The LA Lakers recorded a satisfying win over the Dallas Mavericks in a ‘revenge game’ for Luka Doncic.
Luka Doncic produced his first ever triple-double for the LA Lakers to help the team to a win over the Dallas Mavericks.
The LA Lakers have now recorded three successive wins, moving to 35-21 for the season, fourth in the Western Conference.
It is not just Luka Doncic making an impact, nor evergreen superstar LeBron James. One attracting real attention with his recent performance is Rui Hachimura.
Rui Hachimura has been one of the many LA Lakers stars to develop effectively under JJ Redick, and he is becoming an important part of the team.
Jamal Murray praised Hachimura’s role in the team’s recent win over the Nuggets, while JJ Redick lauded his contribution against the Trail Blazers.
Following the 107-99 win over the Dallas Mavericks, Bill Simmons spoke on his podcast to discuss Hachimura’s recent play, which has seen him feature as a center when it comes to crunch time.
Jaxson Hayes started the game for the Lakers, but during the stretch Dorian Finney-Smith came in, with Hachimura filling in at center.
Simmons noted that Hachimura’s physicality reminds him of current New York Knicks star Karl-Anthony Towns.
He said: “I don’t know what the ceiling is of this team, yet they’re 15-4 in their last 19 now, they’ve been top five net the whole time.
“Rui at center, which you know they’ve they’ve done from time to time when AD was out, but they are doing it by necessity now, because the Mark Williams trade got canceled, he’s a little Karl-Anthony Towns this year at times, and I mean that in a good way.
“Like he’s got size, he could stretch the floor, and he’s just big enough that he could push against a post up player, he’s not a rim protector, neither is Towns.
“Reaves as the point guard, even though he’s not a point guard, Rui as the center, not a center. And then LeBron and Luka and Finney Smith as the wings, and they’re all just really smart basketball players who can kind of fill in the blanks and not totally get burned.”
Simmons had praised the Lakers’ physical core in a separate podcast earlier in the week, while on this one, he added that he believes the current set up is one that can work.
He explained: “Rim protection is not gonna be perfect, there’s going to be guards like Kyrie tonight that they’re just not able to stay in front of unless it’s a team defensive concept. I think it works. I’m bullish on this Lakers team as a contender.”
You can never write off a team with LeBron James, nor one with Luka Doncic. And now they are together.
Their form over the last two games is making a mockery of Charles Barkley’s assessment the two players cannot play together.
And the pair have a real core around them, with Austin Reaves, Dorian Finney-Smith and Rui Hachimura, supported by the coaching of JJ Redick.
Tougher tasks lie ahead for the Lakers, when teams make adjustments to what they are doing. But right now they are rolling.
