The Los Angeles Lakers will be without Austin Reaves for third consecutive game as they head to Floria for the third game of their road trip against the struggling Miami Heat. Both teams come into this having lost their last game and the Lakers are searching for answers to fix their offense.
The Lakers are coming off their worst offensive showing of the year, managing just 80 points and have completely lost their identity from early on in the season. Anthony Davis and LeBron James combined for just 22 points and the ball and player movement prevalent at the outset of the year has disappeared. Additionally, teams have begun keying on rookie Dalton Knecht and not giving him space to shoot which should be expected.
What adjustments JJ Redick and the coaching staff make will be important, but the biggest thing that must be re-established is Davis as a dominant force inside. The big man has failed to score 20 points in three of the last four games as defenses are swarming him. He has been excellent as a passer through this stretch, but in a matchup against fellow All-Star and Olympic teammate Bam Adebayo, the Lakers need him to be the best player on the court period.
All eyes are also on James, who has missed all 19 of his 3-point attempts over the last four games. With Austin Reaves out the last two games and ruled out again for this one, LeBron’s workload has increased and because of that he has looked a bit winded recently. Regardless, the Lakers simply can’t win with him playing at this level.
The Heat have had their own issues with Jimmy Butler dealing with injuries and Adebayo just struggling offensively overall. Butler is set to return to the lineup against L.A. though, as is the case for Kevin Love and Nikpla Jokic as well.
Additionally, Tyler Herro has stepped up in a big way for the Heat this year, leading the team in scoring while shooting over 40% from deep on 10 attempts per game. Miami does rank in the top-10 in 3-pointers per game so the Lakers can’t afford to let them get hot from deep. Miami is also one of the best teams at forcing turnovers which has been an issue for the Lakers all year long.
The Lakers have struggled without Reaves, but the Heat are a beatable team whether Butler suits up or not. After Monday’s game, the Lakers should be locked in on what they need to change offensively, get back to the movement that they showed early on, and feeding Davis consistently all night long. As always, taking care of the ball is a must, but this is a struggling team the Lakers could bounce back on if they play the right way.
Los Angeles Lakers (12-9) vs. Miami Heat (9-10)
4:30 p.m. PT, December 4, 2024
Kaseya Center, Miami, Florida
TV: Spectrum SportsNet, NBA TV
Radio: 710 AM ESPN LA
Projected Lakers Starting Lineup:
PG: D’Angelo Russell
SG: Dalton Knecht
SF: LeBron James
PF: Rui Hachimura
C: Anthony Davis
Key Reserves: Gabe Vincent, Max Christie, Armel Traore, Cam Reddish
Projected Heat Starting Lineup:
PG: Tyler Herro
SG: Duncan Robinson
SF: Jimmy Butler
PF: Haywood Highsmith
C: Bam Adebayo
Key Reserves: Jaime Jaquez Jr., Terry Rozier, Kevin Love, Nikola Jovic
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