The Lakers are looking to rebound from a disappointing season in which they were bounced in the first round of the playoffs. They’re running back mostly the same roster, but the Olympics are showing that the hope of better results might not be that far-fetched.
LeBron James and Anthony Davis looked like two of the best players in the world in the USA’s five exhibition games. What’s an even better sign for Lakers fans is how Steve Kerr has used both players can easily be replicated by incoming coach JJ Redick.
How LeBron James and Anthony Davis are thriving in the Olympics
LeBron James is unstoppable in inverted pick-and-rolls
James was Captain America for the USA in its exhibition games. He led them with 14.2 points per game while shooting an astounding 60.9 percent from the field.
That high field goal percentage isn’t that surprising when you see how damaging he was going downhill on his drives. He was able to get to the paint at will because of Kerr’s use of inverted pick-and-rolls, where he used James as a ballhandler and Stephen Curry as a screener.
By my count, Team USA ran at least three LeBron James-Steph Curry inverted pick-and-rolls against Serbia.
Their play call for it: "Too small."
As in the too-small taunt, same as with the Warriors.https://t.co/T1CKur1zxU pic.twitter.com/TzWezN3JBk
— Joe Viray (@JoeVirayNBA) July 18, 2024
Redick called those inverted pick-and-rolls one of the most difficult actions in the NBA to guard in his “Mind the Game” podcast. It’s a great way to target smaller defenders, who have no chance when they have to provide help on James. It also opens up Curry when he pops off those screens.
The Lakers don’t have a player like Curry on their team, of course, but they do have good 3-point shooting guards in Austin Reaves and D’Angelo Russell who can mimic this action. Redick will likely break it out a lot next season, allowing James to continue his dominance as a driver.
Anthony Davis has been unlocked as a passer for Team USA
Davis was also terrific in Team USA’s five exhibition games, leading the way with 3.0 blocks per game and 9.8 rebounds per game. He was better than starting center Joel Embiid and outperformed everyone on the floor according to some analysts.
“Anthony Davis has been the best player on this team,” Windhorst said on ESPN’s Get Up. “An absolute beast on the defensive end.”
One way in which Kerr has made the most out of Davis is by using him as a passer at the top of the floor.
One of Golden State’s signature plays after timeouts, taken from Phil Jackson’s Bulls, is known as WTF. It involves a complex series of off-ball screening actions that have led to countless layups and open 3s for the Warriors. Kerr has brought it to the Olympics, and Davis has excelled as the decision-maker in it.
Davis hit James for an uncontested dunk in their opener against a Canadian roster stacked with NBA talent.
WTF pic.twitter.com/eN40Vfuymc
— Coach Gibson Pyper (@HalfCourtHoops) July 11, 2024
That passing role for Davis matches what Redick said that he likes to do with his big men on “Mind the Game.” He called the Warriors’ split-cut actions unstoppable because of the dual threat of a big man like Draymond Green posting up, along with having to defend against screening actions that Green can pass to.
The Lakers didn’t use a ton of split cuts or Davis in a passing role much last season, but he has looked capable during the Olympics. Redick should take a page out of Kerr’s book and try him there next season.
The fact that AD and James have looked like two of the best players in the world in a different system bodes well for the Lakers. Redick shares a lot in common philosophically with Kerr, so those results might translate to the NBA games.
It really could be as much as a simple coaching change that gets Los Angeles back into a deep playoff run.
