Last night two important things happened: the Lakers honored an all-time great human being in Pau Gasol and the current iteration of the team won a key game. The win, coupled with some key losses, moved the Lakers into the playin round at 9th place. While nobody associated with the Lakers should be satisfied with where we’re at it’s still a benchmark we needed to reach in order to have a shot at the playoffs.

1. AD in full on beast mode. The fragility of Davis, his willingness to play through injury, and his general ability to be available has been questioned to no end mainly because he’s often injured, unavailable to play, and that happens a lot. Last night I honestly wondered if he would play after taking that elbow to the nose. I hoped it wasn’t serious but also thought the Lakers might exercise caution and maybe get him X-rays before sending him back out. Whether any of that happened or not is moot because AD came back out before the half. It was a good thing he did because Davis powered the Lakers to this win by gobbling up rebounds and scoring inside. This is the player we need for a few months to have any chance at all of making serious noise this season.
2. Coaches can’t seem to get Malik on track. I want this guy to succeed as much as any Laker. The team option this summer is going to be a massive quandary for an organization that will also potentially have to pay Reaves, Walker IV, Hachimura, and D’Angelo Russell. $16.5 mil is a lot for a streak shooter who doesn’t also defend or create or score from more than one area of the floor. Some of it is in Malik to make his shots but it also comes down to creating a scheme he can succeed in. Currently that scheme is someone drives and kicks it out to Malik whose defender they hope sagged off. Coach Ham should breakdown some of Golden States sets that free up Steph and try to incorporate some screeners to free up Beasley because we will need him to succeed at some point. I’m sure for his financial reasons he’d like to succeed, too.
3. Reaves gonna get paid. Austin has played his way into an $8-10 million deal with the only question being from whom. He’s shown he can be a de facto point guard this season, can get his shot from inside and out, and is a decent enough defender when paired with Davis and a ball hawk defender in the back court. He has been crucial in all our wins since LeBron went out and we often lose when he has a bad game. Reaves is at the top of my “gotta keep” list and I would let Malik and Mo walk to retain his services. His last test, executing at a high level in the playoffs, could be looming and if he passes that he could start to creep up towards a $15+ million contract this summer. Love to see these kind of guys succeed, hope the Lakers don’t cheap out again when it comes time to pay the piper.
4. Hachimura’s midrange Magic. Personally I love Rui’s game. I could stand to see him get after it better on the glass and on D but he’s still young and who knows what could happen if we had a whole summer and camp to develop and better utilize his skill set. Rui and Reaves were both huge in last night’s win making shots and rising to the challenge.
5. Viva Gasol. I’ve always been a huge Gasol fan, even on Memphis. I’ll never forget the moment Insaw we had traded for him: The pizza lounge at Harvey’s hotel and casino in Lake Tahoe (Nevada side obvi) moments after attending a Phish concert. It was also a great concert but that moment made me believe that the Lakers would a) keep Kobe in the fold b) were actually serious about winning c) would contend that season. While he didn’t threepeat due to Boston being ready for NBA Finals intensity he did help lead us to back-to-back titles and got his revenge 2 seasons later. I was never for one second in favor of the trade for CP3 that was revoked by Stern. You don’t trade big for small especially when the bugs are elite passers and can score from anywhere. Pau ended up adding the three point shot to his arsenal and having a lengthy post Laker career. I’ll always think the Lakers did wrong by he and LO but it’s all water under the bridge now. The Lakers did right by Pau last night and he didn’t disappoint with what was both an emotional and inspiring speech.
   

Toronto coming up Friday. We are, in some small way, now in control of our destiny. Win and you hold position and hopefully move up. Lose and you go back to relying on someone else to help you by beating a key opponent. I like being in control so let’s see if the Lakers can win a few games in a row.

This is where the rubber meets the road, where we find out who cares about winning or who is playing for their next deal. This is where we see what kind of coach we fired Vogel for and what kind of coach Ham might become. This is where we see what AD is made of.

1. El matador. That would describe the overall defensive intensity of the Lakers not just in this game but for the season. We’re 20th in overall defense, 17th in defensive rating (which is essentially our points allowed per game) and in points off turnovers. We’re 23rd in 2nd chance points and we saw a mediocre defensive effort from all involved last night. This team does not have a defensive identity except to get defensive with one another and the media. Can’t blame the old favorites, anymore (i.e: Russ, Bryant) this is all on the new fellers and man did it look awful. Wins against teams imploding slowly (Dallas) or missing key players (Golden State) created a false sense of hope and buoyancy that were quickly and jarringly brought back down to Earth. This was best exemplified in Schroder’s lackadaisical approach to defense but by no means was it relegated to one player. Yes, AD had 5 blocks and that’s wonderful. We let the Grizzlies score 86 points in the paint and 33 fast break points. Nobody was playing defense last night and this against a western conference team we absolutely needed to beat and a potential playoff match up (in theory…)
2. Getting the whistle didn’t save us this time. We’ve been fortunate to be on the right side of the free throw battle, for the most part, in a lot of our wins. We shot 6 more free throws again last night. It’s rare that we win when we shoot fewer free throws than the other team and that’s because we rely completely on paint points and fast break points. This team cannot shoot from the outside with any kind of consistency. Feel free to test me on this by going back and looking at individual games but you can quickly get to the truth by seeing we’re 4th in the league in FTA/game. Only Miami, Milwaukee and Boston are in front of us and those are also teams that attack the paint.
3. Band of Brothers, er, Mercenaries. This team feels like a plane full of mercs about to go on a mission together and they don’t care who comes back as long as they live. This is but one issue with a borderline complete roster overhaul with a 1/3 of the season left, a rookie coach, and a franchise with an identity of cheapness. Everyone is playing for their next deal, not for the team. Ham evidently commands the same amount of locker room respect Vogel did because this comes down to gravity. Or a lack thereof. Same goes for the leadership of LeBron and AD. For the amount of money we’re paying them one would think that they could kinda sorta maybe command the locker room to a small degree. Evidently not.
4. Speaking of AD… Out again tonight, along with D-Lo. The Lakers…all heart, baby. Michael Cooper and Kurt Rambis had more heart in a dirty sock than these guys.
5. We still have a chance. Incredibly just about every team we need to leapfrog also lost last night so what shred of hope that this dismal season could result in something meaningful yet lives. Not too sure how many more in conference games we can lose but the number is assuredly small. The Lakers are relying on more than couple teams to lose a lot more than we will and for that to even matter we need to win games. Memphis is a hungry team with chemistry, a better test than either Golden State or Dallas. OKC tonight…without our three highest paid players…would have been a good test and still could be for the scrubs and guys playing to get out of the vet minimum range of contracts. Lose tonight and OKC moves back in front of us which just makes the mole hill look more and more like a mountain.

Some guys have it. You certainly can’t teach it but you can, sometimes, inspire it as the great ones have done in the past. That inner fire that doesn’t quit, that doesn’t give up or hang your head. Ever. Last season’s team did not have it in any way shape or form. This season’s team has had it all season and it’s nice to see it didn’t go away with the roster turnover and possibly even got better. Let’s get cooking.

1. Dennis Schroder rising to the task at hand. Dennis has had a myriad of assignments tossed his way, was recently demoted to the bench, and was thrust back into the starting line up due to injury. While his shot wasn’t on he didn’t let that deter him, something that is emblematic for the entire Laker team these days, and found a way to get the team going on offense with 8 assists to just one turnover. Schroder didn’t hit a single three pointer but did score inside often enough to keep the pass alive when it was needed and showed a coolness under pressure we needed to pull the victory out.
2. AD’s big game. Davis hadn’t looked like himself much lately his uneven play. He found his inner flame last night in the paint where he dominated on the glass and with his scoring along with racking up 4 assists. He was also a force on defense deterring shots at the rim and that’s what we truly need out of him. This team is very beatable when AD doesn’t play defense at an elite level. While he had some help on that end and on the glass last night it starts and basically ends with AD.
3. LeBron’s foot injury. Feels like the entire season is riding on one’s guy aged body and we’re all hoping he just gets through every game able to still play. Oh…wait…that’s exactly what’s happening. Hopefully LeBron’s right foot injury isn’t too serious, haven’t really seen any updates, I assume he’ll be listed as questionable on the IL for the Memphis game and I kiiiinda hope he rests it for a week because there will be no rest of the season if he goes down.
4. Austin Reaves not backing down. Reaves is a pretty quiet and low-key dude. If you’ve seen him on Backstage Lakers he’s pretty humble and reserved. Last night he showed his inner fire by getting into it with Josh Green and earning the legendary double-tech. Still, it was a defining moment in the game and showed the heart of the Lakers and the Mavs lack of poise, a trait we showed a lot last season as the losses piled up. Reaves was, by a wide margin, the most impactful player off the Laker bench which didn’t really ever get going
5. Jarred Vanderbilt. Had to save the best for last. No way we can over look this dude’s versatility and tenacity. Pulling down a game-high 17 rebounds (including a career high 8 offensive boards which were key in keeping us in the game), guarding the other team’s best player, scoring efficiently and adding 4 critical steals Jarred was everywhere last night. Far and away my favorite player we traded for, Vanderbilt continued to endear himself to fans and showcase his talents on the biggest stage basketball has: a Laker game. Moving him into the starting line up has so much impact on the quality of overall play on both ends of the floor. Yes, the offensive spacing Malik Beasley creates is important but that doesn’t stymie the best wing or fuel fast breaks with rebounds or keep possessions alive. Jarred changes the game fir the Lakers on both ends of the floor and I wish we had acquired him a lot sooner but I sure glad we have him now. Definitely a keeper.

This win kept any actual playoff hopes alive as it’s quite likely Dallas will be the team we need to leap frog past in order to get there. Dallas had a lot it wanted to prove: that the Kyrie/Luka pairing will work against the best teams (so far the only win has come against the Spurs who are all but trying to lose), get some standings separation and claim the tiebreaker in the same game. With one more game against Dallas on March 17th and each team having won one that will now be decided at a future time and place. That tie breaker could end up being huge. Anyhow, this was the grittiest win I’ve seen us come up with in a long time and it came when it was truly needed. Good stuff. Hope we get D-Lo back to take some pressure off LeBron.

The Lakers started their end of season run off on the right foot. Winning against an under-manned and struggling in general Warriors team was as close to a must-win game as one can get with 23 games left in the season. Lose and the questions continue, the identity as a team that wilts under pressure gains continues, the overall malaise that had built up around the team continues. Instead the Lakers took the first step in changing a season-long narrative of futility and ineptitude and gained ground on some key teams in the doing.

1. Off night for both LeBron and AD. There have been a couple games this season where AD or LeBron (or both) were out and the team came through with a win. none were as convincing as last night’s victory. With Davis and James combining for 8-25 shooting (25 points) and 21 rebounds the stage was set for a disappointing loss. The rest of the Lakers did an admirable job in picking up their two best players and, for a night at least, providing enough firepower to get them over the line with a W.
2. Reaves’ perfect night. Austin had a perfect night from the field and a solid game overall. While he didn’t force his offense he was still stellar and helped build a big cushion in the 3rd quarter, an area we’ve struggled in for the most part this season. In his post gamer Austin estimated he had hit the weight room and played “about 110 holes of golf” which is curious because there are 18 holes on most golf courses.
3. Shooter! Malik Beasley showed everyone yearning for a volume three point shooter that the place where shooters go to die won’t be claiming his soul, at least not yet. He was magnificent from beyond the arc, solid on defense with 3 steals and had a great game overall after D-Lo went down with an ankle injury. Great game from the new addition.
4. Worst coaches challenge ever? Darvin Ham has been pretty solid in terms of when and on what calls to deploy the coaches challenge this season. Last night he challenged one of the most blatant fouls called on a player I’ve seen in a long time. I know LeBron went apoplectic when the foul was called, that’s what he always does. Don’t waste those and don’t get caught up in your player’s emotions. Less than 5 minutes, maybe even 3 or 2, in close games is the only time to ever use a coaches challenge. Players will whine about calls. Always. Don’t let that effect the decision to use it.
5. D’Angelo goes down and then goes out. Bad timing for D-Lo when he rolled that ankle, hoping he comes back as it didn’t look too serious but would rather he get it under control now and come back strong. Injury bug came back after the break, too, unfortunately.

All in all I’m still taking this win with a small grain of salt. Warriors have had defensive and turnover issues all season long and that continued coupled with some bad shooting that wasn’t always the result of good Laker D. A healthy and hungry Dallas team looms on Sunday and that will be a solid challenge for the new squad, one that really hasn’t seen a complete, healthy and hungry team, yet. Need to keep on winning in-conference and division games, though, so this was a solid first step in the right direction.

The new look Lakers took the floor against the Golden State Warriors on their home floor where they have been extremely tough to beat and win despite a game that saw Anthony Davis handicapped by the refs as much as anything the Warriors. New faces (one old) all found way to contribute and the Lakers came out of the Bay Area with a much needed win.

1. Anthony Davis stymied by “tough” D. I felt for AD by the end of the game. Dude was fighting hard and just couldn’t get a call in the paint. Probably settled for a few too many midrange shots but he was usually open and he’s got to take those shots or drive it in. With the whistles being MIA it was hard to fault him opting for the jumper. Which was mostly off target.
2. D’Angelo looked like D’Angelo. A little stronger, a little less greedy in getting his shots, and still playing smooth. He won’t collapse the defense like Russ did or defend like Patrick can but if he just plays his game within what we do it should balance out to net neutral.
3. The art of flopping. It’s unfortunate that the NBA doesn’t reward strength, toughness or good fundamentals. You want the call on that moving pick you have to fling yourself sprawling to the floor. It’s silly, I don’t like it, but it works.
4. Jarred Vanderbilt is just what this team needs. I loved pairing him with Wenyan for a tall, active front court tandem. Could play those two with LeBron, D-Lo and Malik or any number of combos. He reminds me of a less polished, more active Lamar Odom and his play against the Dubs reinforced my feeling that he was the steal of our trade activity.
5. Ham learning. Called some late time outs instead of letting the players just feel it all out. Still went to some small lineups but also played AD and Vanderbilt together (unlike AD and TB which never saw the light of day or barely did). Better late than never.

Can’t keep winning a few and losing a few. Need to put together a 5-7 game win streak. At least need to go into the ASB on a winning streak. Honestly, wouldn’t mind LeBron sitting up to and through the ASB.

Everything changed and then everything stayed the same. The Lakers continued a mostly season-long trend of coming out quiet in the 3rd quarter which doomed them to another loss despite the flurry of trade activity conducted by Rob. With LeBron out resting a sore left ankle the burden fell to Anthony Davis to lift and like his future HOF cohort he couldn’t get it done. What Lakers remained did their best but it wasn’t enough despite a below average game from the Bucks.

1. So long ex-Lakers. To Russell Westbrook, Patrick Beverley, Damien Jones and Thomas Bryant I say thank you for your time in the purple and gold. A lot of you took more flak than you deserved, sometimes you also didn’t do yourself any favors and I, for one, wholly appreciated the fire and intensity this particular group of players (well…not really Jones…) played with every single night. I don’t care if egos get bruised or some eggs get broken making the meal. We saw a whole team of chummy buddies lose a shit ton of games last season. Getting along and feeling good does not a championship team make. We’ll see who lights a fire under the moribund team now because a lot of people are running out of excuses at this point.
2. Davis struggles against good to elite defense. AD had no answer to Brook Lopez’s defense except to move further away from the basket. He reverted back to an older shot profile, one that doesn’t lend itself to efficiency and it showed in his FG%. You could argue that Davis took what the defense gave him but I’d counter with he didn’t really even ever try and attack the rim and his lack of free throws shows that. Yes, Brook Lopez is the elite center we traded D’Angelo Russell for (to rid ourselves of the awful, awful Timofey Mozgov signing) and it wasn’t lost on me the irony of people hoping Mo Bamba has it in him to replicate that which we let get away because of our pursuit of a LeBron and AD tandem. At this point Brook has as many rings as our duo and is in a better position to get another one before we do. I’ve long thought that Brook was one of the best players we let get away and he showed that in every facet of the game last night by thoroughly outplaying AD.
3. Lakers didn’t do much rebounding. We got anhillated on the glass giving up 16 (!!!) offensive rebounds and losing the overall rebounding battle by 19. This is an area I’m not sure which guy we traded for makes up the difference of losing Russ and Bryant. For all the hoopla about how long Mo’s arms are his career high at 7’1″ is 8.1 rebounds per game in his highest MPG season, by far (25.7). That’s not going to get it done, especially since everyone seems to think he’s best stationed at the three point line rather than do his center job which is box out and rebound. In his 17 MPG this season he’s averaging a quite meager 4.6 boards. Since I don’t envision him doing more than backing up AD (at a pricey $10 million) we turn our eyes to Jarred Vanderbilt (my favorite player we traded for yesterday already). He at least has a rebounding mentality so I won’t be surprised to see him alongside Wenyan when LeBron and AD go to the bench over Bamba.
4. Austin Reaves with a bounce back game. Here’s hoping Austin knocked all the rust off last night. he had a great game after a middling affair after a lengthy stint on the IL. Starting or not (likely not) we need this version of Reaves consistently.
5. Hey, it’s Dennis Schroder. For at least one game Dennis looked good. After languishing through the game against OKC where he basically looked like a G-Leauger, Euro League Dennis showed up last night. Don’t know what he does on good game days but he needs to bottle it and replicate it in a lab, hopefully one run by David Hasselhoff.

Well, some new players are coming in and it’ll be anyone’s guess what this all looks like leading up to the ASB. My hope is we can go 2-2 before the break, get the new guys into some line ups of impact and give the staff some time to go over film and put some time in on some good ways to utilize them. Whether Rui continues starting is a valid question after his mediocre showing last night. He’s an up and down guy, so far, so it won’t surprise me if he quickly loses his starting spot to Beasley or Reaves or LeBron and we go big with Vanderbilt or Bamba. I have no real clue, honestly, a lot of these guys were running the show or had a steady role on their older teams and that’s not necessarily going to happen here. How they adjust to that and figure how to fit in…and how long that all takes…will now define the Laker’s season along with the game to game health of LeBron and AD. Here’s hoping they’re fast learners.