a lot of guys on our team can actually go anywhere and start. So we have good problems.”
Davis added that the new full-time starting unit of himself, Reddish, Vanderbilt, Taurean Prince and LeBron James needs more time to work through its early struggles.
The new starting lineup, which is defensive-oriented, has a defensive rating (points allowed per 100 possessions) of 122 in 19 minutes and a net rating of minus-19.5
“That first group, we just got to keep logging minutes and keep figuring it out, especially on the defensive end,” Davis said. “We’re all five defensive-minded players and we like playing defense so we’ll keep figuring out these schemes and how we can be better and then offensively, we’ll just figure it out.”
Davis (ankle) and James (knee), who wasn’t available for the Dec. 21 road loss to the Timberwolves on the second night of a back-to-back, were listed as questionable for Saturday’s game.
Reddish is listed as probable.
“Those guys are highly competitive and it’s two teams that’s gonna be right in the mix,” Ham responded when asked whether the star duo will be available for both games this week. “One is at the top of the Western Conference. One is surging. I expect those guys to have themselves ready and available.
“I don’t know if a minute restriction applies or a minute zone applies when you’re dealing with this high-level basketball to finish the calendar year. I just look forward to us getting to Minnesota safely, God willing, and being ready to play that game on Saturday. We’ll worry about the rest later.”
LAKERS AT TIMBERWOLVES
When: 5 p.m. PT Saturday
Where: Target Center, Minneapolis
TV/Radio: Spectrum SportsNet, 710 AM
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