The 2021 NBA All-Star Game break could not have come at a better time for the beleaguered Los Angeles Lakers, who have now lost four straight games and five of six games since losing Anthony Davis to injury on February 14th.
Fortunately for the Lakers, they’re going to get a nine-day vacation after their March 3rd game against the Kings for the 2021 NBA All-Star Game break before having to return to the court against the Pacers on March 12th. That nine days off will give Lakers a chance to recharge their batteries, get needed practice time, and hopefully give Anthony Davis’ calf and Achilles a chance to recover fully and be ready to go the second half of the season.
Meanwhile, the 22–11 Lakers still have four games left against the Blazers, Warriors, Suns, and Kings before the All-Star break. Los Angeles now hopes to get point guard Dennis Schroder back for Friday’s game against Portland. The Blazers have lost 3 in a row and the Kings 8 in a row while the Warriors have won 2 in a row and the Suns 8 of the last 10. Hopefully, the Lakers can at least win 3 of those 4 games to go into the break with a 25–12 record.
The return of point guard Dennis Schroder should help reinvigorate a Lakers’ offense that’s struggled without having a second shot creator and playmaker besides LeBron who’s able to get a shot for himself or teammates. But none of this will matter these final four games unless the Lakers can start hitting their threes. The Lakers rank 5th in the league in wide open 3-point shots taken during the current 4-game losing streak. Need to hit those shots.
The initial prognosis for Anthony Davis had him out for at least four weeks. Although the Lakers are likely to be conservative in bringing him back, his injury happened on February 14 and four weeks would be over March 14. That means there’s a chance Davis could return at home against the Pacers on March 12, on the road against Warriors on March 15, or back at home against Timberwolves on March 16, Hornets on March 18, or Hawks on March 20.
The good news for the Lakers is all five of those games are winnable even if AD is not back or playing at 100%, which just adds to the breathing room of the schedule with which the basketball gods seem to have gifted the Lakers. The absence of Davis and Schroder and the recent losing streak have shown, the Lakers’ deep roster still has major holes, mainly a lack of volume 3-point shooters and players who can create shots for themselves and teammates.
With the ascent of the Utah Jazz, resurgence of the Los Angeles Clippers, and emergence of the Brooklyn Nets, the Los Angeles Lakers need to make some moves to improve their 3-point shooting and shot creation and playmaking. How successful VP of Basketball Operations Rob Pelinka is at finding players to fill those holes in the Lakers’ roster could easily determine whether the team survive what’s looking like a tough gauntlet and repeat as champions.
At least for the moment, however, it looks like the basketball gods have come to the Lakers aid with a perfectly timed 9-day vacation for the 2021 All-Star game to gift the purple and gold with breathing room to get their mojo back.
Looking for silver linings and it’s a blessing that the league decided to have an All-Star game. While LeBron will still have to play, the 9-days off was exactly what the doctors ordered and the basketball gods delivered as far as the Lakers were concerned.
There’s also the good news that there’s a good chance the Lakers will get Dennis Schroder back for tomorrow night’s game against the Blazers. That could be a big key to the Lakers somehow winning at least 3 of the 4 remaining games before the break.
I would love to see us win all 4 games but we’d have to be hitting our threes to do that, which makes it a bad bet so I’ll be thrilled with 3 out of 4 and a 25-12 record, which would keep us in top 5 as far as wins and losses go. An easy first five games back also gives us a chance to get AD back and integrated for the second half of the season.
I don’t really think seeding matters but what does is how the team is playing as the go down the stretch. Winning games against the teams you’re going to meet in the playoffs is always important mentally as is the ability to hit your shots and stop other teams from hitting theirs. Lakers need to go into the playoffs playing confidently and winning games.
Tom, I agree with the team needing to get a break before the all-star break. I, for one, have given up hope of winning any more games before the break without AD. And even with Dennis back, I doubt we will. To win games you will at least be able to make your shots and defend.
How do you win a game if you can’t make a mere jump shot or a three-pointer persistently? A few makes would have erased some of the losses we had recently. Very deflating to lose like the way we’ve been. And LeBron needs to forgo the all-star game and rest.
LOL. Have faith, Buba. I thnk we will win at least 3 and maybe all 4 if we have Dennis back. We’re overdue for shots to start falling too.
I agree with Tom here – with Dennis, we would have won a few of these games. I hate the ESPN analysts that only point out AD missing in this losing streak. Missing Dennis was huge.
Thanks, Bob. Hopefully, Dennis will help us break that losing streak tonight.