5 Things: Lakers win behind LeBron’s 50

TherealHTJ is 2-2. When LeBron scores 50 we win. When he doesn’t we lose. That’s not a recipe for a winning ball club. Nevertheless, we did win a much-needed game and the Lakers even gained ground on the Clippers who lost. So it rolls, and we’re all along for the ride.

1. LeBron defying everything. We’re way past defying expectations, he’s blown those away. We’re now into defying nature itself, the idea of defying Father Time is something sacrosanct in the world of sport. You can’t do it. Bird, Jordan, Kobe, even Kareem with his ageless game had nothing like what we’re seeing from LeBron at age 37. Of all of them the closest in overall game impact to LeBron is indeed the Captain. Jordan was contemplating comeback #3 at 37, his return to the court in year 1 was decent but he never recaptured the majesty of his first two stints in the NBA at 38 and 39. Still, given the state of sport medicine and the caliber of the league when he came back Michael’s accomplishments are pretty amazing. At 37, coming off multiple potentially career-ending injuries, Kobe put up a (for him) pedestrian stat line for his age 37 season. However, he went out in a way completely emblematic of his gunner career and the way any great would want to walk off the floor for the final time. 60 points in a win. Epic. The King is just on another level and it’s not even close. You could argue that Kareem had more appearances and led his team to a better record…but he had a better team and that’s really where that debate should end. How would Abdul-Jabbar’s final season. have looked without Magic playing in the majority of the season? Or if Worthy had been a shadow of himself and so on. The King is doing something special in an otherwise dreary season.
2. Small ball problems. Frank seems to think our small ball team is OK. I have never been a wholesale advocate of the small ball “revolution”. It’s got it’s pros and cons, just like literally everything else on Earth. We score better playing small, we get killed on the glass and can’t stop teams at the rim. I’m not talking about the handful of blocked shots this player or that garnered, I’m talking about forcing the kind of bad shots that makes for an excellent defense. That’s not Laker small ball. It’s too much to ask of LeBron to do everything. It’s something that should, and hopefully will, be addressed in the offseason.
3. Russ’s benching in the 4th. I don’t see it as a benching, per se, but we’re really debating shades of gray at that point. Russell doesn’t fit on this team because it wasn’t built to suit his skills. He has always done better with some elite-level defenders, a solid three point shooter and a screen setting big man to free up his rim runs for passes or scores. Westbrook seems to have lost an inch or so of lift on his drives, he still gets up there but his layups are all left short or forced hard. That speaks to a lost step, to me. It’s something to watch unfold this season actually. Two elite athletes (Russ and LeBron) who are on completely different physical trajectories in terms of how they are able to impact the game as they age.
4. Kuzma and KCP in the house. The video tribute was awesome, the two players said all the right things about their time as Lakers and I don’t think there’s a blogger here that wouldn’t take the trade that sent them away back. They were 2 of Frank’s most versatile tools on defense, KCP as a ball hawk and elite weak-side help defender on the perimeter. Kuzma as a Swiss Army knife player who can score, defend multiple positions and is still improving and evolving his game. Contrasts that with the possession wasting that Russ has been for us. That’s not a knock on Russ, I still think Russ is a HOF talent, has accomplished amazing things in the league and deserves and earned all the accolades coming his way. But Kuzma and KCP were simply better fits for this version of the Lakers. They have the size and skills we now lack, they are multiple players representing cap space not just one. Ain’t no goin’ back tho.
5. 16 games left. In theory AD could be coming back but, let’s be honest, he’ll need a handful (if not more) games to get back up to NBA speed. That’s if he comes back before the end of the season. No word from the Lakers or AD in terms of how he’s feeling or if the foot is healing. It’s easy to forget the impact he has on our defense and his ability to score inside and out since he’s played so infrequently the last 2 seasons. We’re not winning jack without a healthy AD, we still may not make the play-in rounds, and we’re going to face an elite team on the other side. These 16 games need to be about coming together, regardless of any of the outside noise. Russ doesn’t want folks besmirching his name? Play better. LeBron wants his damn respect? It’s earned every season in sport. Might not be fair but that’s the business. AD wants to shed the “oft-injured” tag? Honestly, too late, but you can start the climb out of that reputation hole by playing at an elite level for whatever games you play in from here on out. Like the new show on HBO says: Winning Time

Don’t sleep on the Suns sans Book and CP3 et al, they’re an elite team. Gotta win tomorrow.