The Lakers are second in the West with a 15-4 record going into December. LA is slated to go on the road next to face the third-place Toronto Raptors on Dec. 4, followed by the eighth-place Boston Celtics the next day.
As the Raptors sport a record of 14-7 while the Celtics are sitting at 11-9, these games will be an interesting test to see the power difference and if the East is truly as weak as many fans and media personalities are saying.
The Lakers are coming into this stretch on a seven-game winning streak, and Luka Dončić is continuing to be the game-changer for LA. Averaging 35.1 points, 8.7 rebounds and 9.2 assists per game through the first 19 games of the season, Dončić is the number-one option on the offense for these two cross-conference games.
It isn’t just Luka, however. Austin Reaves has been a surprise superstar this season putting up 28.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 6.8 assists and a strong 52% shooting rate from the field. The original idea of LeBron James and Luka Dončić being the power two for the Lakers has now shifted into Reaves and Dončić as James still struggles with injuries.
Injuries have been a major storyline for the Lakers this season, but when the stars were out the depth stepped up to get the win, and Reaves was a major constituent. Now, the Lakers finally can take a breath coming into this week as only Marcus Smart (back) is listed on the injury report. This is a better situation than at the start of November when nine players kicked off the month on the injury report.
When James does play, he has been comfortable in taking a more supportive role, and can afford to with such a strong roster around him. The Lakers have been a well-oiled offensive machine being fifth in offensive rating in the NBA with Dončić leading the charge. The Raptors, on the other hand, are sixth in defensive rating in the NBA themselves, keeping opponents to 111.5 points per every 100 possessions.
This matchup might be close, but the Lakers should be able to overpower the Raptors defense with sheer depth alone, especially with the majority of the roster being healthy. The trip to Boston against the Celtics could also be a tight matchup.
The Boston Celtics were an Eastern powerhouse last year, but this season, they are not nearly as prolific, especially without Tatum (Achilles). They currently sit in eighth in the East with a record of 11-9, being led by Jaylen Brown, Derrick White and Payton Pritchard.
Don’t let the record fool you, six of Boston’s losses came very early in the season while the team was still figuring out its identity as they were 3-5 at the start of November. Now, the Celtics are almost even with the Lakers in both offensive and defensive rating, so this deep-rooted rivalry game should be a good one.
Either way, if Dončić and Reaves can continue firing off all cylinders with the depth of the Lakers team behind them, there is no reason why they won’t be able to take these two road games and continue their hot streak through the first week of December.