The Lakers played against the Hawks at home. The game started with AD scoring two points for the Lakers to take the lead, and then both teams were locked in a tug-of-war, with the scores alternating. At the end of the first quarter, the Lakers led by 3 points; in the second quarter, Trae Young was called for a technical foul, and the Lakers took advantage of this to suddenly increase their efforts, with rookie Knickert scoring 11 points in a single quarter, James continuously attacking the paint to cause damage, and the Hawks relied on Capela's two-point shot to stop the bleeding, trailing the Lakers 57-65 at halftime; after changing sides, the Lakers continued to play steadily, with Rivers continuing his excellent form from the previous game, scoring 11 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists in a single quarter through inside and outside shooting, keeping the point difference in double digits; in the final quarter, the Lakers firmly controlled the initiative on the court, with James continuously scoring to seal the game, and the Lakers eventually won a decisive victory over the Hawks 119-102 without much effort.
In this game, the Lakers' new recruit Finney-Smith gradually integrated into the game, playing 23 minutes, shooting 2 out of 3 for 8 points and 5 rebounds, with a plus-minus value of +12.
After the game, AD talked about his teammate Finney-Smith's performance: "It's obvious that he did very well in shooting tonight, and his defensive performance has always been online. Smith has been learning our system, our defense, our tactics, etc. We don't have much training time, so he often learns on the plane, and he fits in perfectly."
Congratulations to the electric fan for being recognized by AD, which is the greatest significance of the Lakers trading you. Those who watched the game know that the electric fan has been very active in several games for the Lakers, pressing up the line and assisting at the baseline, constantly running on the court. The biggest beneficiary of this is AD, who does not need to invest a lot of energy in defense, just standing in the restricted area waiting to disrupt the opponent's shots, and in this game, AD easily got 3 steals and 3 blocks.
With 3 steals and 3 blocks, AD finally broke the seal, and after the game, he personally named and praised the electric fan.
For now, the electric fan is an upgraded version of Vanderbilt, and the Lakers no longer have to worry about Vanderbilt being targeted because of his lack of shooting. In addition, there is also good news about Vanderbilt. According to famous reporter Shams, Vanderbilt had effusion during his rehabilitation process, but recently his recovery has shown significant improvement. He will be re-evaluated in a week and is expected to return this month.
Although the Lakers no longer need Vanderbilt, if he can return healthy, considering his age and contract, his trade value will inevitably increase, at least not becoming a negative asset for the team. With the electric fan mainly defending positions 3 and 4, Christie can defend positions 1 and 2, and Redick's defensive system has no worries. The Lakers can completely use players like Vanderbilt, Sefino, and Wood, who are not very useful, to go all-in to help AD find a backup center.
Of course, there are some variables in the league now, with Butler and Fox also entering the trade market, and the Lakers can also look for opportunities to introduce another All-Star player.