Los Angeles Lakers 2022-23 Season Preview
Los Angeles Lakers 2022-23 Season Preview
LeBron & AD need to dominate for the Lakers to be elite.
Welcome to the 2022-23 previews for every NBA team! These breakdowns are designed to look at stats, film & anything I found interesting in my preparation for the upcoming NBA season.
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Note: if you are reading this in the e-mail-only form some of the gifs and videos do not always show up correctly.
Notes:
“Contain, Contest, Control.”
“Just our mantras, our principles,” Ham said of the film session. “In terms of defense, like, we want to contain, contest and control. That’s contain the ball, keeping the ball out of the paint as much as possible by playing good on-ball defense. Make sure that we contest shots all over the floor, making multiple efforts to contest shots. Not laying on screens, not dying on screens, but fighting through screens and keeping your pursuit and getting to a contest. People not being lazy, running off early, but all five guys putting bodies on bodies to control the glass.
Source: Athletic
“Cutthroat”
The Lakers focused on their transition defense as well as pick-and-roll and regular shell drills. They also played a defensive game called “Cutthroat.”
“We have a game we call ‘Cutthroat’ with these random rules on how you can play on offense, which kind of restricts you,” Ham said. “But you have to score in order to get on defense, and defense is where you get your points — by getting stops.”
Offensive Spacing/Boxes
Below we can see the offensive spacing concepts the Lakers are using just like the Bucks under Budenholzer uses. Boxes in the two slots at the top of the key, two boxes in the corners, and the dunker’s spot.
Source: Jovan Buha
Film
4-Out
It has been talked about a lot but Ham plans for the Lakers to run 4-Out offense as shown in the boxes & spacing picture above. While this isn’t a rigid setup as we will see in a few clips, the idea is to flow down the floor with the players filling these spots.
Typically 4-Out leaves better gaps for driving lanes, and then can go right into post ups for the big (AD/LeBron etc.) easier since they are already in the low position.
4-Out LBJ Empty
One action that can be difficult for defenses to guard and I expect the Lakers to run more this season is an empty ballscreen with LeBron setting it out of 4-Out.
Setting it empty means the low side defense has to honor the roll of LeBron and if they switch it then LeBron ends up in the post against a mismatch.
5-Out
The Lakers will also run 5-Out, especially with Anthony Davis at the 5 and allow spacing for their attackers to read the defense easier and put more pressure on rotations.
Blended
Blending these two together is something the Bucks have been doing for a couple years where they can have any player fill any spot or any cut from 5-Out can end up with that player in the dunkers spot.
Another example from Jrue:
As an example from the Lakers, watch JTA as he runs the rim early in offense and then fills into the dunkers spot:
Stack
The Bucks run this Stack action for Middleton all the time, so it makes sense the Lakers will use this for players like Lebron/Nunn/Schroeder to end up in ballscreen action.
The playcall for this I found was “2 Side” signaling who they want to get the ball with the number.
For instance, the number here is “3 Side Austin” with a different lineup.
Stack Nash
Instead of a single screen after the Stack action, the point guard and big can both set a ballscreen for the player who came off it at the elbow - Nash action:
Cross AD
A simple but effective way to get players into the post is a cross screen, so the Lakers set the cross-screen for AD here to get him a post touch.
This also has an option to hit the down screen for the guard coming off it when teams overreact to the cross-screen as well.
Delay Chicago Roll
Another action the Lakers are using to get AD the ball in the post is Delay Chicago action but designed to roll him into the post.
This is a way they can get him good post position if his man is too aggressive or focused on the player coming off the hand off and ends up out of position for post defense.
SOB Zipper Get
In sideline out of bounds situations, the Lakers keep things pretty simple running a basic zipper cut into a ballscreen. It will be interesting to see if they do anything differently in the regular season, but this is an easy set to have for the preseason.
SOB Zipper Pin
They also ran the classic zipper cut with a pindown opposite with multiple reads if the catch-and-shoot opportunity is not there - going into a ball screen, hand off, or following it up back to the passer.
If you liked this breakdown feel free to share it & if you have any other scenarios, plays, or thoughts on any future breakdowns let me know in the comments below!
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Note: if you are reading this in the e-mail-only form some of the gifs and videos do not always show up correctly.
Outwork Yesterday.
Coach Pyper
What exactly has changed with "Cutthroat"?
Awesome Breakdown! Will be reverting back to this constantly! Great stuff.