Lakers Desperate for Anthony Davis’ Return; Dillon Brooks “Locks Up” Lebron James and More- 5 Key Takeaways From Rockets Blowout Win

The Los Angeles Lakers are floundering like a fish out of water on the court. The main reason – Anthony Davis is not on the court. The Houston Rockets went off as they claimed the victory at 128-94 against the dominant LeBron James and his team. Jalen Green stole the spotlight for the Rockets, scoring an impressive 28 points.

The Lakers in today’s game were shabby at best. With the exception of D’Lo, Lebron, and Hachimura, no one can claim to have put up a game worthy of the Lakers’ name. Let’s take a look at the 5 key takeaways from today’s game.

1. Not having Davis on the court was glaringly obvious

We can see that AD’s dominant defensive skills are sorely needed at the moment. It’s a well-known fact that Davis is easily one of the dominant defenders in the league. Since entering the league in 2012, he has never once failed as a defender on both ends of the floor. The 4x NBA All-Defensive team honor is another proof of his skills as an elite defender. However, his progress and much-needed skills are often not available due to his injuries. Another reason why he has yet to win an individual defensive award.

2. Getting LeBron on the court for longer minutes is not the answer for the Lakers to get an uphill graph.

This season was supposed to be James playing on a minutes restriction. Except for the season opener against the Nuggets, where Bron played for just 29 minutes, the 6 games since have seen him playing more than 30 minutes per game. The Rockets game saw him on the floor for 27 minutes. But the question here is, shouldn’t the Lakers be relying less on LeBron James to take them forward?

3. Austin Reaves is not the 3rd Star the Lakers were looking for
Unfortunately for Austin Reaves, tonight was also not his best night. He managed to shoot two of nine from the floor and scored a meager seven points. Fans and non-fans are equally disappointed and quite annoyed at watching how the Lakers are only good when either LeBron or AD is on the floor. Given Reaves’ reputation as the one to lead the Lakers to their golden days ahead, it would be reasonable to anticipate a little more effort from him. After all, if he has to be ready to fill the void that James will eventually leave, Reaves might have to get his big boy pants on.

4. Jalen Green is a Future All-Star
The Rockets’ future, Jalen Green, was on a fiery streak from the beginning. Brooks and Green led the first quarter in double digits while the Lakers were still trailing behind with seven points. The second quarter also saw him turning a 15-point lead of the Lakers to 47-29 with a 3-pointer and the now-infamous Reaves pickpocket that ended in a transition dunk. The rest is history, as Houston dominated Los Angeles in every way possible.

5. Dillon Brooks gets his redemption

Dillon Brooks’ determination to “lock up” LeBron James finally took off tonight. When asked about facing LeBron with a new team, Brooks adamantly expressed his desire to tire him out early.

"I'm ready to lock him up." 👀

Dillon Brooks on facing LeBron

(via @BinkleyHoops)pic.twitter.com/HydnrPBShn

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) November 7, 2023

He might not have been able to tire Bron out, but Brooks and the Rockets got one over James and his Lakers. Brooks and Bron’s history goes back to when he was in the Memphis Grizzlies. Of course, the Lakers got the better of Brooks when they met in the postseason. But this season, with a fresh team, and an injury-riddled Lakers, Dillon Brooks’ wish came true.

The Lakers’ reliance on LeBron James is a problem they need to tackle sooner rather than later

Whether we want to admit it or not, LeBron James is nearing the end of his prime basketball days. The Lakers need to have a serious talk about what they are going to do if and when Bron is going to announce his retirement. As of now, James is still at the top of his form for a 38-year-old and his performance is a testament to his impressive athleticism.

The Lakers have a shortage of players with Gabe Vincent, Jarred Vanderbilt, Jalen Hood-Schifino, and now, Anthony Davis, all sidelined. That much is true. But LA is a dynamic team. Hachimura is back on the floor after missing several games with a concussion. Not to mention, Reaves and D’Lo are also supposed to be taking the lead in the absence of James and Davis.

All hope is not lost, if and that is a big if, Austin Reaves can get back to the player he was. The one that LeBron James lobbied for, the player that put up heavy points in Team USA. Having Davis on the court is an amazing advantage, for sure, but it is a possibility that the Lakers cannot put too much faith.

So, with so much at stake for the Lakers, Coach Ham and his team better find a way to get them back in title contention. A way that does not involve relying on LeBron James to take them to the promised land.