The Los Angeles Lakers had just beaten the Houston Rockets on March 16 in the first of back-to-back road games against Houston.
“We have to play with a playoff mentality this time of year,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said.
The Lakers beat Houston two nights later during a nine-game winning streak that also included victories against the New York Knicks, Minnesota Timberwolves, Denver Nuggets, Miami Heat and Orlando Magic.
In the past month, the question shifted from folly (are the Lakers better with LeBron James on the bench?) to serious (are the Lakers putting it together at the right time for a deep playoff run?) as they climbed from sixth place to third in the Western Conference.
With health on the Lakers’ side as the regular season morphs into the playoffs, Redick has found a productive starting lineup with Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves and Marcus Smart in the backcourt and LeBron James and Deandre Ayton in the frontcourt. The bench rotation includes Luke Kennard, Rui Hachimura, Jake LaRavia, Jaxon Hayes – and Bronny James, too (in limited situations).
The Lakers are 50-26, 1 1/2 games ahead of the fourth-place Denver Nuggets and eight games behind the second-place San Antonio Spurs. Since losing to the Phoenix Suns on Feb. 26, the Lakers are 16-2 with the No. 3 offensive rating (121.6 points per 100 possessions), ninth-best defense (111.4 points allowed per 100 possessions) and fourth-best net rating (plus-10.2 points per 100 possessions).
‘Got to continue to improve’
How far can the Lakers go in the West come playoff time?
Sure, one can counter the past 18 games with the Lakers’ 5-7 December or 6-6 February. That’s fair. But the results post-All-Star break are more than noteworthy.
Who’s going to dismiss Los Angeles automatically? Especially when it’s Dončić, James, the Lakers and the intrigue they bring.
The Lakers get a measuring-stick game against the best team in the West Thursday night when they visit the Oklahoma City Thunder (9:30 p.m. ET, Prime Video).
“We’ve still got to continue to improve,” James said. “We know what we’re capable of, but we will not shortcut the process, and the process is finishing the regular season strong. … We’ve got a road trip coming up. When the postseason gets here, we will attack that as its own individual season.
“We’re in a good place right now. The chemistry is high. Everyone loves being around each other. We love playing for one another. We love being off the floor with one another. It’s a good, tight-knit group.”
While it’s never one thing for a team’s rise, Dončić’s performance – perhaps his best stretch with the Lakers since joining them in a 2025 trade – gives the Lakers a massive offensive advantage.
“He’s playing as well as anybody in the NBA right now,” Redick said after Dončić had 51 points, 10 rebounds, nine assists, three steals and one block in a March 12 victory against the Chicago Bulls.
Dončić averages an NBA-best 33.8 points plus 8.3 assists, 7.8 rebounds, 1.7 steals while shooting 47.7% overall, 36.8% on 3-pointers and 77.9% on free throws. During this 16-2 stretch, he averages a team-high 36.8 ppg – a point per minute played – and the Lakers score an impressive 123.9 points per 100 possessions when he’s on the court.
“He’s been high-volume, high-efficiency (3-point shooter) for about 2 1/2months now. It’s so important,” Redick said. “It just sets up the rest of his game when he’s making 3s, and it obviously gives us life. It can be a kill shot some nights. It can be a run-stopper some nights.”
LeBron embraces a new role in L.A.
LeBron James finishes with 21 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists in a win over the Wizards.
The Dončić-Reaves-James lineup is working, too. Since Feb. 27, Los Angeles has been:
- 12-2 and outscoring opponents by 9.1 points per game when all three are on the court.
- Scoring a combined 76.8 points per game with Reaves’ 21.3 and James’ 18.7.
James has taken fewer shots per game than both, and his usage rate is 25.7, the lowest of his career. But to call him the third option is a misnomer because of the attention he draws as well as his ability to score 30, record triple-doubles and remain efficient.
“It’s pretty cool to know that I’m at this point in my career, and I’m still able to do those things,” James said. “It’s super dope. It’s super humbling. Just continue to put the work in and those are the results of it.”
Yes, James’ role is different. That’s not surprising, and James is good with it. He is 41 years old after all.
“He’s been a high-usage player and the No. 1 option his whole career,” Redick said. “I know he wants to win, and he wants to do everything possible to help this team win even if it looks a little differently.
“He had to make some sacrifices when we traded for Luka last year, and he understands how important it is for Luka and AR to have time on the ball. The realistic thing is when they’re on the court together, that’s going to take away time on the ball for him.”
Said James: “If it benefits others, it benefits the team. The team is most important. Everybody’s successful when we win. So yeah, it is a sacrifice. I know what I’m capable of still doing as an individual, but I’m able to adapt to what’s important for this team.”
Add in the productive play of Ayton and Smart, who led the Lakers in plus-minus at plus-11.5 points per game in March, along with solid bench play, and the Lakers are one of the hottest teams of late. That group also includes the Thunder, Nuggets, Spurs, Atlanta Hawks and Boston Celtics.
Redick recently referenced the Lakers’ record when Hachimura plays this season (44-18), which is about a 58-win pace.
“That tells you all you need to know,” Redick said of Hachimura, who averages 11.2 ppg while shooting 51% overall and 43.6% on 3-pointers. “His ability to space the floor (and) his size, it’s so important for our team and our rotation.”
Kennard leads the league in 3-point shooting (49.1%), and Hayes’ value as a rim protector and screen-and-roll big man is on display.
The Lakers have found solutions that have stumped opponents. It’s an encouraging development for them.
But the larger question looms later this month and possibly in May: How does that translate in a seven-game playoff series against teams such as Houston, Denver, Minnesota, San Antonio or Oklahoma City?
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Jeff Zillgitt has covered the NBA since 2008. You can email him at jzillgitt@nba.com, find his archive here and follow him on X.
