JAMIE SWEET’S ‘5 THINGS
Lakers’ Post Game Reports & Analysis
-
Jamie Sweet wrote a new post
Read MoreAlmost 17 years to the day was the infamous Malice at the Palace the Lakers and Pistons got together for an impromptu, unscheduled, old-timey re-enactment. While last night didn’t turn into a “one player against the world” kind of thing it was, by far, the most intense on-court brawl in a long time. At the time the Lakers were down and sinking fast. The Pistons came out after the scrum and scored the first bucket for a 17 point lead. Everything started to change after that and hopefully it’s a change for the better and on a permanent basis.
- The LeBron James question. Both in the national media and on our Gerald Glassford’s Lakers Fast Break podcast the question has been raised: is Father Tim finally sinking it’s claws into LeBron James. The question is legit as James has been dealing with an abdominal strain that took an extended amount of time off the court to heal, and even when he did play nearly half his shots were from three point land. I actually thought the beginning of the Pistons game showed us that the true LeBron remains. While he was getting hit and slapped on a bunch of his drives he was more balanced in his shot repertoire. 1-3 from three but also three shots in the paint with one midrange step back that he drilled. I am of the opinion that James still has something in the tank and that he’s easing his way into the regular season. This is not only common for players his age who generally play more of a role than lead but it’s been LeBron’s traditional approach for some seasons now. The King will be fine if he can avoid contact injuries and get time on the court with the team. Now, he may end up getting a suspension as a result of his retaliation but that’s up to the League office.
- Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook found a way. It sure wasn’t pretty but wrestling with a pig never is. Let’s be honest, Detroit’s plan was to junk up the game from the start and the number of free throws shot, the fight that added a 15 minute delay, and the overall feel of the game. Detroit has never been known to field a finesse team, it’s just not in the state of Michigan’s DNA. Piston teams are hard-driving, gritty and play in your grill. It’s why players like Bill Laimbeer and “Big” Ben Wallace are revered there to the degree they are. It took the best quarter of Russ as a Laker and a return to form for AD to pull this one out. Davis swatted 5 shots, Russ started attacking with the purpose to score and not figure it out in mid air. They both played like the superstars they are and we need them to be to have a shot. Davis shot 4-4 in the final frame and was stellar on defense overall. Russ carried the load offensively shaking loose for 15 points. Both guys found each other repeatedly for baskets down the stretch. This is how they have to play all the time, every game. With that intensity and fervor.
- Carmelo shaking off his road woes. it’s no secret that Melo has mostly struggled on the road. Outside of his game against Boston where he wasn’t much involved but shot well, his road splits have been awful. Last night he came up huge on both ends in the 4th quarter with some aggressive close outs, his shooting and his overall presence which is still one of elite NBA pedigree. While he may not be the Melo of old, he has a ton left in the tank and the young guys react to that in a positive way. Melo is going to be a big part of this team’s successes and it’s been a thrill to watch. I’ve always loved me some Carmelo.
- Dwight Howard’s monster 13 minutes. We lose this game without Dwight. He was the only one who, early on, rose to the level of physicality that Detroit was playing with. He wasn’t part of an effective unit but he played with the kind of focus and intensity this game required when he was out there. Oh, and he hit 2 threes within the flow of the offense. One to close out the first half as time expired. Clutch.
- The gritty stats. While we can once again point to a plethora of first half issues defensively we still found a way to win. We outrebounded Detroit by a decent margin (51-39), and did a great job on the offensive glass with 12 boards there (4 of those by DAJ who got the start). Kept the turnovers low when they had crept up early, our defense in the 4th quarter is something I’d like to bottle and save for every single game from here on out and, in general, we found the right kind of hustle this team needs to play with. They stopped relying on talent, stopped begging the refs to bail them out and simply played harder down the stretch for a potentially season-saving and job-saving win. Had we lost (and should we lose either of the next 2 games on the schedule) this will be a losing road trip and ensure we come back no better than .500. Win these next 2 games and everything starts to look a little better: 11-9 with a .500 road record. While not elite, that works for a team that is still figuring out a lot of different things on the fly and waiting for key guys to get back.
The main thing for the Lakers is to avoid the play in which means a top 6 seeding. 4 or higher would be nice but it’s already looking like 1-3 are going to go to Golden State, Phoenix and Utah in some order or another. That means we have to knock one of Dallas, Denver or the Clippers out of the top 6. With 64 games left that seems doable. Who knows with some injury luck on our end and something unexpected happening to one of those 6 teams there is still more than enough time in the season to make a serious move up the standings. I think the team has enough as-is to compete for the title. If we do make a move it feels like this team plays better with a traditional big man, at least to start halves and play spot minutes leading up to crunch time so I would hope that we’d acquire a player to fill that role rather than split it up between Dwight and DAJ. Heck, one potential solution in my mind is to actually try starting Dwight and letting him play 20+ MPG and DAJ is there in case of foul trouble. Super Man has shown he can hit the three, after all.
liked this
4 Comments-
I also think there’s something to starting two bigs that makes Frank, LeBron, and Anthony more comfortable on the court. That’s why I strongly believe going after an elite two-way center like Turner makes such good sense.
We know the Lakers want to be the bully ball team so why not double down on that by adding a center who shoots 40% from deep and leads the lead with 3 blocks and 1.7 steals per game? Double down on playing small-ball-on-steroids.
It’s a move that would transform the Lakers into a dynasty that would continue after LeBron James retired.
-
Aloha. Nice post Jamie. I really didn’t gain much confidence from the comeback. We gave up 99 points through 3 quarters to a team that averages 97. A game. I actually was more encouraged by our loss to the Bucks who finally had their big 3 back then I was by this win. We played with energy the entire game. Like I have said before, it’s not the losses that has bothered me as much as the effort level.
I agree with you that if we are going to start 2 bugs we should start Dwight. I know he brings energy to the 2nd unit but it seems like the start of the 3rd quarter is when we need that energy the most. Frank likes to let AD play most if not all of the 1st and 3rd quarters so he could bring Dwight out early and bring him back when AD rests. DJ should only get in if there is foul trouble or an injury.
My half full glass amazingly is still upright. I’m going to withhold judgement on this team until LeBron can string 10 to 15 games together to see how he looks and the rest of our guys come back. It’s easy to see the areas where they all can contribute.
As far as trades, I’m not holding my breath. I would love to see the Lakers pick up Thad Young at the buyout. It appears that the Spurs have finally decided they are in a rebuild and they are playing their young guys more and Young is playing very little. Hopefully no one trades for him.
-
-
Thanks guys.
@Tom I love how you’ve come back around in regards to the center position. I think our choice not to add a younger than DeAndre Jordan center to the roster when we had the chance is going to be a huge issue this season. AD will play at the 5 when the game is on the line, I think we waste some of his elite-weak-side help talent when we relegate him to the 5 for the majority of the game.
@Michael at this point any miniscule improvement is a welcome one and any win a good one. I’m not sure the team will ever be in a place where we can evaluate them any better than we can right now. Injuries, illness, COVID, NBA what-have-you all have a way of conspiring against that notion. Should it ever come and we see LeBron in a string of games with the key pieces all healthy and contributing in the way Frank envisioned I’ll welcome it but until such tie, this is what we got.
At any rate, if AD can’t go tonight it likely means a loss and that means a losing road trip and that we will finish no better than .500 20 games in. That’s the barometer I’m using and the team has been, for the most part, fairly underwhelming up to this point. There are flashes here and there of the kind of team this could be, even sans LBJ, but they are utterly unable to sustain anything so far so while the final verdict may still be out there the games still count and the seeding for the playoffs is being defined every week. This team really ought to want to avoid any play-in games.
-
Jamie Sweet wrote a new post
Read MoreAn absolutely uninspiring effort against the team one would think the Lakers would want to beat no matter the situation, record or personnel. Maybe the Boston/Laker rivalry is dead and, if so, another thing of magic and majesty has passed from the planet’s surface. Can’t be a rival when you only show up for half the battle. That’s minion level status, at best.
- Great first quarter, huh? The Lakers showed up like a team that desperately wants to turn the page in a horror novel where the horror sort of just…never…ends. The offense was grooving, we forced 7 turnovers, LeBron was back, Russ was greasing the engine and we we’re defen-well, not quite. That first quarter defense, which gave up 30 points, was about as good as it was going to get it turns out as the Lakers gave an equal amount or more points for the rest of the game. There is an issue on defense which can’t just be explained away by the loss of Alex Caruso. That issue is a lack of several things: execution, attention to detail, heart, and investment.
- The Lakers new hit single should be called 3rd Quarter Blues. But we really didn’t need the 4th quarter encore of “I’ve Already Left the Building”. It’s been an issue all season. The halftime refreshments need to be changed, whichever parent is bringing the orange slices and Gatorade needs to get booted over to hauling the balls and setting up the nets because we come out of the locker room like we’ll all look on Thanksgiving after turkey. I’m assuming the Lakers don’t serve the team turkey dinner at the half, of course. I really don’t know what to say about this. The only people in the room are the team and coaches and whatever support staff is there to tape up this or patch up that. It’s such a consistent occurrence that it has to be mentioned and is a major concern. Until we can figure out how to come out of the half with some level of intensity we’re going to have an uphill climb in most games.
- The odd refereeing continues. It’s obviously bothering the entire team as they spend more time talking to the refs about this or that than with each other about blown coverages and missed assignments. Foul calls are, in my opinion, a byproduct of intensity. We lack it, which is astounding when one considers that we have Russell Westbrook on the team. But, at this point, it seems pretty obvious to me that there is a lack of fire under the team. If it’s a symptom of too many guys on minimum deals, something that will even out over time, or simply the way the game is now being called I don’t know but a blow to the head should be a foul no matter the score, no matter what. AD took a head hit last game, LeBron in this one and Russ has been knocked down more than I’ve ever seen him and barely gets to the line. Now…would we win just because of more free throw attempts? No guarantee on that one as the Lakers are struggling against the free throw line defense teams are throwing at them but I think a few more calls going our way would at least help us stay focused on the task at hand.
- The Lakers rebounding struggles continue. Because we’re a long and not tall team we need to team rebound with intent. We’re not doing that very well. I can understand why Davis prefers to play the 4. He gets to weak side block shots and hunt guys down when they’re not focused on him. He gets a big lug to box out and set screens. In short, someone to do the yeoman’s work in the paint. AD has the skillset, and oftentimes the mentality, of a guard. Which is what makes him both so dangerous and also what makes this current experiment with him playing the majority of his minutes at the 5 such a quandary. Not one Laker managed more than 7 rebounds and, as a team, we were out rebounded 18 (51-33). Like defense, rebounding is a heart/hustle stat. This team plays fast, but not controlled. This team has heart but usually it only shows up for a half or so. It’s getting sickening to watch, quite frankly. The fans deserve better and so does the team. This team should be better than this.
- 8-9. I remember when the Heat hit that 9-8 record in year 1 and Bosh and Wade told LeBron to just be LeBron, they’d fit in around him. From there on out it worked and it worked to the tune of 2 NBA titles. Something like that has to happen here only I have no idea what that looks like. It’s hard for Russ to find his own groove when Frank takes he and LeBron out at the same time. It’s neither of the ball-dominant player’s team, it’s more AD’s now than anyone else’s as he’s the youngest and has the most impact game to game, so far. He may not want it but that torch is coming his way and it feels like it’s coming his way right now. Maybe that’s the issue, that we’re a LeBron James team in Anthony Davis’ body while Russ watches on in horror like a version of Freaky Friday gone horribly wrong. We’re on the south side of that 9-8 mark, had we won tonight it could have been now. As it is the best we can hope for is to see 9-9 after the next game and not 8-10. If this team comes back from the road trip not having won a single game I think we’ll start to hear some rumblings followed by the dreaded vote of managerial confidence in regards to coach Vogel’s job.
Never in a million years would I have imagined that I would write that last sentence. Think of it…Luke Walton might have more job security than Vogel does right now. At the very least there probably isn’t much difference between the heat under either seat. But this team isn’t defending and they’re not outscoring teams with raw firepower. There is no easy fix, it would appear. Time? Sure, there’s still some time to get it figured out but come the end of the roadie we’ll be 20 games in with 62 left. We’re in 9th place in the western conference right now. A Laker team that can put up 109+ ppg should have a better record if only they could figure out how to play defense for more than a quarter or two. If they can’t then it makes Vogel’s skillset an even larger issue as he is known to be a defense-first guy. At any rate, the Lakers are now fast running out of excuses: AD is playing the 5, we’re running shooters out there in the sets that they evidently prefer, we got all three superstars back and THT.
We’re still getting run out of the building.
Something’s got to give.
Go Lakers.
(personal note for all the GHE/GHF chit chat – I would much rather be writing about how great the team is playing and how the playoffs are going to be fun…well…the team ain’t obliging, people, the team ain’t obliging) -
Jamie Sweet wrote a new post
Read MoreI don’t see another move the Lakers can make that would have as positive benefits as trading for Turner, moving AD back to the four and LeBron to the three, and playing Russ and THT in the backcourt.
Lakers can’t continue to play Too-Small-Ball instead of Small-Ball-on-Steroids. Best way to fix that is to trade for Myles Turner. He would enable us to continue to play the same small ball five-out style but with monster size like last season.
A Russ, THT, LeBron, AD, and Turner starting lineup would be the biggest small ball team in the league. Thast’s exactly the physically dominating type of team Frank wants with two bigs. AD gets to play his preferred four and LeBron his preferred three.
Considering THT’s jump, he and Nunn and DJ should be enough and we can throw in a pick or Monk to close the deal. It’s the single biggest move the Lakers can make at this time and much better than trading for a bigger 3&D wing or power forward.
liked this
2 Comments-
Aloha Jamie, nice post although I agree with a couple of points. First THT had 12 boards, that’s a little more then a couple😂 The 2nd, the Bucks aren’t really injury riddled. They were earlier but they had their big 3 back. The only starter out is Lopez and honestly even with him the Lakers beat the Bucks with LeBron. We went 0 for 16 from 3 down the stretch and it killed us. However that really is an anomaly. We are better then that. 25% down that stretch wins the game. And you are right, fouls are ridiculous. AD didn’t even a get an out in the open flagrant foul call on Giannis. One of our biggest problems was the Bucks were getting small on Giannis, almost at will. And we weren’t sending help. While AD didn’t do a good job against him, he got a lot of his points against small players in switching situations. I don’t know how LeBron will effect THT but I think we now have 4 guys that can really attack. I think we will see rotations that have maybe Russ and AD and LeBron and THT or other combinations with those four.
-
Good to see some welcome positivity in this fiver, Jamie. Sometimes, things do look differently after you let some time pass. I still contend this was a QUALITY loss. And I agree with all of your ‘five things.’
1) I agree 100% with you on THT’s great game, especially the 3-point shooting. Talen has put together three straight games that scream third year breakout. Can he continue if LeBron returns? That’s the big question. I think he’ll get a chance. I’ll be rooting for THT to have another big game.
2) Lakers could have won the Bucks game had they shot up to their normal level and had Giannis not had his usual 3 of 4 threes against the Lakers while shooting under 30% vs. rest of league. You’re right that the game often swings on whether we make or miss our threes. I feel more confident that as the season progresses, our improved 3-point shooting will show up.
3) AD did get owned on defense by Giannis and it also affected his confidence on the offensive end. There’s an up-and-down to AD’s game that needs to end. Aggressive for two games followed then by a passive game. For sure, LeBron has the low center of gravity that Giannis has and AD doesn’t. Giannis can overpower AD in the post but not LeBron but AD still cannot get outscored 44 to 18. We need a huge bounce back finish to this road trip by AD. He got schooled. Now he needs some payback.
4) Glad the Lakers complained to the league about the free throw issues. All three Lakers superstars are getting jobbed by the zebra. All three receiving the fewest free throws in their
career. The flagrant foul by Giannis hitting AD in the back and on the head was just the poster boy for the zebras bias against LA.5) Russ working hard to diminish the turnovers is a sign he’s been listening to LeBron, AD, and Frank. The Lakers clearly can benefit from not wasting possessions. Of course, not having LeBron helped too. It will be a key to tonight’s game because the Lakers need LeBron and Russ to take care of the ball. But good find, Jamie, as better ball security is one of the keys to more wins.
Great Fiver, Jamie. Let’s hope LeBron plays, AD dominates, Russ plays under control, THT continues to shine, and our shooters remember how to shoot. I’m hoping for a happy, kumbaya podcast tonight. 😃✌
-
-
Jamie Sweet wrote a new post
Read MoreWell, with LeBron out we’re not at DEFCON 5 yet but man this is looking like a season of uphill battles thus far. Gone is any lofty talk of a 70 win season, at this pace the Lakers will be lucky to avoid the play-in. If this team doesn’t figure some things out, get (and stay) healthy and begin competing at a higher level you can kiss the banner goodbye and add another wasted season in purple and gold to LeBron James’ resume’.
- Talen’s big game. The best Laker on the floor last night was THT. He attacked the defense in a variety of ways and his three point shot was on full display. With Vogel announcing that Kendrick Nunn is still “a way’s away” with a bone bruise we desperately need production from Horton-Tucker. The evolution of his three-pointer is a huge key to unlocking his potential as it will force teams to stay on him on the perimeter opening chances to drive the ball into the paint and attack. The next step is getting his teammates activated and involved and continuing to improve on defense. If THT is going to be a force he needs to bring that trifecta of impact.
- AD getting tossed. This is becoming a theme: Lakers struggle for this reason or that, get into it with the refs, lose game and talk about how they need to stay better composed. Well the time to start that journey is now because this version of the Lakers really lets officiating bother them. From Dwight on the bench yapping to Melo every time down the court to DeAndre Jordan looking for touch fouls in the paint (hint: DAJ…they ain’t calling that stuff bro) the Lakers just need to suck it up and realize the refs aren’t bailing them out of their poor play. Everyone’s unhappy with the officiating so that indicates that at least there has been some level of consistency there. Now did AD deserve to be tossed and/or was he right about usually the refs give a a player a quick moment to re-shoe? Sure, but that ought not obfuscate the fact that the game was all but decided by the time he got tossed.
- Play with some pride. LeBron alone won’t fix this. He’ll help but until this team comes together and starts sacrificing for one another, selling out for loose balls, and competing at a high level regardless of the opponent it won’t really matter who is on the floor. This team seemingly wants to be able to rely on talent, not get down on it in terms of defense, not focus on the minutiae and execute at a high level and in general has an air of laziness about it that simply won’t get it done most nights. Right now if 2 bench guys don’t get red hot from three, AD doesn’t pour in 30+ points and Russ have an above average game we have no shot to win against most teams. So when LBJ gets back we’ll see less of Monk and Bazemore, most likely. At this point that’s a good thing. While I’m high on Monk and his skillset it’s obvious we need someone to restore order and if it’s not LeBron it won’t be anyone. The trio talked a lot about sacrifice in their dinner where this was all envisioned, now is the time to start.
- The question of Alex Caruso vs. THT. I mentioned this on the podcast. That i think this debate is absurd as it frames two guys who in and of themselves aren’t the reason the Lakers are in luxury tax land. The reason that happened is we traded for Westbrook and have two other max salaried players. So the idea that the smallish contracts that THT and Caruso signed respectively is just a false narrative that obfuscates the fact that the majority of resources available to the team are dedicated to 3 players. That in and of itself isn’t the problem. The problem is that, after committing so many resources to the three players and trading away the aspects of the roster we could easily retain we were left with 2 players whom we could go over the salary cap to keep, although the doing of that would be costly and those 2 players were AC and THT. If you’re going to build a 3 superstar team you have to do so with the correct mindset. 3 players does not a championship roster make and I hardly believe that could news to anyone inside the Laker front office war room. We needed the skillset of both THT and Caruso in order to field the most competitive team that also has some championship pedigree and experience playing alongside LeBron. So, in my mind, this debate is being framed all wrong. The issue is that the Lakers went big on 3 guys and cheaped out big time after that. End of discussion. Really the reasons don’t matter at this point either as this is the team we have.
- How can we turn this around? Honestly, I don’t think any one thing can turn this around. James coming back re-creates the same problem we have now which is our offense is fine but our defense is not. We’re not elite in any way except roster payroll, at least we’re not playing elite. Russ doesn’t have the right kind of guys around him to be the best version of himself, but adding LeBron and THT will marginalize Russ (somewhat) so that may be the answer there is just having more guys who can get their won shot on the floor and hope Melo can keep his roll going on the road (although his last 2 games have been drop off games for him). We need 30 points from AD every single night, it would appear, because after AD and The King we don’t have anyone that can score in double digits consistently. Melo, maybe, but Anthony is old and isn’t going to have the mojo every single night. Russ will score in double-digits but the efficiency is a huge issue in regards to those points.
It’s certainly fair to say that I am now in the position of having to re-examine my opinion that adding Russ was the right move. At the time I could imagine how it could work, in reality I have yet to see anything consistent or organic from the team for the most part. This isn’t working, especially against teams that have an identity established or have gelled quickly. The Bulls in many ways were the perfect team to face at this crux of the season: they had a huge amount of turnover, have done the job early against a favorable schedule, and a re playing like champs already but with guys who haven’t won a thing (except Caruso). But thinking of a world where we could have had DeRozan and kept AC and THT is certainly a “hindsight is 20/20” kind of world. We didn’t go that route, nor did we trade for Buddy. We have Westbrook and now the guys have to find a way to make it work.
liked this
1 Comment-
Good fiver, Jamie. Hard to find anything positive about another ‘flush it’ game this season. Obviously, we still have not figured out how to win the non-LeBron minutes.
Overall, I still believe the Lakers will be fine. We’re doomed against the Bucks tonight but should be fine when LeBron returns. Just getting tired of seasons being so affected by the damn injuries. And it’s not just the old guys. It’s the damn young guys who can’t get healthy.
1) Great game by THT, especially the outside shooting. You’re spot on that his 3-point shooting will likely determine his future with the Lakers.
2) AD showed his frustration with the doubling and tripling and his teammates poor shooting by getting tossed for complaining about the time to retie his sneaker. Frank needs to figure out how to counter the double and triples. Russ is obviouslhy not enought.
3) We always get into these arguments about how hard players are playing or whether they have any pride when we lose in a blowout. Sometimes, it’s just the other team playing great, which is what happened last night. The Bulls were scorching the nets all night long while the Lakers were cold as ice. End of story.
4) I do agree with you that it’s unfair to assign all of the taxes to Caruso when it was Westbrook’s contract that created the inevitable situation. I still believe there were other reasons besides money for the Lakers not bringing Caruso back and part of that is his limitations as a player. Some of it was about opening up minutes for other guards who were more offensive minded. I mean, imagine if we also had AC, the minutes at the two would disappear. We already have way too many guards and not enought wings.
5) Now you’re suddenly after the 15th game telling me we have no chance of turning it around and LeBron coming back will just cause more problems? I will consider that just your rant after a terrible game. Friday, when LeBron returns, we will start to turn this around. Mark my words. 4-game road win streak.
-
Jamie Sweet wrote a new post
Read MoreThat was a needed infusion of youthful talent. Between THT and Malik Monk the Lakers have been able to send some guys out there that are both under 30 and have some decent game. Anthony Davis set the tone and the team followed in one of the more complete games the team has played to this point in the season.
- Anthony Davis starting to assert himself in ways the team desperately needs. We can go on and on about how this role-player or that isn’t playing quite up to type or what-have-you but the truth is this Laker team is only going as far as Anthony Davis takes it at this point. LeBron has been hurt, Russell is the new guy and the team needs AD’s elite impact that only he can bring on both ends of the court. Not to minimize the contributions of any other player on the roster but Davis alone can massively change the tone of the game on either end. Last night he was dominant in the paint helping us to an (for this season) uncommon advantage in that department. He also canned 2-3 three pointers, grabbed a team-high 15 rebounds and dished 6 assists. His 34 points led all scorers and he looked like the unstoppable force inside and out that we need him to be. When AD plays with that much force, focus and intensity the Lakers are a lot tougher to beat. When he lets the game or his teammates dictate his aggression we suffer for it.
- Welcome back Talen Horton-Tucker. I’ve written a lot of words about the advanced age of this Laker team and I likely will throughout the season as long as Frank continues to rely on the over 33 players. THT made his season debut following thumb ligament surgery and he looked like he hadn’t missed a day. The Lakers and the fans might have to live with some questionable forays into the paint, passed up shots and the learning curve any player who is still trying to reach his ceiling will have. I’ll take it because Talen is probably our most accomplished slasher other than LeBron James. He uses angles better than any other Laker and he has an array of finger rolls, floaters and mini-hooks to get his shot off over (or around) defenders. While it was only one game against the rebuilding Spurs he looked decent on defense, certainly no worse than the struggling Kent Bazemore.
- Malik Monk building a case for a consistent role. Monk started the season with more questions than assumptions. Could he defend well enough to earn minutes on Vogel-coached team? Would his shooting transfer over from a mostly bench, mop-up duty role in Charlotte to a team with bonafide banner aspirations? Could he carve out a role amongst so many other more established p[layers? Monk is answering those challenges and he’s doing it pretty well. His 36.1% from three is weighed down by early season struggles and inconsistent minutes, of late he’s been shooting the ball better and is creative at getting his shot off in the paint with an array of floaters. He’s not really creating much for teammates (2 assists/game) but that’s not really his role on this team. He, like THT, are being asked to be Swiss Army Knives with a little D, some scoring and some playmaking while fitting in among HOF players. Monk has started to shine in the absence of Kendrick Nunn as one of our better young players.
- Russell Westbrook taking it to the bank. I hadn’t realized until this season how many shots off the glass Russ takes. It makes a ton of sense because Westbrook is so strong, his shot so forceful, that using the glass to soften it just plain smart. Russ will never be Ray Allen efficient but he brings a lot of other things to the table. His bank shot has been solid thus far and, like LeBron, I think he’d benefit from shooting a step or from beyond the line on his threes. Russ had a solid game against the Spurs and seems to be trying to do a little less which has taken some of the pressure off of him with LeBron out.
- Wayne Ellington making it happen. It’s been whispered and rumored of for awhile now: the Lakers are where three point shooting specialists come to die. Guys who shoot lights out on smaller market teams (or where there are coaches who devise plays specifically to get them their shots) come to LA and can’t throw it in the ocean. Wayne started his season playing that way but, of late, has started to look more like the gunner we need him to be to bolster our bench scoring. If THT is going to start that leaves it to Wayne, Malik and whomever else gets into the rotation on any given night to bring some firepower off the bench. Wayne took a few games to get his legs under him and has said that the new ball has taken some time to adjust to. That all sounds about right to me. Wayne was great in his role yesterday afternoon taking 7 threes and making 5.
It begins tonight. The easy portion of the schedule is, essentially, done. One could argue that no team in the NBA should be considered easy to beat but the truth is the Lakers didn’t do themselves many favors easing into the season (especially in regards to training camp where it feels like a lot of these questions could have been answered specifically “should DeAndre Jordan play at all?” NO! No he should not.) in the manner that they did. Sitting just 2 games over .500 with a 5 game road trip after the back-to-back tonight facing mostly eastern conference teams in the hunt for the playoffs the Lakers have some work to do to show that they’re better than their record suggests.
This road trip takes us through a struggling Milwaukee team that I’m sure would love to bring some oxygen to their season by beating us: don’t let it happen; we need to become the team that beats struggling or rebuilding teams. Don’t be the one that gives them a feather in the cap by running us out of the building. Our lone game in Boston to a similarly struggling Celtics squad gives us another chance to show we can take advantage of the issues other teams are having rather than let our own issues define the season. Can they make all this happen? I’m not so sure but tonight is a good test: the Bulls are coming off a win against the Clippers and it’s Alex Caruso’s first game against the team that cheaped out in regards to retaining his services and choosing the hopeful promise of THT over the proven defender and glue man that is Alex Caruso. While tonight will not be the end of that debate it’s sure to be fun to watch. Watch ACFresh go for 50, lol.
Go Lakers. liked this
5 Comments-
Aloha Jamie, not ce post. AD was a beast. I believe AD will start at the 5 moving forward. He is just so much more effective moving inside out, then when he gets the ball outside when he plays the 4. If he wants a shot at the MVP then it’s going to be at the 5. There maybe the occasional match up that starting him at the 4 makes sense but I hose are few and far between. And if we do it should be Dwight, not DJ joining him.
THT was incredible for his first game back. His offense was a little rusty in the first half but he settled down for 12 in the 2nd half. I think he will be our starting SF going forward. I would prefer him at the 2 but if we are starting AD at the 5, our options are limited. I think Melo is best off the bench so LeBron would be at the 4. What was most interesting to me was that Russ deferred to him in crunch time. That shows a lot of respect and validates all the praise that was coming from camp before the injury. THT suffers from the lack of respect because of his draft slot in the 2nd round. I looked back at his draft class and if redrafted he would be a lottery pick for sure and perhaps a top 10 pick. He was a huge steal in his he draft.
Wayne is tearing it up now. 45% from 3 and if you throw out his first 2 rust games he’s shooting 59%. And the thing that has surprised me the most is his defense has been decent. Yes he’s not a lock down defender but he makes the effort. We are basically getting better shooting and a little defense for 18mil less then if we had traded for a buddy who is shooting a very good39% from 3.
And Malik is great to have, such a creative scorer and he can make plays for others. He had 4 assists and Dwight robbed him of another by missing a bunny
What is your guess to what the starting line up will look like once everyone is back? For me i think the only question mark will be at the 2, if AD starts. We have yet to see Nunn. Would he start or would he back up Russ at PG. Avery for defense? Wayne for 3 point shooting? that may make the most sense. i think you want at least one sniper starting.
-
Hey Michael. I hate to say it but I don’t think we’ve seen the last of DeAndre Jordan starting. Frank has intimated as much, as well. I don’t get it, none of that entire situation/choice makes any sense to me at all, basketball or otherwise.
I think, because of how we let a lot of the vets ease through camp and then all the young guys except Monk got hurt, that we’re going to see a lot of starting five line ups again. As long as we don’t have the absurdity of last season (I think we ended up with over 20 different starting line ups if memory serves but I’d have to go double-check that…might have topped out at 19?) it’s fine.
Hard for me to say that THT will be anything other than what I’ve seen from him thus far. It was one game against a rebuilding Spurs team focused on the youth movement. There wasn’t a shot-blocking big who played, really, and THT is always really good in a handful of games. Can he do everything he did last night consistently is the bigger question and I’m sure he and Caruso will both be jazzed to show they deserve this or that tonight.
It’s too bad we don’t have Malik’s bird rights since he came over ona minimum deal, makes it very likely that he finds a more lucrative deal elsewhere next season since we can only offer him a 20% raise (or use the MLE) to retain him. I have really been surprised by the polish in his overall game. Since getting benched for not playing defense he’s been playing defense, same for Wayne who certainly does not have any kind of rep on that side of the court.
All in all, I still feel like this team is vastly underperforming and some of that is due to injuries but mostly to our mediocre defense. The good thing is that we have started to at least look a little more consistent in that AD has been playing at a pretty high level, Russ isn’t trying to win MVP in one game and the bench is contributing well-enough to keep us in games throughout the early portion of the schedule. Hopefully this team can start to really turn the season around on this upcoming 5 game road trip. If not I think we’ll be in trouble, especially if we come home from the roadie under .500. Frank’s seat ain’t secure by any means.
-
I have to disagree with you on THT Jamie, I think he has a very high ceiling. He looked really good in the preseason games he played before the injury. I also take what was coming out from the Lakers camp before he got hurt under consideration. You have to keep in mind that he still hasn’t turned 21 yet. I remember Kobe’s first few years. Promising but not Kobe like yet. Even in his 3rd year and first as a starter at 20 he was very good but not great yet. now I’m not remotely suggesting that THT is the next Kobe. I am saying that it take few years, with a lot of ups and downs. i look at what he already has in his tool box, his willingness to bust his butt on defense and his work ethic and see a player that very well could become a star for this team.
-
One more thing about THT. I went back and looked at his draft class and from what we have seen so far, there are only 5 maybe 6 guys I would have drafted ahead of him. And they are all older. Herro is the only one drafted by a contender all of the others went to bad teams, where they got to play a lot, right away. THT making the rotation for a contender like he did last year says a lot about his potential. I think he could be a Laker star for a lot of years to come. The last guy we drafted that was that young was BI. Again not saying he will be that good but BI had a bumpy first couple of years until he got traded and was able to play big minutes. By the way THT is already a better defender.
-
-
-
-
Michael and Jamie,
Great conversation, guys.
I’m pretty much in agreement with Michael that AD will start at the five and THT at the three going forward as they need to find out if he can be a starter with our three superstars, which will hinge on how much better he shoots from three. And they want to increase his trade value by showing he can be a starter at 21.
With Russ at the one, THT at the three, LeBron at the four, and AD at the five, we’re left with only one open starting spot, which is shooting guard. The top two candidates for that position are Monk and Ellington. So far, Monk is my pick because of his greater offensive versatility and proven defensive superiority so far this season.
I do think Jamie is right that we have not seen the last of DeAndre or Dwight starting at center. In fact, I think there are strong reasons right now with LeBron and Trevor out that Frank should be starting DeAndre. We’re getting killed in the paint and on the boards.
The doubling and tripling of AD has killed our inside game leaving us to hang on our 3-point shooting. Fail and we lose like last night or against Portland. Hit them and we win like against the Spurs. We need to see adjustments tonight from Vogel.
- Load More Posts
JAMIE SWEET
Associate Publisher
Jamie Sweet and his eagerly awaited ‘5 Things’ post after every Lakers game have become a staple feature of Lakerholics. Jamie’s the Laker fan who jumpstarts and drives conversations with his informed comments and insightful observations.
Another refugee from the LA Times Lakers Blog, Jamie’s a must read Lakerholics poster and commenter whose reputation as a savvy but objective fan is well deserved
You can always get in touch with Jamie on the Lakerholics blog. You can also check out his work with the Garage Theatre in Long Beach or with his band Gnarwhal.
FEATURED ARTICLE
Lakers Quietly Transforming Team Into 3-Point Offensive Juggernaut!
Don’t look now but the Los Angeles Lakers have been quietly transforming what has been one of the league’s worst 3-point shooting teams this season into a legitimate top-5 3-point shooting modern offensive juggernaut.
FEATURED PODCAST
NBA Observations- Big Money Spent For The Clippers And Heat, Are The Lakers Next?
The guys from the Lakers Fast Break return for some NBA Observation as they share thoughts on the recent big-money extensions for Miami coach Erik Spoelstra and the Clipper’s Kawhi Leonard. Does this mean the Lakers will be opening up their wallet a little more as well? Plus after Toronto Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic’s huge rant after the Lakers game because of the fourth-quarter free throw disparity, we ponder if Darvin Ham will ever show that kind of energy if he remains as the guys on the sidelines for LA. We’re back talking some big $$$, and wondering if the Lakers are ready to go on a spending spree? Find out our thoughts on the latest Lakers Fast Break podcast!
Don’t forget to watch the Lakers games with us LIVE at playback.tv/lakersfastbreak and our newest Lakers Fast Break merchandise site is now up at https://tinyurl.com/39yb4ta3, check it out!
Please Like, Share, and Subscribe to our channel and our social media @lakersfastbreak on Twitter.
If you have questions, give us a shout-out on Twitter, YouTube, Twitch, Kick, Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook, or send us your thoughts to lakersfastbreak@yahoo.com or become a supporter of the Lakers Fast Break today at https://anchor.fm/lakers-fast-break
The views and opinions expressed on the Lakers Fast Break are those of the panelists or guests themselves and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Lakers Fast Break or its owners. Any content or thoughts provided by our panelists or guests are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, individual, anyone, or anything.
Presented by our friends at lakerholics.com, lakersball.com, Pop Culture Cosmos, Inside Sports Fantasy Football, Vampires and Vitae, SynBlades.com, YouTube’s John Mikaelian, the novel Congratulations, You Suck (available at Amazon and Barnes and Noble), The Happy Hoarder, EmpireJeffTV, Larry Lakers Dribbling Chat Chat, Lakers Corner, and Retro City Games!
FEATURED TWEET
Lakers stars used speed and space of transition as stage for talent
https://twitter.com/Lakers/status/1437491268544835595
Recent Comments
WHO’S ONLINE
[who-is-online-now]
Good fiver, Jamie. Personally, I thought the faux post by Shams about the NBA fining Steward $900,000 was real. I mean the Malice at the Palace was a low the NBA never wants to see again. Stewart is going to get a big fine and suspension and should get some counseling. That could have been a major disaster for the NBA had somebody who got in Stewart’s way got hit and hurt.
1) I thought LeBron looked like the abdominal strain was really bothering him. He was very stiff in posture and had little lift. I saw that hater Hollinger jumped all over that in his article. Bottom line, this was the first time I thought Father Time looked like he was affecting more than just LeBron’s recovery time.
2) AD and Russ found a way to get it done. I don’t care if it was against the Bad News Bears. Winning without LeBron is something the Lakers desperately need to figure out. That fourth quarter comeback from AD and Russ was the biggest sign yet that they may be able to end the droughts when LBJ sits.
3) Melo continues to show he is a weapon for this team. Glad to see him coming off the bench. We have lacked this kind of long range shooting off the bench. Now if Ellington and Monk could join the block party off the bench, the Lakers might shed the poor 3-point shooting reputation.
4) Dwight’s now shooting over 70% from deep, tops on the Lakers. We might have laughed but I’ve seen much better touch on free throws from Dwight and believe that’s because of the effort he has made to learn to shoot threes. When the shot’s there, I don’t mind him taking it. Our new stretch five.
5) While it looked like the Lakers had not yet hit the bottom during the first three quarters of the Pistons’ game, we finally saw this team finally get a sense of urgency with LeBron ejected that resulted in their best quarter of the year without LBJ as Russ and AD found a way to turn disaster into a gritty win.