Maybe, just maybe, the Lakers are starting to figure things out. Since a humiliating triple-overtime loss to the lowly Sacramento Kings on Black Friday, the Lakers have won three of the last four games, and the latest rumblings about Frank Vogel’s are cautiously optimistic for Vogel.
The turnaround has come as Russell Westbrook has elevated his play, LeBron James has remained healthy despite a false-alarm COVID-19 scare, and the Lakers have continued to employ the “bigger, faster, stronger” tempo-pushing approach led by their two superstar ballhandlers.
The Lakers initially hoped that their style of play would be reminiscent of the bruising approach that carried them to a 2020 NBA championship, but that team had an incredibly stout defense that led to fast breaks off of misses and turnovers.