5 THINGS

The Lakers gave up another mammoth first half to the opposing team…this time to the tune of 75 first half points to our cross hall rivals The Clippers. There would be no epic comeback in this one, however. Yes, the Lakers got themselves to within ten but never seriously threatened the Clippers in the second half as we failed to put in the proper focus or attitude on the defensive end of the court. This has been a problem for some time.

1. One man against the world. I do feel for LeBron, I felt similarly for Kobe when, as his career wound down a lot of his historical accomplishments came against the backdrop of a loss. Still, he’s had as much of a hand in this situation unfolding like it has as anyone else not named Rob Pelinka. James was, again, masterful checking the “Have I scored 40 against you?” box against the Clippers. That box has now been checked for every team in the Association. Everybody has given up 40 to The King at least once. His three point shot was on, and has been of late, which is an encouraging sign from a health and conditioning standpoint. All in all, James just needed more help. Although too late for last night’s history-making game, it does sound like help is on the horizon.
2. The Clipper bench kicked our asses. Whether it was defensive plays by Batum or uncanny accuracy from all over the floor the Clipper bench had it’s way with any line up we put out there. Not surprising as the Clippers are an extremely deep team as they have been for several seasons now. Ballmer spends but they also sign and draft wisely. They only pay two elite salaries. They don’t let homegrown talent walk for nothing. They make better use of players discarded by franchises like us who think they need to make absurd “win now” moves like trading Zubac for Muscala. It’s safe to say that, at this exact moment in time, the Clippers are the better run franchise but it’s not solely because of over-spending. They also do things wisely.
3. 6th Man of the Year race. FWIW we saw a battle of two of the top 6th men of the year candidates (Milwaukee’s Bobby Portis being up there, as well). Last night Powell out-played his rival for the award and continues to be my personal pick, at this time, to hold that trophy up come season’s end. Russ had a pretty off game and was unable to make the kind of impact we need him to do in order to win.
4. Kids get some burn. It was nice to see Jones, Pippen Jr., Swider and Christie play for a few minutes. Unfortunate that it came in a blowout loss.
5. Help is on the way. With the news that Rui and AD are questionable for tonight’s game and Lonnie and Austin are progressing in their individual rehabs the walking wounded team called the Lakers is about to get some much needed bodies back. Here’s hoping we avoid serious injuries for the rest of the season. We don’t have a chance if we don’t.

Lost in the shuffle, likely because it doesn’t fit into the global media world view that the Lakers have but one choice, was Rob re-iterating that he has no intention of trading the 2 available FRPs for players that don’t vault us into title contention. Cross any Spur, Toronto or Indy trade now. Those teams are looking for a fleece job, Rob won’t have it. To that I say “well done Mr. Pelinka. You’re finally doing your job correctly.” Might we see a smaller move? Sure, I could still see a Cam for Lonnie deal, I guess, but honestly I think we already have the better player in that scenario. Why then make the trade? Simply to shuffle deck chairs? Smart teams don’t make trades to make trades because…hey maybe it’ll be, like, way better and stuff? They make trades they borderline know will make them better. Not many of those out there this season and not at the price we can really afford to pay. Personally, I’m pleased with the Hachimura trade because we traded older for younger and smaller for bigger. That’s what made the trade good to great, IMO. If Rui finds his All Rookie team self in the doing and helps lead us to the playoffs it’ll certifiably be a great trade.

I had wanted for Austin Reaves (who wisely wanted to disassociate his old nickname, AR-15, from his NBA career) to take on the moniker ‘True Grit’ last summer. Turns out that phrase has the potential to define this Laker season. This game was a tale of 2 quarters, the second and the third. The Lakers displayed a lot of poise and focus coming back to win an arena we famously do quite poorly at.

1. The second quarter. This quarter had everything for the Laker Doubter: a meaningless (at the time) PatBev technical foul) a defense that seemed not to care and poor one offensive possession after another. Dame hit a nigh half court three, burned Beverley at every opportunity and we had no answer for Grant. Going into the locker room at halftime we had given up 71 points based mostly on a 45 point second quarter. Most teams fold in that scenario.
2. The (not really) halftime speech. According to the players Ham walked in, said “You guys figure this shit out” and walked out. Then, and this is the sole reason I can see why we keep him on the team this year, into the void stepped one Patrick Beverley and encouraged his teammates to play with Swag. There are few players that want to step into those voids and there are even fewer that can do it true impact. PatBev did both and this was a fantastic example of how he brings more to the team than will ever be tracked by a stat sheet.
3. The 3rd quarter. The one where we scored 40 points and held Portland to 21 all but erasing the deficit. It took execution, heart and will to make that comeback…on the road…in an arena the Lakers (and LeBron) play as poorly at as any other in the Association. With the win LeBron pulled to .500 (10-10) at the Rose Garden (sorry Modal, you just don’t deserve the naming rights). The Lakers are an abysmal 46-72 in Portland. This game was a loss at halftime just waiting to happen. The Lakers would sputter out, Portland would right the ship and pull away a little bit in the standings and so on. All we had to do was lay down and quit. We did not.
4. Off night for the Lakers bench. They’ve generally been a source of strength, and with injuries pressing many of our bench players into the starting line up this isn’t wholly surprising, but the Lakers bench had a rough go last night. Russ was driving but not getting the whistle and not making shots, Wenyan had more turnovers and fouls (6 total) than points (4) and JTA didn’t get much burn. Max Christie did have a highlight worthy block in the second quarter. I’m not sure Nunn has much of a place in Ham’s schemes, he ought to be traded because, in theory, you could get something for him.
5. Thomas Bryant’s return to form. After a stretch of three mediocre games where he didn’t score in double-digits or rebound the ball very well Thomas Bryant continued his return to NBA relevance with a rousing 12-15 (4-5 from three) showing for 31 points. He showed that he can be a monster on the glass, as well, grabbing 4 offensive rebounds en route to 14 boards overall. Topping my list of “gotta keep after this season” is Thomas Bryant. There are few players with his size and speed that can score and rebound as well as he can…when he sets his mind to it. Like many young players he is prone to having lapses in that department.

Well, well, well, Rob Pelinka made an in-season trade!!!! With the breaking news that we have swapped Kendrick Nunn and three second round picks for Rui Hachimura we have solved one aspect of our line up issues by moving a shooting guard for a small forward and adding some much needed size. While it remains to be seen how much he plays with us I think that, on first glance, this trade makes a ton of sense. Nunn was often the odd man out, had only mildly griped about his role here, but just never really found a niche on the Lakers. The Bone Bruise That Would Not Heal certainly affected his tenure here and we wish him well on his next team.

You would have hoped that this would have ended up with James resting for much of the 4th quarter. Second game in a back-to-back, LeBron played 40+ last night, still dogged by the ankle he rolled a few games back. and a tough stretch of games coming up. No such luck but at least we walked away with a much-needed win.

1. LeBron continues to pile on history. The King is just 4 games from tying Michael Jordan for most 40 point games at this age. We needed every one of those points and his 4th quarter was masterful. Un like yesterday when he seemed content to let the team win the game in the waning seconds and faded down the stretch in the second half in general, LeBron kicked it into another gear and made sure the accomplishment wasn’t wasted in a loss like so many already have.
2. Two turnovers. A lesser regarded feat than LeBron’s scoring but no less impactful was the Lakers setting a franchise record for fewest turnovers in a game. Again we needed just about every one of those possessions to generate FGAs and buckets to win the game.
3. Walking wounded. One thing I really admire about this team is how they seem to truly have the “next man up” mentality. The grit and fight thy have is really refreshing from last season. Of course it would help if more of the better guys on the roster could play but no news on when LW4 or Reaves will return to the floor. In their stead Kendrick Nunn has been playing his best basketball as a Laker and Max Christie has carved out a niche’ role. AD is unlikely to play this month so we’ll night to fight on without him and hope for the best. In his stead Wenyan Gabriel and Thomas Bryant have been giving max effort but they simply can’t replicate what AD brings when he can play.
4. The memo was received. After much hullabaloo regarding the officiating last game and this season in general, LeBron got to the line 12 times matching his season high from the Dallas Christmas game. Westbrook also got to the line 8 times. We’ll see how long this trend lasts.
5. The next ten games can make or break the season. 6 out of 10 on the road, 5 of those on the back five. The opponents are all quality with San Antonio being the only pencil it in win and Portland being the only other team under .500 besides and the Spurs. Those 10 games will also be the last ones before the trade deadline. We play Milwaukee on 2/9 hours after the deadline ends. How the Lakers fare in this stretch will go a long way towards defining this season. Do we fall to superior opponents and fall out of the playin and playoff picture? Do we tread water and hover around .500 like we have for much of the season? Do we exceed expectations and win 6 or 7 games in this stretch? I am not one of those folks who sees a trade on the horizon since the Lakers created another self-imposed obstacle in the “we want someone to be around for 3 years, and be a superstar, and no other team will outbid us and our meager haul for this player either”. This is what we’re rolling with for the season, LeBron can side whine all he wants but it changes nothing. Fans and media can express disbelief at the missteps and inaction but they’ve made it pretty obvious at this point that they don’t want to make a trade unless it’s a gift-horse. Don’t see that happening.
   
   A win is a win but we need to start moving up the standings sooner than later. All of these 2 steps forward, 3 steps back aren’t going to be enough to get us to where we need to be. The Lakers need to start moving up so that they can try and rest LeBron as much as they can. If AD comes back and if his foot injury doesn’t come back and if we can make it work with he, Thomas Bryant and Wenyan Gabriel bolstering LeBron in the front court we have an OK foundation. The team will need to reverse the injury luck, big time, to have any shot of any kind. That has always been the key, nothing has changed.

While maybe not surprising in that very few Lakers were healthy enough to play in this contest, the loss to Denver means the Lakers come to the halfway point of the season at 19-22. Not many games separate them from this or that seeding, which is good. The Lakers haven’t been very healthy this season and seemingly can’t depend on much of the roster being available on a game-to-game basis.

1. Too few healthy bodies. We don’t need to overly dump on the team after the loss to Denver. Jokic cruised to an easy triple-double, we competed hard but Denver just has too much firepower for us to keep up with. Solid games from Russ, Nunn and TB. Dennis did not have a great game, supporting cast isn’t enough to contend with the juggernaut that is Denver this season. They are going to be dangerous in the playoffs.
2. Wenyan Gabriel has perfected his role on this team. I am really loving the energy and enthusiasm Wenyan brings from last season to this Wenyan has carved out a nice little niche on the Lakers. Out of the league the Los Angeles AARP, er…Lakers, of last season desperately needed youth and energy on a team built on aged legs. Enter Wenyan Gabriel who didn’t really “wow” anyone but played hard and did what was asked. This season he has shown that he can take and make the open corner three that they leave him open for. His rebounding and hustle can change the dynamics of a game and he pairs great with Russ and LeBron because he’s willing, like Thomas Bryant, to do the dirty work.
3. The defense has completely fallen off without AD. That was, to a degree, to be expected, but the general slide back to 19th in defensive efficiency has coincided with LeBron playing out of his mind to mask the porous D. No LeBron, Lakers give up 122 and only score 109. In general the Lakers have been getting by forcing the pace and scoring in the paint all season long. When AD comes back we’ll see how that impacts that end because it’s unlikely the Lakers can just score their way through multiple 7 game series.
4. Max Christie played great. The rookie had a pretty complete game after being thrust into the starting five due to injuries. Max had that jump shot working and canned 2-3 from three, 6-8 overall. His defense was decent and he filled in ably, as one would hope, going to be hard for him to get floor time when the medical unit empties out so it’s nice to see him showcase himself a bit.
5. What the Lakers need to do to close out the season strong. Get and stay healthy. That’ll take care of a lot of issues if AD, LeBron and Russ can all stay on the floor and produce for most of the rest of the season. Since getting back in the rotation Nunn has shown he has something left in the tank. The Lakers could still package Nunn and the inconsistent and underwhelming PatBev for a player or two of impact. With the news that Sarver has veto power still, for some reason, on any Jae Crowder trade I doubt he comes to us (in-division and conference rivals don’t generally help each other out, either). We need a play like that, though. I don’t think we have the chutzpah to get in on the potential O.G. sweepstakes or players of that caliber, we’ll need to focus on lower hanging fruit which will be players with a more one-dimensional skillset. That could be Eric Gordon or someone like that. Oft-injured, stats trending down as they age, wants to compete for something.

If we make the playoffs, maybe even just the playin, and Russ continues as he has been I don’t see another serious 6th man of the year candidate. If AD comes back, and more importantly stays back, and we make the actual playoffs I can see him and LeBron as potential MVPs and AD as a potential DPOY. The west is that wide open and in that much chaos. Unexpectedly but that is exactly why they play the games. All the meaningless predictions and polls have to be put to the fire of reality. As a result the Lakers aren’t in a hole so deep there is no hope. They just need to get the best players back and playing consistently and they have a legit shot at something I did not think was at all possible when the season kicked off: a playoff berth. Not a playin, a true playoff spot. Here’s hoping the trends we’ve seen since the 2-10 start are what this team is truly capable of.

There was no let-down with the return of LeBron James. Nor was the absence of Lonnie Walker IV or Austin Reaves an issue as the Lakers steam-rolled the Atlanta Hawks at home in a wire to wire win. LeBron, Russ and the supporting cast had everything working as the Lakers win streak grew to 4.

1. The King’s reign is strong. There are some young players gunning for the throne and, to date, Giannis has been the only one to touch the Sun. Since LeBron took the NBA torch from Kobe he has reigned long and well. This might be my favorite LeBron season as a Laker because of his supporting cast and its myriad array of issues. Fact is all NBA teams are imperfect in some form or another and rely on their best players to get them to the next level. LeBron has been doing just that since mid-December.
2. Russell’s great all around game. I’m quite sure there is nothing Russ can do to convince those who want to see him traded that this is working now. Too much water under the bridge to reverse ingrained opinions or notions. I, myself, had doubts this would work or that Westbrook would accept a bench role so easily and also excel in it and that he could continue to play well without the elite finishing skills of AD. We were and are all wrong. Russ has shown that he can have a starter’s impact off the bench with his elite rebounding and passing. He never has been or will be an elite scorer but it doesn’t matter if he’s getting teammates easy buckets..which he is. Including a nifty LeBron/Russ 2-man game. Last season it felt like James and Westbrook just alternated controlling possessions and that wasn’t very successful. This season LeBron is more off-ball than at any other pony as a Laker, which isn’t a lot mind you, but it’s allowing the guards in the team to be involved and that’s what’s working.
3. Kendrick Nunn getting some solid run. He’s still at the top of my “most likely to be traded” list next to PatBev but it was still really nice to see Nunn have a solid game in a non-garbage time role. He can still be a factor in the NBA and likely had a fair amount of rust to shake off and confidence to build back up after a year off from a lingering injury. The Lakers will need Kendrick to contribute if he stays on the team. His shooting could be a key factor this season if he can keep this up and in the playoffs, should such a thing be in the cards for this team, he could be a difference maker.
4. Schröder playing well with LeBron. We saw Dennis excel without LeBron, taking more shots, controlling the ball, and showing that he can play at his Euro League level in the NBA. I wanted to see him do that with James playing and Dennis delivered. There are a bevy of players who are playing as much for their next contract as they are to win now. The two can coexist, although it can also ruin team chemistry if the former outweighs the latter. Kudos to coach Ham in managing the desire to showcase with the needs of the team, especially in the case of Dennis and Russ who both have a lot of potential money on the line next summer.
5. True garbage time. Great seeing LeBron play fewer than 35 minutes in a win. It allowed us to see some of our younger guys get some run in the waning moments of the game once the double digit lead was truly insurmountable. The G Leaguers all got to play as the only active roster not to see floor time was Damien Jones (DNP-sore right toe). The newest Laker, Sterling Brown, also got tossed in the fire right off the bay. When the guys from the G-League and the Two Ways get to play it either means a terrible loss or a blow out win. Loving the still too infrequent blow out wins but I’ll take whatever wins we can get.

Back-to-back tonight, won’t be blown away if LeBron doesn’t play but I hope he does. We need to start proving our mettle against division and conference teams, teams we have a hard time beating this season. These are the teams you want to beat at least once because should the Lakers get to the playoffs that’s who we’ll face in the first 3 rounds, more if we’re a playin team. Tonight against the Kings would be a good place to start.