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Rob Pelinka

All-Star Break May Be the Basketball Gods’ Midseason Gift for the Lakers!

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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.

What Does the Anthony Davis Injury Change for the Los Angeles Lakers?

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Lakers fans can be excused if their hearts were in their throats and minds filled with memories of the Warriors’ championship hopes collapsing as Kevin Durant hobbled off the floor after tearing his Achilles tendon.

Fortunately, it looks like the Lakers dodged a bullet as Anthony Davis’ injury was only a strained calf and not a dreaded torn Achilles. But the injury was still a harsh reminder how fragile championship hopes can be in this league. Missing AD for two or three weeks or more may also force the Lakers to take a second look at what their plans for the season had been before the injury. Here are four big questions the Lakers may suddenly be asking themselves:

1. HOW CONSERVATIVE SHOULD LAKERS BE WITH AD?

This is the easy question to answer. The Lakers are going to be very careful to allow Anthony Davis however long he needs to be 100% healed before returning to action. They’re clearly going to error on the conservative side.

Only 27-years old, the Lakers are not going to risk the future of their young superstar. Anthony will come back only when he’s completely healed and can safely play without worrying about re-injuring the calf or his Achilles.

While he’s not expected to return until after the All-Star break, which means he will miss the next 11 games, the Lakers will not hesitate to hold him out longer if necessary to ensure he will be healthy for the playoffs.

2. SHOULD THE LAKERS RETHINK AD’S ROLE ON THE TEAM?

With the short offseason and the compressed schedule, the Lakers had already dramatically changed Anthony Davis’ role this season, playing him at center just 9% of the time compared to 26% of the time last season.

Part of the reason for the change was to limit the rougher physical play he would face playing more minutes at center but part was strategic to deploy Davis’ defensive talents more often against perimeter players.

Since the issues with his calf have been something Anthony has been struggling with and affected his play all season long, expect the Lakers to continue to the strategy of playing him more at the four than the five.

3. DOES THE INJURY HURT THE LAKERS CHANCE TO REPEAT?

Anthony Davis’ injury definitely raises doubts and may reduce the Lakers’ chances of repeating as NBA champions. While he has played well, AD has not played offensively or defensively at the level he played last season.

Assuming he misses two to four weeks, the Lakers are likely to struggle to play at the same level they’ve played this season. While they’ve continued to win most of their games, they haven’t dominated like earlier in the season.

With Utah leading the West and the Clippers right behind them, the Lakers may find themselves having to play their crosstown rivals just to reach the Western Conference Finals and then maybe the Brooklyn Nets in the Finals.

4. DO THE LAKERS NEED TO TRADE FOR ANOTHER BIG?

The Lakers already allow miss the elite rim protection they received last season from their tandem of centers JaVale McGee and Dwight Howard and have allowed the 5th most points in the paint of any team in the league.

With AD now out for 2 to 4 weeks, the Lakers lack of size become even a bigger issue. With few quality bigs available as free agents and only two centers on the roster, the Lakers may be forced to make a trade.

Ideally, the Lakers would like to add a longtime solution at center who can help their perimeter defense as well as protecting the rim. The big question is who is available and how much will it cost the Lakers to trade for him.

How the Legend of Kobe ‘Bean’ Bryant Inspires LeBron James and the Lakers!

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For millions of Kobe Bryant and Los Angeles Lakers fans, there’s no doubt the Black Mamba somehow watched over and inspired the team’s successful quest for their 17th NBA championship in the bubble in Orlando, Florida.

Nor is there any question Kobe’s Mamba Mentality and iconic Lakers’ legacy was passed to LeBron a year ago today when Bryant, his daughter Gigi, and seven others perished in the tragic helicopter crash in Southern California. Bryant’s ghost has been hovering over and driving the Lakers’ greatness from the moment LeBron took the leadership mantle from Kobe a year ago to the ‘Mamba on Three’ cheer the team still uses to break every huddle.

You can see it in the way every single roster move Kobe’s agent and best friend Rob Pelinka makes seems to be golden and every major strategic adjustment head coach Frank Vogel makes seems to be work out perfectly. The Lakers are on a roll. Coming off a dominating championship run that overcame unprecedented challenges, the Lakers look poised not only to repeat but also to position themselves for another championship dynasty.

The Lakers are and will always be Kobe Bryant’s team and that’s a legacy LeBron James has full heartedly embraced, still wearing Mamba’s number 24 on his left ring finger for every game for the year after Kobe’s tragic passing. While LeBron’s never struggled to find reasons to self motivate, his love and respect for Kobe and everything he meant to the Lakers and the game of basketball is straight from the heart and not just another motivational ploy.

There will always be something mystical and celestial about how the torch of Lakers’ basketball greatness was passed from Kobe Bryant to LeBron James at Staples last January as if it were a scene from the movie Heaven Can Wait. Maybe it’s just coincidence but it’s hard not to imagine the basketball gods balancing the scales and infusing the spirit of Kobe Bryant into the heart and soul of LeBron James and telling Father Time he’ll just have to wait.

How else can you explain how a 36-year old, 17-year veteran like LeBron James, who has played in 1,283 regular season and 260 playoff games, can continue to be the best player on the planet and leading MVP candidate? What’s even more surprising and unbelievable is LeBron may even be better right now than any time in his long career. He’s currently on pace to enjoy the best season in his illustrious career shooting the three-ball at 41.2%.

Last night, we saw King James go off for 46 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, 7 threes, 2 steals, and 2 blocks in leading the Lakers to a 115–108 road win in his first visit to Cleveland since donning the purple and gold two years ago. This followed superstar teammate Anthony Davis’ scintillating 37 point, 6 rebound, 3 assist, 2 steal, and 1 block game in Saturday night’s game in his hometown Chicago as the Lakers bulldozed the hapless Bulls 101–90.

Tomorrow night, the Lakers seek to remain undefeated and win their 11th game on the road in a statement matchup against Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, and the 76ers in Philadelphia, the hometown of Kobe Bryant. Look for LeBron James to do something special to honor Kobe Bryant, like wearing a Lower Merion #33 jersey when he walks into Wells Fargo Center. The Lakers won’t forget that Philadelphia is Kobe Bryant’s hometown.

Games like tomorrow night’s against the Sixers are the games LeBron James and Anthony Davis mark on their calendars. Expect the Lakers to bring their A-game and the legacy of Kobe Bryant to inspire them to pull off the win.

For the Los Angeles Lakers, Defense Is Just Offense Without the Basketball!

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Legendary college basketball coach Bobby Knight once said “defense is just offense without the ball” and that’s the perfect description of the style of defense Frank Vogel has the world champion Los Angeles Lakers playing.

Defense in the NBA is usually by definition a passive and reactive response to what the offense does and most schemes are built around philosophies designed to defend pick-and-roll actions and protect the paint and rim. Despite an upgraded offense that no longer has to rely entirely on LeBron James and Anthony Davis, Frank Vogel has fully embraced Bobby Knight’s mantra and transformed the Lakers’ defense into a deadly lethal weapon.

What we’re seeing from the Lakers’ defense is the expansion and evolution of the suffocating schemes Frank Vogel unveiled in last season’s playoffs that dominated opposing offenses on the way to winning the championship. The Lakers’ weaponized defense includes aggressive traps and hedges to attack on-ball screens and prevent ball handlers from getting to the rim plus a versatile array of individual defenders who can shutdown elite scorers.

Rob Pelinka and the Lakers’ front office and Frank Vogel and his coaching staff deserve praise for their vision and courage in dramatically changing their base defensive strategy and the front court personnel to implement it. They replaced the drop coverage strategy and traditional low post centers that anchored their regular season defense with more aggressive trap and hedge schemes and smarter, more versatile defenders at center position.

The Lakers’ regular season defensive strategy was a remnant of Frank Vogel’s successful stint coaching the Indiana Pacers and Roy Hibbert where elite defense started inside-out with verticality rules and rim protection. Anchored by traditional centers JaVale McGee and Dwight Howard, the Lakers drop coverage defense dominated the regular season by forcing shooters to take pull-up jumpers from midrange and beyond the arc.

Faced with a gauntlet of elite pull-up jump shooters like Damian Lillard, James Harden, Jamal Murray, and Tyler Herro in the playoffs, the Lakers benched McGee and Howard and abandoned their drop coverage defense. Instead, they opted to trap, hedge, and double the lead ball handler off screens to prevent them from shooting or getting to the rim, relying on a faster, quicker, and more athletic lineup to rotate to protect the rim.

What made the Lakers new outside-in defense work was Markieff Morris playing the four to free up Anthony Davis to play the five. The rest is history. The Lakers dominated the playoffs and won their 17th championship. Having watched their traditional low post centers become unplayable in the playoffs, the Lakers didn’t hesitate to make a change, replacing JaVale McGee and Dwight Howard with Marc Gasol and Montrezl Harrell.

While Gasol and Harrell are not the elite rim protectors that McGee and Howard were, they’ve both excellent positional defenders and the Lakers overall defense and rim protection has been even better than last season. Besides the impressive boost they’ve given the Lakers’ offense, Gasol’s physical size, toughness, and high basketball IQ and Harrell’s quickness, athleticism, and ability to draw charges have upgraded the Lakers defense.

While the sample size is still small, the Lakers right now have the best record in the league at 11–3, the best defensive rating at 104.0, and the best net rating at 11.0 — all numbers dramatically better than last season.

The second way the Lakers weaponized their defense this regular season is by better utilizing their upgraded portfolio of individual defenders who are capable of shutting down elite scorers like Damian Lillard or James Harden. This was part of the Lakers’ defensive strategy during the playoffs when we saw LeBron James and Anthony Davis volunteer and personally take the responsibility for defending the other team’s star player or red hot scorer.

We saw that last night when Anthony Davis took over guarding the Pelicans’ Brandon Ingram after he exploded for 17 points on 8 of 9 shooting in the first half. Davis held him to 3 points on 1 of 6 from the field the second half. The willingness of James and Davis to defend the other team’s best player gives the Lakers an advantage over other teams like the Bucks or Nets who have superstars who are reluctant or unable to defend opposing superstars.

In the end, great team defense still requires players who can play great individual defense and that’s a big reason why the Lakers’ defense is such a lethal and powerful weapon, especially at games’ end and in the playoffs. Alex Caruso, Kyle Kuzma, Markieff Morris, Talen Horton-Tucker, LeBron James, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Marc Gasol, and Montrezl Harrell all have defensive ratings that are below the Lakers team best 104.0 rating.

What’s scary for Lakers’ opponents is that Anthony Davis is just starting to play up to the level of a DPOY, having only a 104.9 defensive rating for the season but posting an impressive 91.3 defensive rating his last four games.

What’s remarkable about the Lakers’ defensive evolution this season has been how Frank Vogel has modified his long held belief that defense starts inside-out with protecting the rim and embraced this outside-in strategy. Vogel’s ability to adapt to changes in the game is a remarkable and frankly an unexpected development that’s been an important aspect of the Lakers’ championship run last season and their chances to repeat this season.

That Frank Vogel made this defensive change in strategy in the heat of the playoffs and then doubled down on it for the regular season by replacing both McGee and Howard with Gasol and Harrell is even more remarkable. While it’s still early and the sample size is small, the Lakers have shown no sign of abandoning their ‘defense first’ identity. In fact, there are foreboding signs they may have weaponized their defense to be better this season.

Teams hoping the Los Angeles Lakers traded their championship defense for offensive firepower may end up being extremely disappointed because it looks like for this team ‘defense is just offense without the basketball.’

Counting Our Blessings As Lakers Fans As We Head into a New Year!

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The image of LeBron’s evolution from high school prodigy to Cavs rookie to Heatles hero to Cavs redeemer to Lakers savior is a reminder of the long and winding road that finally brought the King to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Sometimes it’s hard to smile and feel good about anything when everything around you seems to be falling apart and the world we used to know seems like a distant memory until you remember the Lakers are NBA champions. For die hard fans like me, the Lakers winning the championship in the bubble in October was better than even my Yankees winning a World Series. I can say with no exaggeration that it was the greatest championship ever.

With Covid-19 killing thousands every day, millions out of work and unable to support their families, and children going hungry, the idea something as trivial and unimportant as sports can be a blessing is almost inconceivable. But that’s what’s special about human fortitude and resilience, the ability see past disaster and dismay, to smile in the face of fate and misfortune, to persevere and believe things will get better and good times will return.

Sports has always been our safety valve, our escape vehicle when everyday life became suffocating. Whether an endless war or now a never ending pandemic, America has always been able to turn to sports for needed relief. That’s what millions of Lakers fans did less than three months ago as the purple and gold survived unprecedented challenges to win their 17th NBA championship in an arena without fans in the bubble in Orlando, Florida.

And don’t believe for a moment the Lakers finally winning that elusive 17th championship the same year we lost Kobe Bryant to tragedy was simple coincidence. The Lakers were inspired to win that title for Kobe Bryant.

Now, as we prepare to usher in a new year as the pandemic rages wild, the Lakers once again may be our only respite from the daily horrors Covid-19 continues to inflict on our families, friends, neighbors, and communities.

While the Lakers face another championship campaign transformed by the pandemic, it’s important we count our blessings as fans and ignore the never satisfied ‘what-have-you-done-for-me-lately’ Twitter fed universe. Don’t let the sluggish start to the season after the shortest offseason in professional sports history dim the bright reality that the Lakers had the best offseason and are even better than last season’s championship team.

Those blessings start with LeBron James, still at 36-years old the best player on the planet showing no signs of slowing down and unquestionably the catalyst behind the Lakers’ resurrection after ten years of disappointment. Earvin Johnson’s brief reign running the Lakers’ front office was definitely flawed but his free agent signing of LeBron James triggered the team’s revival and earned him the team’s gratitude and a 2020 championship ring.

After Magic Johnson and LeBron James, next on or list of Lakers’ blessings come owner Jeanie Buss and the late Kobe Bryant, the duo responsible for hiring, promoting, and trusting Rob Pelinka to run the team’s front office. When Rob took over, the Lakers had become a laughing stock in the media with daily stories regaling the dysfunction and incompetence of the front office and predicting a franchise destined for a doom and gloom future.

Jeanie’s decision to trust Kobe and empower Rob despite critics was the turning point as it took Pelinka just six months to steady the ship, trade for Anthony Davis, hire Frank Vogel as coach, and build a championship team. The rest is history: Vogel was the perfect coach, LeBron and AD the best superstar pairing in the league, and the supporting cast Pelinka assembled after being spurned by Kawhi the ideal roster to prevail in the bubble.

Watching the Lakers receive their championship rings last week in an empty Staples Center was a bittersweet reminder of the daunting challenge they overcame and the bright beacon of hope they shone in a world gone dark.

As we prepare to say goodbye to 2020, the Lakers face a challenge similar to what they confronted in the bubble but also different. While there are still no fans in the arenas, there’s also no bubble to protect teams from Covid. Players are left like the rest of us to create their own bubbles, to make smart decisions how to protect themselves and their teammates. How they handle this responsibility will determine their fate and the next NBA champion.

Like in the bubble, strong leadership, chemistry, culture, and commitment and a deeper and more talented roster than last season will give the Lakers an edge that should bode well for their chances or repeating as champions. While the new season started just 71 days after last season ended with a compressed and shortened to 72-games schedule and a raging pandemic, I’m smiling because the Lakers remain the odds on favorites to win again.

Frank Vogel is still the perfect coach, LeBron James and Anthony Davis are still the best two players, and the roster Rob Pelinka and the front office assembled a dramatic upgrade and the best and deepest in the league. While politics are still a mess, the states are struggling to vaccinate millions, and the economy years from full recovery, Lakers fans are again blessed by the ultimate distraction from everyday worries: a championship quest.

The old normal is long gone and nobody knows for sure what the new normal will end up being and we still keep hearing we’re not out of the woods and the next few months could well be the darkest yet to come. While the new year won’t end the pandemic, the vaccines promise light at the end of the tunnel and the Lakers’ quest for an 18th NBA championship will give us another chance to escape all the the gloom and celebrate.

So please build your own smart bubble and safely celebrate the new year by watching the Lakers continue their quest for their 18th NBA championship. That’s the way to be sure you’ll here in July when we hoist the banner.

Happy New Year, Lakerholics!