
via Imago
Image Credits: IMAGN

via Imago
Image Credits: IMAGN
All season long, the Los Angeles Lakers have been hunted on the glass by their opponents. Tonight was no different. Ivica Zubac did the damage with 19 rebounds, eight of which were offensive boards. In order to counter such a scenario, JJ Redick prompted an experiment. “Teams are trying to get AD away from the basket. Well, maybe we can mix it up a little bit and have some more size out there for stretches of the game” he said a few days before facing the Clippers.
That stretch occurred tonight during the third quarter and lasted until the beginning of the fourth. He opted to have both Anthony Davis and Jaxson Hayes on the floor. It ended up being the period when the Purple and Gold got the better of the Clippers. They went on a 13-2 run in those four minutes. While they had a few of those bursts throughout the game, Redick was particularly impressed with having Hayes and Davis adding length to their lineup.

via Imago
Jan 19, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis (3) shoots against Los Angeles Clippers center Ivica Zubac (40) during the first half at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
“Yeah I think we in theory should be able to get more defensive rebounds and when we set our defense we have more size. That group did a really good job and some of that was actually in scramble mode too when we mixed up some fires throughout the game and w mixed up some zone throughout the game. I like that just flexibility and I also just like the way the group responded to in-game stuff,” he said about the two-big lineup.
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In that time, the Lakers were able to limit Ivica Zubac to only getting one rebound. Furthermore, their defense did a great job. Still, having to fight from a 26-point deficit, those four minutes of control were enough. As JJ Redick said, “Ultimately, Kawhi made shots, couldn’t keep Zubac off the glass, and anytime Powell got loose, he made us pay”.
Anthony Davis saw some positives from the lineup change
It was a tough night for Anthony Davis when playing as the lone center tonight. Battling against Zubac wasn’t easy. AD could only score 16 points to go with 10 rebounds in the 14-point loss. But one part of the game that did uplift him happened to be sharing the floor with Hayes. He noticed the increase in the size of the lineup benefitting the Lakers.
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“It just made us bigger. You know, they were small especially with Zu out. Even if he is in, we are kind of able to manipulate that with you know two bigs and kind of punish them in the paint, get stops defensively with our length,” he said after the loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.
With the Lakers often being beat at the glass, fans may wonder why Redick may not make a permanent change in the lineup. But Davis is a little hesitant to do so. He agrees with the head coach to play two bigs in small bursts. Describing it as “good”, the rim protector feels the change should depend on a “game-by-game scenario”.
In hindsight, the Los Angeles Lakers did go on a great run. But rather than the size helping them counter getting outrebounded, their defense was the real winner. The team forced turnovers from the Clippers. On the other end, they went on a scoring spree, only missing 2 of their six shots in that time.
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If it’s a case like today when rebounds are changing the shape of the game, implementing two bigs could serve as a solid anecdote. At the same time, it does compromise on floor spacing with Hayes not being a shooting big. Hence, both Davis and Redick feel it’s ideal to play big in small stretches as opposed to making it their long-term identity.
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Can the Lakers' two-big lineup be the key to solving their rebounding woes this season?
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