Another game, another loss. The reasons to keep LeBron on the court diminish with each game. While it’s nice that LeBron has ultimate faith in his increasingly aged body the truth is we’ll need him in top form next season. Losing the first two games out of the gate post ASB have all but doomed our chances of cracking the top 6 meaning, at best, playin, again. At worst we fall completely out of the playoff picture into lottery land. A place nobody, and I mean nobody, thought the Lakers could end up this season.
- Why LeBron should shut it down. If Russ and LeBron can’t pull wins out in the 4th quarter (and they haven’t been able to consistently do that, yet) it means we have to blow teams out. We’re not a team capable of a defensive effort that can blow teams out because of our personnel, that has been proven at this point. Thus it stands to reason that the Lakers have almost zero chance of playing at a .500 pace until Davis returns. Davis won’t return until 9ish games remain in the season and that’s a best-case-scenario right now. So, if we can’t at least tread water like we were able to during the softer portion of the schedule it means we’re only going fall further back, that LeBron will continue to try and do even more and thus risk a catastrophic, possibly career-altering injury. For what? Getting a couple hundred points closer to Kareem? Passing Wilt on the 30 points in a game list? No, if what he said a few weeks back regarding his knee not getting back to 100% until the offseason is true then let the offseason begin now.
- Why Russ should keep playing. Really, it doesn’t matter. If he sits we have one less player to play. The only reason I would consider keeping Westbrook on the floor is that he does something to up his value in the offseason which can only be described as borderline nonexistent beyond the worth of his contract and the fact it’s expiring. If the Lakers stretch his deal this summer it would certainly give them some more tools to use to build a better roster but the pain of this season would linger on like the Deng pain we’re finally about to move past. I haven’t given much thought, yet, to the stretch idea. I’d prefer we trade him for somebody(ies).
- Let Frank sink with the ship. Flipping Fizzy for Frank or Phil for Frank won’t turn this season around. It’s a fun dream, a cozy notion but the coach isn’t on the floor and playing Monk and Reaves a few more minutes here and there isn’t going to make this all better magically. We’ve hashed the reasons out as to why this season has been so epically bad more than enough I can repeat them by rote. The wacky rotations Frank has used are as much to blame as any other reason we suck but the roster was so poorly constructed that it cannot be ignored. I also don’t think Frank has “lost the team” which is a convenient excuse for the fact that we are old and the one guy we signed with the spending tool we allowed ourselves to use other than THT’s Bird Rights has yet to play this season. But you can see this team is trying, despite all of it. It’s not any single player’s fault we’re here. It’s been a total team effort to be this awful. Frank is the captain and I say let him salute the sea as he passes beneath it’s surface. Is there a world where I see Frank coming back next season? Yes, there is. We won’t go there, yet, though.
- Play the kids for 40. Let ’em run wild. Reaves, Monk and whomever young player we sign for 2 ways should be on the floor. A lot. Again, it’s really admirable and all that LeBron wants to slog it out. It’s just that makes about as much sense as starting DeAndre Jordan which is to say absolutely none. A couple more losses and i think even The King will see the reason in getting himself right, letting the kids loose with Russ, and building something up for next season.
- Karma for the AD trade. That’s what this is. We got the Bubble title for Kobe and now karma has chosen to enact it’s vengeance upon this season for messing with a player under contract on another team. It’s the only explanation that actually makes any sense.
Hey we play the Clippers tomorrow. maybe we can end a bunch of streaks and win.
I see us winning maybe 6 games and losing the rest. Not only are we toast, we burnt toast. : )
Aloha Jamie, nice post. I agree with everything. I don’t think LeBron will sit, I do want to see more of his minutes going to young players. Yes bring the 2 way guys from the g league up and give them a look. See if they are players we can use going forward. We got one great quarter from LeBron. It was pathetic watching him try and guard Luka in the 4th. After doing a good job on Luka all game, by the kids, Luka scored 3 buckets on Lebron in a few minutes, by the time Frank corrected the problem it was to late. Don’t know if it was LeBron’s call or Franks but LeBron can no longer defend the perimeter and he was gassed on top of it. He just needs to play less, maybe he will have a little left for crunch time. And Westbrook? Don’t get me started, let’s just say he’s a bad player and leave it at that. Hopefully DJ takes some of his minutes and provides some consistent offense. DJ is short and not a great defender but Russ isn’t either so a little efficient offense would be welcome.
Michael, I agree with your points. I especially like your suggestions for bringing in our two-way players. There can’t be a better to audition them than now.