3 consecutive wins to rank third in the Western Conference! The Lakers have unlocked the third defensive gate, and East James hopes of winning the championship have greatly increased.

I said a few days ago that if the Lakers continue to maintain their current form, they will soon reach the top three in the Western Conference. Sure enough, with the Warriors pulling ahead and the Spurs losing, the Lakers defeated the Heat 130-120 and rushed to third in the Western Conference with a wave of 3 consecutive wins. It can be said that the Lakers have had a dream start since the start of the season, which should be something many fans did not expect.

Looking back on this game, all members of the Lakers still performed well. Doncic played 38 minutes, made 9 of 22, scored 29 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists and 3 steals. According to statistics, Doncic scored a total of 165 points in the first four games of the season, setting a record in Lakers history. Reeves played 38 minutes, making 9 of 22 shots from the field, scoring 26 points, 4 rebounds and 11 assists. According to statistics, Reeves has tied Jerry West and became the fastest player in Lakers history to reach 200 points and 50 assists in a season. So far this season, Doncic and Reeves are undoubtedly the strongest backcourt combination in the league, bar none.

In terms of role players, Laravia made 10 of 12 shots from the field and scored 25 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists and 4 steals. Smart made 4 of 9 shots from the field and ended up with 11 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals and 1 block. Hachimura made 6 of 12 shots from the field and scored 15 points, 6 rebounds and 2 assists. Hayes made all 6 shots, 1 of 1 three-pointers, and scored 13 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal and 1 block. You will find that the Lakers can now play more and more players, and can even activate the outstanding performance of a player in almost every game, from Ayton, to Smart, to Laravia, and now Hayes. Originally, there were some concerns that the Lakers' lineup was not deep enough, but if they continue to play like this, Redick will have troubles with happiness. When Vincent and James return, the Lakers' rotation strength will be even more terrifying.

Although the strategy formulated by the Lakers at the beginning of the season was to use offense instead of defense, trying to win more games with strong offensive firepower, obtain a better ranking at the beginning of the season, and avoid having to consume huge physical energy to participate in the battle for position at the end of the season, but after 7 games, you will find that the Lakers' offense is indeed very good. Excellent, but the defense is not bad at all. The addition of Ayton finally gave the Lakers someone inside who can interfere with shooting. Laravia's height and wingspan are also high-quality defensive resources. Smart and Vanderbilt have become the two defensive gates of the Lakers. The two have joined forces many times this season, using defense to blow the counterattack horn for the Lakers, and finally won the game.

What is even more exciting is that the Lakers are now unlocking their third defensive lock, and that is Brownie. Bronny played 18 minutes as a substitute in this game and scored 2 points, 2 rebounds and 3 steals. Although his offensive performance was still not good, his performance in passing and defense was very impressive. He won the team's trust because of his excellent defense and stayed on the court during the decisive moment. This game is of great significance to both him and the Lakers.

After the game, everyone in the Lakers praised Brownie's performance. Doncic said of Brownie's performance: "He didn't know if he could play, but he was ready, and he performed great. In that situation, you never know if you can play. He was ready, and this pair It means a lot to us, he can always step up at critical moments, so he played very well today and was very good defensively. We have always expected him to do this, and his performance was amazing."

Lakers coach Redick also expressed satisfaction with Brownie's defense of the ball holder today. In summary, although Bronny is not tall enough, he is very good at defending opposing defenders. He has confrontation, speed, and very accurate timing. He has a very high basketball IQ. Although the offensive end is unstable, he does not stick to the ball or get on top. He is a qualified rotation player. I have said before that Smart's arrival is definitely a good thing for Bronny. He can teach Bronny elite-level defensive skills. Now Bronny's growth is really visible to the naked eye.

I said during the offseason that the Lakers would become the biggest dark horse in the Western Conference in the new season, but now it seems that the Lakers can no longer be described as dark horses. They are still one of the hottest favorites to win the championship. Currently, except for the Thunder, there is no team in the Western Conference that is more championship-worthy than the Lakers. As long as they maintain this state and wait for James to return, the Lakers will definitely be one of the teams most promising to win the championship this season. What do you think of this?