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Lakers focused on containing Ja Morant in first-round playoff series

April 14, 2023

EL SEGUNDO — The question was direct and to the point, and D’Angelo Russell wanted no part of it. He said he didn’t wish to reply to a query about the challenges the Lakers might face from Memphis Grizzlies backcourt counterpart Ja Morant in their first-round Western Conference playoff series.

“I’d rather, honestly, talk about us,” Russell said before the Lakers departed Friday for Memphis. “Honestly. I’m sure everybody is talking about them. I don’t want to give you (reporters) any headlines.”

OK, fair enough.

Next question.

So, how about this: What do you guys need to do to split the first two games?

“Contain Ja Morant,” Russell deadpanned.

Funny, man.

When the laughter died down, Russell grew serious again.

“Nah, I think they’re a tough team all the way around,” Russell said. “So, I don’t really want to worry about too much, put all our eggs in one thing because they can capitalize from other areas, too. They’re a well-rounded team. Simple as that.”

True enough.

Morant is, as Lakers superstar LeBron James so aptly put it the other day, “the head of the snake.” Morant averaged a team-leading 26.2 points to go with 5.9 rebounds and 8.1 assists during the regular season, leading the Grizzlies to a second consecutive Southwest Division championship.

Morant, 23, has had his share of off-the-court issues, drawing an eight-game suspension from the NBA after he was captured on video waving a gun around during a visit to a strip club in Denver. On the court, he’s the face of a talented young team looking to make a breakthrough in the playoffs.

The Lakers’ defensive plan, like every other team in the league, is to slow the Grizzlies and make them play a half-court game. Allowing them to run, with Morant directing the attack, is not a winning formula. Memphis ranked 22nd in half-court points and third in transition scoring.

“It’s huge, man,” Lakers coach Darvin Ham said. “Ja gets a lot of that attention, but it’s all of them. They’ve got multiple guys that can start the break with a couple, three dribbles. Some of the guys can take it all the way. But transition defense is going to be a huge key defensively in us trying to get past this team.”

When it comes to Morant, the Lakers are likely to play defense by committee. Certainly, Ham could put Russell on Morant. Or he could go with Dennis Schröder. Or maybe Jarred Vanderbilt could get the assignment.

“Well, it’ll be a lot of people,” Ham promised.

Is there a detailed defensive plan that Ham would share?

“Just make Ja see bodies, you know what I mean?” he said. “Without giving up too much. That’s any NBA game, for that matter. And now, with the stakes being even higher. What he likes to do is live in the paint. Attacking downhill repeatedly, constantly, with force. We’re gonna have our hands full.

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“Our job has to be to not let them get inside of our defense continuously.”

WHAT’S YOUR HURRY?

The Lakers departed Friday for Memphis in order to get acclimated, planning to practice Saturday in preparation for Game 1 on Sunday. They could have stayed home to practice Saturday and traveled later in the day, but since Game 1 starts at noon (PT), they wanted to arrive early.

“I like to get there early, get acclimated to the city and just that whole new environment, and kind of get guys away from their home situations, just to lock in and get a clear mind and I think the earlier we get there the better,” Vanderbilt said. “We need to … just get familiar with that whole atmosphere, that whole city.”

SCHRÖDER UPDATE

Ham said everyone on the roster but Schröder practiced when the Lakers returned to the court Friday, after two days of rest after their play-in tournament victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday night. Ham said it was just precautionary after Schröder tweaked his foot during the game.

Orange County Register

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Lakers focused on containing Ja Morant in first-round playoff series

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