5 THINGS

Solid win that got closer than it could have, shades of Philly flashing before our eyes as AD missed another late free throw. But the Lakers held on, Reaves hit another clutch three and we came home .500 on the roadie. Considering where this team was at just a couple weeks ago, that’s more than decent.

1. LeBron’s most efficient and impactful outing of the season. I’ve been on The King a lot about his overall lack of efficiency. Some of that is to be expected as he approaches 38 years old and the amount of basketball he’s played in his lifetime. Still, as the leader of the team and the generational talent that he is, more is expected. Last night he played great on both ends. Didn’t make any silly, lazy passes for easy break points, shot efficiently (14-24) and made all his free throws. The single turnover is what we need more of (from himself and Russ) against the backdrop of his 5 assists. It was around the turn of the year that LeBron kicked it into another gear last season. If he can do that again, while AD is playing as dominantly as he currently is, we should climb the standings a bit.
2. Few answers for AD except get him in foul trouble. That’s the defense. AD was hitting all sorts of shots last night, except his sole three pointer. Not worried about our three ball game, honestly. Davis continued his one man assault on NBA paint defenses and something is starting to become quite clear. Teams are understanding that the only people who can stop AD are the refs. If AD is unhindered by foul trouble he is playing at a such a level right now as to be nigh unstoppable. He flirted with a triple-double but only garnered 7 dimes.
3. Winning the game while losing the three point battle. Much has been made of the lack of elite outside shooting on this iteration of Laker basketball. I’m personally cool with it for a simple reason. Our identity does not really stem from our long range accuracy but our defense and body blow interior scoring. There was a stretch where we were trading 2s for 3s against the Pistons and they closed the gap. We stuck with what worked and the long range shots that fell for them, specifically from Bojan Bogdanovic, stopped falling in the 4th due to a little tighter D and the law of averages. We also scored more efficiently because our attempts are often closer to the rim, not further out. This is by design, we’re next to last in attempted three pointers. We’re 3rd from the bottom in accuracy. That’s after climbing up above 30% (currently 30.2 3PFG/game and hitting 32.2%). As long as the Lakers continue to own the paint we’ll have a shot to win most games.
4. Austin Reaves. I started calling him True Grit (didn’t stick with the national media…) but now have moved onto Captain Clutch. The kid just comes up big when it’s needed. It’s this aspect of his game that I hope the Laker Brass looks at when deciding whether to cheap out on another role-player next summer. Incredible game-sealing shot and it’s not his first. I have a feeling it won’t be his last.
5. All of the above illustrate a point I’ve been trying to make for awhile now. This is working. Were it not for some missed free throws or tightening up one defensive possession down the stretch we’d have won in Philly. We didn’t have a healthy James or AD against Cleveland or Toronto (I know James played against the Cavs but he probably ought not to have given how he looked out there, that was one for the hometown fans). We’ve been competitive against good teams. We don’t need a huge trade, we need a little bit of defensive and outside shooting help, the rest of the recipe works. Thus, for my own self, I have a new criteria for any trade:
   -Does it bring back the same level, if not better, of playmaking the current roster has? If not, hard pass. Russ is feeding AD like Pac-Man eating dots. He’s not over-forcing his own offense or searching out triple-doubles, either. The only other Laker that comes close to bringing what Russ does is Schroder and he’s a poor copy at that. I’ve been watching the AD/Russ connection for a couple weeks now, it is not uncommon for Russ to bring 2,3 and even 4 defenders to him on his drives to the rim because he’s relentless. AD simply follows in his wake and either gets a pass if the commit to stopping Russ or an easy put-back if Russ misses his layup. If that goes away and is not somehow replaced in a trade it’s a bad trade.
   -Does the elite, volume, super-incredible three point marksman excel in a limited role (you know, like the last 7 elite, volume, super-incredible three point marksman who have played here have not)? If not you may want to push pause and consider what you’re giving up on defense. I’ve been hard on PatBev of late but this road trip showed what his leadership on the court can do. It helped turn the Philly game into an almost stolen victory. It’s been helping guys like Reaves, LW4 and TB understand how to properly take a charge, and it’s being able to be in the ear of Russ, LeBron and AD and not be wholly dismissed. Like Rondo before him I am starting to see a path where, despite his sinkhole offense, his defensive contribution just might make up for it. Full disclosure I still think he’ll be the first Laker traded.
   
   Do the Lakers need help? Yeah, yeah they do and there are a lot of ways they can get it. Melo is still out there and we have an open roster spot. Kris Dunn has been tearing up the G-League and is a savvy play-making guard. Thomas Bryant and Schroder have been solid in their backup roles so I don’t see those positions as being a weakness but, should we end up trading Nunn, PatBev or Russ we may need to bring in some kind of play-making guard to break down and collapse the defense. This tightrope act the Lakers are walking this season is certainly frustrating for fans of the trade as a fixit solution. I get it, while I may not wholly endorse a specific trade it would take a lot of internal improvement to think this roster can compete for a title as-is. I don’t really see that happening, to be honest. As long as the player(s) we bring in can defend and get AD the ball in his sweet spot (the paint) I think I’d pull the trigger on a trade. If it’s for a one-trick–pony shooter or a guard who just scores you can count me out on supporting it.
   
   Go Lakers.

Most teams are past the 1/4 pole mark, including the Lakers, so instead of a 5 Things about the awful game between the Lilliputians, er, Lakers and Cavs I thought I’d go into what’s worked and what hasn’t as we head towards the halfway point of the NBA season. Let’s dig right in.

1. The defense…for the most part. Given the guys on the team, the offense it needs to protect and the way we played last season (giving up late leads, unable to stop penetration and sieving paint points, etc.) this is a total turnaround. We’re 14th in defensive efficiency, 25th in steals (not the be-all-end-all of defensive stats), 10th in blocked shots (neither is this of the utmost importance but nice), and 26th in opponent points in the paint. All of that shows improvement if not a level of elite that we would hope to see with guys like AD and Patrick Beverley playing big minutes. This has as much to do with who is committed to defense and who isn’t at this point in the season. I would list the following players as highly committed: AD, PatBev, Reaves, and Wenyan Gabriel. Committed: Russ, Bryant, Lonnie Walker 4, Schroder, and Troy Brown Jr. Indifferent: Nunn, James, D-Jones. The last one of those (Jones) has been a disappointment in pretty much every facet of the game. While I can understand why LeBron is playing defense the way he is on this team it really isn’t going to work. He needs to be more present and at least do things like close out on the only wide open shooter on his side of the floor. Nunn…just gotta go, no hope for him on this team. Don’t know what the deal is there but Kendrick might have earned the distinction of worst MLE signing ever, at least for the Lakers.
2. Anthony Davis at the center position. Took some time, several hints dropped via the media he’d really, really, really like to play at the 4 but AD has decided to be the best center he can be. Turns out he’s pretty good at it. Fewer jumpers, more offensive rebounds and points at the rim and you have a recipe for the kind of success that is both sustainable and something the team can build on. We don’t need to get into the specific numbers of how much AD is dominating because the true measure is that he’s being discussed for the loftiest NBA awards: MVP and Defensive Player of the Year. If he wins either/both of those it would mean we won a lot more games than predicted, that he elevated the team around him and not just putting up gaudy stats in a vacuum, and that we actually made the playoffs and not the playin.
3. Russell Westbrook off the bench. Despite everything the Lakers and Russ have found a way to coexist and be productive together. While the trade market is the dominant topic in all things Westbrookian I am of the opinion that the Lakers will not be trading Russ unless it’s for a player that is a true upgrade over Russ and not just some nice role-players. The FRPs required to move a contract of his size for a player you may or may not retain just does not make sense. The fact that you likely won’t win the talent side of the trade, either should make one question why the trade be made in the first place. AD playing more in the paint has opened up Westbrook’s game more than anything else. He, once again, has an elite roll man to find for open dunks with crafty wrap-around passes or kicks out to shooters…that last one often coming with mixed results not of his creation. I think that, in the end, Russell ends the season with LA. They need his expiring cap space if they want to retain Reaves, Lonnie Walker IV and possibly make a run at other free agents who could come on the market. So, unless the trade is for expiring deals, brings back a different FRP, or is for a knock-me-down-and-call-me-surprised caliber player I just don’t see it happening. They’ve said as much, done as much and there it is.
4. Not working #1: Patrick Beverley. Just for kicks I took a peek at THT’s stats since that’s who we gave up to acquire PatBev. Hate to say it but Talen is balling harder than his counterpart in the surprise trade of the summer, at least for the Lakers. Here’s a rough comparison:
   -MPG: PatBev 26.8, THT 16.8
   -PPG: PB 4.2, THT 7.2
   -FGA: PB 4.7, THT 6.9
   -FG%: PB 27.1%, THT 39%
   -3P%: PB 22%, THT 25%
   -2P%: PB 38.5%, THT 48.5%
   -TRB: PB 3.8, THT 2.6
   -AST: PB 2.5, THT 2.5 (not a typo)
   Neither is averaging over 1 for blocks or steals, PatBev turns the ball over a little less but fouls a lot more. None of that is to say that THT is the better player, the Lakers didn’t need another youthful player to develop that they would have to choose not to sign because of cheapness reasons. What that does illustrate that in 10 more MPG PatBev isn’t bringing much buy brave words and some nice looking hair on a nightly basis. For the money we need more. Only Nunn produces less/dollar from the role-player pool (Russell is the worst Laker guard sharing the cellar with the likes of Klay Thompson, Paul George and Ben Simmons (link here: https://www.spotrac.com/nba/valuation/guard/ ). Not sure what level of player we can expect in a Beverley trade, hopefully one that would include Nunn, but it has to be better than this.
5. Not working #2: Reaves off the bench. This needs to change ASAP. Reaves with the starting five brings it all together. He brings the right amount of shooting, defense and energy that nobody else on the team has. His Hoops IQ is really high which means he sees the game happening and where he needs to be to help a play develop on both ends. Moving Reaves to the starting five would push PatBev or Schroder to the bench, so no issues on that one. There are fewer and fewer justifications to playing Beverley at all, Schroder should get the backup point guard minutes, and Max Christie should fill in the gaps. That’s just how it is, man. No offense to PB or DS but they just don’t bring the same level of skill, talent, and smarts Reaves does. My starting five would look like this: AD, LBJ, LW4, Reaves, and Schroder. Second unit would be Bryant, Wenyan Gabriel, TB Jr., Nunn and Russ. Max Christie and Jones are “break glass in case of foul trouble” players and PatBev can sit. That’s just me though.

Anyhow, since the Lakers have chosen to beat teams they can beat and not roll over and die in advance of playing marquee teams we’ve reversed course on our 2-10 start. Recent rough outings aside (no AD and a disengaged LBJ in Cleveland) this team should still make the playin. While I’m sure Jeannie would like to see a better showing from her investment this mess is on her and Rob as anyone else. Your last coach took the fall for your overall organizational ineptitude and cheapness, that won’t be an excuse this time around. The Lakers need to make some kind of move before the trade deadline if they want to truly have a shot at competing in the playoffs. Since I don’t see a deal out there that will improve the team enough to come down off their “only 1 FRP…maybe” stance I long ago shifted sights to PatBev and Nunn who, if packaged together, could net a really decent player.

It’s funny how things can change in life. Sport mirrors life in many ways and so most of the same rules apply. Cheat and there are consequences (well, not for the Houston Astros but for most teams…). Consistently get hurt, you’re injury-prone. Miss the playoffs with three superstars on your team? You’re a bust. And so on. Some of these are fair, others are not and there’s nothing to do but shoulder the load and move forward. That’s life. The narrative is derived from the experience and it’s that exact thing that has changed drastically for the Lakers in a few, short weeks.

1. The Anthony Davis narrative. Injury prone, disengaged, unable to take the next step from ‘really good’ to ‘truly great’. All of those are the, to this point, career defining narrative surrounding AD. Last season we heard a lot of the same things from AD that we did this season when it began: “I’m in the best shape I can be.” or “I feel good.” Things like that. Then the games mattered and the player wilted, got hurt and became an after-thought in many ways. Hard to see how a nigh 7′ tall man with a 7’6″ wingspan can be overlooked but that’s what happened. Then this season began and AD sat out a couple games with a sore back, pined to play power forward in an interview, and missed a lot of jump shots. The narrative was confirmed, again. Until Davis made a choice, a choice our own mongoslade gave an excellent TED Talk on, he chose to be a center. He plays in the paint now for almost the entire game. Fewer 15′-20′ step back jumpers and more offensive rebounds. Paint points upon paint points and that’s because few other centers, or big men in general, can account for his size, strength and speed. It’s that last one that has returned in full and is the difference maker in our season. We stopped playing AD in the “easy to guard” spots. Those are the three point line and mid-range jump shot zones. When he is in the paint the paint isn’t clogged, it’s controlled. Are there open runways for LeBron to waltz in and throw down epic dunks? No. There won’t be even if we clone Ray Allen 4 times and sign them all to vet minimum deals. Teams will let someone else beat them before they let LeBron waltz into the paint. AD in the paint negates that issue, he’s the controlling force down low, not the opposing defense.
2. The LeBron narrative. The march to claim another #1 spot on an NBA record continues on a nightly basis for LeBron. But he’s too old to lead a team into the playoffs, anymore. He’ll break some records but his title days, at least in the purple and gold, are done. This has been the recent narrative surrounding LeBron since we won the Bubble title. It’s not too hard to see why. He’s missed about a quarter of possible games played as a Laker due to injuries he never suffered anywhere else. He’s ancient by pro sport standards. He’s veered away from the most efficient shots in favor of long threes and at volume. He often looked like he would rather be attending a speech on public decorum than play basketball a lot last season as the losses piled up. We started the season 2-10 and the expectation was that LeBron would demand some kind of change the way he has in so many other places. It didn’t happen. All that happened is The King allowing AD to bloom and Russ to drive the ball into the paint. He’s taking more threes almost by design as it preserves his body for the later part of the season. He still hammers dunks home on the break. He’s still putting up his numbers but with a lot less iso ball, which kills the team momentum. All of these are why we’re winning more but his stats look the same.
3. The Russell Westbrook narrative. There isn’t a player in the game more scrutinized. Not even Miles Bridges who was arrested on domestic violence charges has faced the scrutiny, derision and media coverage that Russ and his fit on the Lakers has. The man must be made of cold-forged steel because it does not seem to faze him in the least. Westbrook has sacrificed his game the most out of LeBron, AD and himself. It’s also Russell’s game that has unlocked True Beast mode for AD. When Russ is driving into the paint he’s the best Laker equipped to get AD the ball to finish the play. LeBron doesn’t want to leave his feet, not driving into the paint if it’s full of players from any team. Russ careens wildly towards the rim and is either getting layups or, more often and preferred, finding an open Anthony Davis as the center closes on him. While Russell isn’t an elite finisher anymore you still want to guard against giving him an open layup or dunk. It’s this simple logic the Lakers are exploiting expertly these days. Westbrook is perhaps the best PG the Lakers could have right now because he’s laser-focused on getting AD the kind of looks he used to get for Steven Adams. The Russ or LeBron AD pick and roll has long been an oft-discussed weapon. Now, with AD playing a more traditional role and LeBron as the three point release valve, it’s working.
4. The Lakers narrative. Was there a team that navigated more sewage this summer than the Lakers? Maybe the Tom Brady/Giselle saga garnered more coverage…but I doubt it. From January of this year to today one thing has driven the conversation around the Lakers: they have to trade Russell Westbrook to compete. LeBron wanted him gone. He didn’t even talk to or elaborately high-five Russell Westbrook at a Summer League game and the world nearly crapped it’s pants in response. The Lakers would have to tear it all down to appease the King to stay. Russell fired his agent and will demand a trade away so he can be the best Russ he can be on another team. Westbrook would never come off the bench, especially for a rookie coach who hasn’t won squat. We could go on but I think that’s enough. The common assumption (and we know where those lead us) was that Russ wouldn’t start the season as a Laker. Except he did. Then the common assumption was that he would dig in and push back on any attempt to morph his game to better fit in. Except he didn’t. Then there was the assumption that he would never come off the bench to better balance out how the overall roster talent was distributed throughout the game. Even I had it at 20 games before I thought it might happen. Except I was wrong. Russ came off the bench by game 10 and the Lakers really haven’t looked back since. The Lakers still might trade Russ, all those draft picks and anyone else on the roster who is not on a vet minimum deal. They’ve also expertly navigated this early part of this rough season which actually makes a trade less likely as Rob Pelinka has shown himself to be loathe to make mid-season trades. In that it has never happened.
5. The game. Oh yeah, we let a huge lead slip away, took our foot off the gas and were in danger of losing the game. We didn’t. Another switch from last season when that was our MO for the entire season. Lakers up 20? You got ’em right where you want ’em! We have coughed up leads a couple times but we’ve also stemmed the bleeding and pulled a couple out. We just need to keep improving that big lead/play hard to the end focus and we’ll be OK. The west, for a litany of reasons, is wide open and the unthinkable is suddenly possible. That the Lakers could actually straight make the playoffs. While it’s still a long shot it’s certainly worth celebrating the way this team has responded to adversity and criticism. As a fan all I ever want is for us to play hard and consistently. I can live with whatever result that begets. I think this team has found something that’s working and now we w3ait for the Association to scout it and adapt. Once that happens (and it will) we get to see what Coach Ham’s chops truly are. How does he adapt to the league when it starts sitting on Russell’s interior passing or leaving one of TB Jr., PatBev or even LW4 wide open to make sure LeBron is covered? That’s the simplest adjustment I see coming and, frankly, it’s easier typed than accomplished. We’ve already seen more in-play cuts from a guy on the perimeter than we saw all last season. While we’ll never be accused of running a motion offense we have added enough motion to it to generate easy buckets. Those kind of things are harder to defend and so, if we can keep it up, should be a foundation for whatever success we build.

Two solid wins against two solid teams. Let’s keep the train rolling! Go Lakers.