Lakers are capitalizing by getting Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves on the move

LOS ANGELES Ahead of a March 10 road loss to the Brooklyn Nets, with his team going through a mini offensive slump, Lakers coach JJ Redick expressed an eagerness to further incorporate the teams movement/off-ball actions that are regularly used for after-timeout plays into its regular offensive package.One week later, the Lakers are benefitting from getting Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves on the move more consistently, which was showcased in Monday nights home win against the San Antonio Spurs.On the Lakers first possession, two-way contract guard Jordan Goodwin brought the ball up the floor and initiated the teams first play out of a Horns alignment (two offensive players at the high post elbows, two in the corners).

Goodwin passed the ball to center Jaxson Hayes at the right elbow, with Dorian Finney-Smith, at the opposite elbow, turning his body to set a pin-down screen for Doncic in the weakside corner.Goodwin motioned as if he was going to set another screen for Doncic before slipping out and setting the first of three off-ball screens that Reaves received (Goodwin first, Finney-Smith second and Hayes third after he handed the ball off to Doncic) running from the right corner to the left wing.With Reaves defender (Devin Vassell) slightly off balance when Reaves caught the ball after having to navigate through multiple screens, the fourth-year guard attacked the open space in front of him, kicking off a ball-movement sequence that ended with Hayes drawing a shooting foul against Bismack Biyombo.Its just tougher ...

I dont think a lot of people run off-ball stuff, Reaves told the Southern California News Group after Mondays game.

So [teams], I dont think theyre really used to guarding off-ball actions.

Its just kind of a different look for people.

You cant really blitz an off-ball action because if you do, you just have the big slip and then thats a dunk.

Its hard to double somebody off an off-ball screen.Reaves added: Kind of got to pick your poison on how you want to guard it.

If you guard it kind of how youre supposed to, the guard is going to get downhill.

And then you just gotta make a play after that.Which was a regular theme in the Lakers victory over the Spurs, when they had 34 assists on their 44 field goals.Whether it was Christian Koloko setting a pin-down screen for Doncic that eventually led to Doncic assisting Koloko on an alley-oop after Doncic drove into the paint later in the first quarter, or Reaves assisting Jarred Vanderbilt for a dunk on the Lakers first play of the second quarter, the emphasis to get Reaves and Doncic on the move was evident.With AR, its just like getting a body off of him where he can not have to work as hard with the dribble to create an advantage and get downhill and obviously can make [3-pointers] off screens too, Redick said of the teams off-ball movement for its main ball handlers.

With Luka, I think the off-ball stuff is really good because if we do a good job of forcing the over and setting screens, hes catching the ball and hes already got the angle.

And not trying to create an angle from a static position so thats been good.Redick added: And the last thing, [Monday] was a great example [of] when youre running some off-ball stuff as plays, then you can layer in different options out of [after timeout plays].

And our guys executed some good stuff.Doncic, who acknowledged that the Lakers off-ball actions for him makes his life easier, praised Redick for a pair of after-timeout plays the team midway through the third.The first time the Lakers ran the play, Reaves passed Doncic the ball in between the left wing and middle of the floor above the 3-point arc before Hayes set a screen for him.

Reaves curled off Hayes screen and faked an off-ball screen for Finney-Smith in the right corner before cutting to the basket, with Doncic assisting Reaves on a layup that gave the Lakers an 81-60 lead.Less than a minute later using a similar setup, the Spurs defended the play better, leading to the Lakers going through more of the play.

Hayes set a pin-down for Finney-Smith coming out of the corner before Reaves set a back screen for Hayes, leading to Doncic assisting Hayes on an alley-oop.That explains JJs mind, the way he sees basketball, its amazing, Doncic said.

But just me and AR coming off the ball, it helps me and him and everybody else.

Because we do it with pace, and its hard to stop us.The Lakers have already shown theyre adjusting to life with Doncic the scoring opportunities and offensive advantages that are created simply by having him on the court.Getting Doncic, and Reaves, the ball off of movement makes them even harder to guard.They hope that once four-time league MVP LeBron James (strained left groin) and starting forward Rui Hachimura (left patellar tendinopathy) return to the floor, theyre able to unlock even more layers to their offensive potential.NUGGETS AT LAKERSWhen: Wednesday, 7 p.m.Where: Crypto.com ArenaTV/radio: ESPN, Spectrum SportsNet/710 AMRelated ArticlesLakers | Austin Reaves, Luka Doncic fuel Lakers blowout of SpursLakers | Lakers JJ Redick lauds Spurs Chris Paul for still playingLakers | Lakers get closer to being whole with Jaxson Hayes returnLakers | Lakers beat Suns to end season-worst 4-game losing streakLakers | Lakers look to get well and get over winless road trip.

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