The blown lead against Portland on Sunday had as much to do with a lack of urgency and an inability to attack when centers opt to sink into the paint, something Anthony Davis says they worked on in…
EL SEGUNDO — Russell Westbrook might be doubtful for Wednesday night’s game in Denver, but he’s still the foremost figure in Lakerland lately.
But speaking for the team after Tuesday’s practice, Coach Darvin Ham and All-Star big man Anthony Davis took a more holistic view of the Lakers’ shortcomings. During his film session, Ham said he played three sections of the game in real time, allowing the players to see how some of their mistakes played out, including the last two minutes of the game in which they frittered away a seven-point lead.
Conspicuously absent from that assessment: Westbrook, who fired two misses during his final shift, including one with 27 seconds left when the Lakers still had the lead. But Ham and Davis said they felt the criticism of the 33-year-old guard, who finished with 10 points, six rebounds and six assists, has reached outsized levels.
What broke the Lakers on Sunday afternoon was their inability to attack a defense that had switched center Jusuf Nurkic on to Westbrook, who is shooting under 30% from the field, and had him sink into the paint. Davis said the Lakers worked on sets to take advantage of those scenarios in practice, trying to attack those centers and potentially getting to the free-throw line instead of allowing them to hang back.