NBA Notebook: How the Lakers emerged as one of the NBA's best teams

Tickets for Celtics-Lakers on the secondary market continued to go for more than $400, minimum, on one secondary market on Saturday afternoon. While LeBron James' presence at the center of Celtics-Lakers in the regular season would always carry at least national hype and an ABC listing, especially following Boston staking its latest claim in the all-time rivalry over the summer with their 18th championship, Luka Dončić joining the matchup sent demand for the matchup to a historic level. 

Beyond bringing additional star power, while pitting Dončić against the Celtics team that defeated him decisively in those Finals in June, and the interest around Dončić's trade that transcended sports -- the Lakers emerged as a legitimate NBA Finals contender in line with his arrival. It's difficult to understand how James, 40, and Dončić, struggling from the field and banged up, have powered that rise. That also warrants skepticism over the sustainability of their run, but at a certain point, you have to believe the results in front of you over a significant sample size. The Lakers, like Boston, have won nine of their last 11 games, tied for second behind only the 11-0 Cavs over that stretch. They're No. 1 in defense, most surprising of all their developments, and mustered a 15th-ranked offense with Dončić struggling. 

It's first worth crediting JJ Redick for the unexpected success he earned to begin his first season coaching at any level. LA put veteran coaches like Scott Brooks and Nate McMillan alongside him on the bench to smooth that acclimation, though it's clear Redick's flexibility, cutting-edge thinking and relationships in the room allowed him to improve on what Darvin Ham got out of the team one year ago. That showed even before Dončić's arrival. The Lakers hammered the Celtics, 117-96, in January by empowering Anthony Davis and Austin Reaves, weaponizing Rui Hachimura's defensive versatility and playing fast through LeBron James. They mostly survived Boston's intense mismatch hunting and even seemed to welcome it as a way to slow the Celtics' offensive flow. They favored switching defense to cut off threes with Davis' rim protection. Against the Nuggets late last month, the Lakers sold out to keep the ball from Nikola Jokić, limiting a rival who's long tormented them to 12 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists in a blowout win for LA. 

The most predictable path to a turnaround under Redick would've seemingly come on offense. Considering his relationship with Joe Mazzulla and their aligned principles on analytical basketball, the Lakers would ramp up their three-point rate, offensive rebounding, cut out bad shots and play five-out around James. Instead, they rank 22nd in three-point attempts, 25th in offensive rebounding rate, play relatively slow in terms of possessions per game and leaned into letting Davis play his preferred game before his departure. They most directly borrow Mazzulla's defensive approach, drawing opponents into bad shots, including the 10th-most paint shots outside the restricted area.

Davis led the team in that January win over Boston, averaged 25.7 points per game and attempted 18.0 shots per night, his most with LA. He took 2.2 threes per game, up only slightly from 1.4 in 2024, and played his game while James worked through early season struggles. James started the year posting 23.0 PPG, 8.0 RPG and 9.1 APG on 49.5% shooting, seeing declining results at the rim before a two-game hiatus in December after the play-in tournament break. 

"It's very rare, to be honest, if you can get a break in the schedule like that, so it was a very easy decision for myself and for the team and for my trainer to be able to take advantage of those days, just for everything," James said then. 

After settling in for two games upon his return, he averaged 30.3 PPG and 8.3 APG on 58.1% shooting over the next six. From that point on, through the Lakers' beatdown of the Celtics, he played 14 games, missing only one, while shooting 55.3% from the field and 45.5% from three. His 30 minutes against Boston featured two throwback athletic dunks, 20 points, 14 rebounds and six assists. James sped past Celtics defenders off the dribble and looked 30, rather than 40. There are signs of decline, his lift around the rim in traffic, nagging injuries that previously didn't exist and a transition behind the three-point line allowed for many of these scoring outbreaks. Though Dončić's arrival allowed for something James didn't quietly ask for across recent seasons -- legitimate belief he could win one more championship in LA. James is posting 27.9 PPG, 9.7 RPG and 6.2 APG on 52.3% shooting since Dončić joined the team after initially leaving Madison Square Garden the night of the now infamous deal unsure whether he would return to the Mecca next season. James seemed to seriously consider calling this year his last prior to then. 

The Lakers made difficult concessions in the Dončić trade, despite near-universal panning of the Mavs for not getting enough back for their once-in-a-generation superstar. Yet Davis anchored the Lakers' interior with borderline defensive player of the year productivity and Max Christie became a starter while providing shooting the team needed going back multiple seasons. LA somehow kept a 2031 first-rounder and unsuccessfully tried flipping it with Dalton Knecht for young Hornets center Mark Williams, a double-double machine whose injury concerns nixed the deal. That left Jaxson Hayes, a once-promising athletic Pelicans prospect who had proven little early in his career, a buyout addition in Alex Len, along with Trey Jemison III, who logged minutes for three tanking or depleted teams (WAS, MEM, NOLA) over the past two years. Hayes responded well to more minutes, averaging 8.1 PPG, 5.5 RPG and 1.2 BPG on 75.6% shooting since the trade. Redick has kept his minutes low (22.7) and leveraged Hachimura's versatility in small ball lineups to make things work. Their ability to contain Kristaps Porziņģis and Boston's big wings inside again will prove to be the Lakers' greatest test on Saturday. 

Long-term, a flow that allows both James and Dončić to thrive in tandem will become necessary in the playoffs. Having Reaves to bridge the scoring gap if defenses key in too much on either star during their lone minutes or a slow night helps. This is the first season James' team has fared better with him off the floor than on, and despite his renewed defensive effort since the Dončić trade, the team's three top scoring options remain targets on that end. Reaves is averaging 16.9 PPG on 38.1% shooting since the deal, so that can only improve alongside the direct connection between James and Dončić, which has formed some dazzling highlights while only amounting to 5.3 passes per night between each other. That's lower than even Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum (12.1), who have grown in that area after ranking relatively low compared to other star duos in the league. 

James and Dončić face the same challenge, playing overlapping positions that'll draw similarly talented defenders who they can't leverage into switches. Both players will benefit from playing faster and taking advantage of their open-court passing, while James has played off-ball regularly in the past to make partnerships with other stars work. 

The Lakers' run of success stretches back to Jan. 15, the week they began playing again following multiple postponements due to the LA fires that directly impacted Redick, who lost his home in the flames. Since then, they're 20-4, the best record in the NBA, with top-10 status on offense and the league's best defense by more than 2.0 points per possession over the Thunder, who boast the best team defensive rating since 2020 for the entire season. That sample size becomes 30% of the NBA season on Saturday in Boston. One that's persisted through various absences, the team's overhaul and the introduction of another star who's struggled early on. 

With their full lineup mostly intact, aside from Hachimura, they'll face a Celtics team hitting their stride, converting droves of threes again and well-rested on Saturday night. Another test to show they're a legitimate Finals contender with plenty of skepticism lingering from their mediocrity across recent years. 

Here's what else happened around the NBA this week...

Boston (45-18): Rolled past the Nuggets on Sunday without Kristaps Porziņģis (illness) and Jrue Holiday (finger) despite a late push by Jamal Murray and Denver. Al Horford scored 19 points and slowed Nikola Jokić to 20 in a throwback performance. Porziņģis and Holiday took part in Tuesday's practice, but did not return for back-to-back wins over the Blazers and 76ers. Holiday suffered a right pinkie mallet finger injury against the Pistons, which the team told him broke the finger, which left him with too much pain and swelling to handle, shoot or catch the basketball as of last weekend. He said it's the first time he's dealt with the injury, which requires long-term use of a splint to straighten the finger, but he does not need surgery at the moment. Porziņģis has missed five of the last six games with an illness. He was present on the bench for Thursday's win. 

The Celtics waived No. 54 overall pick Anton Watson, who spent all season in Maine on a two-way deal and didn't develop as a shooter like the team hoped. Boston quickly signed Memphis Hustle wing Miles Norris to a two-way contract that carries over to next season. Norris hit the fourth-most threes in the G-League this season after playing four college seasons between Oregon and UC Santa Barbara. He played four minutes and grabbed two rebounds late on Thursday. Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum rested each half of the back-to-back, while Derrick White lost multiple temporary teeth from his bridge in a collision on Thursday before returning to the game after having them glued back. The injury stems from his lost tooth in the NBA Finals and he'll address the issue permanently on Thursday, he told reporters. Sam Hauser suffered an ankle sprain late in Wednesday's win over Portland, where White (41 pts, 9-17 3PT) and Payton Pritchard (43 pts, 10-16 3PT) posted the first 40-40 game in Celtics history. 

Cleveland (52-10): Extended their streak to 13 straight wins, putting them on track for a 69-13 season and clinching the first playoff spot of any NBA team. De'Andre Hunter poured 32 points on the Blazers into overtime after the Cavs beat the Celtics last week while Ty Jerome added 25. Donovan Mitchell and Jarrett Allen combined for 53 points in their win over the Bulls before they narrowly escaped the Heat when Duncan Robinson stepped out-of-bounds in the closing seconds of the game before hitting a game-tying three that didn't count. Cleveland honored Kevin Love in his first game at the Cavs since joining Miami in 2022-23. 

Dallas (32-32): Kyrie Irving tore his left ACL on Monday and will miss the rest of the season after 24.7 PPG, 4.8 RPG and 4.6 APG on 47.3% shooting (40.1% 3PT), carrying the Mavericks through much of their turbulent season and becoming the franchise's voice of reason following the Luka Dončić trade. Combined with long-term Anthony Davis, Daniel Gafford, Caleb Martin and Dereck Lively II absences, Irving's injury likely ends the Mavs' chances of seriously contending this season. Dallas fell to 10th in the west with four straight losses this week, though they still have 2.5 games on the flailing Suns, who have their own issues. Davis has been cleared for more on-court work, the team said. Center Kai Jones signed a two-way deal following his exit from the Clippers and scored 21 points with eight rebounds in his team debut against the Kings. Klay Thompson's father said his son is now stuck in purgatory. 

Denver (41-22): Didn't look like the team that tormented the Celtics in their two meetings last season. Boston beat Denver in both games this year, and Nikola Jokić's return didn't help much as the Nuggets fell behind by 20 points in the first half. Joe Mazzulla said the Celtics didn't mention Jokić in their preparation, focusing on shutting down the rest of the team. Aaron Gordon's (ankle) absence hurt as well and despite Christian Braun's 24 points and Jamal Murray emerging from only one first-quarter shot attempt to score 26, Derrick White poured in a critical put-back floater as the Nuggets pulled close late. Neemias Queta returned to Boston's rotation to play a key role in the Celtics' win. Jokić appeared to injure himself on the opening tip-off on Sunday, but shook it off saying he's been limping for years after the game. He led Denver to a close win over the Kings on Wednesday with 22 points, 15 rebounds and six assists, then posted the first 30-20-20 game in NBA history on Friday. 

Lakers (40-21): Won their eighth straight game in comeback fashion against the Knicks, erasing a 13-point third-quarter deficit and winning in overtime behind 31 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists on 11-of-23 shooting. Luka Dončić's shooting struggles with his new team continued, totaling 40% from the field and 30.5% from three in 10 games. Over the last 11 since he joined the team, the Lakers ranked 15th in offense and first in defense, a startling turnaround from their bottom-five start to the season. That they subtracted Anthony Davis and ascended defensively with two weaker defenders at the point of attack makes that all the more surprising. Jaxson Hayes has fared well at the starting center spot, Jarred Vanderbilt's return gave them options to play bigger and smaller, and Austin Reaves avoided missing significant time with a calf injury. Rui Hachimura missed the last four games with patella tendinopathy. The Lakers visit the Celtics on Saturday at 8:30 EST.  

Memphis (38-24): Jaren Jackson Jr. fell week-to-week with a left ankle sprain as the Grizzlies continued a four-game losing streak that dropped them behind the Lakers and Nuggets for fourth in the west. Ja Morant also revealed he's played through pain for most of the season after Memphis, including entering the Grizzlies' loss to the Thunder questionable with a deltoid contusion. Morant's 31 points and eight assists ended the streak against a strong Mavs effort on Friday. 

Minnesota (36-29): Could revisit their trade deadline pursuit of Kevin Durant this offseason, according to Brian Windhorst. He touted Anthony Edwards and Durant's strong relationship, though a straightforward path to a deal between two of the most expensive teams in the NBA is unlikely. In the meantime, they've won four straight and climbed to fourth in the west. Julius Randle has averaged 20.3 PPG, 8.0 RPG and 5.7 APG on 51.2% shooting in three games back from injury. Seven Wolves scored double-figures in a close win over the Heat, including Donte DiVincenzo, who's done so in five straight since recently returning from injury. Rudy Gobert (back) missed his 10th straight game. 

New York (40-23): A bad loss to the Lakers turned worse when Jalen Brunson turned his right ankle badly late in overtime and left the game with one minute remaining. He'll now miss at least two weeks for a Knicks team that slid 5.0 games back of the Celtics this week and opened the door to the surging Bucks, who are 3.0 back of them and could catch them for the No. 3 seed. That might not prove to be the worst thing for New York, who lost their first three games to Boston badly and currently line up against them in a potential round two playoff series. Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson have rarely played together since the latter's return, and this injury could allow for more double-big, and the Knicks' net rating has actually fared better with Brunson off the floor this season due to his defensive deficiencies. Life without him began with a 10-point loss at the Clippers. 

Oklahoma City (52-11): Host the Nuggets in a mini series this week, a potential playoff preview, before their second meeting with the Celtics on Wednesday in Boston. Both matchups give a surging Thunder team, winners of six straight and 8-of-10, tests against larger, physical and championship opponents. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 51 points against Houston and 41 over the Grizzlies to pass through two potential playoff opponents last week, while Oklahoma City cruised in a rest night through the Blazers behind Jaylin Williams' triple-double. The Thunders and Nuggets split their first two meetings, Chet Holmgren limiting Nikola Jokić in the first before four 20-point efforts, including Russell Westbrook's, allowed for a two-point Denver win in the second. The Thunder blew out Boston, 105-92, in a lockdown defensive performance in January. 

Philadelphia (21-41): Looked like a team headed for the lottery at Boston on Thursday, losing their third straight and ninth over the last 10 games. Tyrese Maxey (back) and Paul George (groin) missed the game while Kelly Oubre Jr. took over the Sixers' offense. He and Lonnie Walker IV, facing his former Celtics team for the first time, proved to be the only 76ers players who could consistently score against Jayson Tatum and a deep bench effort from Boston. Walker IV talked to CelticsBlog about his journey from Celtics training camp to Lithuania for most of this season and finally earning an NBA contract with the 76ers, who expect him to stay for some time and find his footing. Quentin Grimes, an underrated deadline addition from the Mavs, scored 44 points against the Warriors and 30 on Minnesota last week. He spoke to The Athletic about the Luka Dončić saga and his own fresh start. 

“It’s just a narrative around him. Once a narrative gets thrown out there, everybody just runs with it,” Grimes said. “Whatever they’re saying, if he’s 270 (pounds) and he gets to the finals, let him be 270 then. It’s crazy.”

Portland (28-36): Competing despite losses to the Celtics and Thunder this week. Shaedon Sharpe, Anfernee Simons and Scoot Henderson provided double-figure scoring in both, while Robert Williams III missed his third consecutive opportunity to play against his former team. This time it's due to a knee sprain that's knocked him out of eight straight contests. Chauncey Billups talked about the difficulty of Williams III dealing with more injuries this season and how he's contributed off the court. 

Sacramento (33-29)/San Antonio (26-35): Mike Brown's firing inevitably led to the end of De'Aaron Fox' time with the Kings, according to a new ESPN report. Sacramento is 9-5 since Fox last played for the team, ranking seventh in offense and 15th in defense around Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Domantas Sabonis. The Spurs are 5-8 with Fox, who has averaged 19.3 PPG, 4.2 RPG and 6.6 APG on 43.7% shooting with his new team -- the only destination he wanted to go to according to the report. 

"I was like, 'Yo, I've been here for going on my eighth year. If Mike gets fired, I'll be going on my fifth coach,'" Fox told ESPN. "And I told them, 'I'm not going to play for another coach. I'm going to play for another team.'"