Since the miserable failure that was the 2021-22 Los Angeles Lakers season came to a merciful end, the attention of Lakers fans has turned to possible Russell Westbrook trades and what the front office can do to salvage what is left of LeBron James remarkable career and return the team to contender status.

All of the deals that have been bandied about come with their own pluses and minuses. While the front office is fully aware that the team’s best player is going into his 20th NBA season, they must also keep an eye on the future of the franchise once his playing days are done. All that being said, the most important decision that needs to be made involves LeBron James and whether or not he chooses to sign the 2-year and approximately $100 million contract extension that the Lakers are sure to offer him on top of the 1-year and $47.5 million he has left on his current deal. Why is that important? Because the Lakers will be hesitant to include their 2027 and 2029 first-round picks in trades if LeBron is only under contract for one more season.

So for the sake of this exercise, let’s assume that LeBron plans to sign that extension. Here are the trade possibilities involving Westbrook that seemed to come up most often, in no particular order:

Houston Rockets

This is the trade that has been discussed the longest because we started hearing rumblings about it prior to this season’s trade deadline. It would also be the second time these two were traded for each other. Both have nearly identical contracts so neither team would be getting any kind of financial relief. The Rockets have no incentive to make the trade without getting draft compensation and per Yahoo!’s Chris Haynes, a deal never happened because the Lakers were unwilling to include a first-round pick. Perhaps the Lakers were hoping that they could make the trade this summer without having to include a pick. Wall seems unwilling to take a buyout. So unless Westbrook is, the question is what type of draft or player compensation would the Lakers have to include to make it worth it for the Rockets?

Regardless, does the trade make the Lakers significantly better even without including a draft pick? We don’t really know. Wall didn’t play a game this past season, which means he’s now played in only 113 games over the last five seasons. That’s an average of 22.6 games per year dating back to 2017-18. Even if he’s a better fit than Westbrook, how much better would he make them? Definitely not enough to give up a first-round pick when there are likely better deals to be made.

However, there is a trade involving these two teams that could be more attractive to both. Eric Gordon has one guaranteed year at $19.6 million left on his deal. He also has a non-guaranteed $21 million in 2022-23 that becomes guaranteed if his team wins the championship. That isn’t a possibility in Houston but it might become a possibility if he’s traded to a contender. All that means is that Gordon would welcome a trade to even a potential contender.

So while a straight-up Westbrook-for-Wall trade involving a future first-round pick doesn’t excite Lakers fans, the possibility of a Westbrook and Talen Horton-Tucker for Wall and Gordon and future first-round pick might be more appetizing. This would also be attractive for Tilman Fertitta, the Rockets notoriously cheap owner, because it would save the Rockets about $10 million off of what they’re currently scheduled to pay Wall and Gordon combined next season. 

The addition of Wall and Gordon to LeBron and Anthony Davis gives the Lakers a much better chance at a turnaround next season than if they just added Wall because Gordon gives the team two things that this past season’s team sorely lacked: defense and shooting. Gordon made 41 percent of his 3-pointers this season, the second-best percentage of his 14-year career. That’s the good news. On the minus side, it doesn’t address two of the roster’s other glaring weaknesses, youth and athleticism. While those can be addressed elsewhere, how well can they be addressed after trading two of their only few trade assets, a first-round pick and Horton-Tucker, to get Wall and Gordon?

Indiana Pacers

This was a trade that was mentioned in both Marc Stein’s Substack and in a conversation between Zach Lowe and Kevin Pelton on last week’s Lowe Post podcast. Westbrook, Horton-Tucker and the 2027 and 2029 Lakers first-round picks for Malcolm Brogdon and Buddy Hield. Brogdon has three years and $67.6 million left on his contract while Hield has two years and around $40.5 million left on his.

The Domantas Sabonis-for-Tyrese Haliburton trade has changed the Pacers timeline, making both Brogdon and Hield expendable. The ability to get out of those remaining years and dollars for just one year of Westbrook makes a lot of sense for them. As for the Lakers, the knee-jerk reaction is that this is a no-brainer for them. It gives them another ball-handler in Brogdon and one of the league’s best shooters in Hield. On the flip side, Hield, a 40 percent career 3-point shooter, is coming off the worst shooting season of his 6-year career, both from beyond the arc (37 percent), as well as overall (41 percent) while Brogdon, the 2016-17 Rookie of the Year, has played fewer than 100 games over the past two seasons due to knee, hip, hamstring, Achilles and lower back injuries. 

Given the fact that injuries were the main culprit in the Lakers lost season, are we sure their best option is to acquire someone with such a troubled recent injury history at the expense of two future first-round picks? Maybe if they only had to include one first but two firsts seems a bit too rich for my blood.

New York Knicks

ESPN’s Bobby Marks mentioned this one on an episode of the Lowe Post Podcast back in January, before the trade deadline. This is your classic example of a “You take my trash and I’ll take yours” trade. Or even better,  a “You take our player who gets booed by the home crowd and we’ll take yours.”  Last summer the Knicks signed Evan Fournier to a 4-year, $78 million contract and Kemba Walker for two years and $18 million. They also re-signed Alec Burks for three years and $30 million and gave Most Improved Player Award winner and former Laker Julius Randle a 4-year, $117 million extension. How’d it turn out? The team had four fewer wins despite having played 10 fewer games and missed the Play-In Tournament. 

Ask any Knicks fan and they’ll tell you they just want to see them play the kids. Any combination involving those four guys for Westbrook represents a chance for the Knicks to hit the reset button and head back out into free agency before R.J. Barrett’s big money extension starts counting against their cap. What’s in it for the Lakers? The chance to not only rid themselves of Westbrook but also the chance to replenish their depth by replacing a roster filled with aging unathletic vets with guys still in their prime, excluding Walker. I don’t hate this trade so long as the Lakers don’t have to add a first-round pick. If they do, I would hope they’d also try to get Derrick Rose as part of the deal.

Charlotte Hornets

Here’s one that has started to pick up some steam in the past several days and I’ve been tweeting about it since January. Jack Fischer of Bleacher Report reported that Gordon Hayward would be interested in a change of scenery. I can’t mention Malcolm Brogdon’s recent injury history without mentioning that Hayward has only played one more game than Brogdon has over the past two seasons because of injuries to his hip, back and both feet. Hayward has two years and $61.5 million left on his deal. The Hornets have Miles Bridges’ restricted free agency as well as the looming rookie extension for P.J. Washington that would start in 2023-24. Bridges, a Klutch client, turned down a 4-year, $60 million extension last year and will be looking for a deal that dwarfs that one.

Would they be interested in swapping out the two remaining years of Hayward’s contract along with Kelly Oubre’s contract for only one year of Westbrook? Oubre only has $5 million guaranteed on a $12.6 million expiring deal. The Lakers would not only rid themselves of Westbrook, but they could then try to move Oubre’s expiring deal for something else if they weren’t interested in keeping him. This is another deal where I would hate to see the Lakers give up both first-round picks. Given Hayward’s injury history, I would hope they could make the trade without including either first. But you have to give up something to get something. 

Oklahoma City Thunder

It was only five years ago when the Oklahoma City Thunder gave Westbrook what was then the richest contract in NBA history, five years and $205 million. Two years later they traded Paul George to the Clippers and then traded Westbrook to the Rockets, beginning a rebuild that has seen them miss the playoffs the past two years while trying to accumulate as many assets as possible. With their current franchise player, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, ready to see his salary increase from $5.5 million this season to $30.5 million next season, the Thunder still have $31 million in cap space that they will lose once the calendar turns to next season on July 1. 

And that brings us to the trade that was mentioned by John Hollinger of The Athletic a couple weeks ago. He proposed a Westbrook with both first-round picks going to the Thunder for Derrick Favors, Ty Jerome and Kenrich Williams. Before you scoff at the trade because of the players coming back, it’s important to note what else the trade would provide the Lakers with.

Unlike the other trades mentioned above, the Lakers wouldn’t have to match with Westbrook’s salary because the Thunder have the cap space to absorb much of Westbrook’s contract. Because of that, the Lakers would get a $34 million trade exception that could be used for up to one year to add players from other teams looking to dump salary without having to give up anything in return. Some realistic targets for use with that exception would be players on small-market teams that are not in contention and looking to shed payroll. That would include the aforementioned Hayward, Hield, Brogdon and Fournier. Others include Orlando’s Gary Harris or Sacramento’s Harrison Barnes.

The salary savings would also get the Lakers under the luxury tax threshold, giving them use of the non-taxpayer mid-level exception (appx. $10.3 million) rather than the taxpayer mid-level exception (appx. $6.3 million). With only a few teams having significant salary cap room to offer free agents, the rest of the league will all be competing for the same free agents, using only their exceptions. The ability to offer a free agent $10.3 million instead of just $6.3 million annually is a huge difference. I should also mention that these exceptions can be split up to be used to sign two players. So the Lakers would be able to use $6 million to sign one free agent and $4.3 million on another. It could also be used to bring back Malik Monk at a salary commensurate to what he’s expected to fetch on the open market.

Hollinger also mentions that the Lakers would regain their ability to use the bi-annual exception, available to teams less than $6 million above the luxury tax limit. The Lakers weren’t able to use the $4 million bi-annual exception last offseason because it can only be used once every two years and they used it on Wesley Matthews in 2020-21. 

As for the players Hollinger mentions, Favors, Jerome and Williams are all under contract for only one more year. Williams is clearly the best of the three. Favors has a $10.2 million player option that he’s sure to exercise for next year that could be used in a future trade. Jerome has a $4.2 million expiring deal that would also help facilitate a trade down the road. 

The last important thing that Hollinger mentions in this trade scenario is that it doesn’t involve either Horton-Tucker or Kendrick Nunn, leaving both available to be used in other trades.

The more I think about the Hollinger trade, the more I think it makes the most sense. As of now, the Lakers are looking at bringing back LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Austin Reaves, Stanley Johnson, Wenyen Gabriel and Mac McClung. They would love to add Malik Monk but might not be able to afford to. Then add Carmelo Anthony as someone who would probably like to come back if the team can present one last chance to win a ring. Add Horton-Tucker and Nunn as two guys under contract who could possibly be traded. Then replace Avery Bradley, Wayne Ellington, Kent Bazemore and DJ Augustin with Favors, Williams, Jerome and whatever you could add with the two cap exceptions and the $34 million trade exception. 

Instead of the top-heavy roster they had this past season with three guys making $121 million, one guy making $9.5 million, one guy making $5 million and literally everyone else on the roster making the league minimum, they would have something that might look like this:

• LeBron James – $44.5 million
• Anthony Davis – $38 million
• Talen Horton-Tucker – $10.3 million
• Derrick Favors – $10.1 million
• Malik Monk – $7 million (of $10.3 million mid-level exception) 
• Kendrick Nunn – $5.3 million
• Ty Jerome – $4.2 million
• Bi-Annual Exception Player – $4 million
• Mid-Level Exception Player – $3.3 million (of $10.3 million mid-level exception)
• Stanley Johnson – $2.4 million
• Kenrich Williams – $2 million
• Wenyen Gabriel – $1.9 million
• Carmelo Anthony – $1.9 million
• Austin Reaves – $1.5 million

This is the type of salary structure they had when they won the championship in 2020. They had a middle-class made up of guys like Danny Green, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and a re-signed Kyle Kuzma. They lost that middle-class when they traded Green for Dennis Schröder, who they let go in free agency along with Matthews, and then traded Caldwell-Pope and Kuzma with Montrezl Harrell for Westbrook. 

The above roster isn’t championship-caliber. Not yet. But it allows for the flexibility and experimentation that the 2021-22 roster never provided not only on the court, but more importantly, with the front office and possible personnel decisions. What Favors, Nunn and Jerome lack as desirable players to other teams they compensate for in being nearly $20 million in expiring contracts. 

At the very least, this deal would still allow them to be the free agent players in the summer of 2023 they would be if they brought Westbrook back next season and just let him leave when his contract expires.

All we can hope for is that the front office is kicking the tires on every potential trade and willing to think outside the box. It’s important to remember that as terrible as last season was, they still have arguably two of the league’s top-10 players and that’s a place that around 25 other teams would kill to be sitting in right now.

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Probable Starters
Jazz: Mike Conley, Donovan Mitchell, Royce O’Neale, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Rudy Gobert
Lakers: Russell Westbrook, Malik Monk, Avery Bradley, LeBron James, Dwight Howard

Injuries
Jazz: Elijah Hughes; Out due to Health & Safety Protocols: Hassan Whiteside; Jared Butler
Lakers: LeBron James (probable); Carmelo Anthony (questionable); Dwight Howard (probable); Anthony Davis (out); Kendrick Nunn (out)

—

The Lakers truly are at a crossroads and until they actually show us they’re going to go down the path where they decide they’re going to play hard and the right way each night, I have to assume they’re going to continue to go down the wrong path. Yes, LeBron James tweeted an apology to Lakers fans with a promise the team will be better. That’s great. Honestly, no snark. But, saying it and doing it are two different things. And while I trust Bron to be able to follow up on whatever he says, the rest of this group does not have that same equity built up to inspire trust they’ll do the same.

So, the Lakers play the Jazz tonight. Utah is a high execution team that tests your defensive commitment and resolve on almost every possession. They’ll put you in the blender and trust that they’ll get a good shot eventually. And, most possessions, they do. The Lakers, then, aren’t really going to stop this team. They’re just not. Their only hope, then, is to keep up with them by scoring a ton and, well, I’m not sure they can.

It would help if Carmelo could play, but until we get an update on him, I’m not sure if that’s the case. It would also help if the Lakers could hit their 3’s, but that’s not been happening of late either. Of course, if the team can get some stops and can spread the Jazz out and make them defend more of the court while drawing Rudy away from the rim, there is a formula. But that likely means playing LeBron even more Center and doing so when Rudy is in the game and it would require Melo to play too, because if Rudy gets to defend Stanley Johnson, you’re not going to achieve the spacing you want even by playing smaller.

Which brings me back to my pessimism about this specific game. The Lakers are in a bad spot tonight. They just are. My only hope, then, is that they compete hard and show the resolve that is implied in LeBron’s tweet. Show me that you care. Or, you know, get your ass kicked. It’s up to you.

Where you can watch: 7:30pm start time on NBA TV and Spectrum SportsNet.

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Probable Starters
Nuggets: Monte Morris, Will Barton, Aaron Gordon, Jeff Green, Nikola Jokic
Lakers: Russell Westbrook, Malik Monk, Avery Bradley, LeBron James, Dwight Howard

Injuries
Nuggets: Will Barton (probable); Austin Rivers (questionable); Jamal Murray (out); Michael Porter Jr. (out); P.J. Dozier (out); Out due to Health & Safety Protocols: JaMychal Green
Lakers: LeBron James (probable); Carmelo Anthony (questionable); Dwight Howard (questionable); Anthony Davis (out); Kendrick Nunn (out)

—

If you look at the Nuggets recent game log, there’s a through line between their wins and their losses. The teams that they beat are either bad or were missing (one or more of) their best player(s) and their losses are against good teams. In their last 10 games, they’re 6 and 4. Their 6 wins: Clippers (by 3, Paul George out), Warriors (by 3, Draymond out), Rockets, Kings, Thunder, Blazers. Their 4 losses: Hornets, Mavs, Jazz, Clippers (lost by 2).

So, while I don’t want to ignore the matchup questions at hand and how those will surely impact the results in this game, there’s a fairly simple way to look at this game. Are the Lakers a good team or are they a bad team? I supposed you could argue that the Lakers are missing one of their best players and they might fall into that other category — but, for now, let’s leave that off the table. The results of this game will offer some insight into how good a team they are.

The Nuggets still have Jokic and several other quality NBA players. They’re playing at home. But the Lakers have LeBron James and Russell Westbrook, and several other quality NBA players too. They’re on the road, but haven’t played since Wednesday night. They just had a “spirited” film session where they went over every defensive mistake against the Kings and their head coach basically said “I want to see better defense on Saturday”. They dedicated nearly their entire practice to preparing to face Jokic, who Vogel called one of the most unique talents in the leauge.

So, again, I don’t know if the Lakers will win this game. But, I sure as hell know they should come out prepared and looking ready to compete. And, with the talent they have available, they, themselves, should come in confident that they can win. With that, I want to see them do it. I just do. Because, honestly, the Nuggets are down a lot of guys and the recent results tell me that a team that is prepared and ready to play hard and that is actually a good NBA team will beat them.

So, I guess, my question to the Lakers is: are you a good NBA team or not? And if the answer is yes, then show me.

Where you can watch: 6:00pm start time on Spectrum SportsNet and NBA TV.

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Probable Starters
Kings: De’Aaron Fox, Tyrese Haliburton, Harrison Barnes, Marvin Bagley, Alex Len
Lakers: Russell Westbrook, Malik Monk, Avery Bradley, Trevor Ariza, LeBron James

Injuries
Kings: Richaun Holmes (out); Tristan Thompson (out); Out due to Health & Safety Protocols: Damian Jones
Lakers: LeBron James (probable); Carmelo Anthony (questionable); Anthony Davis (out); Kendrick Nunn (out)

—

I’m going to keep this short. The Lakers basically got blown out by the Grizzlies in their last game, but had won 4 in a row before that. The teams they’d beaten were not very good overall, but all those games tested the Lakers in specific ways that allowed everyone to feel fairly positive about the direction of the team. The Grizzlies game doesn’t erase that positivity, but it does put it in the proper perspective. Memphis is playing some of the best basketball in the entire league right now, so losing to them isn’t a surprise, but losing to them in the fashion the Lakers did does give us insight into how much work the Lakers still have to do.

Some of that work won’t begin in earnest until Anthony Davis returns. We anticipate an update on his status later this week, and I think the hope is that he’d be back before the end of this month, if not shortly after. The rest of that work, however, can begin now and, really, must begin now.

I thought the game against Memphis was instructive because the Lakers did not play hard enough, lacked focus and were punished for that. Playing smaller, against a physical team or a team that has athletic advantages or against a well coached team, does not allow you to play without focus and/or effort. Some of what happened vs. the Grizzlies was also simply not hitting shots, but more of it was the lack of desire to match the effort and focus that Memphis played with. Against the Kings, that needs to be different. Not because the Kings are as good as the Grizzlies — they’re not. But because being a good NBA team is about building the habits you need to beat other good teams.

As is often said in the NBA world, iron sharpens iron and the Lakers need to be more iron even if their opponent is not. The Kings can be good and they’ve given the Lakers a good showing in every contest they’ve matched up, so I don’t want to disrespect them here. But, they’re not necessarily a good team. The Lakers, then, cannot look to them to set the standard for this game and then simply exceed it. No, the Lakers must shoot for a standard of their own making and it’s one that should be much higher — like the one the Grizzlies set in their game on Sunday night.

So, if you’re looking for me to offer my insight into what I’m looking for in this game, it’s that. And, like the Supreme Court once said to Larry Flynt, you know (that) when you see it. To spell it out, however….

I want to see the Lakers execute defensively. I want to see them make their rotations on the back line, close out to shooters on kick-outs, stay connected and locked in off ball, and generally be where they’re supposed to be when they’re supposed to be there. I want them to take care of the ball offensively, exploit their advantages on offense by attacking mismatches and playing with tempo in the open court, run their sets with purpose and pace, and generally act like they’re committed to the correct process rather than trying to rely on talent.

These are the things that winning teams do, and they do them regardless of opponent quality. The Lakers aren’t a good team every night, but if they want to get to where they’re going, they’ll need to be one more often than they have been through their first 41 games. And, really, you do that by staying aggressive and being smart and playing the right way. The Lakers, to their credit, have been doing more of that lately. It’s why they were winning the games they were, even if the teams they beat weren’t juggernauts. Tonight, then, I want the Lakers to show that them doing those things wasn’t a fluke or based on them playing teams that were not as strong.

And, while it sounds silly when you say it out loud, the what that you do that is by actually doing it. So, let’s see it.

Where you can watch: 7:00pm start time on Spectrum SportsNet.

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Probable Starters
Hawks: Cam Reddish; Delon Wright; Danilo Gallinari; Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot; Clint Capela
Lakers: Russell Westbrook, Malik Monk, Avery Bradley, Trevor Ariza, LeBron James

Injuries
Hawks: Cam Reddish (probable); Trae Young (questionable); John Collins (questionable); Bogdan Bogdanovic (questionable); De’Andre Hunter (out); Solomon Hill (out) Out due to Health & Safety Protocols: Gorgui Dieng; Cameron Oliver
Lakers: LeBron James (probable); Anthony Davis (out); Kendrick Nunn (out); Out due to Health & Safety Protocols: None

—

Happy belated New Year, everyone!

Since I last ranted on Ye Old Preview Desk on Christmas Day, the Lakers have taken the floor six times. Two maddening losses and four enjoyable wins of varying difficulty later, there are – yeah, I’m gonna do it – reasons for optimism. Sure, the team remains mired in the Western Conference muddle, in sixth place, half a game behind Dallas for the #5 seed, and three and a half games ahead of Minnesota, who are ninth.

We’ve recently gotten glimpses of what this roster can do offensively – and probably should continue to do going forward. It’s admittedly a bizarre thing to say about a team playing without its All-NBA center. Then again, rare is the team that loses a big man of Anthony Davis’ caliber (even if he’s not been at his best this season) and has the option to simply slide somehow-still-Peak LeBron James into his place. 

At this point, we know the numbers. In three games since his 37th birthday, LeBron has put up 100 points, with 26 boards, 14 assists, five bocks and four steals, with three turnovers, in a trio of Laker wins. It’s been well chronicled, but LeBron, two decades in the NBA and nearly four decades on Earth, continues to post number are rivaled only by the likes of Mike, Larry, Kareem, Wilt and Elgin. It’s genuinely ridiculous.

Beyond the astounding numbers, LeBron’s move to the middle has facilitated a super-small-ball (and young) shift that poses some rather awkward questions for opposing defenses. LeBron’s awesome strength and rock solid center of gravity have long been ideally suited to posting up. Nothing’s changed there. What’s different here is that opponents have to consider just how big they’re willing to play against a group with no traditional bigs on the floor. When they go small, LeBron is not at all bashful about battering whatever poor wing or guard is tasked with guarding him. When additional defenders show up to lend a hand, his generational passing is on display. All the while, he’s still wreaking havoc from the outside, as evidenced by a 19-of-43 (44.2%) mark on triples over the past four games. 

There’s nothing left to say about this guy beyond “what the hell more is there to say about this guy?” It’s really astounding.

The biggest beneficiaries of the move are hardship signing turned defensive ace and Lakerland darling Stanley Johnson (who’s back on the floor after some salary cap machinations), Austin Reaves (he of the 12-2 record when playing with LeBron) and, especially, Malik Monk. Since his five-game absence due to H&SP, Monk has been a confident, active and versatile weapon on offense. In the six games since his return, he’s scored 20.7 per game – on a LeBron-esque 56.6% from the field and 45.5% from 3 – with an average per-game +/- of +10.7. What’s most encouraging is that, while he’s shooting the ball extremely well, it really doesn’t feel as though he’s playing way over his head. And, given LeBron’s gravitational pull any time he’s on the floor, combined with the attention that Russ – Good or Bad – commands, a steady diet of clean looks and cutting lanes should keep coming Malik‘s way.

Tonight, the Atlanta Hawks are in downtown L.A. for their first meeting of the season with the Lakers. The Hawks rank second in offensive efficiency and are the NBA’s least turnover-prone team, but also the league’s third-worst in defensive efficiency and dead last in forcing turnovers.

Under normal circumstances, the Hawks would pose a massive challenge for the Lakers defensively. And they still might, provided both John Collins (conditioning) and (especially) Trae Young (back), four days removed from an astounding 56 and 14 in Portland, are in the lineup and close enough to 100%. With both – along with Cam Reddish and Bogdan Bogdanovic – listed a game-time decisions, it’s almost impossible to figure out what to make of this team. 

As things currently stand, the Hawks’ best case scenario involves their four best offensive players taking the floor at something below – but close to – 100%, tormenting the Lakers on the pick-and-roll. In reality, this may be a game that Atlanta looks to effectively punt. With a rest day in L.A. before a game against the equally-shorthanded Clippers, before another couple of days off before a home-and-home against the Miami Heat, followed by a stretch of nine of ten games at home, this could very well be a moment for the Hawks to lick some wounds before tackling a portion of the schedule that’s both relatively friendly, but vitally also includes three games against the division rival Heat, and another against the Charlotte Hornets.

I’ve said it before (and before that) and will probably have to frustratedly wade into these waters again in the future, but everything is in place tonight for a comfortable home win and the season’s first four-game win.

Whether this Laker team has a genuinely dominant run it remains an open question, but it’s tough to ignore the sense that is group is turning some manner of corner. 

Apologies in advance for that.

Where you can watch: 7:00pm start time on ESPN and Spectrum SportsNet.

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Probable Starters
Kings: De’Aaron Fox, Tyrese Haliburton, Harrison Barnes, Marvin Bagley, Damian Jones
Lakers: Russell Westbrook, Malik Monk, Avery Bradley, Trevor Ariza, LeBron James

Injuries
Kings: Terrence Davis (questionable); Out due to Health & Safety Protocols: Richaun Holmes, Chimezie
Lakers: LeBron James (probable); Avery Bradley (probable); Anthony Davis (out); Kendrick Nunn (out)

—

This is an important week for the Lakers. They have 3 games, starting tonight vs. the Kings, and a chance to really get some momentum going. They’ve won 3 of their last 4 coming into tonight and a 2-1 or a 3-0 week would do wonders for them, not only in terms of establishing a rhythm, but in helping with the standings. The Lakers are currently only a half-game out of the 5th seed and are within shouting distance (5 games back in the loss column) of the 4th seeded Grizzlies — a team who, coincidentally, is on the docket this week. Making a little push here would be nice.

In saying that, the Kings are also surely watching the standings and are cognizant of their own pursuit of the best seed they can get in the hopes of snagging a playoff berth. They’ve also been frisky of late, themselves winning 3 of 4, including two close ones over the Mavs and the Heat. They’re down a couple of big men, and they’ll surely miss Richaun Holmes tonight — particularly because he’s such a good P&R partner for their guards and is good on the glass. But, this team is still built around their guards and on any given night Fox, Haliburton, and/or Hield can all explode for big numbers. Haliburton has been especially impressive of late, particularly as a distributor, racking up double digit assists in 8 of his last 9 games.

On the Lakers side, I’m very interested to see how the team’s rotation shakes out tonight. With Stanley Johnson’s 10-day contract expiring on Monday, Frank Vogel has some decisions to make in terms of who starts and, related, whether he wants to continue to play small for the entirety of the game. In terms of the starting group, the choices are very likely either Ariza or THT sliding into the spot Johnson was taking. If he chooses THT, that could signal the team will continue to play small, with the Melo/Ariza duo manning the PF/C spots when Bron is out of the game.

However, if Vogel starts Ariza, that could open the door for Dwight to play some minutes and return to his bench big role when Bron rests. If it were me, this would be my choice, particularly because the matchups line up that way with Alex Len and/or Tristan Thompson the Kings backups. Len isn’t the most fleet of foot guy, but he’s a capable post scorer who can also work the offensive boards. Thompson, meanwhile, isn’t the player he once was, but he can still really hurt small lineups on the offensive glass. Neither are floor spacers (Len can shoot it okay, but takes fewer than one 3 per game), which makes for pretty good circumstances for Dwight to get some run tonight.

We’ll see what Vogel decides, of course, especially in the wake of his comments after the win over the Wolves where he was adamant about sticking with the small lineups even when they struggled some on the glass.

Beyond the lineup questions and how those shakeout, the thing I’ll be looking for tonight is to see if Russ can have a big game. In the two previous games between these two teams, Russ scored 29 and 23 points while hitting nearly 50% of his shots from the floor (19-39 over the two games). These aren’t elite numbers by any means, but the Kings don’t really have that physical guard to put on him in their starting lineup and he should be able to find ways to get into the paint on that end. If he can finish well once there, and create good shots for himself and teammates, it would got a long way towards getting his team a needed W. Not to mention, it would help supplement Bron in ways that he could really use after the run he’s been on lately.

Where you can watch: 7:30pm on Spectrum SportsNet and NBA TV.

The post Lakers Game Preview: The Sacramento Kings appeared first on Forum Blue And Gold.

Probable Starters
Timberwolves: Patrick Beverley, Malik Beasley, Anthony Edwards, Jared Vanderbilt, Naz Reid
Lakers: Russell Westbrook, Malik Monk, Avery Bradley, Stanley Johnson, LeBron James

Injuries
Timberwolves: Anthony Edwards (questionable); Taurean Prince (questionable); Jared Vanderbilt (questionable); Out due to Health & Safety Protocols: Karl Anthony-Towns; D’Angelo Russell
Lakers: LeBron James (probable); Anthony Davis (out); Kendrick Nunn (out)

—

So, here’s the thing. Two weeks ago, these same two teams played. The Timberwolves won. The game was on national TV, Karl Towns was mic’d up, and he (and his team) screamed and celebrated like they’d won the super bowl. I don’t really blame them, I’m sure it was a big win for them. They played very well and earned that victory.

In that same game, however, one of the Wolves fell into AD’s knee in the 2nd half and he left the game, not to return. From that moment on, the Lakers looked lifeless, when it really looked as though they were going to make a run to get back into and take control of the game. Of course, whether that would have happened or not will never be known. And, honestly, at this point I don’t really care much about that anyway. AD is still out injured and won’t return for another few weeks, and the team has had to move on without him, further refining their playing style in the process. So, looking backwards to that game doesn’t make a lot of sense.

That said, remembering them acting this way, ¹ wouldn’t be the worst thing either. You see, the Wolves are down bad right now with a bunch of guys out or just coming back from the health and safety protocols. Towns is out, Russell is out, and Edwards is questionable as he gets his conditioning back up. I do expect the latter to play, but missing those other two is meaningful. But, the Lakers should be the last team to weep for anyone missing guys. Still without Davis, they’ve spent the last two weeks dealing with half their roster missing several games and their head coach just got out of protocols too. No one took it easy on them during this stretch and my hope is that they’ll repay that favor tonight.

It’s not the most gracious thing to type that out the way I just did, but as the NBA continues to roll out these games even as rosters are decimated, you simply hope to remain as healthy as you can, get some wins, and go from there. And, on that note, tonight offers a good chance for the Lakers do just that.

And that’s because the Lakers, despite the obvious struggles in the last two weeks, are starting to get closer in several ways. Their health is improving, with only AD and Nunn unavailable now (Rondo is also listed as out, but he’s waiting to be traded to the Cavs in a deal that was reported earlier this week). They’re also fully embracing a style of play that has them playing smaller for longer stretches, leveraging the strongest parts of their roster to play in transition more, shoot more 3’s, and generally dictate the terms of engagement more often. So, while the team is only 2-3 in their last 5 games, both those wins have been blowouts and only the lost to the Spurs was totally disappointing (the other losses were frustrating, to be clear, but the team played relatively well).

So, tonight, if there’s one thing I hope to see it’s the team continuing to find their stride as a small-ball team that gets better on both sides of the floor. Their defense does need to tighten, but my hope is that with Reaves, Ariza, and Bradley back we’ll see more balanced lineups where the groups can defend better for longer stretches. If they can find that better defensive rhythm and continue play free on offense while shooting the ball well, the team can get its feet underneath them. And, if that happens, the results will follow.

Obviously, that’s all seeped in optimism. Things could easily go in a different direction. But, I must say, LeBron is locked in right now and the rest of the team is following suit. And, while Bron won’t score this well and efficiently forever, his attitude and approach has provide a north star to guide the team forward. And it’s that fundamental idea that has me thinking the team will ultimately find its way.

So, here’s to them staying on that path tonight.

Where you can watch: 6:30pm start time on Spectrum SportsNet.

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The Lakers play the Trailblazers tonight, and while I know there’s a lot to discuss — Frank Vogel is back! Trevor Ariza is on the verge of returning! Austin Reaves is available! — I’m not going to discuss any of that.

You see, we’re on the verge of 2022 and basketball just isn’t on my mind right this moment. It’s been a very hard year for so many people (including at times myself, my family, and many of my closest friends) and it’d be weird if, as we transition to a new year when there’s still so much going on in the world, I just sat here and wrote about an NBA game as if that, too, isn’t impacted by all the craziness that is happening right now.

So, I’m not going to. Instead, I just want to say that I’m happy we’ve persevered and made it to this point and that I’m supremely thankful to all of you who have supported me, the site, the podcast, and my work in general. By doing that, you have supported more than just me and there’s not enough words to capture my appreciation for all of that. So, in the most simplest terms, thank you.

But, yes, there is a basketball game tonight. And I hope the Lakers win it. The Blazers still have Dame, but are down a bunch of other guys. The Lakers still have Bron and Russ, and seem to be making strides towards getting more of their team back. I’m hoping for a great result tonight, but even if that doesn’t happen, I still think this team has some juice and has a run in them.

That’s a post for another day, though. For now, then, happy new year. Wherever you are out there, have fun tonight and, most importantly, stay safe.

The post Lakers Game Preview: The Portland Trailblazers appeared first on Forum Blue And Gold.

Probable Starters
Grizzlies: Ja Morant, Tyus Jones?, Desmond Bane, Jaren Jackson Jr., Steven Adams
Lakers: Russell Westbrook, Wayne Ellington, Avery Bradley, LeBron James, Dwight Howard

Injuries
Grizzlies: Sam Merrill; Ziaire Williams; Out due to Health & Safety Protocols: Dillon Brooks, Jarrett Culver, John Konchar, De’Anthony Melton
Lakers: LeBron James (probable); Anthony Davis (out); Kendrick Nunn (out); Austin Reaves (out); Kent Bazemore (out); Out due to Health & Safety Protocols: Trevor Ariza

—

First, the good news: the Lakers won their last game, beating the Rockets after downsizing their lineup and docking their boat on the shores of No Big Island. LeBron started at Center, neither Dwight nor DeAndre played a minute, and team ended up playing Melo and the recently signed Stanley Johnson at the back up 5 spot most of the night. Quite the turn of events for a team that began the season with DeAndre in the starting group next to both AD and Bron in the frontcourt. It was a much needed win, regardless of circumstances, and while there were things I’d have liked to have seen done better, I’ll take the result.

In other good news, both Austin Reaves and Kent Bazemore have cleared the NBA’s health and safety protocols. Neither will play vs. the Grizzlies (recovery/conditioning), but both should be available on Friday. That leaves only Ariza and Frank Vogel as still in the protocols, meaning this team is close to being whole again. Once that happens, the team will need to make some decisions on both Johnson and Darren Collison and whether they’d like to keep them and, if so, how to accomplish that considering the fullness of the roster, but that’s a conversation for another day.

As for the Grizzlies, they’re in a similar spot that the Lakers were in a week ago in terms of health and who’s available/not to play. In Brooks and Melton, they’re down two guys who could viably start at SG next to Ja Morant. In Merrill and Konchar, they’re down two role-player types who have been positive contributors in more limited minutes this season. And then in Culver they’re down a guy who barely played, but had a couple of good shifts against the Lakers the last time these teams played, mostly has a hustle and “try hard” guy who was chasing down 50/50 balls, running the floor, and defending hard.

So, while the Grizz still have plenty of their core guys around — including both Ja and JJJ — they’re not a whole team, particularly in the backcourt. Adjustments will be needed in terms of their rotation and staggering of guys, especially if Tyus Jones ends up starting next to Ja because of all their absences. Related, how this team manages their frontcourt rotation and how they deploy guys like Xavier Tillman, Brandon Clarke, and Kyle Anderson considering how much JJJ will play and that Adams will start is also something to watch. Could the Grizz turn to huge lineups that slide Anderson down to SF? Could they play JJJ, Clarke, and Tillman together in mishmash lineups just to soak up minutes?

These questions are even more important and interesting considering the shifts the Lakers made against the Rockets and how much they’ve been playing smaller in general. While I do not think LeBron will start at C against Adams (though anything is possible, I suppose), I don’t think whoever does start at C (my guess would be Dwight) would play more than two shifts. Which means a team full of bigs (Grizz) will be facing off against a team full of guards/wings (Lakers) in a weird contrast of available talents and style of play. Which side prevails and what groups can succeed vs. their counterparts will be interesting to see play out in real time.

In the big picture, though, this game will pretty much come down to the team’s stars and which duo can impact the game most. On the Grizz side, Morant is a killer and if the Lakers play drop coverages, they’ll die a slow death vs. Ja drives and finishes in the lane. JJJ, meanwhile, will mix between popping for 3’s and diving/posting vs. smaller defenders. My hope, then, is that the Lakers mix in switching and trapping vs. Ja to make him a passer and then send doubles at JJJ when necessary to keep him off balance. The hope, then, is to limit their shot attempts and then hope your defense can be sound enough to keep the likes of Bane and Anderson contained enough to limit the Grizz offense over the course of a full night.

On the Lakers side, Russ and Bron are going to need to dictate the terms of engagement via pace and transition chances. They’ll need to spread the floor and run, spacing them out and trying to get into the paint to finish vs. an emptied paint. They’ll also both need to hit some outside shots (Bron especially), greasing the wheels for those driving lanes to stay clear. If both can have efficient scoring nights, it will also help slot the role players (particularly Monk and Melo) appropriately and, if they can be productive, give the team a chance to keep it close.

Lastly, the Lakers must be better in the possessions game. The Lakers will need to gang rebound defensively, especially vs. the lineups where Adams is in the game. He’s such a load in the paint and he can get the Grizz extra chances that, over the course of the game, add up and force the Lakers to win too many defensive possessions. Additionally, the Lakers need to protect the ball and avoid turnovers. I know, I know…Russ is going to turn the ball over and you just have to live with that some. But, some of the mistakes he (and, to be fair, others) makes can be avoided with better focus. The Grizz are dynamic enough in transition to really hurt the Lakers if they’re turnover happy.

I’m not going to lie — I don’t expect the Lakers to win this game. It’s a back to back vs. a young and hungry Grizz team that will play hard. But, LeBron is playing amazing of late and if the team can commit defensively and hit some 3’s, they’ll have a shot. I’m interested to see what they have in them tonight.

Where you can watch: 5:00pm start time on Spectrum SportsNet and NBA TV.

The post Lakers Game Preview: The Memphis Grizzlies appeared first on Forum Blue And Gold.

Probable Starters
Nets: Patty Mills; James Harden; Bruce Brown, Blake Griffin, Nic Claxton (??)
Lakers: Russell Westbrook, Wayne Ellington, Talen Horton-Tucker, LeBron James, Dwight Howard

Injuries
Nets: Joe Harris; Out due to Health & Safety Protocols: Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Cam Thomas, LaMarcus Aldridge, Day’Ron Sharpe, David Duke, Jr., Kessler Edwards
Lakers: LeBron James (probable); Anthony Davis (out); Kendrick Nunn (out); Out due to Health & Safety Protocols: Malik Monk; Avery Bradley; Austin Reaves; Kent Bazemore; Trevor Ariza

—

As of now, there’s a single one-and-done title in Lakers history. Now, I wasn’t around in 1972, but I imagine the catharsis of hanging that first L.A. banner after seven Finals losses in a decade was enough to ward off any undue entitlement. It’s a genuine one-off.

Take it back to Minneapolis. Twelve years, five titles. Showtime (Magic, at least) lasted twelve years, and included nine Finals trips and five titles. Shaq and Kobe’s eight seasons brought four Finals trips, three rings, and obscene dominance that could be undone by its own authors. Even the harsh reality of 2011 was preceded by three consecutive finals runs two straight titles in a game seven finals win over the Celtics.

However sadly or uncomfortably each ended – Michael Jordan rudely ascending to his throne in 1991, the carnage of the ‘04 Finals, Andrew Bynum’s midair love tap on JJ Barea – each was, unmistakably, an era.

It’s just a damn building. Hell, it’s a damn building that’s still going to be there! It just will no longer serve as a reminder for where to seek out stationary. I know that none of this shit actually matters.

And yet, this sucks.

It’s not that the new name is super lame – though, yes, it is SUPER lame. It’s that this change, at this moment is an all-too-stark reminder of where we’re at with this Lakers team, and just how little there is to fully bank on.

I’m not trying to carelessly pen the conclusion of an as-yet-unwritten story – and I will be delighted if this team proves me wrong – but the Lakers’ 2020 title feels increasingly like a one-off. In fact, it’s going to take a miracle – not a minor miracle, but the genuine article – for four years of LeBron and three years of LeBron and Anthony Davis to yield even two trips to the conference finals. If this is, in fact, the case, it’s tough to work out where exactly this team goes from here.

There’s not a cavalry coming. Sure, improved health and greater continuity will certainly have a positive impact, but it feels willfully naive to see all the we’ve seen and expect this group to morph into the equivalent of a 65-win team.

We waited. Maybe it would be Trevor Ariza. Maybe his was the return that would change everything. Ariza is a solid veteran presence, an all-around excellent pro, and a champion. What he is not is some Ben Wallace-Michael Cooper, ready to be parachuted in, defensive identity in hand. Of course, this was never about Ariza. This is about Hail Mary solutions to embarrassingly obvious fatal flaws.

There are going to be games where the shots aren’t falling. Sometimes you just can’t dial in from three. Sometimes you’re clanging your free throws. Some nights it’s both. However, to combine these normal “off night” issues with a total lack of effort and intensity speaks to a structural problem. It’s the same story before and after every game.

To get 36, 9 and 6 from LeBron, and an efficient, explosive 30 from Russ, and barely stay within 30 of a young, talented, soon to be very good – but hardly elite today – Spurs team is an indictment. To have the entirety of the gameplan rest on the ability – superhuman  as it is – of a 19th-year pro shouldering a load that few in history, at any age, have been able to handle, is a problem. And yet, it’s the Lakers’ only recourse. And, as it proves insufficient, presumably, we’ll inquire as to just how much more can be piled onto LeBron’s plate. How long can the Lakers keep demanding this of him, on basically no rest? Stay tuned, I suppose.

This Christmas, we descend once more into the Uncanny Valley. What was initially pegged as one of the season’s marquee matchups is now LeBron and Russ, minus every other established shooter (save for Carmelo) and wing defender on the roster, against, basically, a Houston Rockets team of recent vintage. With Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving sidelined, one would think that the Lakers should be able to notch a comfortable home win. That may well be what happens but, by now, we’ve learned better than to expect such things.

Where does this all lead? Who knows.

Given what we do know thus far about this team – combined with the fact that almost 20% of the remaining schedule is against the Suns, Jazz and Warriors – maybe it does make sense that we’re not quick to move on from a name that’s been synonymous with success (for all but the Clippers) and provided even modicum of stability.

Where you can watch: 5:00 pm Pacific start time on ABC and Spectrum SportsNet.

The post Lakers Game Preview: The Brooklyn Nets appeared first on Forum Blue And Gold.

Probable Starters
Spurs: Dejounte Murray, Derrick White, Doug McDermott, Keldon Johnson, Jakob Poeltl
Lakers: Russell Westbrook, Wayne Ellington, Talen Horton-Tucker, LeBron James, Dwight Howard

Injuries
Spurs: Zach Collins; Out due to Health & Safety Protocols: NONE
Lakers: LeBron James (probable); Anthony Davis (out); Kendrick Nunn (out); Out due to Health & Safety Protocols: Malik Monk; Avery Bradley; Austin Reaves; Kent Bazemore; Trevor Ariza

—

The Lakers have lost three games in a row, not winning since Austin Reaves hit a game winning 3-pointer in OT against the Mavs last Wednesday. Since then, the disastrous health situation that has been most of the Lakers season only continued, losing Anthony Davis to a knee injury and a COVID outbreak leveling the team. Bad news on that front continued today with Trevor Ariza joining Reaves, Avery Bradley, Kent Bazemore, and Malik Monk on the Health and Safety protocols list and ruled out for tonight’s game vs. the Spurs.

At this point, I’d love to talk X’s and O’s with you and give you some real thoughts on what I hope to see from the Lakers schematically and how they can implement those things vs. this specific Spurs team. Sadly, however, the current Lakers are so limited from an availability standpoint, I fully expect players on 10-day contracts and 2-way players who should be in the G-league to fill key rotation minutes tonight. And, with that being the case, I’ve no clue how you actually gameplan here.

Sure, I get that the Lakers have LeBron and Russ. I get that they have Melo and THT and Ellington. I hope Dwight Howard will be available to play this game after he was a DNP last game even though he’d tested out of the protocols. That’s six players, though (assuming Dwight can play). Six players does not a team make. So, the Lakers are in the position where they’ll need to fill out the rotation with players who would not be part of their lineup under any other circumstances than the ones they’re facing right in this moment. I’m on record that I do not think DeAndre Jordan should play. I also do not think Rondo should play. Jemerrio Jones and Mason Jones and Jay Huff are all fringe NBA players, if that. Isaiah Thomas is probably at NBA level right now and showing he still has some pop, can still score some, and still has good feel offensively. But he’d not even be on a roster if not for the current state of the league.

So, again, gameplanning to account for this mess feels futile. Even with Bron and Russ in tow.

That said, I do have some ideas. I’d limit the rotation to 9 players at the very maximum. I’d play the core 6 I mentioned earlier, I’d choose between Rondo and Thomas (likely choosing Thomas), I’d play Jemerrio Jones, and I’d choose between Mason Jones and Huff (likely choosing Huff). If I could get away without playing that 9th player, I would. But, if I need to give one extra player a break, I’d likely go with a bigger player in order to steal some minutes at Center, and probably in the 1st half, so I could have Bron play an extended shift in the 4th quarter to close the game.

From a rotation standpoint, I’d start Russ, Ellington, THT, Bron, and Dwight. My first subs would be Jemerrio for THT, Thomas for Ellington, and Melo for Dwight. After that, I’d mix and match the rest of the half, always trying to have at least two of Russ, Bron, and THT on the floor at all times to attempt to ensure there was enough shot creation available. From there, maybe play Huff or Mason Jones, but otherwise, neither Rondo nor Jordan has proven they’re capable of summoning their ceiling and, when they’re bad, they can be actively harmful towards the pursuit of winning. ¹

As for the Spurs, they’re playing well lately, have their full squad available, and have already played the Lakers tough this year in two games and that was when the Lakers were much more whole (though missing LeBron in both games). Murray is very much a guard back on the rise after his ACL tear a couple of seasons ago, they have some versatile wings, and, like all Gregg Popovich teams they are well coached and understand their identity. Based on how the Lakers have been playing and who is available, I’d favor the Spurs to win and wouldn’t blink twice.

That said, if LeBron continues to play at the level he has been, Russ can have an impactful game and two of the Ellington, Melo, Thomas trio can get hot, this game could easily go the Lakers way. And then, if THT can bounce back, things could really turn in the Lakers favor. Of course, that’s a lot of if’s and the Spurs are steady enough to simply absorb a few runs from the Lakers and then out-tortoise vs. the hare them to a win. That’s the nature of things right now and as frustrating as it is to admit that, we should be honest with where things are right now.

Now, even in acknowledging that, I do hope the Lakers can continue to play hard and then be rewarded for those efforts. I thought the team played very well against the Bulls and simply came up short. That was followed up by a pretty good 1st half performance vs. the Suns before a 2nd half runaway from a team that was healthier and has much more institutional knowledge to lean on when making a push. So, if the Lakers can keep their focus on the things they can control tonight and play well, I hope the basketball gods reward them with a much needed W.

Where you can watch: 7:30pm start time on Spectrum SportsNet.

The post Lakers Game Preview: The San Antonio Spurs appeared first on Forum Blue And Gold.

Probable Starters
Suns: Chris Paul, Devin Booker, Mikal Bridges, Jae Crowder, DeAndre Ayton
Lakers: Russell Westbrook, Wayne Ellington, Talen Horton-Tucker, LeBron James, Dwight Howard

Injuries
Suns: Frank Kaminsky (out); Abdel Nader (out); Dario Saric (out); Out due to Health & Safety Protocols: NONE
Lakers: LeBron James (probable); Trevor Ariza (probable); Anthony Davis (out); Kendrick Nunn (out); Out due to Health & Safety Protocols: Malik Monk; Avery Bradley; Austin Reaves; Kent Bazemore

—

In this very space a couple of days ago, we talked about the straightforward gameplan that the almost comically shorthanded Lakers needed to employ against the Bulls in Chicago:

Get the game in the books, and get home no less healthy than when you tipped off. Ideally LeBron and Russ could provide enough to squeeze past a Bull team playing without Zach LaVine, but the top priority is to get home safe.

Now, if we set aside the fact that the Lakers had to leave head coach Frank Vogel and Kent Bazemore in Chicago for Protocol Reasons, and the fact that, prior to that matchup, we learned that AD will be absent for the next month, they just about got there. 

The Lakers were (understandably) sloppy in the first quarter, though, and despite just two points from LeBron, they did enough to stay within six. After that brutal first period (3-of-11 shooting), LeBron and Russ found their stride. With controlled aggression, they got into the lane to power the Lakers (along with Carmelo and IT, the four combined for 29, on 12-of-19 shooting, and 9 assists) to a 37-point second quarter. Despite a 10-2 turnover disadvantage and just four first half free throw attempts to the Bulls’ 13, the Lakers went into the break down just two.

After the break, with neither side able to hit much of anything, LeBron stepped up and shouldered load. He poured in 12 in the third quarter to stake the Lakers a one-point lead heading into the fourth quarter.

Their fourth quarter effort, however, which included a combined 21 from LeBron, Russ and Melo, was undone by a total lack of scoring support (DeAndre Jordan and Rondo, with five combined points, were the only other fourth quarter scorers), five turnovers and ten personal fouls, which resulted in eleven free throw attempts, of which the Bulls made ten. 

In the end, thanks to the efforts of a four ex-Agelenos – Compton’s (and USC’s) DeMar DeRozan (38 points without making a 3-pointer; 11-of-24; 16-of-17 from the free throw line, a terrorizing 19 points in the 4th quarter), another ex-Trojan, Nikola Vucevic (19 and 13 rebounds), and former Lakers Lonzo Ball (19, 4 and 4) and Alex Caruso (17 and 9 rebounds) – the Bulls had enough to take over down the stretch and secure a five-point win.

Under the circumstances, the Lakers put forth a more than respectable performance. LeBron maintained his post-Detroit dustup form, dominating in the lane, making 11 of 21 shots for 31 points, which he paired with 14 rebounds and 6 assists. Russ stuffed the box score (9 rebounds and 8 assists) and was fairly efficient as a scorer, hitting for 20, on 9-of-19. We should note that he did miss four of six free throws and turn the ball over six times. Meanwhile, Carmelo (21 points, 5-of-12 on 3-pointers, and 5 rebounds) provided the spacing and scoring punch that’s so desperately need from him. 

Of course, on the road, with more than half of your team missing, against a talented and rested (the Bulls’ two previous games had been postponed) opponent, you simply need a little something extra. Isaiah Thomas had a decent showing in his second game back, with 13 points on 11 shots in 32 minutes. However, the Laker simply did not have any other “extra” to give. 

A bit of good news from Sunday is that not only did Trevor Ariza make it back onto the floor — albeit in a limited role (15 minutes, 1-for-1, 3 points, 2 assists) — he looked comfortable, and later confirmed that he felt good. It was always going to be vital that Ariza’s return go smoothly. However, with COVID taking such a toll on the roster, a lot is going to be asked of Ariza in very short order. In other news that refreshingly falls on the positive side of the ledger, both Dwight Howard and Talen Horton-Tucker have cleared Health & Safety Protocols and should be available to start tonight against the Suns tonight. Suffice it to say, the Lakers need all the help they can get.

The Suns are simply a juggernaut. After starting the season 1-3 (that one win coming at Staples, over the Lakers), the Suns have won 23 of 25 games. Interestingly, their two losses since the opening week of the season have come in California… No. The Lakers are in big, big trouble.

An absolute buzzsaw of an outfit, the Suns are coming off of a 31-point pasting of the Hornets in Phoenix on Sunday, in which just one of their guys spent even half an hour on the floor (Mikal Bridges; 30 minutes, 25 seconds), no one topped 16 points (though nine guys had at least 11), six guys made at least two 3-pointers (five made at least 40% of their attempts), five guys had at least six rebounds (DeAndre Ayton led the way with 15), four (including three starters) handed out at least five assists, and seven of eight guys who logged at least twenty minutes had no more than one turnover. Three days prior, they’d notched a 20-point win over the Wizards that was eerily similar, if marginally less dominant. 

There are really no nits to pick with this group right now. Chris Paul, once again, will finish top-six in MVP voting. Devin Booker is All-NBA. DeAndre Ayton remains a hilariously efficient inside force. Mikal Bridges is a quintessential 3-and-D guy. And Jae Crowder combines enough of the personalities of each to be a perfect binder.

Not only does coach Monty Williams know what his best lineup is, he’s got the resources to not skip a beat when a key piece is missing. Ayton’s out for eight games? Plug in JaVale. Devin Booker’s hamstring costs him seven? Landry Shamet is a more than capable stopgap. And, when they’re at full strength, as they are now – with NO ONE in Health & Safety Protocols, and no one more significant than Frank Kaminsky (10.6 points and 4.7 rebounds in nine games this season) missing – dealing with that starting unit, with McGee, Shamet, Cam Johnson and Cam Payne backing them up is a hell of a tall order.

What we said about the Lakers prior to the game in Chicago – basically, “survive and ensure no further damage to the roster” – largely applies here. Sure, a team with LeBron, Russ, and a veteran supporting cast that’s returning to health always has a chance. That being said, it’s tough to build a legitimate case for why this Laker team right now should best the reigning Western Conference champions at the peak of their powers.

There’s going to come a day soon when we’re no longer pre-justifying losses and toasting moral victories. In meantime, we’ll do well to maintain a reasonable grasp on reality. 

Where you can watch: 7:00pm Pacific start time on TNT.

The post Lakers Game Preview: The Phoenix Suns appeared first on Forum Blue And Gold.

Probable Starters
Bulls: Lonzo Ball; Alex Caruso; DeMar DeRozan; Javonte Green; Nikola Vucevic
Lakers: Russell Westbrook, Wayne Ellington, Chaundee Brown?; LeBron James; DeAndre Jordan

Injuries
Bulls: Patrick Williams (out); Out due to Health & Safety Protocols: Zach LaVine; Derrick Jones, Jr.; Ayo Dosunmu; Matt Thomas; Alize Johnson; Troy Brown, Jr.
Lakers: LeBron James (probable); Trevor Ariza (questionable); Anthony Davis (out); Kendrick Nunn (out); Out due to Health & Safety Protocols: Talen Horton-Tucker; Malik Monk; Dwight Howard; Avery Bradley; Austin Reaves; Kent Bazemore

—

It’s not uncommon for me to declare that a particular team, player or game “defies conventional analysis”. A good chunk of the time, I say this in an attempt to sound pithy or clever. Most of the rest of the time, I’m trying to preemptively excuse myself for feeling like getting my hands super dirty with actual analysis. In a moment, you may be inclined to level this very accusation at me. If you do, I won’t argue with you.

BUT SERIOUSLY, this IS a game that defies conventional analysis.

This evening, the Lakers are in Chicago to take on a Bulls team that’s playing its first game in a week having after having its roster decimated by COVID cases and Health and Safety Protocols. Tonight, a week after getting drubbed by the Heat in Miami, they’re back on the floor. Sure, they’ve had to postpone a home date with the Pistons and a trip to Toronto. And sure, they’re without one of their top two guys in Zach LaVine, plus a couple of rotation pieces in Derrick Jones Jr. and Ayo Dosunmu. On the bright side, DeMar DeRozan, Nikola Vucevic and Lonzo Ball are all good to go. A shorthanded team could do far worse. 

At the same time, these guys have had a bizarre week, and may need a moment to reacclimate to hoops a usual. Trying to regain rhythm and continuity after a completely unexpected extended layoff, in absence of a frontline star and a fair bit of depth, is a tall order. 

And then we’ve got the Lakers.

It’s been three weeks since LeBron’s dalliance with The Protocols kickstarted the Lakers’ own odyssey. So, he was out for Sacramento on November 30, and presumed to be out for 10 days… until he wasn’t. Everything was cool for a couple of weeks, until it was Russ. Like LeBron, he was in, didn’t miss a game, and then he was back.

In the meantime, Talen Horton-Tucker tested positive for COVID, and was joined on the Protocols roll call by Dwight Howard and Malik Monk. Then it was Avery Bradley. And then, on the heels of the apex of his young NBA career in Dallas – and the heartwarming, if wildly high-risk group hug that followed it – Austin Reaves was added to the list. And, just today, Kent Bazemore was added to the list. Add to that, of course, the non-COVID-related absences of Trevor Ariza (who should be back in the next week or two), Kendrick Nunn (who’s own flirtation with the Protocols has ended, likely with a false-positive) and Anthony Davis, and you’re dealing with a giant mess.

Welcome to basketball in the Uncanny Valley. Two teams of guys, playing the game they played their entire lives, five-on-five, and on 94’ by 50’. And yet…

What exactly is there to analyze here? 

The gameplan tonight is a simple one: Get home safe. That’s priority #1. Get. Home. Safe.

Sure, the hope is that LeBron and Russ are clicking sufficiently to scrape out a win. But, with more than half of the roster unavailable, simply sustaining no new losses is a win in its own right. 

This isn’t the usual standard of expectations in Lakerland. But then, what’s usual these days?

Where you can watch: 5:00pm start time on Spectrum SportsNet.

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Probable Starters
Timberwolves: Patrick Beverley, D’Angelo Russell, Jarred Vanderbilt, Malik Beasley, Karl Anthony-Towns
Lakers: Russell Westbrook, Avery Bradley, Wayne Ellington, LeBron James, Anthony Davis

Injuries
Timberwolves: Anthony Edwards (out; Health and Safety Protocol); Taurean Prince (out; Health and Safety Protocol)
Lakers: Talen Horton-Tucker (out; Health & Safety Protocol); Malik Monk (out; Health & Safety Protocol); Dwight Howard (out; Health & Safety Protocol); Austin Reaves (out; Health and Safety Protocol); Avery Bradley (out; Health and Safety Protocol); Trevor Ariza (questionable); Kendrick Nunn (out)

—

Honestly, the ups and downs of the last 24 hours require me to just say that my head is spinning and I really do not have much insight into what this game will be or how it will go.

To summarize, since the Lakers last played a game — where Austin Reaves hit a game winning 3 pointer in OT vs. the Mavs — the Lakers lost Russell Westbrook and Avery Bradley to the NBA’s health and safety protocols, got Malik Monk back from those same protocols, got Russ back from the protocols, lost Monk back to the protocols, and then lost Austin Reaves to the protocols.

They also officially signed Isaiah Thomas to a 10-day contract using a “hardship exception” because the team has so many players out/expecting to miss at least 3 games. Oh, and Trevor Ariza was upgraded to questionable for tonight’s game, but doesn’t seem likely to play.

On the other side of things, the Timberwovles have lost both Anthony Edwards and Taurean Prince to the protocols, leaving them shorthanded too, but not enough to get anyone’s sympathies associated with the Lakers considering their current lot in life.

So, honestly, if you’re looking for analysis about what this game might look like or how the matchups are going to go or what some potential X’s and O’s I might be looking at as important, you’re not going to get much of that from me today. No, I’m mostly worried about the well being of the players — and, honestly of Mychal Thompson and Bill MacDonald, both of whom have tested positive in the last several days too — and hoping for mild or asymptomatic cases or, if that’s not possible, quick recoveries.

What I will say about the game, though, is that as depleted as the Lakers are and as much as fringe rotation players (as well as IT) will be pressed into duty, the Lakers still have Bron, AD, and Russ available. Those three can, hopefully, play well and set a tone and tenor for how shifts will go when they’re on the floor. All of those dudes are more than capable of extending their minutes for one night or, at the very least, carrying a bit of a heavier burden in order to lighten the load on role players in ways that help make their lives easier.

And, if LA’s 3 stars can, in fact, pick up the slack of having so many of their role players out, with Edwards out for the Wolves, some of the matchups begin to tilt even more heavily in the Lakers favor. Bron and AD should be able to take turns defending KAT and Russ should be able to find his way vs. the Wolves guards. I’d hope to see the Lakers continue to exploit their ability to attack the paint and, on the other end, show enough defensive versatility and hustle to slow down the Wolves’ scorers while also getting back to the glass. Those efforts, though, must be replicated by everyone on the roster and that is where some of the role players like DeAndre, Melo, Ellington, et al will need to do more than they’re accustomed.

This would also be a game where I’d hope Chaundee Brown could steal a shift or two, bringing some of that energy and defensive spirit to help propel the team forward — particularly if they’re looking a bit hampered or run down physically in the 2nd half. This is, after all, an all-hands-on-deck situation for the Lakers and everyone will need to be ready to give their all in whatever minutes present themselves.

Where you can watch: 7:00pm start time on Spectrum SportsNet and ESPN.

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Probable Starters
Mavericks: Jalen Brunson; Reggie Bullock; Dwight Powell; Dorian Finney-Smith; Kristaps Porzingis
Lakers: Russell Westbrook, Avery Bradley, Wayne Ellington, LeBron James, Anthony Davis

Injuries
Mavericks: Luka Don?i? (out); Sterling Brown (out); Willie Cauley-Stein (out)
Lakers: Talen Horton-Tucker (out; Health & Safety Protocol); Malik Monk (out; Health & Safety Protocol); Dwight Howard (out; Health & Safety Protocol); Trevor Ariza (out); Kendrick Nunn (out)

—

Whether positively or negatively, previewing these Lakers’ games is a fairly straightforward exercise. When the world is on fire, we can almost always point to some combination of attention to detail, defensive intensity, and the superstars needing to play like superstars. Conversely, on those glorious, if (thus far) fleeting occasions when things are humming along, in all likelihood it’s because the superstars are playing like superstars. Sure, the defense, bench contributions, secondary playmaking and other X factors play a role, and certainly dissected after the fact. However, is this team is going to have even a modicum of meaningful success, at least one of LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook must be firing on all cylinders 

Over the past three weeks, it’s been LeBron stepping to the fore. That, in and of itself isn’t a great shock, but the extent to which he’s dominated of late – and the joy with which he’s doing it – are noteworthy. Since his one-game suspension following the dustup in Detroit, Bron has taking part in eight games (recall that he did miss another in Sacramento, during his brief sojourn into the Health & Safety Protocols). In those eight games, five of which have been Laker wins, LeBron is averaging basically 30, 7 and 8, with over a steal and a half per game. In the victories, he’s been incredible, averaging 33 points, on 58.3% shooting and 46.1% from 3, with 7.2 assists and over a block and a half (with 5 in the last two) per game.

Of course, there were still a pair of maddening losses, to the undermanned Memphis Grizzlies, and to a Clippers team that, prior to seeing the Lakers, was struggling and seemingly running on fumes. For the time being, though, we can put those frustrations on the back burner as, thanks to the efforts of their Big Three, the Lakers ran the Celtics off the Staples Center floor, before LeBron and a less-prolific-but-more-efficient Russ, in Anthony Davis’ absence, easily dispatched of a pair of cellar dwellers – one of whom, it must be said, had beaten them twice already this season – to climb to two games above .500 for the first time in a month.

The Lakers are back on the road tonight, in Dallas, to take on a Mavericks team with a similarly disappointing record that, for much of the early season, flattered their actual play. Though the Mavs come in having won three of their last four, it’s worth noting that their record over the past month is just 5-9, with a single win – an overtime win on November 23 in L.A. against the Clippers – that could be deemed “impressive”. Their recent “hot streak” has come at the expenses of the shorthanded Grizzlies (who, yes, did beat the Lakers), the no-longer-feisty Thunder, and a Charlotte Hornets team beset by Health & Safety Protocol absences.

The 14-13 Mavs sit seventh in the West, tied with the Nuggets, half a game behind the Lakers. Their Mavs’ is now far more representative of their play (Pythagorean wins put their “expected” record at 13-14), as they rank in the NBA’s bottom third in offensive efficiency (20th), and are completely averaged in both defensive efficiency (14th), Net Rating (14th), SRS (16th; again, SRS is a Basketball Reference stat that rates performances as above/below average, based on point differential and strength of schedule).

Compounding their issues is the fact that they themselves are now shorthanded tonight. Most importantly, of course, their offensive engine, Luka Don?i?, is out nursing an injured ankle, but it’s worth mentioning that the Mavs are also marginally thinner up front, with Willie Cauley Stein out for personal reasons. With LeBron completely dialed in and dominant, and AD back in the lineup, they could have used all the help they could get.

We’d be completely remiss to gloss over the Lakers’ own severely diminished roster. It’s been revealed that not only is Talen Horton-Tucker, who’d tested positive for COVID, is now in the Health & Safety Protocols, but he’s joined there by Dwight Howard and Malik Monk. THT, who recently broke out of a mini-slump and has not only been playing well, but playing very well alongside LeBron, will, of course, be missed. However, it’s the loss of Howard that could complicate matter for the Lakers. With Anthony Davis probably not at 100%, we’re likely in for some combination of LeBron at the 5 and more DeAndre Jordan then we’re in the market for. As the Mavs don’t have a front line that will punish the Lakers, this, isn’t an unsurmountable issue, though it’s certainly not ideal.

Now, this is typically the part of the preview what we talked about marginal advantages and the little bits here in there that could help the Lakers over the top. Sure, wining the “little things” battle will help. It always does. HOWEVER…

With Anthony Davis back in the lineup, all three of the stars are going to be available tonight. The Mavs’ biggest star is not. The superstars need to be superstars.

There’s little doubt that LeBron will bring the effort and production that he’s put forth since that bizarre night in Detroit, which just won him the conference’s Player of the Week award. Provided Anthony Davis’ knee isn’t bothering him too much, tonight’s matchup sets up ideally for AD, who’ll have the opportunity attack some combination of Kristaps Porzingis, Dorian Finney-Smith and Josh Powell.

And Russ? Well, his mandate is a simple one: maintain his energy and efficiency, limit errors, and, every bit as importantly, make life as difficult as possible for Jalen Brunson. With Luka out of the lineup, the Lakers must disrupt the Mavs’ rhythm early and often, and frustrating Brunson – who’s played very well all season – is key. With no Luka for the Mavs to turn to, frustrating Brunson and consistently attacking Porzingis should be more than enough to ascend to the lofty heights of “three games over .500” for the first time since last season.

Where you can watch: 4:30 pm Pacific start time on ESPN and Spectrum SportsNet.

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Probable Starters
Magic: Cole Anthony, Gary Harris, Franz Wagner, Wendell Carter, Mo Bamba
Lakers: Russell Westbrook, Avery Bradley, Talen Horton-Tucker, LeBron James, Anthony Davis

Injuries
Magic: Michael Carter-Williams (out); Jalen Suggs (out); Jonathan Isaac (out); Markelle Fultz (out); E’twan Moore (out)
Lakers: Anthony Davis (questionable); LeBron James (probable); Trevor Ariza (out); Kendrick Nunn (out)

—

There’s a famous scene in the Matrix where Neo is in a subway station and about to escape the Matrix after he and Trinity rescued Morpheus from the Agents’ infested corporate building they were holding him hostage. Before he can escape, though, an agent appears and does not allow Neo to leave. Rather than run from the Agent, however, Neo stays to fight. Trinity, who is now safe and back on their ship, turns to Morpheus and asks “what is he doing?!” and Morpheus delivers one of the most well known lines in the entire franchise when he says, “he’s beginning to believe.” Then all hell breaks loose.

Anyways, as I sit down to write about the Lakers playing the 5-22 Orlando Magic on a Sunday night in the middle of December, I wonder if I, like Neo, am beginning to believe. Only, instead of talking about being “The One”, I’m thinking about the Lakers and them, potentially? actually? being a good NBA team now.

As I wrote in my last game preview, the Lakers have not deserved the benefit of the doubt. They’ve done too little to engender real faith and, in fact, have actively encouraged all observers to think the worst of them. For most of this season they’ve been no fun to watch, much less root for. They’ve been allergic to doing the little things that help you win, have been wonderful frontrunners who love to take their foot off the gas the moment they smell real superiority over an opponent, and have lacked resolve when teams come back on them.

So, as much as I love the Lakers, this team has been easy to loathe on too many nights.

Of course, in that same game preview, I also wrote that I believed the Lakers are getting closer. Closer to being a good team by embracing the things that will, ultimately, make them be good and then going out and doing them more.¹ Whether it’s playing more good lineups, playing fewer of the harmful players at all (or for fewer minutes when needed), or schematically tweaking a few things here and there to make their own lives just a smidge easier, the Lakers were looking more and more like the team we thought they could be.

They were most of these things again on Friday night against the same lowly Thunder team that had kicked their asses via monstrous comeback wins twice already this season. The result was a blowout win that was, this time, carried through to the final buzzer rather than given away at some point earlier. This was, in the most simple terms, progress.

So, here I am beginning to believe. Am I all the way there? No, I’m not. We’ve all been too scarred by this team in this first quarter of the season for any one performance to wipe away what we’ve all witnessed to this point.

But, I can say that in the team’s last 5 games the’ve got my attention. Yes, they’re only 3-2 in those games and one of those was a particularly bad loss to the Grizz where this team fell back into the same “we’re not going to play hard” mode that has been particularly frustrating this season. But, the win over the Kings was a good one. As was the win over the Celtics. Even the loss to the Clippers offered some positives. And now a blowout win vs. the Thunder that, while it should have been a blowout, wasn’t in the other times those teams played this year. So…yeah.

Tonight’s game vs. the Magic offers another chance of the Lakers to show us what type of team they actually plan to be this season. Orlando is scrappy and they have some good young players. But, they’re not a good team. They’ve won 5 times in 27 tries and this is the 2nd night of a back to back and their final game in a 5 game road trip. They’ll stretch the floor with their bigs, shoot a ton of 3’s, and try to race the floor and score in transition. They’ll try to introduce variance into the game because, again, they’re not a good team and variance is what can get you a win.

The Lakers, though, should win this game. They just should. But, in saying that, they have to show that they actually are becoming the team they purport to be. The team that can enforce their collective combination of skill and power on an inferior opponent to win. And, if they do that tonight, I might just start to believe a little bit more.

Where you can watch: 6:30pm start time on Spectrum SportsNet.

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Probable Starters
Thunder: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Lu Dort, Josh Giddey, Darius Bazley, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl
Lakers: Russell Westbrook, Avery Bradley, Talen Horton-Tucker, LeBron James, Anthony Davis

Injuries
Thunder: None
Lakers: Anthony Davis (questionable); LeBron James (probable); Trevor Ariza (out); Kendrick Nunn (out)

—

The Lakers do not get our collective benefit of the doubt. So, on the 2nd night of a back to back, against an OKC team that has found a way to kick their tails both times they’ve played, with AD now questionable because of a sore knee, and them being still so up and down that they are the ultimate “two steps forward, two steps backwards” team in the league, predicting them to win tonight would be silly. Can they win? Sure. Will they? Who the hell knows.

Because in the big picture, this Lakers team is not reliable. They’re not dependable. They’re not a team that does any one thing well enough that it can be a core part of their identity. It’s certainly not “play hard” or “take care of the ball” or “defend with spirit”. On any given night, sure, they’ll do these things. They might also be a “hit shots” team or a “get to the rim” team or a “force turnovers” team. When they’re all of these things on the same night, they look like they can compete for a championship. But, because you cannot rely on them to be any of them, you have a team that’s .500 on the year through 26 games.

So, tonight, they play the Thunder and maybe they’ll play hard, maybe they won’t. Maybe they’ll get stops, maybe they won’t. Maybe they’ll remember that this team has come back from big deficits both times to win games, leaving them embarrassed both times and it will inspire a strong effort. Maybe, maybe, maybe.

That’s really the story of this Lakers team this season. A bunch of maybe’s. And, honestly, if they don’t start to figure out what type of team they’re really going to be, it will be the story of their entire season. Maybe tonight that changes — oh, I did it again. But their season won’t change until it’s more than just a thing that is possible on one night vs. a guarantee on most nights.

So, let’s see what they offer to us vs. the Thunder. I’d say I’m optimistic — because I really do think they’re getting closer. But, I’d really like for them to show that they believe it to by going out and actually doing it.

Where you can watch: 5pm start time on Spectrum SportsNet.

The post Lakers Game Preview: The Oklahoma City Thunder appeared first on Forum Blue And Gold.

Probable Starters
Celtics: Dennis Schröder, Marcus Smart, Jayson Tatum, Robert Williams, Al Horford
Lakers: Russell Westbrook, Talen Horton-Tucker, LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Dwight Howard

Injuries
Celtics: Jaylen Brown (out)
Lakers: Avery Bradley (probable); Trevor Ariza (out); Kendrick Nunn (out)

—

I resisted for as long I could. Actually, I didn’t. 

It’s time to invoke the 2012-13 “tHiS iS gOiNg To Be FuN” squad.

Last time out, on the heels of an impressive win over the Kings – on the heels of a less impressive home win over the Pistons – I did everything except declare a fresh start to the season. 

It wasn’t planned, but once I got into it, I knew damn well what was happening. Rather than pull out of that plunge into childlike optimism, I decided to roll the dice, on the chance that the Lakers’ first blowout win in more than seven months might spark some positive momentum, born of the realization among the members of this team that they are, in fact, an exceptional collection of talents, with a lifetime of experience in overwhelming and overpowering lesser opposition. All in time for a tight loss to a struggling Clipper team that seemed to have just enough at every turn. 

There just doesn’t seem to be another gear. Rather, there is another gear, but the location of the gear shift itself is often a closely-guarded secret, and seldom the same from one day to the next.

Sure, of the five future Hall of Famers on this roster, not one is currently at his respective peak. But it doesn’t take five greats to put together a solid run of good play. Hell, there are teams in the NBA that don’t even employ three future Hall of Famers who’ve managed to strong together as many three straight strong performances this season. Or win more than, like, two games, anywhere on the schedule, comfortably.

If there’s a positive to be taken from the first third of this season, it’s that the vibes around this team are good bit better than those around the 2013 team. These Lakers are neither a joyless group, nor do they lack for affection for one another. If fact, this seems a group that wants nothing more than to have a great time. Unfortunately, their stretches of joy all seem to be nestled in broader disappointment. And there’s really nothing in these maddening performances to suggest that things are about to markedly improve.

Welcome, for one last time to Staples, the eternal rivals, the Boston Celtics. Like the Clippers before them, the Celtics encounter the Lakers while in the midst of a nine-games-in-20-days stretch, in which their only consecutive games in the same building will take place tonight, and tomorrow, at 11th and Fig.

The teams last met November 19 in Boston, with the Lakers sitting at .500, and the Celtics a game below. The first quarter of that game, like so many an odd quarter here and there, was an intoxicating example of what this Laker team might be. Even in the absence of consistent or effective execution on defense, the Lakers offense was captivating, with Anthony Davis in complete command, LeBron James every bit as masterful, if a bit more subdued, Carmelo Anthony and Malik Monk providing an additional spark, and Russ providing energy and, along with Rajon rondo, facilitating.

Of course, after that awesome twelve minutes, the Lakers proceeded to abandon all intensity and spent the remainder of the evening  getting their doors blown off, but, hey, at least it was proof of concept… right??

In the almost three weeks since, the C’s have won five of eight, and now sit at 13-11 – only good enough for eighth in the Eastern Conference, but better off than before. The barely-above-water record masks the fact that the Celtics rank in the NBA’s top half in offensive efficiency (13th), defensive efficiency (10th), Net Rating (9th), SRS (10th; SRS is a Basketball Reference stat meant to indicate above/below average performance based on average point differential and strength of schedule) and Pythagorean wins (also 10th, with an “expected” 14-11 record).

The Lakers, meanwhile, have treaded water, beating the Pacers, the Kings and the Pistons twice, while falling to the Knicks, Kings and Clippers. Despite a near-identical record to that of the Celtics, the Lakers rank in the league’s top half only (and only barely) in defensive efficiency (15th), and in the bottom third in offense (23rd), Net Rating (22nd), SRS (25th), and Pythagorean wins (22nd), with an expected 11-13 record.

Typically, I’d harp on how, on top of all of that, the friendliest portion of the schedule is long gone, but then I’d have to mention the combined 1-3 mark against the Thunder and the Kings. 

No, instead, I’ll do the thing that surely is not going to get old as this season wears on: scream from the mountaintops (or at least a sixth-floor window), that the Lakers’ great players simply must need to be great, for something resembling a sustained stretch. 

Anthony Davis is, as he always is, excellent. Unfortunately, he is also in an unending tug-o-war with a variety of nagging injuries. There is precious little to be done about that latter part, but when he is on the floor, he’s got to constantly keep front and center in his mind exactly who he is, and set about brutalizing whoever is tasked with trying to check him. The team that he worked like a speed bag for twelve minutes eighteen days ago (on what is effectively an almost-month-long road trip) would be a decent place to start.

Otherwise, LeBron, who’s no longer a consistent stopper on defense, must at least contribute more of an effort on that end. And Russ needs to maintain his energy and pick his spots, while limiting error. See? Easy!

Just like getting into shape is easy, right? Eat better and work out regularly. DUH.

In all seriousness, this team’s road to writing the ship should be a fairly straightforward one. And yet, opportunity after opportunity comes and goes, and we find ourselves basically where we started.

As the NBA is stubbornly insistent on playing out the remainder of this season regardless of the Lakers’ travails, we’d might as well make some effort to steer clear of the dark place and declare that all hopes of contention are dead. At some point, though, it would be nice to see more than a half of play that suggests we’re not all insane.

Where you can watch: 7:00 pm start time on TNT.

The post Lakers Game Preview: The Boston Celtics appeared first on Forum Blue And Gold.

Probable Starters

Clippers: Reggie Jackson, Eric Bledsoe, Paul George, Marcus Morris Sr., Ivica Zubac

Lakers: Russell Westbrook, Talen Horton-Tucker, LeBronJames, Anthony Davis, Dwight Howard

Injuries & Suspensions

Clippers: Amir Coffey (questionable); Nic Batum (out); Kawhi Leonard (out)

Lakers: LeBron James (probable); Avery Bradley (probable); Anthony Davis (questionable); Trevor Ariza (out); Kendrick Nunn (out)

——

Stop me if you’ve heard this before…

Last time out, the Lakers, without LeBron James – this time ruled out on gameday, for a minimum of ten days* after a positive COVID test – played down to the level of inferior competition, and went into halftime with far more questions than answers. But then…

Thanks to some pointed words from Frank Vogel and, probably, a vague recollection of what good basketball feels like, the Lakers returned with a second half performance that we’ve to expect from the opposition. Within seven minutes, Sacramento’s nine-point lead was gone. Less than three minutes later, the Lakers led by eight. The lead was thirteen by quarter’s end, and never dipped below eleven as the Lakers cruised to a 25-point win.

Anthony Davis played well – 25, 7, 3 assists, and two apiece blocks and steals – and efficiently – 12-of-22 shooting, only a single turnover – but didn’t really blow anyone away. Russ was, basically, Russ: 23 points, on 9-of-21 (1-of-5 from 3), 5 rebounds, 6 assists, and 4 turnovers. And Malik Monk was damn good – 22, 4 and 4 with six made 3-pointers in 33 minutes. Otherwise, Dwight Howard, Carmelo Anthony and Wayne Ellington combined for 35 on 22 shots. Really good, but not mind-blowing. Dwight had 13 boards, and outstanding on defense (beyond combining with Ellington for five steals), but none of that individually is dislodging your eyeballs from their sockets.

Once upon a time, such a result against a lottery mainstay was thoroughly unremarkable. We’d probably have spent more time griping about the sad first half than celebrating the righting of the ship. You know why? Because it was businesslike. Basically, twenty-four uninterrupted minutes of the better team, playing better ball – especially on defense – and removing all doubt. That’s it. Sustained effort on defense, reasonable efficiency on offense, and a sane number of turnovers. Nothing to see here. 

In all seriousness, the 40-8 run that blew the game open is worth celebrating, but really only for the reasons above. That’s what focused defensive effort from superior talent does.

You’ll hopefully excuse my gushing. An actual, a real-life mundane blowout win is a rare commodity ‘round these parts.

Tonight, the Lakers are back in L.A., and ready to take on the Clippers in the final edition of the “hallway series” before Staples is rebranded with a moniker I’ve got no interest in typing out.

The Clippers themselves are having a rough go of it in 2021-22, hovering, like the Lakers, around .500. Since the seven-game win streak that brought their record to 8-4, the Clips have dropped seven of eleven, including the last three by an average of more than fourteen per game, and sit at 11-11. In fairness, that last defeat came with Paul George getting his first rest of the season. At the same time, this is the team that they’ve got, and while there’s certainly talent on the roster, the extent to which the Clippers’ sun rises and sets with PG can’t be ignored. 

After starting the season on an MVP-level tear (27, 8 and 5, shooting 45% from both the field and from 3), over his last seven games, George has regressed some, to a more mortal (by rather high standards) 23.7 points (on 40% from the field and 30% from 3), 5.4 rebounds and 5.1 assists. Five of those seven games were losses. With all due respect to Reggie Jackson, Luke Kennard, Terrance Mann, Ivica Zubac and Marcus Morris Sr., this team is only going as far as PG can carry them.

As a team, they’ve hit 110 points just once November 13 (as opposed to eight times prior; they now sit 25th in offensive efficiency) and have allowed at least 120 three times in their last eight outings (compared to just once before). This is a group that’s feeling the weight of the Kawhi-sized hole in the lineup. To catch these guys, during this run of form, on their fourth game in seven nights is a golden opportunity. 

The Lakers, meanwhile, are as “full strength” as they’ve been all year, with only Trevor Ariza and Kendrick Nunn missing out due to injury, thanks to LeBron churning out a pair of negative PCR tests in a 24-hour window, and dramatically cutting down his Health and Safety Protocol stay. It’s reasonable to assume that LeBron will be at least somewhat limited (though who even knows with that dude), but everything is in place for a relatively easy Laker win.

With DeAndre Jordan apparently no longer in the plans and Dwight now manning the paint with AD, the Lakers will basically always have the personnel on the floor to negate Zubac, and make Isaiah Hartenstein and Serge Ibaka work at both ends. If the Lakers control the paint as they should, the plan must be to hound the shooters around the arc, and turn the Clippers’ attack into Jackson, Eric Bledsoe (as much of this as possible, please!) and, yes, George drive with nowhere for the ball to go. Easier said than done, perhaps, but not undoable. 

Done properly, and paired with a solid effort on the glass (where the Lakers, admittedly, aren’t good, but where the Clips rank bottom-seven at both ends), this means a steady stream of transition opportunities. And, when the game slows down, keep it simple. Unless the Clipper demonstrates an ability to slow down Russ and AD in the pick-and-roll, feed them a heaping helping of it. Hell, even if they’re kind of dealing with it, make then prove that they can keep doing it.

Basically, this needs to be a superstar game. The supporting cast will have to chip in, of course, but given the Clippers’ recent struggles and apparent fatigue, bludgeoning them – early and often – with top-end talent and daring them to keep pace it not a terrible plan. 

More frequently, we are seeing stretches in which the Lakers are finding the intensity and relentlessness that a quality team – and, I’ll keep saying it, a team that you trust – has. The challenge now is to minimize the lapses (and collapses) prove that they’ve got it for more than a quarter or so against decent teams, and more than a half against Detroit and (sometimes) Sacramento, but hey, this is where we find ourselves. 

Where you can watch: 7:00 pm start time on Spectrum SportsNet.

The post Lakers Game Preview: The Los Angeles Clippers appeared first on Forum Blue And Gold.

UPDATE: Okay, so I had an entire preview written and then the news broke that LeBron has been ruled out of tonight’s game due to being placed into the NBA’s health and safety protocols. There’s been no confirmation to this point that he’s tested positive for COVID, but based on his own statements in training camp that he’s been vaccinated and the rules around being forced to quarantine when vaccinated vs. when not, some deductive reasoning would lead someone to believe that is the case. And, if it is, I hope he’s doing okay and that he makes a speedy recovery. If that’s not the case, then I still wish him good health and a speedy return to action.

Anyways, with LeBron out, tonight’s gameplan changes and the preview below is rendered fairly moot. In place of the idea of seeing more “progress” and the team showing more willingness to embrace concepts that will get it closer to the best ways for them to play, I instead am looking for dominant performances from AD and Russ. When one of your stars is out, the onus is on the other(s) to pick you up. That means those guys raising their level and finding a way to play well, even if the circumstances are not ideal.

With that, onto the preview…

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Probable Starters
Lakers: Russell Westbrook, Your Guess is as Good as Mine, LeBron James, Anthony Davis, DeAndre Jordan
Kings: De’Aaron Fox, Tyrese Haliburton, Harrison Barnes, Chimezie Metu, Richaun Holmes

Injuries
Lakers: LeBron James (questionable), Avery Bradley (out), Trevor Ariza (out), Kendrick Nunn (out)
Kings: Harrison Barnes (doubtful), Maurice Harkless (questionable)

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First things first, Avery Bradley is hurt and is out tonight. He has a sprained thumb, the severity of which is not yet known. He’ll be examined more when he returns to Los Angeles after tonight’s game vs. the Kings, but my (somewhat informed) guess is that he could be out a little while.

With Bradley out, there’s a starting spot up for grabs and I’d like it to go to Austin Reaves. Starting Reaves allows everyone else to play in the same rotation spots they’re currently playing in and has the added bonus of starting Austin Reaves, who is good at basketball but is especially good at the “connector” type of things offensively I think this starting group needs while playing hard defensively. Now, what Vogel will actually do is totally unknown to me. Maybe he goes back to THT for more defense (a la why Bradley was starting), maybe he goes pure shooting, which means Ellington, or maybe he goes for more speed and general pop and turns to Monk. We’ll know more later, probably around 30 minutes before tip off.

With that, tonight’s game vs. the Kings is mostly about a simple idea of “how much do you care about the last time you played this team?” Based on Anthony Davis’ post game comments Sunday night, the answer is at least “a little” and probably more than that. AD discussed how losing the triple-OT game vs. the Kings last week “stuck with (the team) for a couple of days” and, if that’s really the case, they should be able to conjure some of those memories and come out tonight looking for some revenge. And, again, if that’s the case, I think the team is in good shape for this game. If it’s not the case, the Lakers could easily lose again. I mean, nothing should surprise any of us about this team at this point.

Beyond expectations for a .500 team and how strong the revenge factor is, the most interesting part of tonight’s game for me is what kind of conduit for positive progress it is. Over the past couple of weeks, the Lakers have both made some changes that, I think, help move the team more towards the identity it’s best suited for while also holding on to some things that have not been working as well. For example, after Sunday’s win over the Pistons, Frank Vogel said that the “LeBron at the 5” lineups were something he’s liked and that we’ll continue to see it. This is good news! That said, he made these comments on the same night that he started Bradley and DeAndre Jordan again, in a unit that’s been very bad offensively (though they had a good stretch in the 3rd quarter that night). This, of course, is not as good.

As noted above, Bradley’s out so going back to that lineup is not possible. But, starting THT for Bradley and keeping DeAndre with that gorup, for example, would signal that Vogel is still set on a certain guiding principle with the starting group and it’s one that I wouldn’t really support. Moving more towards offense or, inserting THT for DeAndre while replacing Bradley with someone like Reaves (or Ellington) would signal another shift towards towards where I believe the best version of this team is. Now, to be fair, progress/change doesn’t happen all at once and head coaches can be particularly slow in making drastic changes to lineups and rotations. But, Vogel’s showing he’s open to such shifts and I see tonight as another opportunity, with Bradley out, to tweak things more.

Beyond that, however, the only things I’m really looking for is a requisite amount of effort and commitment to playing hard for longer stretches. The Lakers, as currently constructed, aren’t going to be some high motor, go all out for 48-minutes type of team. But, they do need to find more portions of the game where they’re forcing the action and showing a baseline determination to do the little things that help you win. If they do that tonight vs. the Kings, they’ll be okay. If they don’t, well…we’ve seen that before too.

Where you can watch: 7:30pm start time on Spectrum SportsNet.

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