This week in Lakers basketball

The Los Angeles Lakers split their four games this week following two home wins against the Magic and Clippers, as well as two road losses to the Kings and Magic.

At 3-3, LA sits in eighth place in the Western Conference, and though a .500 record may not be what we want to see going forward, there are certainly some encouraging signs for fans.

Let’s dive into some key takeaways from this week in Lakers basketball.

Home Dominance and Road Struggles

In three games at home, the Lakers are undefeated while shooting 49% and holding opponents to only 43.3% from the field. In three road games, they are winless, shooting only 44.5% to opponents’ 48.3% from the field.

The stark contrast in the team’s performance at home versus on the road is not merely characterized by shooting efficiency but the turnover battle as well.

LA forces an average of 3.3 more turnovers per game at home than they do on the road, an advantage directly associated with higher winning percentages.

The Lakers’ dip in quality on the road is also related to the away struggles of point guard D’Angelo Russell. At home, DLO totes a 23/4/6  stat line on 53.1% from the field and 35% from beyond the arc; however, these numbers take a massive hit in games on the road.

Russell’s stat line in away games is a mere 13/4/3 on an abysmal 31% from the field and only 20% from three.

DLO’s away struggles are not the only reason why they are a better team at home; he will have to sort out his inconsistencies for the Lakers to post winning numbers on the road.

Austin Reaves’ Slump

After the All-Star break last year, the LakeShow posted a conference-best 16-7 record to close out the season, largely due to the emergence and breakout performances by Austin Reaves.

During this span, Reaves averaged 18/3/6 on 57.8% from the field and 44.3% from three, en route to a strong postseason run. Reaves and his efficient scoring added an element to LA’s offense that elevated them to a championship contender. 

In addition to playing with the USA national team this summer, Reaves signed a four-year, $56 million contract in the off-season, solidifying his role on the Lakers as a go-to option for the near future; however, he hasn’t quite lived up to expectations this season.

AR-15 has recorded averages of 13/4/3, shooting 39.4% from the field and 29.2% from three.

While undoubtedly lower than we anticipated, expect this young, relentless scorer to bounce back into mid-season form sometime soon in what could be an explosion of production for this team.

As LeBron James alluded to in his post-game presser following the loss to the Magic, the Lakers have a fine record on mediocre play.

Expect things to come together for this team in the near future, as early as Monday night against the Miami Heat.