WITH 21 games remaining in the season, the Los Angeles Lakers are going deeper into oblivion despite the rematch win the other day with New Orleans.
At 30-31, they’re at 10th in the Western Conference, one game behind 9th place Sacramento and three games behind the other LA team, the Clippers at 8th.
Today, they take on league leading Milwaukee. If they decide to put up some defense, maybe they will have a chance of an upset win.
Their last two games last week against bottom dwelling Pelicans and Memphis were winnable but there seems to be some kind of a mental block on the coaches’ end. Shots were forced and defense was wanting, as always.
The Lakers need to win 15 of their remaining games to make the playoffs but it would be better for them to have an early vacation. They’re not playoff-ready and if ever they do make the post season, I would be shocked if they can carve out a win in a seven-game series. Getting into the playoffs is just a waste of time.
In a perfect world, without LeBron James in purple and gold, this would be my perfect starting unit in the post-Kobe Bryant era. There will be D’Angelo Russell and Jordan Clarkson manning the backcourt, Julius Randle and Larry Nance, Jr. at the wings and Robin Lopez in the middle. Josh Hart, Kyle Kuzma, Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Ivica Zubac complete the rotation.
But the Lakers’ world had gotten complicated and the above-named starters plus Zubac are now playing elsewhere. Except for Lopez, all of them are having career years and are major contributors to their new teams.
I can’t speak for the other Laker faithful but in my opinion, had management believed in these guys, chemistry and fluidity would have been achieved and with the line-up, they could be sitting pretty at fourth in the WC standings. Yes, without LeBron.
Russell, Nance Jr., Clarkson, Randle and Zubac were of the Mitch Kupchak era. The last remaining connection to that period is Ingram. LAL president of b-ball operations Magic Johnson and general manager Rob Pelinka seem to be bent on erasing the remnants of Kupchak’s leftovers and let us not be surprised if Ingram goes, like Zubac, for nothing.
And for nothing I mean Mike Muscala and Reggie Bullock. Muscala gets little playing time considering the fact that the team lacks inside presence. Bullock has a hair style more interesting than his game. Since the team is paying him millions, they must insist changing his barber. Earvin Johnson had lost his magic with these transactions and he would be losing more if he won’t seriously consider a coaching overhaul.
LA’s new diva is talking about the lack of urgency among his teammates. Yeah, right. These young guys know that management was willing to screw the team and give away half of the roster for an often injured superstar. They knew that when the season ends, they could be seeking employment somewhere else so obviously, they’re just going thru the motions. How can you be motivated when you know you’re not coming back for 2019-2020.
LeBron James is a great player but he’s not, according to the words coming out of his mouth, the greatest of all time. He complains a lot and took more than a month to nurse an injury that could have just taken less than two weeks with all the medical resources the Lakers have at their disposal. He can’t play defense and like Russell Westbrook, loves to pad his stats.
The Los Angeles Lakers are better off without him and could have made a sorry mistake in giving him an obscene four-year deal. LeBron’s never been a leader. Just ask Cleveland and Miami. (Reactions welcome at bobbymotus1961@gmail.com, bobby_motus@yahoo.com/PN)
