Los Angeles Lakers: 3 keys to closing out the Grizzlies, advancing to West semis

2. Attack the paint relentlessly

The Los Angeles Lakers are a team with many players who can get to the rim at will. LeBron and AD are obviously the greatest examples of this. And when they put their heads down and decide to score, it’s almost impossible to stop.

They have other guys as well like Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, and D’Angelo Russell who can methodically cause problems in the paint. We saw this in Game 3 where when the Lakers attack and get paint touches, they can destroy the will of a team.

This is regardless of the fact the Grizzlies have the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr, getting inside causes problems. This can especially be important because it can force JJJ to make more decisions, which ultimately may get him in foul trouble. Something he’s quite prone to.

Attacking the paint starts with LeBron and AD yet again. No settling for jump shots. They need to force the issue.

If the Lakers get into the paint, and force the Grizzlies to make decisions like who to help off of, it can open up plenty of offensive options for the purple and gold.