Thought Starter...
Glass Half Empty, or Half Full?
The Lakers came into Sunday’s game in Utah a weary team, and beyond their normal slate of injuries (Christian Wood, Jarred Vanderbilt, Jaxson Hayes) they added D’Angelo Russell (illness), Cam Reddish (also sick) and Austin Reaves (pelvic contusion suffered in his fall Friday vs. OKC).
Circumstances, then, transformed the game from, with a little focus and solid play, to get a win and some rest ahead of tonight’s game against the Wolves in Minnesota to one perhaps channeling the late Al Davis: Just win, baby. And while it wasn’t exactly a work of art, the Lakers got it done. They needed a star performance from Anthony Davis (33 points, 11 rebounds) and a nice bounceback from LeBron James (27 points, 13 dimes, only three turnovers), but they got it done, hanging on to win by a point, 105-104.
Without two of their three rotation guards, it’s not surprising the offense got stuck in the mud, and the Lakers (said JJ Redick) were basically forced to lean unusually hard into LeBron pick-and-rolls as the game went on. By the fourth quarter, that’s about all they were running. And, whether through one more bucket or one more stop, the Lakers couldn’t execute at a high enough level to keep it from coming down to a final possession. They were aided by a coaching gaffe from Jazz coach Will Hardy. All true.
But this was a game they had to have, facing a back-to-back tonight, their fifth game in seven days. And playing shorthanded, the Lakers were able to get good contributions from Gabe Vincent (10 points, his high with the Lakers) and meaningful minutes from Jalen Hood-Schifino and Armel Traoire. Max Christie continues to quietly round into the form LA was hoping for when they gave him an extension this summer.
Doesn’t mean they’ve figured it all out, but given the choice between accentuating the positive or noting the negative following the game, JJ Redick went with the former. And it makes sense. Contextually, this game was tricky. It demanded some perseverance and adaptability. And it was enough.
Barely, but enough, nonetheless.
Overheard In This Episode...
1. “This was Gabe Vincent’s first regular season game as a Laker in double figures... I think part of what has led Gabe to not have a role on this team and not have a comfortable fit is he needs a certain amount of usage to really be useful as a player.”
2. “I understand that there are going to be Laker fans thoroughly unimpressed by this showing.”
3. “Max Christie has increasingly looked the part of a guy that the Lakers paid this offseason. He looks now, at minimum, like a legit NBA rotation player.”
