5 THINGS

It started ugly but finished on a beauty. It was everything you want in a 7 game series in 1 game. Some questions were answered, new questions emerged and all in all planet Earth was treated to a very enjoyable basketball game. Hard fouls, hard cuts and a gritty win kicked off the NBA playoffs…kinda. Evidently the play-in doesn’t count for the regular season or the playoffs? WTF?! Whatever.

1. The greatness of LeBron James. Kind of lost against the back drop of a spectacular go-ahead three pointer in the final minute of the 4th quarter was another…not playoff nor regular season (really NBA? really? You invent this play-in and created some sort of non-game? H’ok…). I guess this makes James the All Time leader in play-in triple-doubles, I suppose. LeBron showed everyone why is still the best player in basketball. The Flagrant Foul that wasn’t that resulted in blurry vision? No problem. Swarming defense that bumped him off every paint shot? I got you guys. James stayed the course through a rocky first half, went over his loose minutes limit and delivered the 7 seed to the Los Angeles Lakers.
2. 10 men deep. Called on it on the preview podcast, Frank went 10 deep and I was actually mildly surprised we didn’t see more minutes for more guys. Luckily for Laker fans Vogel came to his senses and tightened up the second half rotation to just 8 players: James, Davis, Drummond (barely), Schroder, Kuzma, KCP, Caruso and the instrumental insertion of Wesley Matthews Jr. into the rotation after he didn’t see the floor in the first half in favor of Trezz and THT. Frank continues to, mystifyingly to me, experiment with his rotations. It’s a dangerous game to play in the playoffs but it also speaks to the lack of chemistry and continuity this version of the Lakers has been able to put together.
3. Good thing we have Alex Caruso. He steadied the offense early, then came up some incredible defense late and stayed within his game to find the open man for some nice looks around the rim. A lot of those didn’t come up as assists because of good, hard fouls by the Warriors but they did result in foul shots which helped us to a 25-15 advantage in free throw attempts. That helped us bridge the three point differential (15-10, advantage GS) and overcome a generally poor shooting performance. Caruso also proved to be our best player to slot onto Curry for defense as Schroder just couldn’t keep Curry in front of him and still looks like he’s finding his legs in every facet of the game. We’ll certainly need Dennis as we move forward and he’ll come around with his conditioning but until he does it’s nice to have Caruso as an option even though he’s nowhere near the scorer Dennis can be.
4. Wesley Matthews making the most of his role. In the first half Frank went more with Trezz and THT who both played OK but weren’t effective defensively and didn’t overcome that enough on offense. That forced Vogel to turn to Matthews in the small ball line up he used a lot more in the second half and Wes delivered with a key three pointer, some stout D and a huge rebound. +/- is a wonky stat but in Wesley’s case I think it apropos he led the team, by far, +/- in his 14 minutes because his defense was huge for us in the second half. His numbers weren’t eye-popping but his contributions were sorely needed last night.
5. Controlling the glass and keeping the turnovers low. These are things I’ve harped on since game 1 this season. Our team has a turnover issue, well-documented at this point, and we’re a team that needs to control the glass to make our defense as effective as possible. Since we’re the bigger team it stood to reason that we should control the glass. We also forced more turnovers than we committed, aided by some traditionally silly play by one Draymond Green, but it was the rebounding job that impressed me even more. Almost every Laker who played grabbed an offensive rebound (THT and Trezz did not) with LeBron James leading the way for rebounds off our own misses. That was another huge key in us getting 8 more shot attempts than the Warriors got. The Laker defense in the 3rd was where the game turned for us and Frank, to his credit, stuck with what worked down the stretch.

Next up Phoenix. I like our chances in this series and expect us to win in 5 or 6 games, haven’t decided yet. Regardless, it’s going to be tough no matter what as we see 2 more All Star guards in CP# and Booker along with a bevy of solid players who can shoot the three and defend better than advertised. We need to keep the turnovers low on our end and keep playing stout defense. When we do that we can win any game, even one where we shot 40.7% from the floor. Go Lakers.

The Lakers wrapped up the 2020-21 regular on a 5 game winning streak but still could not crack the top six in terms of playoff seeding. This means a one-game playoff date with none other than Steph Curry, Draymond Green and the Golden State Warriors. The winner of that game will go on to play the Phoenix Suns and then the winner of the Denver/Portland series. The loser gets one more shot to clinch the 8th seed based on the winner of the 9/10 seed game featuring San Antonio and Memphis. The path through 7 would mean the only potential Lakers/Clippers matchup could come in the western conference finals. Fun stuff.

1. The Lakers ‘never say die’ attitude. The Lakers could have easily fallen further. With the playin all but guaranteed and Golden State three games back it would have been easy for James and Davis to sit out more games. Various Lakers from Alex Caruso (foot) to Kyle Kuzma (back and calf) and so on have various, some more serious than others, ailments. Lakers still gutted out the 5 game win and, hopefully, developed some much needed chemistry in the doing. For guys like Caruso and Kuzma who were key cogs in last years championship winning machine know what’s expected and what must be given. There are a plethora of other guys that this time with LeBron and AD could yield fruit on down the line. These Lakers have a lot of guts and moxie, traits that served them well in Orlando. We’ll see what they amount to this season soon enough.
2. Drummond fitting in better and better. I have to say that I have been very impressed with the improved play and better fit of Andre’ Drummond over the last couple weeks. I had some concerns that his game was an ill-fitting one when played alongside James and Davis but Drummond has found his defensive groove, is finishing his lobs better and is rebounding as advertised. Between he and Gasol we have 2 very different looks in terms of the traditional center spot. In Montrezl and Davis we have two very different looks in terms of our small ball center look. Between the four we have a lot of options at center which I think will be deployed in a variety of ways throughout the various series we play in. All hands on deck.
3. Health. The biggest issue facing any team with banner aspirations is good health. If you’re key guys are healthy and on the same page it’s a lot easier to make in-game or game-to-game adjustments in a playoff series. If the Lakers can keep AD and LBJ on the floor for 35+ mpg I like our chances in any 7 game series that comes our way. Having guys like Kuzma, Caruso and KCP as ready as can be will help a lot. But there’s no question that without AD and James we’re not going far in any series. With games a little more spaced out we’ll have a little more rest in-between but we’ll also see the return of travelling between games. No more hive-mind, bunker-bubble living like in Orlando. I have always felt that, for a team with a lot of high IQ players like the Lakers have, being confined in one place made it easier for the coaches and players to be on the same page. No airport hassles to wade through, no finding some extra sleep on the plane and so on. Straight to treatment, any notions that came up between coaches and players could be discussed by walked down a couple hallways. Things of that nature will all revert back to the NBA norm. Should be interesting to see how that effects the playoffs.
4. Re-stablishing the pecking order. With James and Davis missing as many games as they did, and toss in Schroder’s H&SP absence an artificial pecking order was established. Not that is was wildly successful one but I do wonder if guys like THT, Trezz and the like can replicate some of their better stretches in the regular season in limited minutes or not playing over the course of a series or so. It’s always easy as a fan to say “Well, such and such should do this or that!” which is all well and good. But sport is as much about groove and flow as talent, skill and raw physicality. While we’re certainly tied to the fates of our two superstars they will not be scoring every point, grabbing every rebound and defending every play. We’re going to need some unproven guys to step up and step up big in a role they may not be all that comfortable with.
5. Can lightning strike twice? In my mind, above and beyond all the points and questions above, the biggest mystery to me is can Frank replicate his perfectly executed coaching mojo like he did in the playoffs last season? If he can get buy-in on reduced roles from the centers, spottier minutes for THT, McLemore and Matthews and finding ways to keep Kyle engaged we have a really solid shot at repeating. if he loses some guys, if traveling somehow interferes with his coaching vibe or something I haven’t touched on upsets the apple cart we’re going to have to over-rely on LeBron and AD. Not that they can’t bring it home, but that it’ll be a lot easier if Frank pushes all the right buttons at the right time, again.
   
   It’s the playoffs! Let’s do this people! Go Lakers!!!!

While not the prettiest of wins the fact that our team of bench guys and role-players was able to overcome an NBA squad, regardless of how banged up they are, is a confidence booster. Clutch play from Kyle Kuzma and Talen Horton-Tucker helped lead the Lakers to their 3rd win in a row and keep what hopes are left that one of Dallas or Portland will stumble at the end and crack open the 6th seed for us. Lakers had their destiny in their hands and couldn’t find this level of energy and completion and so now must hope others fail and we keep on winning out.

1. Drummond finding his Laker groove. Andre’ turned in another solid performance helping to control the offensive glass, scoring inside and providing some really nice post play. Missed some free throws which is a concern for late-game availability come the playoffs. I think that, with the ability to practice being more available in the playoffs and the time between games, we’ll see Dre’ get more and more acclimated. He’s starting to show the promise a lot of people saw in him coming here and rewarding Frank Vogel’s faith in his ability to start. Regardless of how he plays I fully expect Drummond to start barring a match up issue akin to the Rockets last season. If he can play like this on a nightly basis we’ll have a weapon in the post that you can mix and match with Harrel and Gasol against the opposing benches.
2. Markieff makes some threes! I think Morris was on a 0-28 streak from deep and he finally broke through last night. If he can go on the flip side of that drought as we roll into the playoffs it couldn’t come at a better time. If ‘Kieff can bring this level of scoring and defensive intensity we’re in good shape. We’re going to need the versatility and savvy Morris brings, he was critical in winning banner #17 last season. Honestly, we’ll need all of that veteran moxie we got. Between Morris and Matthews we have a lot of experience in terms of knowing where to be, competing high and impacting the game without being the focus of the team.
3. Gotta love how ready McKinnie has been all season long. The dude languished on the bench for much of the season, saw garbage time here and there, and did his job. He stayed ready to contribute and has done a solid job coming in, rebounding the ball and making his shots. If we’re relying on Alfonzo for big minutes in the playoffs we’re in trouble but it’s nice to see guys who do their job, stay ready and ball hard when called upon. Keep that head in the game, dude, you never know when that number is going to get called.
4. Talen slowing it down better. Solid game as the starting PG from THT. 10 dimes to only 3 turnovers is about as much as you can ask from the 2nd year guard. While he didn’t make a three he was still able to get buckets in the paint and what I liked best was that he didn’t overly force his own offense but did a really good job of reading what the defense was giving him and making a play or scoring. It’s games like this that make me more than comfortable with the idea of letting Schroder walk this summer. Not to denigrate what Dennis brings, which I also like, but I don’t see all that much daylight between THT and Schroder’s games, respectively. So if I’m looking at keeping one of the two I think that, for the money he’s likely to command on the open market, Talen is a better bargain. That’s a discussion best left to the summer, though, got some season and some playoffs yet to wrangle.
5. Trezz getting his chance to shine. We’re getting a little taste of how playoff rotations are likely to look. With no real centers to bang against as a back up we saw a lot more Harrell and no Gasol. Trezz made the most of it by turning in a very Montrezl-esque performance. He and Kuzma provided a lot of punch off the pine last night and both were huge in eking out the needed win. I have a lot of admiration for guys who play with heart and passion but can also be professional when it comes to the playoffs and playing time. Not everyone is going to be happy with their minutes in the playoffs, except maybe LeBron and AD, most likely everyone will feel like they could have contributed more. Contribute what you can in the minutes you get. That’s the key to winning games in the playoffs.

Two more games, that’s all we got left in this topsy-turvy season of hoops. Need to bring ’em both home with W’s if we want a shot at avoiding the play in but if you ask me that ship sailed with Portland winning against Phoenix last night. That was our best shot at getting out of the 7th seed. Because they own the tie-breaker we have to actually pass either Dallas or Portland in the standings and that feels unlikely at this point.

That was a helluva fun game to watch. Gritty, tough, bruising basketball like we’ll soon see in the playoffs. The Knicks did everything they could but some unheralded stars came through and helped push us over the finish line to bring home the win. Good stuff.

1. Thanks Spike. Mr. Lee made the journey to Los Angeles to catch the game and proceeded to heckle the Lakers right into a win. Spike did the right thing. But in all reality the resurgence of the Knicks is great for the NBA. Julius Randle has turned into a dark horse MVP candidate, certainly the front runner for Most Improved. Thibbs could easily win Coach of the Year. They have a collection of good to great players that play with a lot of fire. Hats of to the Knickerbockers and welcome back. Should have gotten something for Randle…
2. THT and his one-man rodeo show. This easily could have ended a lot worse for Talen. His 7 turnovers were astounding both in their volume and the manner in which they came about and I’m sure his film session will be interesting. The man has no quit, though and he kept his head up in spite of the turnovers and an inability to stay in front of Rose. His three pointer to push the Lakers ahead for the final margin in OT was ridiculously clutch, especially when you consider that he had to make it a step-back based on when he caught the ball. A huge shot. I love this guy and have high hopes we keep him. Has a learning curve to max out his potential but there is a lot to admire in THT’s game. Like the rest of the team I would say feel free to cut down on your turnovers.
3. Health still proving elusive. LeBron coming back, Caruso and AD might be out, Schroder still in H & SP… The one thing about this team is that we just cannot catch a break where injuries are concerned. This is the one thing that can derail the Lakers repeat ability more than anything else. We’re not winning anything without major contributions from Davis and James. We’re not winning anything without a semi-consistent rotation. Those things just don’t exist for the Lakers right now. Hopefully we can get some nagging injuries right before the playoffs.
4. The Frank Vogel roulette wheel. A week or so ago Frank insisted he wasn’t experimenting with the rotation. I begged to differ then and I beg to differ now. Look no further than the Gasol/Trezz experiment or the inexplicable 5 minutes of nothing we got from Markieff Morris. Injuries and inconsistent play has forced Frank to tinker far beyond he ever did last season. We’re looking at 25 different potential starting line ups this season. That is astounding. Don’t hide from it, Frank, we can all see the reasons why this situation has come about. Injuries have decimated the rotation and that’s the end of it. Nothing to be ashamed of.
5. Ad got beat up last night and should have shot more than 5 free throws. He got walked under, pushed off his shot and generally manhandled by the Knicks. It’s a credit to him that he doesn’t flop for fouls but sometimes I wish he would. The man should average double-digit free throws based on the NBA rules for contact on jump shots. Call it the same for AD that you do for James Harden.

Hanging a banner tonight, tune in early. No trap, either, Lakers gonna roll the Rockets and cruise to an easy one. So sayeth the Admiral.

Yup. Land of the rising sun(s).