Welcome back to The Times’ Lakers newsletter, where we’re still trying to count up the notable stats from the Lakers’ first three games.
Luka Doncic became the first player in franchise history to open a season with consecutive 40-point performances, scoring 43 against the Golden State Warriors and 49 against the Minnesota Timberwolves. But the main talking point after his 49-point, 11-rebound, eight-assist night against Minnesota was the late missed free throw that left him short of 50 points.
Austin Reaves took care of that the next game. While Doncic sat out with finger and leg injuries that will keep him sidelined for at least a week, Reaves became the fifth Lakers player this century to score 50 points in a game, joining an elite list of Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Shaquille O’Neal. The only way teammates could cool him off after he dropped 51 points against the Sacramento Kings was by dousing him in ice cold water in the locker room.
But, just as Reaves would likely prefer, this newsletter will not be about him.
DominAyton?
After fielding multiple questions about one particular play, Deandre Ayton wondered why everyone seemed so fixated on that one two-handed, putback dunk he had in the fourth quarter against the Kings. He had four dunks in the game, he protested.
But it was what the play symbolized. Not only did he put the Lakers up by eight with 5:30 remaining in a seesaw game, but the aggressive play showed what could be a bright future for Ayton’s revenge tour and the Lakers’ championship hopes.
“We’ve been waiting on that, man,” forward Jarred Vanderbilt said. “I know he got it in him so for him to just change the energy like that and actually first of all, crash for the board, and then actually dunking it, he let out some energy. That’s what we need from him every single night.”
Ayton’s 22 points and 15 rebounds against the Kings were the best performance of his short Lakers career, coach JJ Redick said. Ayton had 16 points and eight rebounds against Portland, his former team, Monday night.
Ayton is not the team’s biggest star but could be the biggest X-factor. Doncic, Reaves and LeBron James will deliver when they’re in the lineup. How far the Lakers get will depend on the performance of their supporting cast, led by Ayton.
The Bahamian center has a habit of infuriating NBA fans with his inconsistent effort. It’s one of the reasons why the former No. 1 pick is now on his third team in four years and why Portland was happy to buy out his contract after two forgettable seasons.
But he still has all the physical tools to live up to his “DominAyton” nickname. The Lakers are determined to unleash Ayton’s full potential.
To do it, teammates are trying to tap into unique parts of Ayton’s personality. They keep him engaged by relentlessly trolling him, Ayton said. They tease him about how many times he’ll be boxed out or whether he’ll lose the opening tip. Being the butt of their jokes seems to motivate Ayton. Playful trash talk appears to be the Lakers’ primary love language.
“I’m starting to see it’s a trend because I don’t get a break until we on the court, then it’s all seriousness,” Ayton said. “I’m like, ‘Oh, so this is a thing y’all want to do. Y’all want to get me to the edge. Y’all want me fired up.’ I like it: your teammates are starting to know me, and I ain’t had that in a while where dudes really care.”
Doncic, Reaves and fellow veteran guard Marcus Smart have been intentional in their relationship building with Ayton, communicating consistently about one another’s preferences on the court. Doncic, one of the league’s premier pick-and-roll maestros, said he’s never played with a big man who likes the pocket pass as much as Ayton. After vowing to work on their connection following the team’s season-opening loss to Golden State, Doncic zipped a slick bounce pass to Ayton against Minnesota for a midrange jumper that helped the Lakers get off to a strong start in the third quarter. Reaves slipped Ayton another pocket pass later in the game that Ayton flubbed on the dunk attempt, but it was still the Lakers’ favorite play of last Friday’s game because it showed how quickly their connection as teammates was growing.
“Me and Luka went straight to DA and was like, ‘That’s what we need,’” Reaves said. “‘Like we don’t care if you make it, miss it, at this point, go do that. Because more times than not, you’re gonna make it or you’re gonna get fouled.’ So we need that from him.”
It helped that Hachimura was there to clean up Ayton’s missed dunk for a layup and three-point play opportunity.
Looking ahead for the shorthanded Lakers
Reaves saved the shorthanded Lakers once, but how long can he keep the team afloat?
The Lakers were down to seven standard contract players when they faced Portland on Monday, losing 122-108, the second night of a back-to-back, after Gabe Vincent (ankle) and Smart (quad) were ruled out for injuries suffered against the Kings. Redick did not have any immediate updates on how long either could remain out, but the bench is starting to have more players dressed in street clothes than in uniform during this busy stretch that goes to Minnesota and Memphis this week.
Vincent left the locker room in Sacramento on crutches with a protective boot on his left foot. Ballhandling responsibilities could get especially dicey, Redick said, because needing Reaves to be the primary ballhandler for an entire game while getting picked up full court and initiating the offense would be a tough task.
Doncic won’t be reevaluated until at least next Sunday while James’ initial timeline had the earliest time he could be reevaluated as this Thursday, three weeks after the team announced he was out with a sciatic nerve injury.
After Vincent went out againt the Kings, Redick put rookie guard Chris Manon into the lineup for his NBA debut. The two-way guard who went undrafted out of Vanderbilt didn’t look out of place on defense in his three-minute stint, grabbing a defensive rebound and a block. While he missed part of training camp with an ankle injury, Redick said Manon “has the opportunity to be an elite on-ball defender.” Offensively, he missed an open three-pointer and is still developing as a shooter, Redick said, and had no college experience running a pick-and-roll.
“There’s a basketball player there, and we’re gonna try to develop that,” Redick said. “And part of that development is looking for opportunities for him to play in NBA games.”
Favorite thing I ate this week
Food is thiebou jen: stewed red snapper and vegetables over jollof rice.
(Thuc Nhi Nguyen / Los Angeles Times)
I’m balancing the Lakers’ beat with Olympic coverage this week, which gave me a chance to return to New York City for the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic media summit ahead of the Milano Cortina Games. So while my brave Lakers reporter comrades completed the back-to-back in Sacramento and L.A., I was having dinner at Cafe Rue Dix, a French Senegalese restaurant in Brooklyn. The thiebou jen — stewed red snapper and vegetables over jollof rice — will be living rent free in my head (and taste buds) for a while.
In case you missed it
Despite Austin Reaves’ 41 points, shorthanded Lakers are no match for Trail Blazers
Shaq had a Land Rover custom fit to his 7-foot frame. It vanished, and there’s a $10,000 reward
With Luka Doncic injured, Austin Reaves scores career-high 51 points in Lakers’ win
Marcus Smart proves his worth to Lakers in their first win of the season
‘These dudes are stupid’: Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal weigh in on NBA gambling scandal
Marcus Smart setting the tone for the Lakers’ physical play
Lakers ‘unofficial coach’ allegedly traded info on LeBron James injury in NBA gambling scandal
Until next time…
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