The Los Angeles Lakers got back to winning ways after struggling without LeBron James in the first few games. Now, they have won three straight games and improved to 43-25 for the season. With only 14 games left in the regular season, the Lakers are hoping to clinch home-court advantage and secure a favorable matchup in the first round of the playoffs.
While the Lakers will be a tough out regardless of who they face, thanks to the three-headed monster of Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves, they are not without weaknesses.
Their main weakness in the playoffs will be their big-man rotation, specifically -- their backup center situation.
Lakers' Center Rotation is a Problem
Jaxson Hayes is currently the only viable center on the roster, and he has performed admirably in his expanded role. Since the All-Star break, he is averaging 25 minutes per game, putting up 9.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks while shooting an impressive 74.2% from the field. He has been buoyed by the arrival of Doncic, an excellent pick-and-roll partner who sets him up perfectly around the rim.
At this point, the Lakers can trust Hayes to give them solid minutes at center. Behind him, however, is a massive question mark. Alex Len has been a disaster since joining the team, and the Lakers only have two-way players Trey Jemison and Christian Koloko as the only other traditional centers on the roster.
Assuming that JJ Redick will not trust the unproven Jemison-Koloko duo in the playoffs, the Lakers will play a ton of small-ball lineups. Rui Hachimura, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Dorian Finney-Smith will spend a lot of time at the five, while LeBron James gets tasked with guarding opposing centers. While that can be a decent strategy in the regular season, being that small for an extended playoff series has a chance to hurt the Lakers.
Going up against the likes of Nikola Jokic and Alperen Sengun, or the twin towers of Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein of the OKC Thunder, will be a challenge for the Lakers. It will be an exhausting task that will require a ton of physicality, intensity, and flying around on the defensive side of the ball.
If the Lakers can overcome this deficiency and survive in the paint, there are no teams they should be scared of in the postseason.