Coup’s Takeaways: Lakers Hold Tight Behind Star Conductors As Jaquez Jr. Keeps Window Open With Paint Attack

While every opponent presents unique defensive challenges, Miami’s offensive process has been remarkably consistent early on. The efficiency, however, hasn’t always been there against the variety of defenses presented to them, and against a Los Angeles team missing LeBron James but still led by two dynamic offensive engines, the HEAT needed a little bit more out of their attack.

No Norm Powell again, so Pelle Larsson remains in the starting lineup while Jaxson Hayes slots in for Deandre Ayton, and it was Hayes, reaping the benefits of being on the court with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, causing havoc early with a quick nine points, including his first three in three seasons.

The defensive tone was set in those early minutes, and even as Miami toggled in and out of their press-zone they never quite gathered much in the way of traction in the first half. Doncic has long been a thorn in Miami’s side as far as being a counter to their defensive stylings, something most other teams can relate to, and his off-angle playmaking had a typically stout HEAT defense a half step behind.

Good news was that with the Lakers being out a center they went small with their bench lineups, speeding up what began as a slower game by Miami’s new standards, and Jaime Jaquez Jr. immediately capitalized, sprinting right up the gut, over and over, getting to the rim and the free-throw line (Miami took 23 free-throws in the first half). An ice-cold stretch from outside, which Simone Fontecchio eventually broke, had the HEAT down double digits eventually, but they were getting to the rim enough to remain in striking distance.

All told, being down 77-63 at the half was one of those situations where it could have been better, but could also have been much worse. Even if the shooting didn’t catch fire in the next two quarters, the offense was operating well enough to keep them attached if they could find some answers on defense.

Jaquez Jr. started the second half in place of Kel’el Ware. In less than two minutes, the gap was back into single digits after Bam Adebayo made maybe the most nonchalant pick-six steal of the season.

That little burst would be short lived with a couple Lakers threes following, but Miami was in no mood to go away as the zone generated a handful of stops, Los Angeles going cold from outside, and the stampede into the paint continued. Soon enough, Miami was back within five as Jaquez Jr. put an unbelievable amount of pressure on the rim. Doncic’s orchestration held the lead, but as the Lakers went small with their bench lineups Miami again found opportunities. One 8-0 run later and the lead was down to four by the end of the third.

Down to two soon after, Jaquez Jr. diving in for a putback dunk and Ware contributing some impact minutes. Then Doncic returned and the Lakers started putting points back on the board, and while Miami was hanging around an Austin Reaves jumper after falling to the floor and recovering, followed by a transition lob, had the HEAT back down eight with under five to play.

Back to double digits after a Doncic floater in the middle of the zone, Miami missing free-throws and hunting for points. Still a window as the clock dwindled, Miami putting two bodies on Doncic, but a Reaves stepback three just about shut the water off.

Miami made their runs, the zone again a major asset when they fell behind as it was in San Antonio, but the Lakers remained in control, finishing this one off 130-120, as a date with the Clippers loomed for Miami on a back-to-back.

We say this every year and every year he earns us saying it again, but Doncic is one of two or three players that consistently puts an aggressive Miami defense on their heels. Even on a cold-er shooting night, that stepback not falling, Doncic produced one good look after another for his side, Miami essentially having to commit two bodies to him down the stretch just to get the ball out of his hands. You’ll take 29 points on 22 shots most nights against him, you just don’t want to see double digit assists come along with them.

Reaves hit some big shots, as well, but again you’ll take 26 points on 22 shots from him considering the type of player he appears to be becoming.

What hurts the most is when the players those two are creating for are able to punish you with those opportunities. Hayes adding 15 points on 7-of-7 shooting, but it was Jake LaRavia’s 25 points on 10-of-13 shooting – including a number of strong finishes in the paint – that likely marked the difference. Bench scoring has been a major part of Miami’s early season and to this point they haven’t given up much to opposing backups. They did outscore the Laker’s second unit 56-34, perhaps skewed a bit as Jaquez Jr. joined the starters in the second half, but with the advantage the Lakers starters had given them LaRavia’s contributions made up enough of the gap elsewhere.

The bright side of this one is, once again and without question, Jaquez Jr.

If anything has been proven through the first couple weeks of the season, it’s that Jaquez Jr. is a man on a mission when it comes to attacking the rim, taking all 16 of his shots tonight in the paint on his way to 31 points (with 9-of-13 shooting at the stripe). Where the Spurs were able to stymie Jaquez Jr. the other night with the length of Wembanyama in the middle, the Lakers presented the exact opposite look, going effectively center-less with their small-ball bench as Jaquez Jr. put his head down and ran it right up the gut over and over again, either scoring or putting such a significant dent in the defense that a shooter was open (Miami shot just 9-of-33 from the arc) or a cutter had a free lane. Erik Spoelstra spoke the other night about Jaquez Jr. making simple reads within their new offense, and that simplification – attack if it’s there, playmake off your pressure if it isn’t – is paying dividends right now.

You could, however, feel how the Lakers began to adjust to this new weapon, such a surprise has Jaquez Jr. been after a down sophomore season. While this is in no way a direct comparison, the shot profile Jaquez Jr. has been putting up isn’t that far off from the hard-charging Giannis Antetokounmpo, and the Lakers tightened up and starting committing two or three players in the initial seconds of the shot clock toward Jaquez Jr. to wall off that initial attack. That’s something to keep an eye on as the league catches wind of Jaquez Jr.’s new role and blistering start.

By ML Staff. Courtesy of NBA.