Forward Anthony Davis stated that a teammate who wished to remain anonymous was excited about the possible ramifications after the Lakers defeated the Phoenix Suns in the opening game of the In-Season tournament two weeks prior.
“‘One step closer to $500 (thousand),’” Davis recalled a teammate saying. “I never heard that before. That’s a little extra motivation.”
Typically, the Lakers were only interested in winning NBA titles. The Lakers (9-7) will host a quarterfinal game on December 4 or 5 as the favorite to win the first NBA Cup, though, having won all four of their Group Play games in the tournament.
Among the motivating factors? If any player wins the championship game on December 9 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, they will each receive a check for $500,000.
“Guys like money. Not like it; they love it,” Lakers coach Darvin Ham said. “That incentive right there is huge. For all of those reasons, we want to make sure we take care of business.”
Here are five reasons the Lakers ought to be able to handle their own affairs.
Money
The Lakers have expressed disapproval of the NBA’s financial incentives for making it to the quarterfinals ($50,000 for each player), the semifinals ($100,000), and the NBA Cup ($200,000), as was previously mentioned. But nothing compares to taking home the real championship trophy as the greatest prize.
“500 sounds real good,” Davis said, smiling. “We’re going to bring that juice.”
The idea that multimillionaire athletes would give a damn about another half a million dollars might seem perplexing. LeBron James, a star player for the Lakers, is signed for a little under $47 million this season and has already made billions of dollars. Last summer, Davis consented to a $186 million, three-year contract extension to supplement the two years and $84 million remaining in his current deal.
Still, there are a few Lakers players who earn significantly less money. The Lakers signed Christian Wood and Cam Reddish to veteran’s minimum contracts worth approximately $2 million. Third-year guard Max Christie, the No. 35 pick by the Lakers in the 2022 NBA Draft, is expected to earn slightly more than $1 million this year.
“For the younger guys, it’s amazing. They get that money to take care of their family, and their family can take care of their family,” Wood said. “So, it’s big. I’ve been in the league for a long time. So, I’m trying to save it as much as I can. Who wouldn’t try to save that much money?”
The Lakers have played well so far in the In-Season tournament
To be fair, though, other teams might have the same financial incentives. Additionally unbeaten in Group Play are the Indiana Pacers (3-0), Sacramento Kings (2-0), Minnesota Timberwolves (2-0), Milwaukee Bucks (2-0), and Boston Celtics (2-0).
Nevertheless, the Lakers have demonstrated their supremacy on the court. They have won by a total of 74 points against the Utah Jazz, Portland Trail Blazers, Memphis Grizzlies, and Phoenix Suns.
The overall regular-season standings might not be impacted by that. But for the In-Season Tournament, the point differentials determine possible tie-breakers. In terms of point differential, the Lakers are significantly ahead of the Kings (+16) and Wolves (+10).
There will be further division on Friday when Sacramento and Minnesota play. To guarantee the top seed in the West, the winner of that match would need to defeat the Lakers in point differential and win their last In-Season tournament game on November 28. On December 4 or 5, the Lakers will host their quarterfinal game at home.
“You can sleep in your own bed and be in your own facility at home with all the resources that you have in that building,” Ham said, “And (there’s) all of the comfort you have in your own home and not having to jump on a plane and jump on a bus and go to a hotel with a foreign bed. It plays into that.”
James has delayed Father Time
Since missing their regular-season game against the Portland Trail Blazers on November 12 due to a left calf contusion, the Lakers have officially listed James as questionable. But James, 38, has always been given the all-clear to play after finishing a pre-game warm-up and then going on to dominate.
James has shot 53.7% from 3-point range and 59.4% from the field in the last six games, averaging 26.5 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 8.5 assists. If he hadn’t played few minutes in games against Memphis (23) and Utah (34) as the Lakers easily defeated both teams by double digits, he probably would have put up higher numbers.
“Just trying to push the limit and see how far I can take this thing,” James explained what’s driving him in his 21st NBA season. “It’s me vs. Father Time. So, I’m trying to change the narrative and start off last year and see if I can keep it going.”
James has stated in general that he continues to maintain discipline in his training, dieting, and sleeping schedules, as have the Lakers. James has also acknowledged that “a lot of inspiration” came from his mother Gloria, his wife Savannah, his two sons Bryce and Bronny, and his daughter Zhuri.
“I’m just going out there and just playing free,” James said. “I feel like it’s not anything I cannot do that I did in my 20s out on the basketball floor.”
Davis has anchored the Lakers’ defense
Davis responds to persistent doubts about his ability to remain reliable and strong. Indeed, Davis has been sidelined by a left hip injury that has limited his recovery time. Yes, there have been sporadic poor offensive performances by Davis. However, Davis has remained dependable on defense at least.
With an average of 3.1 blocks per game, Davis leads the league. In terms of rebounds per game (12.0), Davis is ranked third. Furthermore, Davis has made sure that the Lakers have finished ninth overall in defensive rating (110.9), despite the fact that forward Jarred Vanderbilt has missed the entire season due to a left heel injury.
Not only have the Lakers reached that level with Davis’ rim protection, but his teammates appear more comfortable with playing aggressively and taking risks because they can fall back on Davis’ insurance.
“He’s taken total ownership on that side of the ball,” Ham said. “He’s our middle linebacker. He coaches our defense and he communicates with everyone that is out there in front of them. He has the ability to cover for people and be versatile, with his activity in pick and rolls and with his ability to switch off.”
The Lakers would have home-court advantage in Vegas
In theory, the Lakers’ quarterfinal matchup will only take place at home. In the event that the Lakers make it to the semifinals on December 7 and the championship game on December 9, they will host games at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. There might be as many Lakers chants in that environment as there would be at Crypto.com Arena.
Every July during Las Vegas Summer League, Lakers supporters have usually made up the largest crowds at Cox Pavilion and Thomas & Mack Center. Because a large portion of the Lakers’ fan base lives in Las Vegas, the team also frequently hosts an exhibition game there each year.
“You’ll see a lot of purple and gold shirts in there, especially with it being so close to California,” Wood predicted. “It’s going to be fun.”