4 consecutive wins + second in the Western Conference! 3 points prove that the Lakers are not a fake strong team, and James becomes the decisive factor in winning the championship

In the first game of the new week, the Lakers did not disappoint the fans. Although the game process was a bit difficult, in the end the Lakers narrowly defeated the Jazz 108-106 in the away game and won 4 consecutive victories. In any case, a slightly ugly victory is always better than a bitter loss, and experiencing some such games during the season may help the Lakers. People become better, such as changing their lax attitude towards the game. In addition, with the victory in this game, the Lakers rose to second place in the Western Conference with a record of 12 wins and 4 losses. In the past 12 games, the Lakers achieved a record of 10 wins and 2 losses. During this period, they won 5 consecutive games and 4 consecutive wins. Such performance makes people vaguely see the shadow of the Lakers in 2020.

Looking back on this game, the Lakers' three-core team was actually not in good shape. Doncic made 10 of 24 shots and scored 33 points, 11 rebounds, 8 assists and 3 steals. The data was good, but the efficiency was not good, especially the three-point shooting. He was 3 of 12 in the game. Reeves made 7 of 17 shots, 1 of 8 three-pointers, and scored 22 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists and 1 steal. James made 8 of 18 shots, 0 of 4 three-pointers, and scored 17 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists and 1 steal.

Not only were the Big Three shooting poorly, the Lakers made only 10 of 38 three-pointers, but they still won the game, which was actually very morale-boosting. As James said after the game: "This is the most encouraging part. Even though our shots were not accurate, we still won the game." This also just shows how strong the Lakers are this season, and even how strong many people have not realized yet. In fact, even though the Lakers are now second in the Western Conference, because they were defeated by the Timberwolves last season, many people still doubt that the Lakers are a pseudo-powerful team. However, in fact, the Lakers this season have long been reborn. There are at least three points that can prove that the Lakers are truly a powerful team in the Western Conference this season.

First, the super stable strength to take over the game at critical moments. In this game, the Lakers stopped the Jazz's buzzer-beater at the last moment and won the game in a thrilling way. According to statistics, in games that have reached critical moments so far this season, especially games with a score difference within 5 points in the last 5 minutes, the Lakers have 6 wins and 0 losses. This record ranks first in the league. This shows that the Lakers are the best in the league at the decisive stage. The team, especially when they have James, Doncic and Reeves at the same time, has too many choices at critical moments. Someone can step up and take over the game at any time, and it is difficult to overturn. This is exactly the essential characteristic of a strong team. Except for the Thunder, which often clocks in three quarters, no team dares to say that it can definitely beat the Lakers in the decisive stage.

Second, the top three away teams in the league. After defeating the Jazz in the away game, the Lakers won four consecutive games and three consecutive away games. Currently, they are third in the league with 8 wins and 2 losses on the road, second only to the Thunder's 9 wins and 1 loss and the Pistons' 6 wins and 1 loss. There is a saying in the NBA that the real beginning of the season starts with winning on the road. If a team can only win at home but never win on the road, it is a typical pseudo-strong team and cannot go far in the playoffs, such as the Warriors in recent seasons. Only teams that can continue to win on the road can really withstand the physical and mental torture and finally have a chance to compete for the championship. Behind this is the state of the team that all members are equipped with, as Smart said after the game: "With an incomplete lineup, we achieved 8 wins and 2 losses in away games, which is attributed to everyone's professionalism. Everyone is always prepared to deal with emergencies, injuries always come unexpectedly, but we can always adjust in time, which is a good job."

Third, a stable team mentality. In this game, the Lakers led the Jazz 62 to 55 at halftime and eventually won the game. According to statistics, the Lakers have never lost when leading at halftime this season, with a record of 7 wins and 0 losses, ranking third in the league. This is very similar to the Lakers in the 2019-2020 season. They can basically win the games leading in the first half. Even if they may struggle or even be temporarily overtaken in the second half, the players' mentality is stable and will not let the game collapse. In the end, they win the game through adjustments.

Of course, we must admit that although the Jazz have won the last two games, the Lakers have also exposed many problems. The team's shooting is still unstable, and Ayton's injury has posed hidden dangers. If they want to compete with the Thunder, Nuggets and other teams, the Lakers still need to continue to improve themselves. I once said that the Lakers currently have Doncic and Reeves, and the team's lower limit is guaranteed, but the key to the team's final upper limit and the prospect of winning the championship depends on James' state. The good news is that after James' comeback, he has brought positive help to the team. His passing, Fast breaks and air cuts brought the Lakers continued offensive and defensive transitions and high passes, as well as putting pressure on the opponent's inside. It is worth mentioning that James returned with 20 assists in two games and only made 3 turnovers. His presence can control Doncic's occasional messy mentality to a certain extent.

But the bad news is that James' current offensive status is relatively average, especially his shooting has not yet found its form. However, this is after all his second game back and he still needs to continue to find his form. James himself also said bluntly in the interview: "I am actually looking forward to a normal schedule. Resting for four consecutive days disrupted the rhythm. I was not in the rhythm to begin with, and then rested After four days, you will lose your rhythm even more. Although we have arranged training and competition, the only way to restore basketball fitness is through actual combat accumulation. Regarding my physical fitness, it is also disadvantageous to play in Utah in the second game after my comeback. However, as each game progresses, I will get better and better, and my game fitness will continue to improve.. "

When Ayton recovers and James finds his form, a healthy Lakers will definitely bring more surprises to fans. Perhaps this season's Lakers will replicate the 2020 championship season. , was not optimistic from the beginning, but eventually became more and more stable, and finally won the championship, and James also has hope that after preventing the Warriors from winning the season in 2016, he stopped the Thunder from winning the season after 10 years.