5 THINGS

There really are no more words that can be said. We are, again, witnessing a kind of greatness you can kind of imagine happening but when you see it on a nightly basis you realize that there is nothing to do but sit back and appreciate it. I’m in many ways reminded of the Kobe era betwixt Shaq and Pau. When it was Kobe and the nobodies. When he outscored Dallas on his own over 3 quarters, 81 points but no rings to show for it or even an MVP. While not quite as lofty in terms of raw scoring output LeBron is defying his age and the expectations that come with it. We should all enjoy this ride.

1. LeBron is cooking with gas. If he doesn’t win Western Conference Player of the Month for December the accolade is worthless. Truth be told, it is. But the games LeBron has strung together have not been. Most of them, unfortunately, have been losses. That’s not on James, it’s on the state of the NBA due to COVID (I am of the opinion the league should have shut down for December) and the teammates who have been MIA. Most of that has been due to the ravages the Omnicron variant is wreaking on society, the NBA and many of the Lakers. There will always be those that seek to denigrate the greatness that comes from hard work, dedication and modicum of epic talent. I am not one and quite happy to say that early season LeBron (the one I called done) was merely a function of preparation. We don’t need to get into the specifics of how well Lebron played last night. The dude is on fire.
2. Russell Westbrook driving the train. It’s easy to forget, or forcibly overlook, how well Russ has been playing in December, as well. Like any player, there will be misses and some of those have come at critical junctures. The great ones fail. That’s a condition of them being human beings. What separates the great from the good and mediocre is that they never allow a failure to define them. They find a way to improve, rise above, and persevere. I have been, and still am, of the opinion that Westbrook and the Lakers will work at an elite level that it was only a matter of how long the merging would take. Russ is playing with the same level of aggression and passion he always does, it’s just that he has a teammate better than he’s had in some time. Russ and LeBron are having the same issue AD and Russ did: trying to win with a cast of ill-fitting parts assembled on the cheap. Until we see what the trio of Russ, LeBron and AD can do, with whatever coupla dudes can manage to make an impact, we haven’t seen the true potential of this Laker team. 113 minutes, that’s what we’ve seen.
3. When Melo has it going this team can be special. It’s no secret that Melo has had an up and down season. We need for Carmelo to find a consistency to his game which I think he’s searching for in the midrange. That’s cool by me, I also like the defense he’s been flashing on occasion. We need Carmelo to be the scoring threat he’s been his whole career, just to a lesser degree. I think he’s up to it. Midrange, inside or from three Anthony is the one Laker on the bench I trust taking any shot that comes his way.
4. The Stanley Johnson effect. Everyone is going ga-ga over Johnson’s impact, which is assuredly tangible. In fact he’s been such a force on defense it’s easy to overlook the rate at which he picks up fouls. We desperately need him to stay in the floor because he can defend 4, maybe 5 positions when the game goes small. We also need him to keep shooting the open shots Russ and LeBron create. We don’t need him to score like we need Melo to do in order to create space but you at least want to keep the defense honest with the threat of making the open shot. That doesn’t happen if you don’t shoot so it’s been nice to see him shooting those shots. If he can reduce his rate of fouls it’ll be even better.
5. Too many rebounding issues. This is why I personally don’t see LeBron at the 5 as the be all end of all of ways the Lakers can play. When he’s the center we are getting murdered on the glass, even when the other team goes small. It’s because he cannot do everything that we will need Howard and AD for large stretches of any game. That or we need guys who have never been box out candidates to figure out how to box out. Rebounding will likely be the thorn in this team’s side, we just don’t have a lotta gritty dudes who put a body on the opposition and fight for the board. Russ, AD, LeBron are all weak side rebounders, they’re not like a Howard or even, theoretically, DeAndre Jordan battling it out among multiple defenders and securing the board. They let someone else do the battling and use their athleticism to grab the rebound. That will need to be addressed but until we get Davis back there are going to be long stretches where LeBron handles the center position just to get some more offense on the floor around him and Russ.

Sunday kicks off a 5 game homestand that we could really stand to win most of. Sweeping the next 5 games would go a long way towards separating ourselves from the pack of the mediocre teams in the western conference. If we keep on treading water around .500 we’re going to end up as a playin. We have to handle our business and soon as we’ve been lucky the west hasn’t been as strong as it has in last seasons. That luck will run out eventually and it would be better for all involved to be in a position of strength rather than wishing we had won a game here or there we dropped in a silly fashion.

The Lakers ended their longest losing streak of the season in convincing fashion against the rebuilding Rockets who still made a game of it up until the closing moments when some inspired execution sealed the win for LA. Driving the Laker train to victory were the usual cast of accomplished NBA vets on the roster and the young player who has best distinguished himself this season, one Malik Monk. Defense was borderline non-existent but, for at least one night, we scored the ball well enough to win.

1. LeBron as the starting big man. For the first time in his entire basketball life (according to his own personal recollections) LeBron James started a basketball game at the center position. Against the all-small-ball-all-the-time Rockets it worked brilliantly. His triple-eleven (11 FG’s made, 11 rebounds and 11 assists) resulted in 32 points, a steal and a block along with a much needed win. As basically a de facto point center for much of the game LeBron really did it all. He and Russ teamed for 4 big offensive rebounds, he only turned the ball over 3 times and had a great two-man game working with Westbrook to close out the game for the win. There will be matchups LeBron at center doesn’t make much sense but there will also be matchups where it makes a lotta sense to put LeBron at the 5 and let the game flow around him like it did last night. His triple-double with a fellow teammate was the first since he and Lonzo Ball did it prior to the AD trade.
2. Russell Westbrook’s big game. Russ had a really solid efficient and impactful game, as well. He managed one more rebound than LeBron to, again, lead both teams in rebounding for a second straight game. He and LeBron greatly benefitted from the first on-court practice the team had on Monday as he picked his spots better, developed a powerful two-man vibe with The King and was his energetic best. The way Russ plays the game of basketball is not without risk, but the reward can be quite high. Yes, he had 7 turnovers. Between he and LeBron we need them to stay at 10 combined TO’s which was where they ended up. I am of the opinion the Lakers can win with Russ et al on the roster. For m it’s still a question of when and not if.
3. The ever-shrinking role of THT. Things are not good over at the THT Fan Club HQ. His shot has left him, his defense remains spotty and for the most part he hasn’t lived up to his deal he inked over the summer. While being a trade piece of literally every single Laker trade idea floated THT’s overall quality of play has steadily declined over the course of the season. He and journeyman and freshly arrived Stanley Johnson were the only Lakers to post a negative +/- (granted only minus 2 for Talen) and he picked up 5 quick fouls which meant he never really found any kind of groove. I want to believe in Horton-Tucker but there’s a lot of things you just can’t fix on one summer. If I’m his agent I would encourage THT to focus on defense, defense, defense. The league is full of guys who score in one fashion or another but rugged defenders that can get to the rim are in short supply. THT too often shies away from contact as he tries to loop the ball around shot blockers with his long arms rather than take it up strong. I’m sure that worked well enough coming up to the NBA level but it’s not a great recipe for success at the highest level. While I don’t see him as a bust, he’s not a future star, either. He isn’t really a needle-mover, yet and may never be. His deal is manageable which is why a trade for another ill-fitting player on another team seems the most likely outcome of a THT trade. He’s not the guy you blow up a team for, just like Kuzma before him.
4. Carmelo as the back up center? Hey, if it works for LeBron it should work fir a guy who he came into the league with, right? Well, for one night, it did. Seeing his majority of minutes come at positions he used to balk at playing (the 4 and 5) Melo came up big in the scoring department and grabbed 9 rebounds of his own and blocking 2 shots. We need Melo to show up like this a little more often as his play play has been pretty uneven over the last couple weeks. His scoring has come in spurts and we need to find someone other than Malik Monk who can get buckets off the bench consistently.
5. Malik Monk distinguishing himself. It’s going to be hard to keep this dude on the roster. Any trade scenario one might care to cook up should include Monk as the sweetener and THT as the ballast because that’s the reality thus far. Monk had a stellar game in a starting role (one I am of the opinion he should given full time) and paired well with very Bradley defensively in the back court to start the game. He was aggressive when we needed it getting to the line 8 times and blocking 2 shots of his own. While Monk has been one of the better young Lakers thus far it’s also easy to see him having to be included in a trade based solely on the small raise (20% of his vet minimum deal he signed or an MLE) we can offer him this summer. It’s hard to see him choosing the Lakers over more money, you only get so many chances to snag a decent contract as a role-player.

Another game tonight against Memphis with an early start time. The Grizzlies are rolling and have joined the 20+ win club along with the Jazz, Suns and Warriors. We need to bring the same execution and smart basketball we displayed late in the game last night if we want to win. Here’s hoping we can start another streak in the opposite direction (by that I mean a winning streak of any kind). Go Lakers.

O. For 0-fer, old and over the hill. That describes the majority of the Lakers roster at this point. Only one man seems capable of continuing to defy Father Time and that would be one LeBron James. The King continued to pour in points, give forth supreme effort and all in a loss. Another Christmas day game, another loss this one to the equally short handed Nets. Hopefully Santa treated the rest of your holidays with more grace.

1. All hail The King. There aren’t enough superlatives.. The man is bionic, amazing and nigh unstoppable. If we had half a team around him we’d be doing better. We don’t. LeBron James outdueled James Harden in terms of points scored but the Nets walked away with the W for reasons we’ll get into down yonder. LBJ had a monster line although I don’t quite get how Harden got to the line 17 times and James only 9. That Nets defense I guess…couldn’t be the Captain of the Flop getting his way by whining on literally every single possession. Oh, Harden gave THT what maybe should have been a Flagrant 2 groin shot, as well. Keep it classy, James.
2. Russell Westbrook’s effort if not results. I have to agree with LeBron, that Russ isn’t the problem. He’s putting forth the right kind of effort and no Laker fan should have mistaken Russ for Dame in terms fo scoring output. Russ led both teams in every rebounding category possible. He grabbed 5 offensive rebounds on his own. He led both teams in assists which means he’s making the right plays while only turning it over 3 times. The problem was Russ often played when LeBron sat and our starting five got obliterated. SO, to put the whole loss at Westbrook’s feet is, to me, an improper placing of blame. Yes, the rim blocked his dunk in his 37th minute of play but he’s also been one of a few Lakers available for every single game to date. While Russ may not be the player we want, or even need, he is doing what he can. It’s not Westbrook’s fault Rob chose aged players in doling out minimum deals last summer, not Westbrook’s fault THT is playing like a G-Leaguer or that we’re now relying on G-Leaguers to win NBA games. That’s just the situation he finds himself in. The missed dunk was infuriating, though. I doubt anyone was as pissed at him as he was at himself.
3. We need THT to return to something resembling what we believe he can be. Again, I don’t need him to be the second coming of anyone at all, just to be the THT we’ve seen in flashes. Play adequate defense, take it to the rim with purpose and not to avoid contact and get the shot off. As the 4th highest paid Laker, albeit with some distance between the sums of the top 3, we need more. The same can of course be said of Russel Westbrook but THT was chosen over another guy who we know makes a nightly impact and that, fair or not, is the barometer by which he will be measured. The problem is what he’s shown us he’s capable of. Like Kuzma before him if you our in 30 points and hit shots from everywhere fans will get frustrated when you don’t show that consistently. They get stuck on what you did a handful of times as opposed to being content with effort. In THT’s case, though, he still seems to blame his teammates for many of his defensive miscues. I though the intent of his groin shot from Harden should have resulted in an F2 ejection. Wasn’t a basketball move, you see James extend the arm deliberately and make contact. But, being the NBA poster boy for ref love has it’s advantages I guess.
4. Speaking of the NBA referee’s union poster boy for love and care. The running stiff arm Harden uses feels like an offensive foul to me. If LeBron played like that and bowled guys over all over the court like Harden, CP3 and Trae Young do he’d be ejected most games for 6 fouls or flagrant fouls. That is an illegal clearing out of space, in my opinion. Evidently the NBA thinks it’s really great for the game, though.
5. Stanley Johnson’s big game. Stan made a pretty solid Laker debut and I sure hope we keep him past the 10 day mark. There are few Lakers on the roster with his speed and size and we desperately need more of them. All it would take is to waive human log man DeAndre Jordan. But since we know that won’t be happening we’ll likely see Stan snagged by another team this season because Rob is such a genius GM…

This is likely going to get worse before it gets better. Luckily we play in the western conference, which is a mess this season, so we’re still in the playoff picture. A loss by Dallas last night means we’re sitting at 7th place only one spot below the play-in threshold and with the news that Paul George will be out for an extended time due to a torn UCL we’re still alive and kicking. I do believe that, even with DeAndre Jordan on the roster, we have the pieces to contend purely on the play of LeBron James and this cast of old, slow players. The playoffs a re geared towards a slower pace of play, we have battle-tested vets, and the best player in the game today. Just need to get healthy and find a groove of any kind. Go Lakers.

Ugly. Ain’t no other way to describe it. If excuses are your thing this is the Laker season for you. We got plenty to spare. The similarities to this season and last are striking both in their similarities and differences. The similarities stem from multiple injuries to key players, games missed for various reasons and a multitude of line up and rotation changes as a result. The difference is last season, without LeBron and Westbrook, that team bothered to show up to play. This team? Right now this team is just plain ugly.

1. The Good. LeBron and Russell look ever more comfortable together when sharing the court. That’s a really good thing going forward. Since I personally don’t see a Westbrook trade happening in-season it’s imperative to any title hopes we might still have, which are still valid hopes in my opinion, that LeBron and Russ co-exist on a high level. I’d say combining for 66 points, 16 rebounds, and 10 assists qualifies, even in a loss. Russ kept the turnovers to five which is my benchmark for both players to stay at or under. They put pressure on the defense and found the open man. It’s after the pass that generally resulted in futility. Also, the Lakers as a team have done a good job not wasting possessions. Westbrook and James are likely going to average around 10 turnovers/game as result of their usage and on-ball dominance. It’s great when the rest of the team doesn’t cough it up a lot.
2. The Bad. The three point shooting of this team is pretty awful in general. Sure, once and awhile player X catches fire and makes a bunch. Sometimes it’s Melo, other times it’s Wayne, or even THT. Rarely do we shoot well as a team and rarely do multiple guys make more than a couple. This is not a byproduct of personnel as the Lakers have now auditioned a “Who’s who?” of low-cost three point marksmen for a few seasons now. Since our cap is tied up in three players that isn’t likely to change, especially not midseason where the most we can expect is a THT or maybe Nunn trade or maybe seeing Jordan getting waived and picking up someone on the buyout market. That won’t be a Buddy or Seth level shooter, it’ll be another “I do one thing kinda OK” guy. The Lakers need to get back to what worked in the season they won the title and focus more on the defensive end by surrounding the stars with players who can truly play on both ends of the court. Defense wins championships. Three pointers do not. They help, sure, sometimes a lot in a game or three. They are a tool that has uses, like any offensive weapon. Sometimes shots fall, sometimes they don’t. But if you have a good defense it’s generally always there and keeps you in the game.
3. The Ugly. Nothing is more irksome to me than a bunch of millionaires half-assing their way through a game. A. Game. Show up and have some goldurn pride in yourself. I’m not even talking Laker pride. IT wants to stick in the league? Cool bro, prove you should stick. G-Leaguer wants to show they should play at the big boy level? Put on some big boy pants and play like a man who cares. What transpired last night is plain unacceptable and I don’t care one single iota that we had players out. The players that did play, other than Westbrook, LeBron and Dwight (of whom not much is asked to be honest) didn’t do squat. Not many of the Lakers showed me they deserve more of anything except time on the bench. To a man they defended poorly, missed open shots and generally looked like they would rather be doing something else.
4. Team Oxygen is back! Career high for Kata Bates-Diop of 30 points on a perfect 11-11 shooting. This from a dude who’s previous career high was…10 and averages 3.8 ppg. This was indicative of how poorly the Laker bench competed last night but also our total indifference to playing anything resembling defense. Had we managed to keep the lid on Diop like the rest of the league has figured how to do this might have actually been a ga-well, no actually lots of other Spurs had great nights against the matador Lakers. We did manage to keep Dejounte “I average a triple-double against LA” Murray in check. Whee.
5. No more excuses. It’s getting really, really sad how many excuses the Lakers now trot out in the post game interviews. AD is out? So sad, Kyrie has yet to suit up for the Nets and they’re leading the eastern conference. The Warriors have yet to see Klay play and are similarly challenging for the best record in the west. New roster? Aw gee, the Bulls had the second most roster turnover to us and are a top team in the association. Injuries? You poor dears, look at Miami who has lost Bam, Butler and seen Duncan Robinson totally regress and is 4th in the east and have won over 60% of their games. Excuses are like the hole where the poop falls out boys and I’ve had enough of yours. Throw your little pity party at home and show up to work for crying out loud. We all have been during the pandemic, your lofty job title of NBA player doesn’t exclude you from trying hard.

Last night marked the first time this season in which a streak of either kind has moved beyond the 3 game mark. We have yet to win more than 3 games in a row and are now facing the quite likely prospect of hitting a 5 game losing streak as early as tomorrow. While I do think the Lakers have the personnel in-house and on-team to win it all I also question their ability to grow together. I blame that on the front office and the coaching staff. We aren’t using the pieces we have very well and the front office has consistently taken the best tools away from it’s coach and drifted further and further away from the blueprint that won it all. So, if anyone truly needs to step up it’s Frank and his staff who really need to figure out how to unlock the mystery and secret of the three point shot. We have too many guys who were specifically brought in to use that tool for it to be as useless as it is for us. Rob will, likely, have to wait until the summer to redeem himself. Westbrook is nigh impossible to move midseason as he is not on Philly’s list of desired talent in a Ben Simmons trade and Russ’ deal becomes an expiring one once the season ends.

Last thing, if you’re having a sense of deja vu it’s understandable as the Spurs beat us at the Forum’s final game, too. Only difference was that was in the playoffs. The bright side was we subsequently went on to win the NBA Finals in year 1 of STAPLES so here’s hoping the name change has been weighing on the team and once they play in The Crypt the effort, heart and execution follow. If not this season is doomed.