The looming NBA trade deadline has a way of forcing every team to focus on fixing its flaws. But in the wake of the Los Angeles Lakers' 128-113 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday, there's at least one team that should resist the temptation to tinker.
A 15-point win over a reeling Nets squad (2-12 in its last 14 games) playing with one healthy center may not be the best basis for making deadline decisions. And in the era of superteams, the Lakers could be forgiven for worrying that another title threat could make the bold move they eschew.
But the Lakers' play all season, and against the Nets, suggests a big swing isn't necessary.
Dominance by Committee
No, Kyle Kuzma isn't the third star he said he could be. His 16 points off the bench were helpful, and he's finished with double figures in each of his last four games. But his ball-stopping tendencies and occasionally glaring lack of feel mark him as much more of a role player than a reliable night-to-night star.
That's not a problem when you've got so many other weapons chipping in.
Dwight Howard, a spot starter for the ill JaVale McGee, bullied the undersized Nets for 14 points and 12 rebounds.
Bleacher Report @BleacherReportDwight looks rejuvenated in his first start of the year 🔥 https://t.co/oWLKDTDs6B
Danny Green drilled four of his seven three-point attempts, a couple of which you knew were good based on the perfect rhythm of his patented tippy-toe hop gather.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope nailed all three of his attempts from deep, also joining Green in pestering Brooklyn's guards.
Go down the list. Jared Dudley had his moments. So did Rajon Rondo, who managed 10 assists in 23 minutes.
We haven't even mentioned Anthony Davis and his 16-point, 11-rebound night—partly because he doesn't belong on a list of role-fillers, but also because he didn't have to do much with so many able helpers lightening the load.
This is a team of smart, no-nonsense (or, in Howard's case, mostly benign nonsense) vets who can shoot, defend and benefit from the across-the-board greatness of LeBron James.
LeBron's Heavy Lifting Is Light Work
With 27 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists, James logged his 10th triple-double of the season. It was a solid reminder that you don't really need a third star when you've got one who can do the work of several.
LeBron spent most of the game in analysis mode, taking whatever the listless Nets defense permitted before spurring a late 26-2 run with buckets from all over the floor and setups nobody else could have made.
Steve Jones Jr. @stevejones20What a pass from LeBron here. Snakes the P&R, watches as Prince rotates to take away Davis roll, rises and fires a pass to Kuzma open in the corner. https://t.co/v516D08REl
In some ways, the Lakers on Thursday embodied James' probing, whatever-the-situation-calls-for approach. They overpowered the Nets with size when the opportunity presented itself:
Los Angeles Lakers @LakersAll-Star Game 🤝 Slam Dunk Contest https://t.co/ytadwbdAEn
They ran past them when it was appropriate:
NBA on TNT @NBAonTNTLBJ in transition 🤧 https://t.co/7zbUx0jc8g
And they leveraged superior skill to cap things off:
Positive Residual @presidualThis is the kind of elite-level passing that I’m striving to appreciate as much as possible before LeBron’s inevitable retirement. The vision, the velocity, the accuracy — they’re all in this play, and he executes it effortlessly. https://t.co/FP9J6eGJ0o
When James has the right pieces around him, which he seems to with this Lakers group, he can guide his team to success in whichever way makes the most sense on a given night. And when the opponent is as overmatched as the Nets were Thursday, James can toy with several options before getting serious enough to choose the one that works best.
Greatness Is Good Enough
Perhaps most importantly, this isn't a Lakers team that needs the jolt of a roster shakeup.
Green has been on plenty of great teams, has won a pair of titles and should be viewed as an authority on the kind of chemistry it takes to succeed in the NBA. And he told ESPN's Zach Lowe that he's never had more fun with a group of teammates than he's having now.
Maybe if the Lakers were prone to long stretches of lackadaisical play, you could justify a change—something to signal to the roster that championship chases have to be taken seriously. But L.A. ranks in the top five for both offensive and defensive efficiency, which indicates it doesn't check out often.
What's more, the Lakers aren't big on letdowns. Their win Thursday came on the second night of a back-to-back set, a situation in which most teams might succumb to fatigue or inattention. Not so with these guys.
Marc Stein @TheSteinLineLakers about to go to 12-0 in back-to-backs after bring some serious buzz to Madison Square Garden and Barclays Center this week. Regular-season focus we don't often see anymore in #thisleague
Sometimes, the justification for sitting out the trade deadline frenzy, at least as far as significant moves are concerned, is "leave well enough alone."
For these Lakers, the rationale is a little closer to "don't mess with perfection."
Stats courtesy of NBA.com and Basketball Reference unless otherwise indicated. Accurate through games played Thursday, Jan. 23.
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