3 things that the Lakers can learn from the NBA playoffs 2025

Although the Lakers were confident from the playoffs a few weeks ago, there are still things that have to be learned through the team when the post -season continues.

With the conference final in both the west and in the east, the quality of the game is almost at its peak. After the wolves had jumped the Lakers, they dropped the crawlless Steph curry warriors and cut off against a Thunder team that spread a series with seven games against the Nuggets according to their grizzlies.

On the other side of the country, both the Knick and Pacers used happiness to move to the abyss of the NBA final. Indiana struck the goats without Damian Lillard and the Cavs without a variety of players, while New York eliminated the Celtics without Jayson Tatum. None of this is to remove your services because every playoff run is full of good and bad breaks.

In all series and the first games of the conference final, there were some lessons that the Lakers should learn when they re -assemble their team this low season. Let's take a look at three of the most remarkable.

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Athletes needed

There were a number of things that lacked the Lakers this season, especially after trading with Luka Dončić. One of the President of Basketball Operations Rob Pelinka in his exit interview was the need for athletes.

His comments discussed the need for defensive wings, but it is a hand-in-hand argument, since good defensive wings in modern NBA are often athletes. When you looked at the version of the Lakers who lost to the wolves, the lack of sportiness was also bright at the time. Jaden McDaniels had his way because only a few lakers could hang with him.

Similarly, the Lakers had no solutions for Anthony Edwards, which instead had to shift the entire defense to him, which made it possible for others to often beat the purple and gold.

One of the underlying features of the players who follow the Lakers should be a necessary sportiness regardless of the position. Regardless of whether it can afford the level of the athlete on the squad this summer with a big man, a wing that can do a little bit of everything or a guard with a little speed or something.

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The need for two big looks

There was a lot of discussion about the need for the Lakers to acquire several centers in this low season, but it should even go one step further.

In this post -season, teams have several success with lineups with several large men.

Cleveland built an entire roster about the idea of ​​two bigs. New York played the line-up with both Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson against the Celtics and flourished. Oklahoma City has both Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein. Minnesota almost always has two from Julius Randle, Naz Reid and Rudy Gobert on the floor.

Check out almost every team that a playoff series won, and you will probably see a line -up in which two great men successfully had. Back to Luka, who was in Dallas, had the Mavs multi-big look and often close with PJ Washington together with a center of her team that achieved the final.

Think back of the 2020 Bubble team that Markieff Morris was able to set alongside Anthony Davis.

In the meantime, the current lakers have no big men.

Perhaps LeBron could be seen as a secondary great man in these statements. He was defensive as a de facto center in this post -season. Perhaps he is invented another (and final time?) Time to at least defensively be a traditional force.

But even in this scenario, the Lakers have no depth. Rui Hachimura is probably the nominal tall man, and he is not really seen as a “big one”, but as an oversized wing.

Perhaps the centers that acquire the Lakers can play side by side, even though it feels unlikely. And while you can absolutely win without need These playoffs have shown that it is a valuable weapon.

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The Lakers are more than a year away

This could be a bit overreaction if the thunder has steamed the wolves through the first two games, but it certainly doesn't feel as if the Lakers are close to this level.

Ultimately, Minnesota was simply better than the Lakers and if not a terrible 3-point shooting in game 5, they would have won in a blowout to close the series. LA had expired possible solutions for the problems that the wolves gave them.

If you are blown out the same Wolves team yourself, it looks as if the Lakers are not so tight. There is a level that these teams play, on which the Lakers can feel impossible to reach 48 minutes in a whole series.

This team played at this level in routes. Maybe it was a quarter, half or maybe even a game. But maintain this game level for a whole series for two weeks? That didn't happen. And that's just to win a series. To win a title, you have to do it four times.

It is not necessarily a bad thing that the Lakers are not nearby. Luka is only 26 years old and it is enough time to build it. But it is difficult to imagine that the Lakers will be in a situation in which they play for a title.

You can follow Jacob on Twitter @Jacrude Or on bluesky at @Jacobrude.bsky.social.