Without much surprise and without fireworks, with a LeBron James in diesel mode and an Anthony Davis with knee problems, the Lakers are approaching Game 4 of the first round against the Phoenix, this Sunday evening (21:30), with the advantage of two wins to one.
One of the biggest limitations of the team is the three-point shot: a bad 24/87 (27% with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope at 1/13, Kyle Kuzma at 2/11, Wesley Matthews at 2/9 and Alex Caruso at 2 / 7), which prevents opening the opponent’s defense. To the grievances of the American press, Frank Vogel is instead optimistic.
“We are going in the right direction, even if we are not there yet,” the manager told The Athletic. “I see pieces of what we can do at full power, with our speed, our size inside. The 3-point shot is not yet decided, but we manage to move the ball well, to develop our spacing. “
Currently, the defense compensates very well (only 98.7 points on average collected in this first round) for the difficulties of the attack and allows us to stay ahead.
“If we defend and take rebounds, we always have a chance to win in the playoffs,” recalls the former Pacers and Magic coach. “With the offensive power we have, we have the ability to do something big. But we start in defense and we have to do better in attack. We were blown away by our level in the first half of Game 3, so we hope the second half is a preview of what we will be able to do when we reach our maximum collective potential. “
