5 THINGS

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.

There were two ways this road trip go to start. The Lakers made sure, although it took all the way into the final seconds to solidify, it started with a win. Behind an exemplary game from AD, a historic night by LeBron and a $47 million dollar floor dive by Russ the Lakers Best the Milwaukee Bucks on their home floor.

1. Davis continues his “Have You Seen Me Lately, Though” tour. While outside shots are starting to find their way back into AD’s ‘every game’ shot selection his true home this season has in the paint. Davis was 2-3 from three, a sign that he’s getting more and more confident in his outside shot. That’s not what’s defining his season. Anthony is the bes inside player the Lakers have, leading a series of body blows every game that weakens the opponent for easy buckets and put-backs. While he didn’t amass a silly good amount of rebounds he secured the biggest one of the night just over the out-stretched fingers of Giannis, the one off Jrue’s miss that led to his game sealing free throws.
2. LeBron making more history. Last night he made history in two categories. He passed Earvin “Magic” Johnson into sole possession of 6th on the All-Time assists category. Magic did it in 906, The King in 1381 which only highlights how much of an impact Magic had passing the ball in his 14 year career. LeBron also passed Cliff Robinson to move to 13th in All Time games played. We had another well-balanced game from LeBron last night as once again he allowed and encouraged AD to be the focal point.
3. Patrick Beverley’s best game yet. While he didn’t have a positive +/- Patrick did make the most shits we’ve seen in awhile. While I have my doubts he’ll end his season in LA it was nice to see him make some solid contributions in a win.
4. Zero. The number of turnovers LeBRon and Russell Westbrook had to go with their mirrored 11 assists. While certainly unsustainable it was a key stat that helped us win the ball game against the best ranked defense in the NBA.
5. Welcome back Darvin Ham? I’m sure Coach savored this one a bit. I am liking Coach Ham more and more as the season has wore on. Gone are the celebrations from the team after a dunk or spectacular play as if such a thing had never been conceived of let alone executed. Last season our team seemed to lead the league in meaningless celebrations in the face of disheartening losses, maybe they had to just to through it. We’re a little more professional this season, I think Ham has more than a little to do with it.

Sunday we can keep this baby rolling if we bring the same level of focus and intensity to the contest. We’re more than in the hunt for decent seeding since the west is still a mess, we can take advantage of that if we play well and win.

The under-manned Blazers came to Crypto to face the under-manned Lakers and the Lakers took the note from the heart-breaking loss to Indy and didn’t let up at any point in the game. LeBron was better from the floor, Russ hit some magical shots and AD was solid as the Lakers won easily against a team on the down-swing. Let’s dig in.

1. The Lakers certainly didn’t fool around in this one. They tightened the defensive screws, rebounded better and stayed focused on scoring efficiently rather than casting up lazy shots. This is the kind of focus and intensity the Lakers need to bring every single night to even have a shot at winning. They just don’t have the luxury of losing focus for a quarter or to let a no-name player shake loose and get hot. For a game, at least, they did right by the Basketball Gods and treated the game seriously for 48.
2. LeBron was on fire. LeBron was solid all night long but went off in the second quarter hitting shots from everywhere. After a sluggish start he ramped it up before the half, eased into the 3rd quarter and picked it back up again in the 4th. I thought this was the kind of well-balanced game we need to see from James on the regular. I’m not talking about the shots he made, it’s not really feasible to hit 6-8 from three or 12-18 overall every night, but how he got his shots and when. There were fewer early/mid-shot clock flings for the heck of it and more shots from the flow of the offense. I don’t know what it feels like to be close to breaking the NBA All Time scoring record, I don’t know what it feels like to score a point in the NBA, but it must be hard not to over-search for your shot in his case. I though The King played one of his better games this season last night.
3. AD featured correctly. While he didn’t get to his 20 FGA I’d like to see him average for the season, Anthony Davis was used the way we need him to be for success to be possible. Hampered a bit by early foul trouble AD took over in the 4th quarter when we need him, even hit a three in that frame. No player attempted more than 18 field goals (LeBron) but no other Laker forced the defense to account for them like AD did as he, again, worked his way to the foul line more than any other player on the court and continued to show excellence from the stripe. We can’t go away from AD in late game situations, he needs to be the focus of the offense both by design and by the strength of his will to demand the ball.
4. Russ didn’t make many but the ones he did were straight ridiculous. Westbrook was not on his offensive game like he was against Indy (4-14 overall, 2-6 from three). But the shots he made were all huge. The three at the half was crucial to bring us into the break in action on a positive note (and with a 4 point lead instead of 1) and the 3 he made from half court to end the 3rd was ridiculous. Russ is loving his new role, at least on the court in front of the fans, and Crypto is showing him what LA love can feel like. We love a guy who sacrifices his overall game for the betterment of the team. It’s why Derek Fisher, Lamar Odom, Alex Caruso and Kyle Kuzma are beloved Lakers for all time. Rus has a chance to join that pantheon this season. The best part of Westbrook’s game last night? Zero turnovers.
5. Thomas Bryant fitting in. This was the player Coach Scott didn’t really expect much from or utilize, the one who made a name for himself in Washington. Not a stalwart defender but quick and strong enough to have a positive impact on that end. Active on the glass and in the half court flashing for easy hooks in the lane, not afraid to hit the open man with the pass, and a solid ‘do-it-all’ kinda guy off the bench. Bryant has found a nice niche backing up AD, leading the second unit with Russ and bringing a nice mix of energy and skill that is invaluable to this Laker team right now.

Adios to Matt Ryan who was waived today. Not too sure why, trade in the works maybe? Probably not, maybe his agent sees an opportunity to get him more of a role in Charlotte with Gordon hayward back on the IL? Dunno but I’m bummed to see him go. I literally just watched the Backstage Lakers episode on him that had a lovely story to go along with his ridiculous buzzer beater that helped jump start the team a couple weeks back. Good luck, Matt, we thank you for your minutes. All 129 of them.

This one will sting. At the end of the season there are, to date, two games that should have absolutely been wins but ended up losses. Sacramento and last night. Coincidentally both games had stellar performances from Russell Westbrook and a late 4th quarter collapse fueled by too much iso ball after the team had built a sizable lead. This pattern is one that should be squashed but, as I will elaborate on down yonder, may prove impossible to do so.

1. LeBron “taking over”. The team was rolling, Russ was either scoring or assisting on easy buckets and had just completed a Crypto.com rousing over-the-head-no-look pass to a wide open Wenyan Gabriel as Russ drew three defenders for an easy dunk. Time out Pacers, 9:59 seconds left in the game, score 101-84 good for a 17 point Laker lead. From that point? The Pacers outscored us 32-14. All of their 4th quarter points came after the 9:59 mark. LeBron went 2-8 in that span accounting for 66% of our field goal attempts. We went completely away from what was working both in past games (AD) and that night (Russ in the 4th) and instead relied on LeBron James iso ball. Poor choice, again.
2. Taking the foot off the gas on defense. It was perfectly captured on the last inbounds play. AD totally lost track of his man (Myles Turner) resulting in a scramble on defense that left LeBron James guarding…nobody within 10 feet of him. He stood near the paint drifting closer to the rim instead of getting a step or two closer to the wide open shooter standing 12 feet away. Too late to close out, three pointer goes in, game over. That wasn’t the only bad defensive possession in the 4th but it showed what happens when a team takes it’s foot off the gas. This Lakers team can’t afford to do that in any game on any night.
3. Too few FGAs for AD. The man needs 20+ FGAs/game or our chances of losing get higher. Last night he shot 9-15 (which was enough for a game-high 25 points) compared to 8-22 for LeBron (21 points on 22 shots is bad however you frame it) and 10-18 (24 points) for Russ. Yes, Davis needs to step up and take the torch or carry the team or whatever saying you choose to deploy. The team also needs to make getting him the ball a priority and I don’t mean at the three point line. This one is as much on the coaches as the players.
4. Can’t keep losing games where we outshoot the opponent 2-1 on free throws. We won the rebounding battle, too. Despite our 14 turnovers (6 by Russ which is too many for him to get to 6 dimes) the Pacers only scored 9 points to our 10 off of turnovers; we won that battle, too. Where we lost the game was giving up too many threes and awful transition D and those are both hustle stats. LeBron and his late close out to lose the game was but one of many, many examples of the Lakers playing defense for 3/4s-4/5s of a possession only to come up short on a final close out. Again, that’s a heart stat and a coaching challenge to rectify.
5. Ham is wrong on this one. In his post game he thought the Lakers were over-relying on Russ down the stretch and wanted to take the ball out of his hands. Which seemingly meant putting it in LeBron’s. There’s a reason the saying “go with the hot hand” reverberates across time and space. That’s because it’s true. LeBron was certainly not the hot hand and once we went away from Russ collapsing the defense we stopped scoring. LeBron will end up the greatest player to score the basketball in the history of the game. That doesn’t mean the team should go away from what is working so he can pile up points in what was thought to be garbage time. This team cannot afford to take an opponent lightly until the final horn sounds, going to iso ball down the stretch turned what was dynamic attack into an easy to defend, slow-walk the ball up the court, oh man we missed and now I gotta get back on D…which was also MIA due to the 23-9 fast break points the Pacers walloped us with. Coach needs to recognize that and fast.

Well, instead of 8-11 we’re 7-12 and still 3 teams back of the final play-in. Luckily, for the Lakers, the Jazz are free falling down the standings as they come back to Earth, the Mavs are struggling without Brunson, and KAT is out a few weeks with a calf strain (although that may really just unlock The Ant so…). We got a tough slog of games coming up and a long road trip where are 2-6. The team needs to take this one whole entire complete game at a time and work their way up.