Thought Starter...
It’s getting worse.
The Lakers barely escaped disaster against the Nets on Friday night, but it was pretty clear they’d need to play significantly better to have a chance to beat the Clippers.
Didn’t happen.
The Lakers were outplayed on both sides of the ball almost from the jump, and while they tried to make a push in the second half, the game was too far out of hand for rally caps to have an effect. Final score, 116-102. The team is so out of sorts at this point, it’s hard to pinpoint which area is most problematic. The Lakers allowed the Clippers to shoot 58% in the first half, while struggling to score themselves (49 points at the break). The team’s Big Three (Anthony Davis, LeBron James, Austin Reaves) combined for 55 points, not nearly enough to meaningfully compete. How about turnovers? The Lakers had plenty, particularly in the first half when they buried themselves in a hole. Dorian Finney-Smith, back in the lineup after missing a couple of games for the birth of his son? Zero points.
Over the course of a season, aspects of a team’s play can move in and out of rhythm. At times, all the parts seem to be working in concert, and the product reflects is. At other times, nothing seems to fit together. Even the simplest stuff becomes a challenge.
That’s where the Lakers are. The offensive approach is disintegrating. The defensive discipline has evaporated. The confidence and swagger exhibited at different points this year is nonexistent. This is not an overly talented team—the Lakers have to do the right stuff with consistency, and they’re not even close.
Fix it fast, or the (fast approaching) second half of the season is going to get ugly in a big hurry. The Lakers are only three games behind Denver for the 4th seed, but they’re just 3.5 games ahead of San Antonio, currently in 12th.
Which of those gaps feels more relevant right now?
—BK
Overheard On This Episode...
“I think not all of their turnovers, but some of their turnovers to me feel like the mark of impatience—like they throw a lot of hit-ahead passes that it’s like, guys, don’t. Like, just don’t. Yeah, don’t do that. Like, run your damn sets.”
“16 is not enough (from Anthony Davis). Five field goals is not enough, and you know, 6 free throw trips is not enough. And I’m not blaming it just on him because, as we mentioned, Austin Reaves was not able to provide it.”
“It’s not too early to sound the alarm. They are so bad and so out of sorts right now on offense. I don’t think they can play really good defense while the offense is this bad.”
