Fearless Lakers Hope to Slay Goliath

Why Lakers Will Struggle With or Without Dončić

The Lakers don’t have any other choice but to think that way. After beating the Houston Rockets in a six-game series without Dončić, the Lakers also have some relative optimism that they can handle what Redick called “a tough task.”

At 41, James has delayed Father Time with skill, athleticism and adaptability. Reaves said he “feels good” after playing the past two games following a three-week absence to heal a Grade 2 left oblique strain. The mercurial Deandre Ayton has become a consistent two-way force who matches his potential as the NBA’s No. 1 pick in 2018. The playoff-tested Marcus Smart has proven reliable with improved durability, defensive intensity and occasional 3-point shooting. Following an inconsistent regular season, the Lakers rank near the top in the playoffs in defensive rating (102.2) and blocks (6.7).

Even considering the Thunder’s superiority over the Rockets, Redick envisions that the Lakers can manifest what he described as “belief, attention to detail and voice."

“The belief is there,” Redick said. “It’s flowing with this group. The thing that I love about the playoffs is that you can only worry about the task at hand. The task at hand is the Oklahoma City Thunder. We recognize what that is. We certainly have belief in our locker room.”

Outside of the locker room, however, few should have belief in the Lakers’ chances against the Thunder. Even with a healthy Dončić, the Lakers haven’t shown they can keep up with the defending NBA champions.

In four regular-season matchups, the Lakers lost to OKC by an average of 29.2 points per game. Though Dončić appeared in two of the four games, the Lakers struggled in all of them. Dončić and Reaves also suffered their respective injuries in the second half at Oklahoma City on April 2. By that point, however, the Lakers trailed by 31 points.

Granted, Dončić will help the Lakers whenever he returns. Doctors generally expect that a player doesn’t face any limitations with an injured hamstring after returning as long as he and the team’s medical staff follow all protocols correctly. Hence, the Lakers have handled Dončić cautiously because he nurses a sensitive injury that can become vulnerable if he returns too soon. Therefore, expect Dončić to raise the stakes with his prolific scoring and intensity.

The only problem: Dončić may not return right away. Following Monday’s practice, Dončić appeared in a jovial mood as he teased teammates during a light shooting workout. But the Lakers haven’t given any timetable as to when Dončić can advance to team drills. The Lakers only have one practice day in between contests up to Game 5.

“We don’t have a guy that you can lean on and just throw the ball to and go one-on-one and get a bucket. So everybody has to pick up on everything that they do,” Smart said. “You have to be better with your scoring. You have to be better efficiently with your shots. You have to be better with the ball. You just have to be overall better.”

Lakers Embracing Underdog Status

Smart rattled off those to-do items while projecting confidence as one of the team’s most experienced and vocal veterans. But it also signaled that the Lakers have a seemingly impossible task. Redick likened the Thunder to the storied 1990s Chicago Bulls and 2010s Golden State Warriors teams.

OKC ranks near the top of the NBA in nearly every offensive and defensive category. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will likely win his second consecutive MVP award for his balanced scoring and frequent trips to the free throw line. The Thunder feature effective wing defenders in Lu Dort, Alex Caruso and Cason Wallace. OKC also boasts two rim protectors in Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein, which enables the Thunder to feature small and big lineups.

OKC ruled out Jalen Williams for Game 1 after missing the past two playoff games with a Grade 1 left hamstring strain. But the Thunder secured the No. 1 seed despite Williams' missing a combined 49 games this season. That challenge pales to what the Lakers face without Dončić.

“As much as we see that narrative and feel bad that you think that it hurts us not having him,” Smart said, “it actually helps because it forces guys to elevate their game to a whole other level.”

Fair enough. The Lakers compensated for Dončić’s absence against the Rockets.

After two double-digit losses to OKC in early April, the Lakers also closed the regular-season with a three-game winning streak to secure home-court advantage in the first round. A big qualifier: the Rockets played without Kevin Durant in all but one of their six playoff games, and their young team displayed inconsistent play and decision making. Meanwhile, the Thunder haven’t shown any major red flags.

“You can respect a team, but you can’t fear them,” Lakers guard Jake LaRavia said. “You can’t come into a game fearing an opponent. Then you’re just going to come in and get punked. We respect how good this team is. But our goal is to win, win a game and win a series. Our mindset is still the same.”

Dončić will likely adopt that mindset during his eventual return. To the Lakers’ dismay, that probably won't be enough against a Thunder team that has enough top-end talent and depth to absorb everyone’s best punch.