How does the second seed in the Western Conference, riding a seven-game winning streak, get even better than they already are? That would be accomplished by fine-tuning the combinations. There is one pairing that is noticeably just not meshing as well as the Los Angeles Lakers would have hoped.
That would be Rui Hachimura and Deandre Ayton.
Both players have been great in their own way for the Lakers. Hachimura has delivered the type of shooting presence that Luka Doncic needs on the perimeter around him. Meanwhile, Ayton has been the stabilizing force at center that Los Angeles dreamed of when they acquired him in the offseason.