The Lakers suffered a heartbreaking loss at home against the Orlando Magic, who were playing back-to-back games. The game was decided by a last-second shot from Franz Wagner, a familiar scenario for Lakers fans as Anthony Davis missed two free throws, allowing the opponent to hit a three-pointer for the win, a situation that occurred more than once last season.
However, the Lakers did not lose this game due to their 26-for-17 free throw shooting, which cost them 9 points. While this was unfortunate, it was not the main reason for their defeat.
1. Why Did Reddish Only Play in the Final Play?
Throughout the fourth quarter, the Lakers primarily used Christie in their rotations, with Reddish only entering the game in the final play to defend against Wagner, who ultimately made the game-winning shot. Coach Ham's decision to use Christie was clear; he wanted to chase after Suggs, who had a good game. However, in the final five minutes of the fourth quarter, the Magic focused their offense on Wagner, using screens to switch out the big men. Wagner then attacked Christie twice in a row and followed up with two more attacks on Reeves.
At this point, Christie was completely unable to keep up, being at a disadvantage in height and wingspan, making him the weakest point on the court. In comparison, KCP posed too great an offensive threat to be replaced, and Reeves' experience in close defense and ability to share the ball on offense meant he couldn't be taken off either. It was time to replace Christie with Reddish, as neither of them were significant scoring threats, but Reddish's longer arms gave him an advantage that could have been decisive.
2. The Magic's Zone Defense Forced LeBron and AD to Step Up Early
When the Magic deployed their zone defense, the Lakers' tactics were largely ineffective. The game went down to the wire thanks to KCP's two three-pointers and James' three consecutive three-pointers in the fourth quarter. This is the most direct way to break a zone defense and is suitable for teams with excellent three-point shooting, such as the Warriors, Cavaliers, and Celtics. However, this is not the Lakers' style.
With KCP on board, the Lakers seemed to gain confidence from beyond the arc, but considering Russell and Reeves' inconsistency, they are still primarily an inside team. When playing inside to break the zone defense, the Lakers failed to execute plays involving the free-throw line and cutting to the corners. The Magic's second-ranked defense dealt a blow to the Lakers, with their players getting taller in the second half, covering the paint on both sides, and Bitadze blocking Davis' passing lane at the free-throw line, forcing the Lakers to shoot from outside. With poor ball movement, the Lakers had to rely on James and Davis to attack, which is why the duo combined for 70 points in this game. With others performing averagely, they had to carry the team, making this one of the toughest games for James and Davis this season. They had to give their all on both ends of the court throughout the second half to maintain the lead, with Davis entering the game in the ninth minute of the fourth quarter and James returning shortly after resting, both due to the immense energy expended in the third quarter.
3. The Lakers' Bench Is Too Short
Many believe the Lakers lost because they only made 2 out of their last 8 free throws, with James, Reeves, and Davis missing crucial shots. However, the most dangerous moment came in the first three minutes of the fourth quarter.
The lineup at that time was James, Koločko, KCP, Russell, and Vincent. Koločko started the fourth quarter with a turnover. Then, on defense, they were relentlessly pursued by the tall Magic players. Fortunately, the Magic are not particularly skilled on offense, especially their guards, who did not exploit the weaknesses of Vincent and Russell, giving the Lakers a breather.
Coach Ham had few options with this rotation. Players like Vincent, Russell, and Reeves are choices that need to make up for defensive shortcomings with their offense. If they can't score, their presence on the court becomes detrimental. Unfortunately, since the start of the season, Vincent and Russell have not been able to fill even half of their roles, becoming frequent targets for opponents.
Ideally, if Hachimura and Hayes return, the Lakers' starting lineup would feature Reeves, KCP, Hachimura, James, and Davis, with Russell, Christie, Reddish, and Hayes on the bench.
Russell, as a backup guard, is indispensable, and Hayes, as a backup center, is a must. Reddish, a defensive specialist on the wing and one of "the two ghosts," should also be used, perhaps even heavily. Only Christie might face competition from Vincent and Funderburke, as all three are defensive players with quick footwork. The decision on who to use will depend on their height, wingspan, and experience.
Christie should be grateful that Vincent is out of form and that Funderburke has been out injured. If either of them were in decent shape, Kobe Jr. would be waving his towel with an $8 million salary, as there would be no place for him in Coach Ham's nine-man rotation.