Aloha,
I have to admit, I nearly turned the game off at half time. I tried to think of things that I could do that would be more enjoyable. When I couldn’t arrange any evening dental work or a colonoscopy I gave up and watched the 3rd quarter.
And I was rewarded with a high energy fueled comeback that the team often teases us with. Like a sadist they dangle hope so we can be crushed at the end.
Let’s face it, a lot of our first half woes rested on the shoulders of our superstars, who neither looked super of even start like. They both played poorly.
I have been preaching play the kids more and all 4 of them played hard on the defensive end. I think part of the first half defensive issues was we overplayed Luka, leaving
Brunson to have a great first half. Frank made a good adjustment at halftime, yes Frank and let the kids guard Luka in single coverage. And all 4 of them rotated beautifully. Brunson cooled off and Luka didn’t accomplish much. LeBron looked like LeBron for a quarter and we turned a 16 point deficit into a 6 point lead by the middle of the 4th.
So what happened? Well the inexplicable happened. Up to around the 6 to 7 minute mark left in the game, Luka had 18 points on 18 shots, 3 assists and 6 turnovers. In other words we did about as well as you can with Luka. But for some reason it was decided that we abandon what had been working and put LeBron on him. Over a 2 minute period Luka was 3 for 3 with 2 assists. Game over. Now did LeBron say, I have Luka? Maybe but it was the wrong call regardless and it never should have happened. LeBron was clearly gassed and had no business guarding Luka. Anyone who is in favor of adding another big and moving LeBron back to the 3 should watch those last 5 minutes. LeBron just can’t effectively guard the perimeter anymore. And he has apparently forgotten how to box out on the glass as well.
Of course Russ was his usual horrid self.how many 5 for 17 games can the coaches stomach? My sincere hope is that Augustine cuts into some of those Russ minutes and can provide a little consistent offense. Considering Russ is pretty much a defensive liability DJ’s lack of D won’t be much different.
Melo actually was the standard bearer for the oldsters. 20 points on 3 for 6 from 3. And unlike LeBron , he actually did a decent job on Luka when switched off on him.
On the defensive side of the ball I thought all 4 of the kids were great and their rotations are becoming better every game. Offensively it was a mixed bag. Austin continues to struggle and shot his way to a seat on the bench. Malik was 3 for 6 from 3 which was great but he caught a bad case of Russitis and missed 3 layups. THT was 3 for 6 but missed both of his 3’s. Stanley actually was the most efficient going 3 for 4 from 3.
Watching LeBron at 37 makes me wonder if we really want him to sign that extension. If this LeBron at 37 what will he look like at 39 when that nearly 50 mil contract kicks in. LeBron’s effectiveness will require a lot more help and I’m not convinced that we have the assets to provide it.
One and a half quarters has been our M.O. all season long. Hasn’t cut it for most of the season, hence our record.
I gave up trying to figure out what can fix this team when I came to the conclusion that age cannot be fixed. Not by a rotational change, not by a scheme and not by post-game comments for certain. I believe the will is there, this team simply lacks the gas.
It’s why Russ’ comments the other day to the point of the game plan is go hard at us and let the chips fall where they may. It’s a valid observation and a great strategy. Because we’re old. It’s why not keeping Caruso and choosing DeAndre Jordan as our 2nd back up big have been so completely detrimental to everything this team hoped to accomplish.
LeBron can’t be the two way guy, not anymore, probably not even in the playoffs. He needs elite defenders and guys who aren’t going to shirk from the moment. All these minutes at the 5 are wearing him down because he HAS to be involved on defense. 5 years ago he probably could have done it and won the MVP going away. At 37? Well, we’re seeing how possible that isn’t in real time.
Frank has resorted to the most desperate tactics…except the one that makes the most sense to me. Play the kids more, it’s not like they’re junking up our chances of winning because we’re just not winning. Too many old dudes on the roster gave Frank too few options early, Nunn not playing all season hurt more than I think we all realized since his deal was the 2nd biggest cost move we made after re-signing THT.
But now? This choice to go old down the stretch of games i mind-boggling, especially when you see the offensive possession stall out at the top of the key, some meaningless passes around the perimeter and shitty shot a little while later. Frank has always been a mediocre, at best, offensive coach but even he has to be able to see how bad this has gotten.
Hence I expect him to be gone. But I won’t guarantee it’ll happen because, well, anything is possible.
Not sure why anyone thought LBJ would carry the Lakers at age 37, 38, 39. I didn’t after 2020, which was GREAT! He is a great player still, but like the Beatles sang, “Help, I need somebody, help!” He got ZERO this year!
You’ve sure been talking like Lebron could still carry a team to a championship, so nice to see you’ve finally seen the light. Pretty sure he’ll be singing “The Long and Winding Road.” as he and his “agency” maneuver his way back to Cleveland.
Thanks, guys. I didn’t watch the game last night so I appreciate all the info you all are putting in here. It made me feel like I have a good idea of what went on.
The only thing helping me at this point during this season from hell is that I have accepted the fact that if you are expecting to be disappointed then you won’t be disappointed. I am not expecting anything good from this team for the rest of the season so I am at peace with reality.
My only pain is knowing my wish for the team to win a championship for Melo won’t come to fruition. He deserves one in his career and having one with the Lakers would make me happy for him. Thank you all for the recap.
Aloha, Michael,
Watching LeBron since the break has been discouraging. At times, he’s looked washed and uninterested. Is it the injured knee or is it Father Time finally catching up with the King? That’s going to become a question that’s asked more and more as this season painfully ends and we prepare for what coud be a franchise-defining summer for the Lakers.
It’s hard for me to understand LeBron’s reluctance to take time off, even a week, to let the knee rest and recover. While I expected LeBron to announce at some point that he’s shutting it down for the season, Bron says he’s not going to sit and still thinks the Lakers have a puncher’s chance of winning everything.
In the end, it really comes down to two questions: (1) Can the Lakers build a championship team this summer? (2) And if not, should they then trade LeBron as well as Russ or maybe even go all the way and trade AD? The article I wrote explored what most would consider to be a biased set of trades for Russ, LeBron, and AD but the team we could build is actually very impressive as Lakers get eight elite players and a net of 2 first round picks for their superstar big three.
Personally, I like the idea of trading Russ and LeBron and keeping and building around AD but that might not be possible because of Klutch. Anyway, I still think the smart move by the Lakers is to go all-in this summer to build a team that could legitimately contend the next two years. While LeBron may not be able to carry a team like he used to do, I still believe he can still be the catalyst to help the Lakers win #18.