If Lakers Look Like This, In-Season Tournament Won't Be Only Trophy in Play for LA

LAS VEGAS — After a crushing 133-89 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday, the Los Angeles Lakers look like bona fide title contenders again.

Their 3-5 start was at least mildly concerning. LeBron James' age, Anthony Davis' inconsistency and Austin Reaves' inability to live up to preseason hype cast some doubt on this team's ability to get back to the Western Conference Finals.

But that fifth loss, which happened back on November 8, suddenly feels much older than a month after the Lakers capped off an 11-4 surge up the standings with Thursday's dismantling of the Pelicans.

In the semifinals of the NBA's inaugural In-Season Tournament in Las Vegas, the older Lakers looked dramatically more spry than New Orleans.

LeBron, specifically, was cutting by Pelicans defenders like they were buried up to their knees in Nevada sand and sagebrush. Davis was a defensive menace all over the floor. D'Angelo Russell continued to quietly provide a reliable release valve for the superstars. And Reaves dominated the opposing reserves with his playmaking and shotmaking.

What seemed like a lack of connection to the game for the Pelicans certainly contributed to the lopsided result, but the Lakers were surgical from beginning to end. And when it looked like they might be able to run away with this game, that's exactly what they did.

With 3:08 left in the second quarter, Brandon Ingram made a free throw that cut L.A.'s lead to two points at 53-51. From there on, in just over two quarters of basketball, the Lakers outscored the Pelicans 80-38.

The 27-minute onslaught was a reminder of why so many were high on L.A. coming out of this offseason. When all of the above is clicking, LeBron and the rest of this team can overwhelm talented opponents (which is what New Orleans is, even if Thursday didn't demonstrate that).

Even at his advanced age (in relative terms), LeBron is one of the NBA's absolute best offensive orchestrators, but this team gives him multiple playmaking options he trusts. And turning over some of that responsibility to Reaves and Russell has freed LeBron up for more catch-and-shoot jumper opportunities and off-ball forays to the rim.

With his otherworldly combination of size and athleticism, LeBron could've been one of the best cutting scorers the game has ever seen, but the better option was almost always to have him on the ball, feeding the cutters. On this squad, there's a bit more balance in his scoring diet.

And empowering Reaves and Russell to feed him (and the rest of the Lakers) is helping them too.

Russell is quietly averaging 16.6 points, 6.3 assists and 2.2 threes, while shooting 40.5 percent from three. Reaves got off to a slow start to the campaign, but he's at 15.5 points and 4.6 assists over his last 10 games. And the team is comfortably outscoring its opponents when either shares the floor with LeBron.

Unsurprisingly, the same can be said of AD, who's taken plenty of flak for a handful of underwhelming performances. When he plays with LeBron, L.A. is borderline dominant, thanks in large part to his Defensive Player of the Year-level rim protection and ability to clean the glass.

But even when he or some of the other big-name players on this roster have occasional lulls, much of the above is sort of a given. What really has to be different from last season's team that got swept by the Denver Nuggets in the conference finals is the depth behind those four.

On Thursday, and for much of this recent run, it's looked ready to meaningfully contend for trophies.

Cam Reddish's perimeter defense has been instrumental for a unit that now ranks sixth on that end. Rui Hachimura is back in the lineup and shooting over 40 percent from three after dealing with injuries at the start of the year. Jarred Vanderbilt is slowly working his way back from his own absence.

And as those supporting players grow into their roles, it's easy to feel better about the team's prospects for a deep playoff run.

"I think we're starting to figure it out," LeBron said after Thursday's win. "You know, you guys been asking me over the last couple months, what do you think about the team and what do I think we can be. My answer was realistic: We don't know because we haven't had our team."

"But we are starting to get healthy," he added. "We are starting to see what our team looks like. We know who we are going to be playing with out on the floor. Guys are feeling in a really good rhythm offensively and defensively."

You could see that on vivid display in Vegas. On both ends of the floor, everyone was seemingly moving in concert. Defensive rotations were crisp. Cuts to the basket were timely. The extra pass was a staple of most possessions.

"I mean, the thing I'm starting to see is when we lock in, and everybody is pulling the rope in the same direction and everybody is focused on the objectives within the game plan and the strategy that we are using to attack these teams on both sides of the ball, and when we sacrifice one another, we are damn near unstoppable," Lakers coach Darvin Ham said after the game. "It's a beautiful thing to see this early."

Of course, the Lakers probably won't play like this in every contest from here on out. No team is perfect, and this one is particularly susceptible to injuries or late-season wear and tear.

But we're now getting a glimpse of what L.A. is capable of. And we might have the In-Season Tournament to thank for that.

"Again, I think the intensity that this tournament brings reveals [how good the Lakers can be] because it's not just a regular-season game," Ham said. "It doesn't feel like that. The stakes are way higher and you see people in those delicate moments what they are truly made of, at least the beginning stages. So it's a good precursor, and it's a good prep environment for what's to come four or five months later."

If the Lakers are this motivated and connected on Saturday, they should put up a ton of points on an Indiana Pacers defense that's ranked near the bottom of the league all season.

Even against MVP candidate Tyrese Haliburton, that should be enough to secure the cup.

And if that's around in five months, as Ham suggests it could be, the cup might not be the only trophy within the Lakers' reach.