5 THINGS

While not the prettiest of wins the fact that our team of bench guys and role-players was able to overcome an NBA squad, regardless of how banged up they are, is a confidence booster. Clutch play from Kyle Kuzma and Talen Horton-Tucker helped lead the Lakers to their 3rd win in a row and keep what hopes are left that one of Dallas or Portland will stumble at the end and crack open the 6th seed for us. Lakers had their destiny in their hands and couldn’t find this level of energy and completion and so now must hope others fail and we keep on winning out.

1. Drummond finding his Laker groove. Andre’ turned in another solid performance helping to control the offensive glass, scoring inside and providing some really nice post play. Missed some free throws which is a concern for late-game availability come the playoffs. I think that, with the ability to practice being more available in the playoffs and the time between games, we’ll see Dre’ get more and more acclimated. He’s starting to show the promise a lot of people saw in him coming here and rewarding Frank Vogel’s faith in his ability to start. Regardless of how he plays I fully expect Drummond to start barring a match up issue akin to the Rockets last season. If he can play like this on a nightly basis we’ll have a weapon in the post that you can mix and match with Harrel and Gasol against the opposing benches.
2. Markieff makes some threes! I think Morris was on a 0-28 streak from deep and he finally broke through last night. If he can go on the flip side of that drought as we roll into the playoffs it couldn’t come at a better time. If ‘Kieff can bring this level of scoring and defensive intensity we’re in good shape. We’re going to need the versatility and savvy Morris brings, he was critical in winning banner #17 last season. Honestly, we’ll need all of that veteran moxie we got. Between Morris and Matthews we have a lot of experience in terms of knowing where to be, competing high and impacting the game without being the focus of the team.
3. Gotta love how ready McKinnie has been all season long. The dude languished on the bench for much of the season, saw garbage time here and there, and did his job. He stayed ready to contribute and has done a solid job coming in, rebounding the ball and making his shots. If we’re relying on Alfonzo for big minutes in the playoffs we’re in trouble but it’s nice to see guys who do their job, stay ready and ball hard when called upon. Keep that head in the game, dude, you never know when that number is going to get called.
4. Talen slowing it down better. Solid game as the starting PG from THT. 10 dimes to only 3 turnovers is about as much as you can ask from the 2nd year guard. While he didn’t make a three he was still able to get buckets in the paint and what I liked best was that he didn’t overly force his own offense but did a really good job of reading what the defense was giving him and making a play or scoring. It’s games like this that make me more than comfortable with the idea of letting Schroder walk this summer. Not to denigrate what Dennis brings, which I also like, but I don’t see all that much daylight between THT and Schroder’s games, respectively. So if I’m looking at keeping one of the two I think that, for the money he’s likely to command on the open market, Talen is a better bargain. That’s a discussion best left to the summer, though, got some season and some playoffs yet to wrangle.
5. Trezz getting his chance to shine. We’re getting a little taste of how playoff rotations are likely to look. With no real centers to bang against as a back up we saw a lot more Harrell and no Gasol. Trezz made the most of it by turning in a very Montrezl-esque performance. He and Kuzma provided a lot of punch off the pine last night and both were huge in eking out the needed win. I have a lot of admiration for guys who play with heart and passion but can also be professional when it comes to the playoffs and playing time. Not everyone is going to be happy with their minutes in the playoffs, except maybe LeBron and AD, most likely everyone will feel like they could have contributed more. Contribute what you can in the minutes you get. That’s the key to winning games in the playoffs.

Two more games, that’s all we got left in this topsy-turvy season of hoops. Need to bring ’em both home with W’s if we want a shot at avoiding the play in but if you ask me that ship sailed with Portland winning against Phoenix last night. That was our best shot at getting out of the 7th seed. Because they own the tie-breaker we have to actually pass either Dallas or Portland in the standings and that feels unlikely at this point.

We’re entering scary territory if you’re a Lakers fan. After dropping another game to the Clippers, who swept the season series against us, the Lakers fell to 6th in the western conference. Tonight’s game against Portland isn’t in the “must win” zone as we still have 4 more spots to fall before being bounced out of the playoffs entirely but if the team wants to maximize it’s playoff time with practice and prep as opposed to fighting to stay in them, winning tonight seems like a good place to start. Also…whither is LeBron James?

1. Anthony Davis injury scare #8,602. Sounds like AD is OK after a fall near the scorers table. Ankle OK, back locked up on him but he says he’s playing tonight. That’s good because we have just about 0 chance of winning without AD. Frankly the odds ain’t that great with AD based on our winning % as a team without LeBron and Schroder. If we’re going to have any chance at all Davis needs to start turning in some monster performances. He needs to play with more power and less finesse. I don’t honestly know if he has that in him at this point in this season, may just be too gassed from the compressed schedule (that he hasn’t played in for months up til recently) and the short turnaround.
2. Is there a more disappointing Laker this season than Kentavious Caldwell-Pope? In my mind, no there is not. Based on what we know he is capable of he is vastly under-performing this season. Toss in the idea that your highest paid players should be the ones you can count on to step up and I wonder what KCP has done to deserve the role he currently enjoys on this team. He’s not playing good defense let’s start with that. He finds that skill every three games or so by my count. Most nights he kind of stays in front of his man, generally drifts too far off the perimeter to close out effectively an dis good for one bone-headed blow by per game. Personally, I’m done hoping to see more from Kentavious. His head is just not in this season at all. His body shows up, he goes through the motions but the heart and the effort are not there. KCP signed a 3 year $39 million dollar extension in the offseason. He’s our 4th highest paid player and one of only 4 Lakers that makes over $10 mil. In 29 minutes he managed 6 whole field goal attempts. That’s never going to get it done and honestly makes his deal borderline untradeable this summer. Who wants a shooting guard that doesn’t shoot and doesn’t defend at a high level? Answer: nobody.
3. The 87 man rotation. I get it: this was a blowout and the scrubs of the scrubs got some burn. That’s not the real issue. The issue is I don’t think any players in that locker room really know what their role on this team is. Not anymore. I think we had some roles early on but injuries, poor play and terrible shooting from guys brought in to shoot have forced that notion to be scrapped. This is on the coaching staff and nobody else, the players don’t decide when they go into the game. We brought in or re-signed players like KCP, Wes Matthews, Ben McLemore and Markieff Morris to open the floor from the perimeter and play solid defense. ‘Kieff is shooting 30.9% from three, McLemore 36.8% (as a Laker), Matthews is at 32.6%, and even though KCP is shooting 41% he doesn’t like to shoot. It’s become absurd. Trezz is the backup center…I guess? Gasol who is here next season no longer plays in lieu of the lumbering Drummond and here we sit. Falling in the standings and looking more like a lottery team than the defending champs.
4. The question about the center position. I want to start off saying that I like Andre’ Drummond both as a player and as a person, nothing personal. The thing is we’re asking way too much of a guy who we don’t have the time to bring up to speed in a meaningful way. From a purely talent or athletics standpoint, Andre’ Drummond would make a fine center. On this team, at this point of the season and without the benefit of incorporating him into the team without James and mostly without Davis until recently it’s just not going to work. There should be no blame assigned for this: Drummond was a buyout candidate who sacrificed a lot of money to be able to play in the post season. It’s just not working. Not in a basketball sense that I can see. Start Trezz. Start Gasol. Drummond is a pro and will understand but if my gut is right I think he may never see the money he was going to be paid as Cav. Same was Schroder will regret turning down the $20 million dollar extension.
5. LeBron hurt or not? If the coach is to be believed than the league will be sending a $25,000 (or more) fine the Lakers way any day now. You can’t just rest guys, there has to be a reason even if it’s BS reason. So if there truly is no medical reason why James isn’t playing right now that means he’s just taking more of a break? That neither sounds like LeBron James or the Los Angeles Lakers. Frankly it’s inept of them to leave it hanging like that because it’ll only generate rampant speculation. COVID would be a medical reason, ankle maintenance would be a medical reason. James doesn’t just take games off so what gives, Lakers?

Gotta win this one tonight or I don’t see a way out of the play-in. Not with the schedule, our injuries and so on. No guarantee a win tonight keeps us from sliding but owning the tie-breaker against Portland could be huge. Get ‘er done. Go Lakers.