The patient isn’t well. There are, literally, almost zero excuses left. The Lakers entered a crucial stretch of 4 games against sub .500 opponents and won…one game of the four. This has dropped them into a three way tie for 6th along with the Mavs (who own the tiebreaker) and the Trailblazers (winner of Friday’s contest will hold the tiebreaker). To say the Lakers dropped the ball is a massive understatement. The identity of the team has crumbled down the stretch and we can no longer even claim to hang out hat on defense at this point. We’ve lost 6 of 7 and seen what cushion we had to avoid the playin evaporate faster than water in the California desert. Call the doctor.
- The experiment continues. Frank says otherwise but I ain’t buying it. While it’s true that the Lakers have been beset by injuries often forcing bench players into starting roles there also feels like a lot of unsettled issues regarding the rotation. What was one of our greatest strengths last season has become a liability. In 2020-21 the Lakers had 12 different starting line ups all season long with the variations generally coming out of a guard spot. Of the 74 games played 54 of them had the same 4 starters with the only ones flipping being Avery Bradley (32 games) and KCP (22 games). Contrast that with this season’s whopping 22 different starting line ups and we begin to see the reason why inconsistency has been the most consistent thing about this Laker team. The line up that has played together the most this season has been the James, Davis, Schroder, KCP Gasol combo but for only 20 games in which we went 15-5. Two line ups with Drummond (who does not have a winning record as a Laker) in it have a winning record and the only losing record that features Gasol as a starter also featured Wes Matthews. Injuries, Drummond and the coaching staff constantly searching for a combo that gels has led to far too many different starting combinations. Especially down the stretch when you want to see more consistency, not less.
- Start Gasol. Drummond isn’t helping right now. Frankly, trying to integrate a player of his stature, talent and skillset in a season that has so many injuries to key guys, no practice time and is this compressed may not have ever been possible. There are a plethora of ‘ifs’. If LeBron and/or AD had been healthier. If the season wasn’t crammed into a sardine tin. If practice was still a thing in the NBA. Those are the laments of a team that has lost it’s way. The Lakers need to go back to what worked earlier and let Drummond know it’s not him, it’s us. We, as a team, simply do not have the time to get Drummond up to speed in the kind of role he wants to play or that we as fans would expect him to play. Last season’s buyout player was Markieff Morris who started in 2 playoff games against Houston. He had a role and he excelled in it. This season our buyout player is expected to seamlessly integrate into what was already a fluctuating and fluid situation in terms of who happens to be a starter in such and such game. It’s just too much for a player who has limited skills in terms of the modern game but plenty of talent and desire. Drummond was never my first choice, there were other players that I had hoped we could corral onto the Lakers but this is the situation the team is in. There’s a better option than Drummond for what we need out of the center position. He might not be a better player at this point in his NBA life but, for what the Lakers need right now, Gasol is the best fit.
- Intensity, effort, desperation all kind of mean the same thing now. All the Lakers a re saying, it’s so en vogue right now. “We need to play with more intensity, a sense of desperation, our effort just wasn’t where it needed to be.” All the same thing. The defensive side of the court is the one where all those adverbs rear their heads. This was the case last night where we allowed the Raptors to coral 13 offensive rebounds, score 21 points off of our 14 turnovers and generally out-hustle us all game long. What about last night’s game looked like a team preparing for the gauntlet of the NBA playoffs to you? I’ll wait but it ain’t likely that there’s an answer that will bring a smile with it. The notion that the weeks off rehabbing injuries would refresh AD and LeBron is gone. These guys both look done mentally. LeBron may have come back from his high ankle sprain too soon to try and save the season for the Lakers. Ad hasn’t looked right all season. We go as far as those 2 take us, same as last season and it will be the same next season, too. Don’t blame the play-in tourney, it’s added a level of competition and excitement to the NBA that is vital for it’s continued success, nobody likes to see teams tank and the play-in has done a lot to amend that.
- Kuzma’s bounce back. man was Kyle on fire pretty much all game. Made it even more head-scratching when he wasn’t on the floor when we were getting our asses handed to us. Kuz was, by far, the best Laker last night after a virtual no-show against Sacramento. Nice to see but, again, we’re in a place where we need some form of consistency. Can’t be here one game and gone the next. We got KCP for that.
- Get the vaxx. Schroder is out for NBA H&SP which, to me, means one thing and one thing only: the man ain’t got his shot yet. Well Dennis, now you’re hurting the team as you won’t be available for the stretch run to the playoffs. There is not one thing, not one, that signals to me that Dennis is worth more than 12-15 mil and if he gets more from the Lakers than that than the fleece job will be complete. Color me disappointed with the play of Dennis Schroder overall this season. Flashes of good stuff, terrible as a lead point guard though. Doesn’t take care of the basketball and doesn’t do a good job of setting teammates up. Admittedly, that’s also a problem with the Frank Vogel offense which was why Rondo was so instrumental last season. I was excited when we got him because I had thought we had managed to acquire a Rondo-esque player but the differences are both stark and palpable. I don’t see a future for Dennis here as the lead guard but I don’t run the team.
The Lakers have crashed in burned in the month of April (5-15) and started May off on the wrong foot, as well. This team is sputtering to the end in a way nobody in the league excepted, fans, pundits or experts. The biggest issue has been the collapse of the once mighty Laker defense. While the numbers still look good the results have just not been there. If that can’t get turned around it won’t really even matter that we have AD and LeBron, we won’t win games.
Hey Jamie, I”m on board with 1, 3 & 4. But not the ole break up comment of it’s not you…it’s me to Drum. He is the least of the Lakers worries right now. Maybe it makes sense to bring him off the bench for continuity sake, but he still needs to play more than Gasol. It just goes to show how dire the situation is if we think Marc is the answer.
Agreed. I don’t think all the issues that are plaguing the team right now fall into Dre’s lap. I think that, if he had been in camp and had more tie to get acclimated this would be a very different conversation. Based on what I would expect for him to pursue money-wise in the off season, that we have Gasol under contract next season for the vet min and the issues with time/practice/etc. that having Drummond off the bench or in a more limited capacity like how we used ‘Kieff last season makes a lot more sense.
The thing with Drummond is I like him as a player, I like having a traditional big man who does traditionally big man things. His rebounding a hands are as advertised, his free throws haven’t been an issue, and he finishes just fine in the paint (we all want guys to finish hard, Dre’ isn’t alone on that front, AD and Kuz often top that list, as well).
Bottom line: the size of Dre’s game is the issue on this iteration of the Lakers, not the player himself. Lotta issues with the team, integration of Dre’ is 7th or 8th on the list. But it’s there. If swapping Gasol for Dre adds continuity and gets us back to +.500 ball I’m cool with it. Bottom line is we can’t keep losing to bottom dwelling teams when we need these wins.
Play Gasol at the five for first 6 minutes of each half and Davis for the last 6 minutes. That leaves 24 minutes in the middle of each half for Drummond and/or Harrell to share depending on matchups.
Then build the rest of the rotations around that structure so players can start to get some chemistry and rhythm knowing when and with whom they’re going to play. Do it now and you still have a chance to win.
It ain’t often but I agree with all 5 takes today, Jamie. That does not bode well for Lakers.
1. The experimenting. When nothing is going right and everything going wrong, the only option seems to be experimenting. Only problem is there is not enough time or enough justification to believe anything is going to change by experimenting. Time has come for decision making, not the obvious dithering and indecision were suffering right now.
2. Start Gasol. Yes, that lineup has it’s faults but the benefit of stretching the floor and having 5 shooters on the floor is our best bet at this point in time. Start games with Marc at the five like we did with JaVale, let Drummond feast on second string centers, and close games with AD at the five. And do it now so we can get into some form of rhythm.
3. Intensity. Like you said, this team is lost. It’s lost it’s chemistry and camaraderie. It’s lost its focus and identity. And a big part is its superstars are not playing like superstars. Going on last night, the Lakers care cooked like you say. And now LeBron’s health is again an issue as well as Schroder. Next 3 games will decide whether we throw in the white towel or not.
4. Kuz was on Kuz Control last night. But that won’t matter unless we see the AD and LeBron from last year’s playoffs and right now that looks like a very long shot at best. Lakers play last night opened a Pandora’s box of concerns, the greatest of which is whether this team has it in them to play championship basketball.
5. Get vaccinated. Yes, you, Dennis. And yes, you too, LeBron. Be a leader. You have the information. You have the intelligence. Never thought you would be one of the resistors. Just shows how little you really know about people and their motivations. All of this is part of the chemistry problem that’s suddenly reared its ugly head in the comments post game by LeBron, Anthony, and Kuzma.
Blame in on injuries, blame it on the two new additions not being smart basketball players, blame it on the front office not making the Lowry trade, blame it on the coacnhing staff not developing an offensive game plan, blame it on Covid-19. Bottom line, Lakers are likely cooked for this season.
This is the signal: LakerTom and Jamie Sweet are in agreement (aka: the sky is falling, hell hath frezzethed over and so on)
Thanks, Jamie. I always appreciate your hard work. This must be one of the most frustrating times in Lakerland.
In what has become a trend, anytime the Lakers let an inferior or short-handed team hang around and can’t create separation, it tends to give the opponent a renewed energy that ultimately leads a dog fight to the end. That’s because the opponent knows the outcome could go either way when they keep things close. Usually the Lakers end up losing or going to overtime. When an inferior team out-hustles you in every play, you are giving them a new life and it’s a life that can out-live you. This points to our lackluster defensive intensity as the main culprit, which hasn’t been great as of late. You don’t make a run to get a big lead only to let your opponent counter with a run of their own while you’re stuck in a scoring drought and turning the ball over carelessly. That makes the game much harder for the Lakers and more predictable in favor of the opponent.
When it comes to our center position, it has become a real challenge even for the coaches. Going a while back, there were articles and every indication the Lakers were not happy with Gasol’s play long before they signed Drummond and were content on finding help at center which led us to this point. I am a big fan of Gasol and I am also convinced the lakers got the best center in Drummond from the buyout market despite his flaws finishing at the rim. You could choose Gasol over Drummond, but right now AD’s play is a much bigger problem than Drummond’s play and swapping gasol for Drummond is not going to fix the problem unless AD goes back to play like last season. Right now AD likes to take mid range jump shots which, for the most part, are low percentage shots. Taking low percentage shots is a gamble that could lower your overall producton unless you make them cosistently. It gives the opponent extra possesions if they keep rebounding your misses.
Finally, I do agree with LROB that Drummond should be the least of the Lakers’ worries right now and should play more than Gasol. In the same token, I would also want to see Gasol play more than he is slated at this point. That’s why I agree with Tom’s idea of the minute allocations. This is a good problem for the coaches to have. They have their work cut out for them but we are running out of time. Hopefully, they would come up with a solution sooner rather than later. Right now, frustration is the best way to describe our collective feelings. Thanks for the post.