A few days ago, Paul Pierce claimed that LeBron James needed to take a “step back” for the “greater good” of the Los Angeles Lakers. His criticism stemmed from the fact that the Lakers were the tenth seed despite LBJ putting up great numbers. However, The Truth has changed his tune after the recent Lakers surge.
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After the Lakes beat the Pacers 150-145, Pierce lauded their efforts in clutch situations. During the game, LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Spencer Dinwiddie, and Austin Reaves all scored 24+ points. This is the first time since 1971 that a Lakers quartet has achieved such a feat. Appearing on Undisputed with Skip Bayless and Keyshawn Johnson earlier today, Paul Pierce discussed the Lakers’ current form and their upcoming schedule.
“Lately, I have been impressed with the Lakers. They have won three in a row. When I look at their up-and-coming schedule, they are going on the road for six games and they could possibly win, they should win four of the next six on the road,” Paul Pierce told Johnson and Bayless
The former NBA Forward then discussed how their next game will be against Milwaukee Bucks, which will be the first one of a back-to-back. Since the Bucks are the favorites to win the game anyway, Anthony Davis and LeBron James should sit it out to have a better chance against the Grizzlies the next day. Then there will be a rematch with the Pacers, which can be a “dogfight”, again as per Pierce.
However, Pierce expects the Lakeshow to take care of the struggling Nets, Raptors, and Wizards in succession. Therefore, after initially doubting the up-and-down Lakers, The Truth is finally seeing some positive changes within the team.
Are the Lakers sharing the ball better?
On March 18, the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Trae Young-less Atlanta Hawks 136-105. Despite the blowout win, Paul Pierce wasn’t convinced about them playing high-quality ball. Before the win against the Hawks, they had lost against the Kings and the Warriors. Thus, a win against a struggling squad wasn’t enough to impress him. Yahoo Sports’ Robert Marvi covered Pierce’s comments on Undisputed.
“This is the game they are supposed to win. This is the way they have to play. The ball distribution was there. You didn’t have LeBron taking 20 shots, AD taking 18 and 20 shots. When you actually give them the ball, they can make shots,” Paul Pierce noted after the Hawks win
However, that didn’t mean that Pierce was convinced that this style would show up against top-tier teams. Therefore, he added, “I need to see them do this consistently against good teams. This means nothing.”
While the Lakers’ scoring balance has indeed been brilliant as of late, they have won three in a row against inconsistent squads. Apart from ball-sharing issues, one huge problem for the squad has been their defense. With the play-in tournament at the cusp, they will need to dial in against elite squads.
