At this point of the year, with the Lakers at the three-fourths mark of the regular season, all that’s needed is a sign.
At this point of the year, with the Lakers at the three-fourths mark of the regular season, all that’s needed is a sign. A sign that as the team has gotten healthier, they have something they can point to that indicates growth in chemistry or continuity – especially among their three best players in Luka Doncic , LeBron James and Austin Reaves.
Austin Reaves of the Los Angeles Lakers celebrates his basket and LA Clippers foul with Luka Doncic and LeBron James during a 135-118 Los Angeles Lakers win.“They’re a plus for the season on the court together,” Redick said. “How about that? Got that note morning, that’s awesome.” At the time Redick made the comments, lineups with the team’s star trio just crossed over into having a positive plus/minus for the season after, a game in which the Lakers outscored the Warriors by 21 points in the 17 minutes when Doncic, James and Reaves shared the floor.Braves veteran facing 162-game ban for PEDs — one year after receiving first suspension Sunday’s win over the Pelicans marked the fourth consecutive game the Lakers won the minutes that their Big 3 were on the floor together, outscoring the Pelicans by five points in the 15 minutes they played together. So despite the slow start, and constant questions about whether the Lakers could succeed with Doncic, James and Reaves leading the way, they’re finally winning the minutes in which their best three players are on the floor together: plus-eight in 271 minutes played – just above the 250-minute threshold Redick references for when lineup data starts to normalize. And the Lakers’ recent success with their best three players not only passes the smell test, but it’s also sustainable. The obvious needs to be acknowledged: a significant chunk of the recent success the Lakers have had with Doncic, James and Reaves on the floor had mostly come against easier competition. Courtside fans celebrate after Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doni makes a 3 pointer during the second half of NBA game against the Sacramento Kings.They were plus-45 in the 79 minutes Doncic, James and Reaves shared the floor during those four games after being minus-37 in the 192 minutes they played together across 12 games entering the Feb. 24 loss to the Magic. But how the Lakers are winning the Doncic-James-Reaves minutes, and the process behind them, is encouraging despite the recent success being a smaller sample. The Lakers had a plus-26.6 net rating when their best players shared the floor in the previous four games leading into Tuesday’s home game against the Pelicans. Their 93.1 defensive rating in that stretch isn’t sustainable. But what can be counted on is the 119.8 offensive rating the Lakers had in those four games with Doncic, James and Reaves on the floor – in line with what’s expected when three offensive players of their talents play together. Better shotmaking has helped; the Lakers are shooting 41.3% on 3-pointers over their last four games. LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers makes a slam dunk against the Sacramento Kings in the second half at Crypto.com Arena on March 01, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.The Lakers have done better with running offensive sets when their best three players share the court. There isn’t a lot new, more so doing better with what they already had: Stack actions involving at least two of Doncic, Reaves and James. Flare screens as Doncic or James operate out of the post. Hitaheads and early offensive principles that are meant to create advantages for the best players. “There’s been some really good stuff that we’ve done with the three of them,” Redick said. “And all of their abilities to be off the ball and on the ball, I think is really powerful. They all have gravity and they all have the ability to score with the ball and make decisions with the ball. So, we’ll just continue to look for ways to have them work together.” Another key to the Lakers’ recent success when playing their Big 3 has been not having Rui Hachimura in those lineups as much. Luka Doncic, LeBron James and Austin Reaves of the Los Angeles Lakers during the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2025 NBA Playoffs on April 30, 2025.Lineups with Doncic, Reaves, James and Hachimura played just nine minutes in the previous four games compared to 127 minutes in the previous 12 games the Big 3 shared the floor . Swapping Hachimura for Marcus Smart in the starting lineup has helped, as expected, because lineup and role orientation on both ends of the floor matter. If there’s any reason to believe the Lakers are turning a corner and could make noise in the playoffs, it’s because their best players are operating on a higher level.Roc Nation makes staggering claim about Bad Bunny's Super Bowl halftime show viewershipAmerican figure skater reveals her 'Olympic crush' after historic goldJoel Sherman's 3 Things I Think: How Team USA's quest for WBC glory can only bolster Aaron Judge's legacyAustin Reaves of the Los Angeles Lakers celebrates his basket and LA Clippers foul with Luka Doncic and LeBron James during a 135-118 Los Angeles Lakers win.Courtside fans celebrate after Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doni makes a 3 pointer during the second half of NBA game against the Sacramento Kings.LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers makes a slam dunk against the Sacramento Kings in the second half at Crypto.com Arena on March 01, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.Luka Doncic, LeBron James and Austin Reaves of the Los Angeles Lakers during the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2025 NBA Playoffs on April 30, 2025.
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