The Lakers ended their longest losing streak of the season in convincing fashion against the rebuilding Rockets who still made a game of it up until the closing moments when some inspired execution sealed the win for LA. Driving the Laker train to victory were the usual cast of accomplished NBA vets on the roster and the young player who has best distinguished himself this season, one Malik Monk. Defense was borderline non-existent but, for at least one night, we scored the ball well enough to win.
- LeBron as the starting big man. For the first time in his entire basketball life (according to his own personal recollections) LeBron James started a basketball game at the center position. Against the all-small-ball-all-the-time Rockets it worked brilliantly. His triple-eleven (11 FG’s made, 11 rebounds and 11 assists) resulted in 32 points, a steal and a block along with a much needed win. As basically a de facto point center for much of the game LeBron really did it all. He and Russ teamed for 4 big offensive rebounds, he only turned the ball over 3 times and had a great two-man game working with Westbrook to close out the game for the win. There will be matchups LeBron at center doesn’t make much sense but there will also be matchups where it makes a lotta sense to put LeBron at the 5 and let the game flow around him like it did last night. His triple-double with a fellow teammate was the first since he and Lonzo Ball did it prior to the AD trade.
- Russell Westbrook’s big game. Russ had a really solid efficient and impactful game, as well. He managed one more rebound than LeBron to, again, lead both teams in rebounding for a second straight game. He and LeBron greatly benefitted from the first on-court practice the team had on Monday as he picked his spots better, developed a powerful two-man vibe with The King and was his energetic best. The way Russ plays the game of basketball is not without risk, but the reward can be quite high. Yes, he had 7 turnovers. Between he and LeBron we need them to stay at 10 combined TO’s which was where they ended up. I am of the opinion the Lakers can win with Russ et al on the roster. For m it’s still a question of when and not if.
- The ever-shrinking role of THT. Things are not good over at the THT Fan Club HQ. His shot has left him, his defense remains spotty and for the most part he hasn’t lived up to his deal he inked over the summer. While being a trade piece of literally every single Laker trade idea floated THT’s overall quality of play has steadily declined over the course of the season. He and journeyman and freshly arrived Stanley Johnson were the only Lakers to post a negative +/- (granted only minus 2 for Talen) and he picked up 5 quick fouls which meant he never really found any kind of groove. I want to believe in Horton-Tucker but there’s a lot of things you just can’t fix on one summer. If I’m his agent I would encourage THT to focus on defense, defense, defense. The league is full of guys who score in one fashion or another but rugged defenders that can get to the rim are in short supply. THT too often shies away from contact as he tries to loop the ball around shot blockers with his long arms rather than take it up strong. I’m sure that worked well enough coming up to the NBA level but it’s not a great recipe for success at the highest level. While I don’t see him as a bust, he’s not a future star, either. He isn’t really a needle-mover, yet and may never be. His deal is manageable which is why a trade for another ill-fitting player on another team seems the most likely outcome of a THT trade. He’s not the guy you blow up a team for, just like Kuzma before him.
- Carmelo as the back up center? Hey, if it works for LeBron it should work fir a guy who he came into the league with, right? Well, for one night, it did. Seeing his majority of minutes come at positions he used to balk at playing (the 4 and 5) Melo came up big in the scoring department and grabbed 9 rebounds of his own and blocking 2 shots. We need Melo to show up like this a little more often as his play play has been pretty uneven over the last couple weeks. His scoring has come in spurts and we need to find someone other than Malik Monk who can get buckets off the bench consistently.
- Malik Monk distinguishing himself. It’s going to be hard to keep this dude on the roster. Any trade scenario one might care to cook up should include Monk as the sweetener and THT as the ballast because that’s the reality thus far. Monk had a stellar game in a starting role (one I am of the opinion he should given full time) and paired well with very Bradley defensively in the back court to start the game. He was aggressive when we needed it getting to the line 8 times and blocking 2 shots of his own. While Monk has been one of the better young Lakers thus far it’s also easy to see him having to be included in a trade based solely on the small raise (20% of his vet minimum deal he signed or an MLE) we can offer him this summer. It’s hard to see him choosing the Lakers over more money, you only get so many chances to snag a decent contract as a role-player.
Another game tonight against Memphis with an early start time. The Grizzlies are rolling and have joined the 20+ win club along with the Jazz, Suns and Warriors. We need to bring the same execution and smart basketball we displayed late in the game last night if we want to win. Here’s hoping we can start another streak in the opposite direction (by that I mean a winning streak of any kind). Go Lakers.
Always a lot more fun fiver after a win, Jamie.
Great having you on the LFB podcast last night.
1) LeBron starting at the five. There have been so many ‘big’ moments and events in this crazy Covid colored season that it’s hard to keep perspective. LeBron James starting at the five has to stand out as the ‘Big’ move of the season. Whether this was all Fizdale or Vogel, it was the right move for the Lakers to make at this point and may trigger the eventual evolution of LeBron as a small ball five.
2) The 7 terrible turnovers and hilarious dribbling the ball off his foot coming up the court were the bad and the ugly but you can’t ignore the good as Russ’ rebounding, passing, and scoring in the final couple of minutes was glorious. I don’t think there’s another player on the Laker with the playmaking chops to have hit Bron with those two passes in the last minute for critical scores. Yes, you can win with Russ but it requires committing to really playing small ball. I do like the Russ and LeBron turnovers < 10 idea too.
3) The ever-shrinking role of THT. Bad fit on the team from the get-go and basically misused by Vogel and Fizdale. Should come off the bench when LeBron is not on the court. The only good thing is teams who are going to want THT aren’t going to want him for what he is right now. They want him for what he’s going to be at 25 or 26-years old. The comparison being touted in Drew Holiday, point guard who can make plays, attack the rim, defend with vigor, and splash the three. Give Talen two or three years and you may get something close to that.
4) Melo as backup center. I think the only reason Dwight didn’t play last night and might not play tonight is his conditioning after getting Covid. Melo certainly does not work as the backup center. At any rate, Melo was hot offensively which hid a lot of the problems. I would prefer Dwight as the backup center rather than Melo.
5) Malik Monk as a starter. I like Reaves as the starter but I think the Lakers have to consider starting Malik. While his defense is not great, his ability to score at three levels and make plays for other set him apart. He’s either the starter at the two with Russ or second man off the bench after Melo.
Going to be interesting to see how we play against the Grizzlies. I’m optimistic that we might have a second great game in a row and pull off a win. I just hope Fizdale doesn’t fold and start Dwight. Go small like last night and run Adams off the court with our small ball lineups. Lakers need to break the trend and pull off a big win tonight.
Thanks for the post, Jamie. I only want to add that the problem with THT has to do with growing pains and the result of effective scouting. Somebody has to keep showing him the tapes where he was at his best. He has drastically regressed and doesn’t seem to have confidence anymore. You could tell from his body language.
I think a lot of his problems stem from the way he attacks which is not generally with the intent to score or get fouled, it’s to avoid contact and get the shot off. THT should watch Ja Morant tonight for a” How to Attack the Hoop 101″ lesson. You go with the notion of breaking the rim off, not to get your arm around the shot blocker and not have a chance at getting to the line. His jumper is a confidence thing, agreed, but a lot of his intangibles point to his arm length as the X factor and that’s not enough at this level. He lacks a solid foundation and isn’t a good rebounder. Could he make adjustments, work on his core and leg strength, develop a jumper and attack with vigor? Sure. But not over one or even two, maybe three summers. So a lotta mights in regards to Talen. I’d love for him to have a string of great games and prove me wrong but just don’t see that happening .
Good analysis of THT, Jamie. I concur.