The Western Conference is in chaos as the Denver Nuggets lose to the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors fall to the Los Angeles Clippers, causing a shift in the standings. The Clippers rise to fifth in the West, while the Nuggets drop to seventh and the Warriors plummet out of the play-in tournament area to eleventh place. In contrast, the Lakers are in a favorable position with a 17-13 record, ranking sixth in the West. Their next game is against the Sacramento Kings, who just fired their head coach, and the Lakers have already defeated the Kings three times this season. If the Lakers win this game, they could climb to fifth in the West, indicating that things are looking up for them.
Notably, in the latest NBA power rankings, the Lakers have climbed from 17th to 12th in the league. It's no wonder they're being so highly regarded, having won four out of their last five games, including victories over strong teams like the Memphis Grizzlies, the Kings, and the Warriors. They've shed their previous weak state entirely. Some may wonder why the Lakers have suddenly improved so much when their roster hasn't changed and there are no returning injured players. Two reasons are crucial.
Firstly, James' state has returned, proving that the Lakers' decision to give him eight days off to recharge was correct. After sufficient rest, James averaged 35 minutes per game in his first five games back, scoring 25.6 points, grabbing 7.2 rebounds, dishing out 8.4 assists, making 1.4 steals, and blocking 0.8 shots, with a shooting percentage of 50% and only 2.8 turnovers per game. During this period, the Lakers went 4-1, and James led the team to victory over the Warriors without Davis. Undoubtedly, James' resurgence has given the Lakers' players great confidence and also raised the team's ceiling.
Secondly, the recovery of other Lakers players is also key. Reeves, Knecht, Vincent, and Hachimura have all shown improvements, but the most important change is likely Christy's transformation. In the Lakers' victory over the Warriors, Christy played 34 minutes, shooting 5-for-13 for 16 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists. Notably, this is the first time in Christy's career that he has scored in double digits in two consecutive games; he previously scored 17 points and 1 rebound against the Pistons. Additionally, according to statistics, this is Christy's eighth time scoring in double digits this season, compared to only nine times in his first two seasons.
Furthermore, since entering December, Christy has averaged 9.9 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.1 steals in 11 games, with a three-point shooting percentage of 38.5%. Since starting at guard against the Trail Blazers, the Lakers have gone 5-2. These stats show that the Lakers' "Little Kobe" seems to be gradually proving his worth, especially on defense, where his performance has been improving. The Lakers often use him to defend against players like Morant, Fox, and Curry, and Christy's excellent height and wingspan make him the best perimeter defender on the team. Together with Davis, they have rebuilt the Lakers' defensive system, which is the reason for their recent defensive improvement.
In a recent interview, when discussing the team's defensive improvement, Lakers head coach Redick said, "Firstly, our transition defense has improved significantly, and we've controlled our opponents' transition scoring well. On the other hand, it's Christy; we've put him in the starting lineup, and he's provided us with more options on defense. He allows us to choose to switch defenses more often, as we did against the Warriors last game. I like what he's doing now; he's giving us more choices defensively."
At the start of the season, eager to prove himself worthy of his four-year, $32 million contract, Christy played anxiously on the court, taking wild shots on offense and being too hasty on defense, leading to increasingly poor performances. Redick had to remove him from the starting lineup and even bench him at one point. However, Christy didn't give up and continued to train hard. Reeves once said that Christy is always the first to arrive at the training facility. Now, Christy's efforts have paid off; he's proven his value on defense and returned to the starting lineup. After doing well defensively, he naturally got the opportunities he deserved on offense.
In an interview, Christy stated, "I never measure success by personal shot attempts or points. I'm comfortable playing with the other starters now, and I think I'm gradually adapting to this style. As I said earlier, I don't care about shot attempts or points; I'll focus my energy on defense. Generally, as long as I can perform at a high level on defense, my offense will come, and that's my standard for measuring success."
According to the latest news, Lakers center Hayes is expected to return soon, but there's still no word on Vanderbilt and Wood. Personally, if Christy continues to increase his energy on defense, the Lakers might not need to wait for Vanderbilt anymore. Christy will replace him as the Lakers' perimeter stopper, and his three-point shooting is even more accurate. In this situation, the Lakers can focus on developing Christy and then find ways to trade Vanderbilt, perhaps pairing a draft pick to acquire a player like Fox, which would truly upgrade their roster.
