Opening night losses are a poor measuring stick for projecting how a team will play all year long but nothing throws shade on the bright sunshine of a new season like losing to your nemesis the exact same way as last season.
So while the 119–107 loss to the NBA Champion Denver Nuggets Tuesday night was just one game, it exposed lingering worries and concerns Rob Pelinka’s offseason success and the Summer of Austin Reaves had hidden. Specifically, none of the moves the Lakers made this offseason addressed how the Lakers were going to overcome the end-of-game advantages the Denver Nuggets superstars have over the Los Angeles Lakers superstars.
Call it a sobering dose of reality but the opening night loss to the Nuggets simply highlights the Lakers lack of go-to star who can close out games and a lockdown perimeter defender who can shut down opposing star scorers. While the Lakers have a deep and talented roster, they’re trying to have their cake and eat it too by winning another championship before LeBron James retires while simultaneously rebuilding the team for the future.
Here are three way-too-early big picture takes after losing the first game to the Nuggets why it’s likely the Lakers will need to make blockbuster moves at the trade deadline to legitimately compete for their 18th championship.
1. Anthony Davis May Not Be Alpha Superstar
To say Anthony Davis’ second half performance in the Lakers loss to the Nuggets was disappointing is a major understatement after the preseason hype and build-up how AD was going to finally take the torch from LeBron.
Davis’ scoreless second half after scoring 17 points in the first half was a shocking failure both by the player and the Lakers’ coaching staff for not understanding what was needed and making the necessary adjustments. Nobody questions Anthony Davis has the physical ability and talent to take the torch from LeBron James and be the alpha superstar the Lakers need but the harsh reality may be AD lacks the requisite alpha mental makeup.
We’ll find out a lot more tonight about whether Anthony Davis can be the alpha superstar the Lakers need. Right now, it looks like both Devin Booker and Bradley Beal of the Suns will miss tonight’s game against the Lakers. This should be a good opportunity for the Lakers to wash away the bad taste from losing to the Nuggets on opening night by dominating the short-handed Phoenix Suns and evening their 2023–24 season record at 1–1.
Davis will be matched up tonight against Jusuf Nurkic, which should be a far easier challenge than facing the MVP Nikola Jokic. Davis and Ham have said the right things but the Lakers need to unleash Anthony Davis tonight.
2. Lakers Need Go-To Star To Close Out Games
The big difference between the Los Angeles Lakers’ superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis and the Denver Nuggets’ superstars Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray is the later are both scorers who can close out games.
That was the formula the Nuggets used to pull off an amazing four-game sweep of the Lakers in last season’s conference finals, where just 24 points separated the two teams over the four games, and in last night’s opener. Part of the problem is 38-year old James no longer has the elite burst and athleticism of his youth or shooting stroke of a game closer and Davis is simply not a good enough playmaker to make teams pay for doubling him.
To win a championship, the Lakers need a go-to offensive star whom they can count on to make high percentage shots to close games and an elite perimeter defender to slow or shut down the opposing team’s best scorers. The Lakers could target a third superstar like Zach LaVine or a pair of proven veterans like Buddy Hield and Alex Caruso who would fill the team’s dual needs for a go-to offensive closer and shut down perimeter defender
It’s only one game with eighty-one more to come but the Lakers will likely be in the market for a lethal dead-eye shooter to close games and an elite point-of-attack defender to slow down the opposing teams’ top scorers.
3. Lakers Commit To Load Managing LeBron
With the Lakers rallying to within 4 points with 8:48 left in the 4th quarter, Darvin Ham pulled LeBron James from the lineup and rested him until 6:04 left in the game. During that 2:44, the Nuggets lead ballooned to 12 points.
The purpose of the substitution was to limit LeBron James’ minutes to under 30 per game as part of the Lakers new ‘load management’ policy for soon -to-be 39-year old superstar, who ended up playing 29.0 minutes. James was a little miffed at the move as he had the team rallying and pulling him immediately changed the dynamic of the game. Ham probably should not have pulled LeBron at that point so expect adjustments.
The commitment to load manage James, however, seems to be set in stone. LeBron’s in maybe the best health he’s been since the 2020 championship run and is talking about continuing to play with both of his young sons. We’re likely to see judgement errors as Ham and LeBron work out exactly how the Lakers’ new load management policy should work for but limiting James’ minutes per game to under 30 for regular season is certainly smart.
The objective is to have a healthy, rested LeBron James ready-to-go on the first day of the playoffs. If that means limiting James’ minutes per game to under 30, then so be it. Lakers are committed to saving LeBron for playoffs.
https://twitter.com/LakerTom/status/1717636921021878671
https://twitter.com/LakerTom/status/1717637386610549215
https://twitter.com/LakerTom/status/1717637686926966931
1)This is all well and good, but there was another circumstance that shouldn’t affect the Lakers the rest of the regular season: playing in the high altitude of Denver without taking precautions to acclimate to this. Just like in game 1 of WCF, Lakers need to be in Denver day before to practice and prepare. After the first quarter in that game, Lakers were down by 12 and lost by 6. Last night, Lakers were down by 14 and lost by 12. Starting even would tend to make some of these games up there much more winnable. Fortunately they play Denver in February and March at Crypto so this should not be an issue again in regular season.
2)I think Austin Reaves will end up being the Lakers 3rd go to guy in this season as well as DLo and Rui being better supporting cast members. This was just a game when all 3 were shooting poorly which effected all of their games.
3) LeBron playing less than 30 minutes a game may be desirable but it doesn’t have to happen every game!! Let him go to 34 or 35 in a close game, then scale him back the next game to 28 or so. This needs to be a case by case basis this year. Playing him only 32-33 min a game average over the season will still be the least he has ever played (33.4m for 2020-21 and 34.6m for 2019-20 both with Lakers). This plus games where he plays but say for 25-27m a game should accomplish the same result but still have him available for the 4th quarter if needed.
I really feel if we do this, we should be fine keeping Bron and AD healthy to play 65-70 games and all the good things that will come with it.
Beyond this I wouldn’t do anything drastic for the first 20 games or so and see where we are.
Thanks for reading and commenting, Brian.
1. Good point about the altitude. Game was winnable with 8:48 left and down only four when Ham took out LeBron. I believe he did that both to rest James but also to give AD a chance to win the game and take the torch. Unfortunately, AD couldn’t answer the bell. Big test tonight.
2. Reaves had a disappointing game. I can’t help feeling Ham should have just let him continue to play rather than resting him. It’s like now he needs a couple of games to get going. He should have been the one to take over when LeBron left. AD to reliant on somebody getting him the ball.
3, I like the load management but just think Ham used bad judgement to pull LeBron and change the lineup when the guys in had cut the lead to four. 30 mpg is smart but you don’t pull LeBron when the game is closest it’s been. Just a mistake by Darvin. He won’t make same one again.
4. I’d like to see Reddish and Wood get more minutes. They were only players on Lakers who had positive net ratings for both halves againszt the Nuggets.
The altitude of Denver and Salt Lake City (4270 ft) is very often NOT taken into account by all.
1) He’s never been, all of this hype and projection has been from the media/fans/etc. AD is AD and that’s just the way it is. Gasol was Gasol, doesn’t mean they’re not great but that they are at their best when in a complimentary role to someone like Kobe or LeBron.
2) I expect this to be LeBron and he would have played 30+ if the game was closer down the stretch. But that’s the short term answer, the real answer is that’s likely a player not yet on the team. We all wish it could be AD but, honestly, we’ll all be left wanting if that’s the only route (see above comments).
3) They absolutely have to if they want him around and impactful in the playoffs. There’s no short-cutting this or scheming this away. The dude is old. Old, old, old, old for pro sport of any kind, even golf. Now I’d sure like to see Reaves and DLo on the floor when LBJ rests and maybe AD, too, I don’t think Rui is up to handling that much responsibility. That might come around a bit but we’ll see. All in all, it’ll be closer by committee this season, we don’t have a young “that guy” they all got traded for AD or Russ. We may be able to trade for one next summer once all these deals we signed this season can be traded at any time for anyone. That’s a bridge far off to ponder the crossing so I’ll punt that for a few months but, in general, a lot of different guys are going to have to step up a bit in crunch time.
Jeez, it’s like we can’t find anything to disagree upon. LMAO.
Ham should call AD’s number every single time down the court. Make the sucker take 30 shots tonight. Make him take the torch.
If Booker and Beal do not play, we HAVE TO WIN!