The Los Angeles Lakers just rolled through a brutal back-to-back road trip, snatching two massive wins against top-four Eastern Conference seeds, the Detroit Pistons and the Atlanta Hawks, and they did it all while missing their biggest stars. This team is sitting pretty at a 10-2 start to the season, and it’s not just the usual suspects making it happen.
Stars Out, Depth In, Wins Stacked
Imagine this: you’re facing two of the best teams in the East, on their home turf, in consecutive nights. Then you find out Luka Dončić is out for the Pistons game, and Austin Reaves is sidelined for the Hawks matchup. Most teams would crumble, right? Not these Lakers. Reaves absolutely balled out against Detroit with a huge 43 points to lead the way. Then, Dončić returned and dropped a sick 32-point, 10-assist double-double against Atlanta. But here’s the kicker, the real story everyone needs to hear: Los Angeles’ bench didn’t just play roles, they straight-up filled the massive voids left by the missing star power.
The “Next Guy Up” Is Here to Play
Lakers head coach JJ Redick didn’t mince words after the Hawks game, he saw what we all saw: a team built on more than just two guys. “I think the last two games, great examples of next guy up,” Redick told reporters, clearly buzzing. He called out Collin Sexton for doing a “really nice job of attacking the paint and scoring,” bringing some serious “juice” especially in that first half. And Sandro Mamukelashvili? Redick said it was his “best game as a Laker” dropping 23 points, making “big time plays,” and those two defensive rebounds late in the game were “as big as any play he made all night.” Let’s not forget Ziaire Williams, who also delivered for this squad.
And then there’s Walker Kessler, who was just an absolute machine across both games. The dude averaged a monster 16.5 points, 13 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 2.0 blocks, and 1.0 steals. Talk about fortifying the interior on both ends! His rebounding, his finishing, his rim protection, and his quick decision-making are clearly integral to this 10-2 start. Kessler echoed Redick’s sentiment about resiliency, saying, “It’s building resiliency. JJ talks about it, going through adversity, and understanding that, to be a championship team, you’ve got to respond to that kind of stuff.” He capped it off perfectly, adding, “When they made their fourth quarter run, we responded accordingly and got the win.” That’s the mindset of a winner right there.
So yeah, Dončić and Reaves are going to lead this team, we all know that. But if this supporting cast keeps elevating their game like this, when their number is called, watch out. They’re proving they’re for real if the Lakers want to contend for a title.
Next up, the Lakers are looking to push their winning streak to seven games and keep this road trip undefeated when they face the Milwaukee Bucks Wednesday night. Tipoff is at 5 p.m. PST. This team is rolling, and you don’t want to miss a second of it.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Silver Screen and Roll.
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