The Lakers win nobody saw coming, but maybe should have

Hey everyone, it’s Dan Woike from the Los Angeles Times, still here and still delivering the Lakers newsletter every week directly to your inbox in the same way some out-of-work kid on a bike would’ve thrown a paper into your driveway.

Quick sidenote, “Paperboy” was such a prestigious job that it spawned a video game!

Anyway, we’re less than a week out from the NBA’s trade deadline, and we’ll get to that, but first, a little more on a win I didn’t, but maybe should’ve, seen coming.

Not down in the town

These types of games happen all the time in the NBA.

A couple of stars sit, the betting line massively shifts, the favorite lets down its guard and the underdog, playing freely, delivers the upset.

If you’re a Lakers fan, you probably don’t have to squint that hard to remember a time it happened to your team.

In the Lakers’ 114-105 win over the Celtics on Thursday, there was a different feeling inside the locker room after the game.

As everyone had mostly cleared out, Taurean Prince dressed in a corner and talked about how easy it should be to incorporate the good things the Lakers did once LeBron James and Anthony Davis return to the court.

Those things, of course, were the exact things the Lakers had to do to give themselves a chance against the Celtics. They popped the ball around the perimeter and played with plenty of pace, even after the Celtics made shots. They never looked discouraged.

And on defense, they flew around the court and contested everything — largely without fouling — playing with tons of confidence and rhythm on both ends of the court.

Of course, you’d never suggest that adding James and Davis is a bad thing — it’s 100% a necessity to even the Lakers’ most meager goals — but maybe there’s a thing or two that can be learned.

One of those things should be a greater offensive role for Austin Reaves, whom the Lakers have identified as fundamental to their future. One of the indictments you can make on the coaching staff this season is that it hasn’t done enough to help launch Reaves up a level as an offensive threat.

Part of that, of course, had to do with his slow start coming out of Team USA as the third-year guard dealt with an unreported hip injury. Another part came with the Lakers needing Reaves to be more of an organizer than a scorer with Gabe Vincent’s injury.

The Lakers’ last two games have shown that having Reaves be an aggressive volume scorer should be a part of their identity. Getting the ball in his hands and allowing him to play in rhythm should be a priority moving forward.

Lakers center Jaxson Hayes played a season-high 33 minutes and 52 seconds against the Celtics with Anthony Davis sidelined. He finished with a season-high 16 points and 10 rebounds.

(Steven Senne / Associated Press)

The level of defensive effort, particularly in transition, could also be easier to replicate if the offensive load was more evenly shared. Oftentimes, it’s Davis, who is usually way under the basket, or James that is slow to get back. Logic would say that if they can cede a little responsibility on offense, they should have more to give on the defensive end.

Now, Reaves isn’t going to shoot seven for 10 from three-point range every night, but as D’Angelo Russell has said, having players be aggressive around James and Davis should make them harder to defend.

And postgame, coach Darvin Ham went out of his way to give Reaves his praise.

“AR and I had a one-on-one conversation briefly yesterday when we got into town and I just told them I thanked them. And show my appreciation verbally for him and what he’s meant to our program,” Ham said. “Just his scrappiness, his willingness to lay it on the line. He’s been nothing short of amazing since he’s been in a Laker uniform. And specifically, since I’ve been here as the head coach, he’s laid it on the line every single time. You can trust him at big moments and he’s gonna do his part. And his leadership is starting to come through as well.”

Maybe this was the kind of NBA game that happens now and then. Or maybe, like Prince thought, this could be the kind of win that propels the Lakers forward as they get ready to make some of the biggest decisions of their season.

Some trade chatter

Things have been, somewhat predictably, quiet as the Lakers head toward the trade deadline next Thursday.

The big reason, to date, is that the asking prices for the kind of players the Lakers are interested in have been seen as too high.

Any trade involving the Lakers’ 2029 first-round pick, after all, would not just be the team using its single biggest current asset at the deadline but would also make it impossible for the team to use it down the road in an even bigger deal.

The good news, of course, is that as the deadline gets closer, prices typically start to drop.

League insiders believe a limited pool of sellers (Charlotte, Washington, Atlanta and Brooklyn at the foreground) could inflate some prices.

The Lakers, though, continue to be active in trying to find a deal, but they’re certainly not trying to make a trade just to make a move.

As far as targets go, you’ve seen the names here already. Just anticipate that it’ll be players who can impact the game on both ends of the court.

Times Lakers Show

We’re off this week due to travel conflicts, but we’ll be back next week with tons of trade deadline talk.

Song of the week

“We are the World” by U.S.A. for Africa

Just finished watching the new Netflix documentary “The Greatest Night in Pop” and couldn’t recommend it highly enough, especially for the one random shot taken at a drunk vocalist. It’s really all in here with a special shout-out to one of the favorite singers of my youth, Lionel Ritchie, who still looks terrific and was the ultimate glue guy on this team. Also, the Michael Jackson vocals are insane. Ninety perfect minutes.

In case you missed it

Austin Reaves scores season high as Lakers stun Celtics without LeBron and AD

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Lakers call out trash-talking Rocket after LeBron smacked in face, another player pushed to floor

LeBron James reveres his rivalry with Stephen Curry: ‘You don’t take it for granted’

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