The Lakers have failed so far in their New Year's Resolution of stringing together a winning streak without LeBron James in the lineup. After a convincing win against the Golden State Warriors on Christmas Day, their current free fall has made all that an afterthought. In the words of former NFL head coach Jim Mora:
The Lakers find themselves stuck in an endless struggle without LeBron James making up for their roster/personnel deficiencies. And the injury bug just won't stop derailing the Lakers from returning to perennial playoff glory. Let's see how the Lakers fared here in this week's Lakers' Weekly Roundup.
01/02: vs. Oklahoma City 107-100 [L] (21-17)
HIGHLIGHTS
Ah yes, the native son has returned for the New Year after pulling a 3-part swerve on us Laker fans and NBA fans around the world the previous offseason. Paul George had the opportunity to come home and fulfill a childhood dream of playing for the Lakers. He chickened out because he didn't want to get chewed out by his "best friend" Russell Westbrook. I'll admit I had the "red carpet" rolled out for Paul George's possible homecoming. TrueRaiderLaker Productions was gonna have the hyphiest hype video for PG13 to the Lakers with a two-part mixtape using songs by Ice Cube. This was going to get Lakers fans hyped because Paul George officially joined the Lakers with an all-too West Coast vibe, unlike where most videos tried to cocktease us by having a Paul George Lakers hype video uploaded prematurely before PG ever made a decision. All that time and effort putting a video together only for it to blow up in my face when the news broke out that PG was staying in OKC and I never recovered right on queue by the time LeBron James signed with the Lakers.
It was clear as day that Paul George couldn't handle the bright lights of LA as a hometown boy and he wanted to get paid big dollars. Typical of someone who shot OKC's daylights out of the playoffs last year against Utah. He then tried to spare us the sentimental bullshit that if the Lakers wanted him, they should've traded for him when they had the chance. Oh yeah, even if the Lakers traded for Paul George, he would've been unhappy that he was stuck with a team in the midst of rebuilding for life after Kobe and would've left the Lakers in the dust as a free agent. Understandably so, he'd be playing in the shadow of LeBron and play under intense scrutiny. Because when you're a star player and play alongside LeBron, a larger-than-life NBA superstar of his magnitude, definitely you'll shoulder all of the blame while he shoulders none of it. Instead of playing like an All-Star, you're like a pawn for LeBron. Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love as Exhibits A and B.
Enough of the Paul George melancholy, this recap is supposed to be short and sweet. Despite being shorthanded, this game just upped the ante for the Lakers and their young core: prove Paul George that he made a big mistake. They've answered the challenge by baiting PG to initiate contact on the defensive end. Attack him. Bully your way inside against him. It worked for the most part as he was in foul trouble early. Oh my goodness, PG13 might foul out of the game early. Poetic justice! Even better that Russell Westbrook is building a really big house with his bricks (excuse me while my Fantasy Basketball self cries in a corner). But, the fun wasn't meant to last as PG13 put the Thunder on his back. Once again, the Lakers were hampered by their inability to shoot free throws and forgetting how to box out for a rebound. But, at least they're hanging tight with a five-point lead into the 4th quarter. Then everything about the 4th quarter for the Lakers reared its ugly head again as every Lakers possession continued to stall and stall and stall and, well, you get the point. The Lakers couldn't buy a bucket until the game was well out of reach. This team absolutely failed us. Even worse, they're teetering on the 8th spot in the West. What this teaches us is that the "LeBron effect" is real. LeBron does mask major weaknesses for teams that are supposed to rot in mediocrity. Even more bad news, Kyle Kuzma didn't finish the game due to some back pain. That now makes three key players that the Lakers are missing badly (James, Rondo, Kuzma). During this game, we see a shot of LeBron in the back talking to Magic and Pelinka. Something tells me that drastic roster changes are brewing.
01/04: vs. New York 119-112 [L] (21-18)
HIGHLIGHTS
They lost to the Knicks. That's all there is to say. When a team loses to the team that is insanity in the flesh, obviously they've hit a layer that is lower than rock bottom. And by that, the Lakers' woes continue in this never ending skid since LeBron and Rondo went down. The injury bug continues to hit the Purple and Gold as Kyle Kuzma is ruled out this game. It's all in the hands of Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram to carry this team. This game was laughable to watch. The fact that the Lakers had to scratch and claw back into this game in the 3rd quarter against a previously 9-29 team is a testament that this team is trending in really tough waters. Then, like in the OKC game, the Lakers decided to crap out in the fourth quarter as the Knicks pulled out a gritty win. Common denominator? Brandon Ingram attempting to take over this game and chucking some missed shots. As I mentioned in the past, when it comes to evaluating young talent, you can't judge them until Year 3 of their career. As far as I know, time is ticking on B.I. He struggled in these situations last year of being big in the clutch. We fans gave him a pass on that. As he continues to struggle in these situations this year, patience is definitely being tested. It also doesn't help that Luke Walton deviated away from sets and plays that made B.I. so effective last year. Was it because of LeBron coming over? Or having a plethora of playmakers/floor generals this time around? We don't know. Ingram needs to get better in the clutch. Zo needs to score better. This team as a whole needs to get better at their free throws and rebounding. Luke has to be better at coaching with the roster and rotation he has now. The fact of the matter is that the Lakers continue to be exposed without LeBron having to mask their deficiencies. The West can change in an instant as the Lakers have fallen flat on their faces from the 4th seed to the 8th seed with this loss.
01/06: @ Minnesota 86-108 [L] (21-19)
HIGHLIGHTS
By the time I tuned into this game on League Pass, the Lakers were down 3-22 in the middle of the first quarter. I thought that was the score of an NFL Wild Card game for a second. But no, it's basketball and the Lakers only scored 3 points to start in the first quarter. I didn't pay too much attention to this game. This was beyond horrendous from top to bottom. As shorthanded as the Lakers were, they were in for an ass kicking against a much more talented Timberwolves team. The starting five was trash this game, Zo, Ingram, and Hart especially. Interesting enough, they implemented a lineup with Zubac and McGee in the lineup and boy, did things go South for the Lakers? It was garbage time at the start of the 4th quarter. With this 3rd loss, drastic changes have to be made. A lot of people are saying it's early in the season...with about four more months left. Teams have to start thinking about jockeying in position for a playoff spot, especially in the West where anything can happen. The Lakers need to have that mindset as they are no guarantees that this roster will be at full strength sooner or later. These next few months will go by fast with the trade deadline, All-Star weekend, and the stretch run of the 2018-19 NBA season in March-April. We do have a shakeup after this loss. Tom Thibodeau is relieved of his duties as Timberwolves Head Coach/President. Wait a second, what?
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