Thought Starter...
Is It Mental or Talent or Matchups or Yes?
Less than a week ago, the Lakers were riding high, riding a six-game winning streak and sitting near the top of the Western Conference standings.
That was before a pair of losses against quality teams that threaten to let a lot of air out of LA’s balloon.
First, it was a game-winning (almost) last second shot from Orlando’s Franz Wagner, a disappointing end to a game the Lakers really should have won. And if Thursday was about a letdown in the final minutes, Saturday against Denver was about a massive collapse after the halftime break. The Lakers, after taking a 10-point second quarter lead were absolutely boat raced by the Nuggets from that point on. JJ Redick noted the lack of competitive spirit.
Nikola Jokic outplayed Anthony Davis by a mile, but he wasn’t the only Nugget who hurt the Lakers.
He said he doesn’t believe the Nuggets have some sort of psychological hold on the Lakers... but others disagree. Are the questions even separable? The Lakers have a problem with Denver that, at the least, can’t give them tons of confidence. They have a matchup and talent problem that goes well past Jokic vs. Davis, whether you want to look at Michael Porter Jr., or (when he’s healthy) Aaron Gordon. Teams with size are a big problem. Teams that try to score (i.e. all of them) are a problem. The Lakers are not going to stay near the top of the conference if they don’t improve defensively.
The West is simply too competitive.
—BK
Overheard On Today’s Episode...
1. “The Lakers don’t have a Jokic problem because every team has a Jokic problem. Where the Lakers really struggle and where the Lakers are consistently buried against the Nuggets is they have a Michael Porter Jr. Problem.”
2. “If you’re looking for reasons to think the Lakers might not be that good, it is really hard to be 10 and 6 and be 27th in defensive efficiency.”
3. “J.J. Reddick had said before Rui actually turned that Rui was going to go to back to the starting lineup. It was really a question of whether or not Reddish would stay in the starting lineup versus Knecht.”
