5 THINGS

TherealHTJ is 2-2. When LeBron scores 50 we win. When he doesn’t we lose. That’s not a recipe for a winning ball club. Nevertheless, we did win a much-needed game and the Lakers even gained ground on the Clippers who lost. So it rolls, and we’re all along for the ride.

1. LeBron defying everything. We’re way past defying expectations, he’s blown those away. We’re now into defying nature itself, the idea of defying Father Time is something sacrosanct in the world of sport. You can’t do it. Bird, Jordan, Kobe, even Kareem with his ageless game had nothing like what we’re seeing from LeBron at age 37. Of all of them the closest in overall game impact to LeBron is indeed the Captain. Jordan was contemplating comeback #3 at 37, his return to the court in year 1 was decent but he never recaptured the majesty of his first two stints in the NBA at 38 and 39. Still, given the state of sport medicine and the caliber of the league when he came back Michael’s accomplishments are pretty amazing. At 37, coming off multiple potentially career-ending injuries, Kobe put up a (for him) pedestrian stat line for his age 37 season. However, he went out in a way completely emblematic of his gunner career and the way any great would want to walk off the floor for the final time. 60 points in a win. Epic. The King is just on another level and it’s not even close. You could argue that Kareem had more appearances and led his team to a better record…but he had a better team and that’s really where that debate should end. How would Abdul-Jabbar’s final season. have looked without Magic playing in the majority of the season? Or if Worthy had been a shadow of himself and so on. The King is doing something special in an otherwise dreary season.
2. Small ball problems. Frank seems to think our small ball team is OK. I have never been a wholesale advocate of the small ball “revolution”. It’s got it’s pros and cons, just like literally everything else on Earth. We score better playing small, we get killed on the glass and can’t stop teams at the rim. I’m not talking about the handful of blocked shots this player or that garnered, I’m talking about forcing the kind of bad shots that makes for an excellent defense. That’s not Laker small ball. It’s too much to ask of LeBron to do everything. It’s something that should, and hopefully will, be addressed in the offseason.
3. Russ’s benching in the 4th. I don’t see it as a benching, per se, but we’re really debating shades of gray at that point. Russell doesn’t fit on this team because it wasn’t built to suit his skills. He has always done better with some elite-level defenders, a solid three point shooter and a screen setting big man to free up his rim runs for passes or scores. Westbrook seems to have lost an inch or so of lift on his drives, he still gets up there but his layups are all left short or forced hard. That speaks to a lost step, to me. It’s something to watch unfold this season actually. Two elite athletes (Russ and LeBron) who are on completely different physical trajectories in terms of how they are able to impact the game as they age.
4. Kuzma and KCP in the house. The video tribute was awesome, the two players said all the right things about their time as Lakers and I don’t think there’s a blogger here that wouldn’t take the trade that sent them away back. They were 2 of Frank’s most versatile tools on defense, KCP as a ball hawk and elite weak-side help defender on the perimeter. Kuzma as a Swiss Army knife player who can score, defend multiple positions and is still improving and evolving his game. Contrasts that with the possession wasting that Russ has been for us. That’s not a knock on Russ, I still think Russ is a HOF talent, has accomplished amazing things in the league and deserves and earned all the accolades coming his way. But Kuzma and KCP were simply better fits for this version of the Lakers. They have the size and skills we now lack, they are multiple players representing cap space not just one. Ain’t no goin’ back tho.
5. 16 games left. In theory AD could be coming back but, let’s be honest, he’ll need a handful (if not more) games to get back up to NBA speed. That’s if he comes back before the end of the season. No word from the Lakers or AD in terms of how he’s feeling or if the foot is healing. It’s easy to forget the impact he has on our defense and his ability to score inside and out since he’s played so infrequently the last 2 seasons. We’re not winning jack without a healthy AD, we still may not make the play-in rounds, and we’re going to face an elite team on the other side. These 16 games need to be about coming together, regardless of any of the outside noise. Russ doesn’t want folks besmirching his name? Play better. LeBron wants his damn respect? It’s earned every season in sport. Might not be fair but that’s the business. AD wants to shed the “oft-injured” tag? Honestly, too late, but you can start the climb out of that reputation hole by playing at an elite level for whatever games you play in from here on out. Like the new show on HBO says: Winning Time

Don’t sleep on the Suns sans Book and CP3 et al, they’re an elite team. Gotta win tomorrow.

While unlikely, the possibility had entered my mind that we had maybe seen the last win of the season. Given the malaise, public vibe and overall accomplishments to date it wasn’t too much of a stretch seeing just enough break wrong for us to lose out. Instead, behind a spirited game from LeBron, the Lakers were able to forge a victory and avoid a total derailment of the season.

1. Witness. We have come a long way from the first two weeks of LeBron’s season where James looked, for the first time, pretty pedestrian. 56 points on 31 shots, a rocking 6-11 from three, and 10 rebounds means we watched a very engaged and focused LeBron James. While he didn’t approach a triple double based on his 3 assists that’s more an indication of how poorly the Lakers shot overall (other than LeBron, Melo, Russ and newcomer D.J. Augustin no Laker shot above 50%). We needed everything LeBron brought and got enough from a few other sources to pull out the win.
2. Russ playing in control. Not a small amount of ink has been spilled detailing in exhausting details all the ways it doesn’t work between Russ and the Lakers. Last night, and for a few games leading up to the ASB, I’ve though Russ has not been the problem. No, he’s not a three point marksmen, yes he misses a few too many layups, and sure you could ask for fewer unforced turnovers. Those are things I often ask of LeBron James, as well, albeit generally to a lesser degree and LeBron’s superior resume’ garners him extra leeway. Last night Russ attacked the basket the way we need him to, found the open man (a stellar wrap around to Monk for a late three was particularly awesome) and, yes, he turned the ball over 5 times to LeBron’s 4. The accounted for more than half our 17 miscues and that’s not out of character. Don’t see the benefit in benching Russ either to start or end games. Are we going to start Wayne Ellington or Avery Bradley or the walking corpse of Trevor Ariza? DJ? Please…
3. Carmelo Anthony and the home crowd. I hope Melo retires a Laker, I really do. It’s just a gas to watch him play to the Crypto crowd, get juiced from the cheers when he walks up to the scorers table to check in. His scoring was a big key to the win last night, especially a dagger three to close the game out, but he delivered in all sorts of ways last night with some stout defense and 8 rebounds. Of all the vet minimums Melo has long been the best of the bunch.
4. THT’s off game. Talen had another forgettable game and it begs the question what anyone ever saw that would make you choose him over Caruso if you want to win this season. I’m sure Horton-Tucker out in good work over the summer, his physical assets are appealing from a GM standpoint, but the overall foundational skillset has yet to materialize. He still uses his long arms to reach as opposed to bodying up and moving his feet on defense, he still looks to dribble into the paint when he first catches the ball and doesn’t trust that jumper enough (I am of the opinion that his jump shot has improved but not to the degree he trusts in it enough to let fly off the catch enough). THT is one of the reasons I’m not really in favor of bringing Russ off the bench. I don’t think moving Talen to the starting five is going to jump start his game, he needs the next few summers to work on that, it won’t happen in just a summer or two. He needs to hit Defense 101 next summer and work on that footwork, he needs to figure out a way to finish better at the rim, too. He’ll top out as a mid-grade role-player otherwise.
5. Monk needs to diversify a bit. This is on a more than Malik. He’s more than a three point shooter and the Lakers need to do a better job maximizing his ability to get to the cup. Monk was 4-10 overall, 4-9 from three. That’s a much too one-dimensional use of his talents from my perspective. The coaches need to continue to encourage him to attack, his teammates need to give him the ball and clear out once in awhile. I think we can get a lot more out of Malik than we are and we can’t squander his skillset limiting him to spot up shooter, although he’s really good at that.

All in all, we got a few teams that fall into the “we should beat them” category coming up. Well, then we should go out and beat them. This team has too often fallen into the “we’re destined for something great” mode and not showing up to play hard and intensely for 48. Take it easy and we continue to flounder, still with the possibility of not making the playin very real. Compete like we did last night, even if LBJ doesn’t drop a big scoring number, and I like our chances.

Another game, another loss. The reasons to keep LeBron on the court diminish with each game. While it’s nice that LeBron has ultimate faith in his increasingly aged body the truth is we’ll need him in top form next season. Losing the first two games out of the gate post ASB have all but doomed our chances of cracking the top 6 meaning, at best, playin, again. At worst we fall completely out of the playoff picture into lottery land. A place nobody, and I mean nobody, thought the Lakers could end up this season.

1. Why LeBron should shut it down. If Russ and LeBron can’t pull wins out in the 4th quarter (and they haven’t been able to consistently do that, yet) it means we have to blow teams out. We’re not a team capable of a defensive effort that can blow teams out because of our personnel, that has been proven at this point. Thus it stands to reason that the Lakers have almost zero chance of playing at a .500 pace until Davis returns. Davis won’t return until 9ish games remain in the season and that’s a best-case-scenario right now. So, if we can’t at least tread water like we were able to during the softer portion of the schedule it means we’re only going fall further back, that LeBron will continue to try and do even more and thus risk a catastrophic, possibly career-altering injury. For what? Getting a couple hundred points closer to Kareem? Passing Wilt on the 30 points in a game list? No, if what he said a few weeks back regarding his knee not getting back to 100% until the offseason is true then let the offseason begin now.
2. Why Russ should keep playing. Really, it doesn’t matter. If he sits we have one less player to play. The only reason I would consider keeping Westbrook on the floor is that he does something to up his value in the offseason which can only be described as borderline nonexistent beyond the worth of his contract and the fact it’s expiring. If the Lakers stretch his deal this summer it would certainly give them some more tools to use to build a better roster but the pain of this season would linger on like the Deng pain we’re finally about to move past. I haven’t given much thought, yet, to the stretch idea. I’d prefer we trade him for somebody(ies).
3. Let Frank sink with the ship. Flipping Fizzy for Frank or Phil for Frank won’t turn this season around. It’s a fun dream, a cozy notion but the coach isn’t on the floor and playing Monk and Reaves a few more minutes here and there isn’t going to make this all better magically. We’ve hashed the reasons out as to why this season has been so epically bad more than enough I can repeat them by rote. The wacky rotations Frank has used are as much to blame as any other reason we suck but the roster was so poorly constructed that it cannot be ignored. I also don’t think Frank has “lost the team” which is a convenient excuse for the fact that we are old and the one guy we signed with the spending tool we allowed ourselves to use other than THT’s Bird Rights has yet to play this season. But you can see this team is trying, despite all of it. It’s not any single player’s fault we’re here. It’s been a total team effort to be this awful. Frank is the captain and I say let him salute the sea as he passes beneath it’s surface. Is there a world where I see Frank coming back next season? Yes, there is. We won’t go there, yet, though.
4. Play the kids for 40. Let ’em run wild. Reaves, Monk and whomever young player we sign for 2 ways should be on the floor. A lot. Again, it’s really admirable and all that LeBron wants to slog it out. It’s just that makes about as much sense as starting DeAndre Jordan which is to say absolutely none. A couple more losses and i think even The King will see the reason in getting himself right, letting the kids loose with Russ, and building something up for next season.
5. Karma for the AD trade. That’s what this is. We got the Bubble title for Kobe and now karma has chosen to enact it’s vengeance upon this season for messing with a player under contract on another team. It’s the only explanation that actually makes any sense.

Hey we play the Clippers tomorrow. maybe we can end a bunch of streaks and win.

Worst game of the year, maybe the worst game of the LeBron James era.

1. Nothing good to say.
2. Nothing positive to take away.
3. Nothing but more of this coming our way.
4. Nothing to do but buckle it up and try again tomorrow.
5. Nothing will change though.

Couple more games like this they actually might fire Frank. At that point better to put Fizzy in and let him sink with the ship rather than throw Phil under the bus. This season is done.

Well so much for hoping a long break away from the game would allow the Lakers to hit reset. Continuing a season-long theme of showing up for 1/3 to 1/2 of an NBA game they are scheduled to play in the Laker no-showed the second quarter and went down by as many as 16. Lacking enough overall talent, a coach who can draw up plays, and one of the three max-salaried players whom we rely extensively on the Lakers lost a close game. Again.

1. LeBron’s 25+ point game streak ends. The law of averages finally swung in such a fashion as to end one of the more compelling plot lines of this mostly dreary season. LeBron had a really off shooting night going 6-18 overall and 2-8 from three. He also had a team-high 6 turnovers to just 3 assists. In all fairness, since nobody on the Lakers shot well last night, the dimes being low is understandable. Still, too many of James’ shots came outside the paint on a night he didn’t really get the jumper going.
2. Russ being aggressive, but not successful. Stu Lantz has a saying I just love: let success be your guide. Jump shot working? Great, hoist ’em up. Three ball on point? Fire away! Defense can’t stop you in the paint? Drive it in, baby! Russ, like LeBron, didn’t find much success shooting from any distance and also turned in a fairly pedestrian scoring affair. Just one assist, but zero turnovers, shows that Westbrook wasn’t doing a great job getting his team going off the pass. Again, some of that can be attributed to the Lakers generally miserable shooting last night. Westbrook impacts the game for us the best when he is an aggressive rebounder, which he wasn’t last night with only 3.
3. Dwight’s big game. Howard turned in a vintage performance and pretty much single-handedly kept us in the game in the first half. 16 rebounds and 3 big blocks helped the Lakers defense and his 7 offensive rebounds were a great reminder of what a true big man can bring to the game. Unfortunately, like so many of our guys off the bench, this kind of showing hasn’t been the norm for Dwight. This seems to be a “once every few games” kind of effort. Some of his earlier struggles were due to COVID and likely Dwight had really fresh legs post ASB so it’ll be interesting to see if he can keep up this level of activity. That is if he even gets to play given Frank’s penchant for wild rotation swings this season.
4. Awful from distance. 8-31 is a pretty terrible mark for an NBA team from three and half of those were made by Melo. Of the entire team only THT seemed on point from distance going 2-2 but, like Reaves, he doesn’t really search that shot out. He prefers to drive the ball or semi-probe before moving the ball around the perimeter. LeBron, as mentioned, went 2-8 and the rest of the team went 0fer from three. Not a recipe for success against any team on any night. Hopefully this was just some rust being knocked off.
5. Ariza still looks slow and old. The layoff didn’t bring any speed or quickness back to Trevor’s game as he continued his season of playing in mud. 1-5 from the floor (0-3 from three), 4 rebounds and turnover in 18 minutes that could have gone to Monk and Johnson. It took Frank far too long to relegate DeAndre Jordan to the bench and he seems more than willing to do the same with Ariza who I think has had exactly one good game this season. I don’t want to dump on a guy who helped hang a banner but there’s just not a lot of positives to be drawn from the minutes were doling out to Ariza right now.

We’re 5 games under .500 and closer to the bottom of the western conference standings (12 games up on the Rockets) than the top (21.5 back from Phoenix). Think about that for a second. A team that has LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook is in danger of not winning even 40% of it’s games this season. A team that won the NBA Finals just 2 seasons ago could miss the playoffs after they added a 3rd superstar. If that doesn’t debunk the myth of the “3 superstars are awesome bro!” scenario I don’t know what will. I like and admire Westbrook’s game and tenacity, I thought this could work if the Lakers were willing to spend to make it work. Not only was I wrong but people who are paid a lot of money to get it right got it terribly wrong. So, we’ll see. I don’t have much optimism left at this point. We’ll probably make the playin round, might even get out of that just to face a rested and hungry Suns team looking for some fresh meat. We can all keep peddling the line of “Davis and James are dangerous when they’re healthy” but I don’t even buy that anymore. They were dangerous when they were on a good team.

This isn’t a good team.

Go Lakers.