5 Things: Lakers free fall continues against Mavs

Might not see another win the rest of the way at this rate. It’s gotta be hardest for the guys in the locker room that seem like they’re trying. They just lack overall roster talent. Frank threw the entire team at the Mavs except Wayne Ellington. Didn’t matter, game was over from the jump.

1. No defense. The Lakers have been scoring enough to win basketball games. We just defend like crap. Could we use a better three point shooter? I don’t have that anywhere near the top of my list. It’s like 5th or so after paint defense, rim protection, perimeter defense, better on-ball defense and leadership. Only Houston, Portland and Sacramento give up more Opp. PPG than we do but we’re the 12th best offensive team. If we were even in the middle of the pack on defense we would be a very different team. For those who believe the solution lies in improving the offense we would have to be a top 3 offense in the NBA to overcome the differential our awful defense allows. Not happening now or this summer. Focus on the end with the most problems, AD and LBJ can score the basketball and if they’re not healthy it’s all moot.
2. Luka looking really good. Dallas is my sleeper/dark horse pick to win it all based on how Luka is playing right now and that all the pieces around him fit well. They’ve improved on defense without giving up much on offense. Kristaps, who was never an intimidating defender despite his size, had too many holes in his game and moving on from him allowed the Mavs to make the game simpler. It’s worked and they look great.
3. Monk was great. The kid is playing with passion and can do it all. Scores inside and out, makes plays for his teammates and takes care of the basketball. He’s making himself money and there are few scenarios remaining that allow me to see him staying unless he truly over-values the opportunity we’ve given him. More likely is we offer him whatever we can, someone offers more and he walks. Malik helped keep it as close as it was, which was not close at all.
4. I’d keep DJ as a backup PG next season. Better than whatever option exists now. Could even start since he doesn’t need the ball, in many ways reminds me of D-Fish who would have been as perfect a compliment to LeBron as he was to Kobe. Ball-dominant players don’t need another ball dominant player. Why people keep trying to force that is beyond me. Get a solid backup and call it a day. DJ fits that mold and could maybe even be gotten for cheap.
5. Hey look, Trevor Ariza. Remember when people were predicting he would be an X-factor? I had hoped he could fill a Rondo-esque role in the playoffs while working his way into shape during the regular season. Turns out all those calls were wrong as we won’t need a Rondo-esque player once the post-season starts without us.

If it sounds like I’ve given up on this version of the Lakers you would be correct. I don’t see a path forward that reality allows for. AD coming back and fixing everything? Don’t see it. LeBron getting like super-dooper healthy with a couple of days off? Physically impossible. Some combination of trash heap players and the AARP equivalent of pro NBA players getting it done? The current results speak for themselves. Best to, essentially, tank. Reward the teams we bullied into trading with us, pay homage to the basketball Gods in a proper way by not treating preseason like an extended vacation, and show up next season with some fawking pride.