It’s Losing Time!!! Are you excited? Of course you aren’t. No one likes losing. Well, maybe a few owners and GM’s like losing, but that’s another story for another time. Fans and players usually abhor losing, and Lakers fans have had their fill of it this season.
This has been a truly miserable year. Last night’s game against the Pelicans was just another dagger, in this season of a million stabs. A last second loss in a much needed game, and they were at full strength again. 114-111 was the soul crushing final score.
LeBron James even dropped 38, and it wasn’t enough in the end. He missed a three pointer in the final seconds that would have given him 41. Unfortunately though that would have only given his 37 year old legs 5 more minutes of wear and tear, as it would have only tied the game. For his sake it was probably better that he missed it. He has put so much into this season and is currently playing on a bad knee and ankle.
Losing Time: The Formula
There are a lot of factors that go into this season’s failed expectations. Everyone wants one thing to blame, but it’s just not that easy. I myself have been guilty of blaming Frank Vogel too much. He has been a problem for sure, and him starting Avery Bradley last night while giving Austin Reaves a DNP still doesn’t sit well with me today, but to be fair it’s not just him.
Twelve new faces is my biggest culprit for most of the blame, but still not all of it. This was a risky idea that might of worked if LeBron and AD had been able to stay healthy. Unfortunately that was not the case and the product on the court showed this. There were times they even looked like a pick up team trying to figure things out.
This was also a product of only getting 25 practices to date. I don’t care what level you’re playing at, but 25 practices for 77 games, so far, when you have 12 new faces just doesn’t seem like enough.
You add questionable coaching, weird lineup decisions, just a lack of “want to” in general from everyone not named LeBron James, Russell Westbrook and Austin Reaves, and you get a formula for losing. it’s just that simple folks. (sigh)
Moving Forward
There are still mathematical ways for the Lakers to make the play-in game, but I don’t want to even entertain them. This has to be about rebuilding this team right for next season. It sounds like there is a good possibility we try and keep the same big three of Anthony Davis, LeBron, and Russ. I like this idea. Especially since last night was only their 21st time together on the court out of the 77 games played. They deserve a chance to run it back.
The question then becomes who do we keep besides the big three? For me the untouchables are as follows: Austin Reaves, Malik Monk, Stanley Johnson And Wenyen Gabriel. After that I think all the remaining positions are negotiable.
I would like to see Carmelo Anthony come back for another season, but I don’t think he is as essential to winning like the untouchables I mentioned are.
Talen Horton-Tucker will be a good player in this league, but I think he needs to be with another team. his style of play is just too hard to plug in to this lineup. I would find a trade partner for him and wish him well.
I wouldn’t mind giving D.J. Augustin another look, but only if we need help at guard and don’t find anything younger and taller than him.
I would like them to find another good rim protector, like JaVale McGee used to be. I also think they need at least one stretch five to space the floor better with AD. Add some more wing help to that and I think they might have something next year. Just get us through these last five games, and then the reshaping (I think that’s a better word than rebuilding for this team) can begin. Let’s hope they get it right this time.
thePeachBasket exists to amplify the voice of passionate basketball fans worldwide! We are the home of Fan Experts and Voice of the Fan! ™
