The Lakers lost their opening day game against the Houston Rockets, 108-90. But something far worse had happened.
Julius Randle, the Lakers’ first round pick, seems to be done for the year with a broken leg. It seemed like a throwaway play after he was pushed to the floor (by Donatas Montiejunas). And then suddenly, we were getting the bad news about his leg. Looking at the replays, his leg was already dangling by the time he jumped off. It was bad news for the Lakers and especially bad for Julius Randle. I can hardly think of any worse starts to your NBA career than breaking your leg in your first game. Speedy recovery to Randle and hope that his career flourishes afterwards.
As for the game…
For the most part, it wasn’t pretty as the Rockets went at them to draw fouls and sank multiple three-pointers. We all know that new Laker coach Byron Scott seems to be allergic to three-pointers. I don’t know if he is trying to set the game back 30 years but the fact is that ignoring the three completely isn’t going to win you an NBA game in 2014.
Kobe Bryant (19 points), for the most part, looked like the Kobe of old (trying to be careful with my word usage here). He had his usual post game and was draining those midrange jumpers. But other than that, you’d be hard-pressed to find a Laker that played outstanding. Carlos Boozer made seven of his 13 field goal attempts but we know that he spends a lot more time working on his yelling game these days. Jordan Hill did have double-digit boards but he missed a few bunnies. Jeremy Lin was a turnover machine and the other guys like Wesley Johnson, Julius Randle, Xavier Henry, and Ronnie Price didn’t do much. Ed Davis had a decent game in the minutes he got but not enough to make a huge impact on the game.
The Lakers did try to attack the rim but with Dwight Howard inside, they couldn’t do much. They increasingly got tentative in the first half; possessions got longer and they didn’t seem to have much of a plan after getting stopped initially. The Lakers did cut the game down to single digits with Howard in foul trouble but James Harden (32 points) got more aggressive and started drawing fouls (questionable or not) to get to the stripe.
I mentioned the three-pointers. Rockets were making them as if they were going out of style while the Lakers almost treated the shots behind the arc like it was Ebola. The Rockets made 12 threes compared to the Lakers’ three. That’s a 27-point difference right there. Plus the Lakers only attempted nine threes. The Lakers don’t exactly have sharpshooters (Price comes to mind) but they should set it up where their best three-point shooters take the shot (Wesley shot 37 percent last season and Lin shot 36 percent). The Lakers and Rockets had a little drama in the fourth quarter when Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard exchanged words after a rebound. We were all jonesing to see a fight but, unfortunately, Randle’s injury really put a damper on everything.
It’s difficult for the Lakers (and the Lakers fans) to move on with this news. Nevertheless, they go to Phoenix to play another game tomorrow night.
Speedy recovery, Julius Randle. We’re all thinking of you.
Sald0gg says
I feel sick. I don’t understand why our karma is so bad. I’m devastated for this poor kid.
BigCitySid says
-Front office has to make a move w/ both Nash & Randle down…but will it?
-And now the Lakers head for Phoenix to play the Suns in the 1st of 3 back to backs in their first 10 games đ
Reginald Noble says
I have been a Lakers fan during the Wilt Chamberlain era. The Lakers have to start over and that even goes for management. Jerry West was a champion and great player, so that is why he knew how to put a great team together. Begin there and the Lakers will rise again.
jimmymmm says
Wow. We just can’t catch a break. This makes me sick. Feel horrible for Randle.
BigCitySid says
Just took a peek at the box score. Our two best players, Kobe & Lin combined for 26 points on 7-22 shooting from the field & eight assist. That’s not gonna spell “win” against anyone.
dont blame fish says
This hurt…. we lost #thefuture in our first game of the season.
Every day we look more like stelring’s clippers.
Aaron says
Ryan Rosenblatt (@RyanRosenblatt)
Posted at October 28, 2014 at 10:19 PM on Twitter
“Julius Randle was *the* reason to watch the Lakers. He also said the right things and, by all accounts, is nice as can be. This isn’t fair.”
Everclear says
I mean…
…
To quote every white girl:
“I literally can’t even.”
bryan S. says
It’s a set back. He will recover and probably return to action in April/May. Leg will become stronger than before the injury. So sad for all.
JBN74SB says
0-13 to start the year. Look at the schedule.
KO says
Searching for a reason.
Hard to find one.
It all started when Sasha left.
TempleofJamesWorthy says
About the only reason to watch the Lakers this year was to (hopefully) see the development of some of the younger players who might form the supporting structure if/when some impact players join the Lakers down the road.
Julius Randle was a big component of that reason, and now he’s out indefinitely.
As for the “why?”, sometimes randomness clusters. Over the long-term, luck tends to even out. But in the short-to-medium term, it can look non-random. I once lost 18 blackjack hands in a cluster of 20 (that’s about like flipping a coin and ending up with 18 heads and 2 tails). I once rolled a 6 on a 6-sided die 7 times in a row. The odds against that are 280,000:1
Apparently, the Lakers are in a cycle where everything that can go wrong is going wrong. It will end eventually, just as Cleveland wasn’t going to keep getting the #1 overall pick 3 times in 4 years.
But it hurts to sit through it while it happens.
The Dane says
F***********************************ck…
Randle, the only saving grace of this season…
And on top of it Lin is the turnover machine we all feared, Kobe shots a horrible percentage (maybe because of the team putting him in tough spots), the team really IS allergic to the three, and Davis looks like a foul happy rookie!
Starting my day here in Europe with Rage Against the Machine… had hoped for something more mellow.
I do like Kobe’s comment on butting heads with Dwight though: “Trash talking is part of the game. When did the NBA get so sensitive.” But the Lakers don’t have the warriors to back him up though…
mud says
that was weird.
what was with the freethrow shootout after the elbows? what world is this? oh yeah, i remember. it’s the world of entertainment.
well, that was some fine shootin’ from the Rockets. Ariza always shined best when he felt it was a big game, good for him. i stopped loving him when he left the Lakers, but then some still love him.
i really still dislike James Harden. how can the NBA sanction Globetrotter routines?
but Kobe is still better than 40th, even if he’s obviously not 10th right now. he will improve.
Lin and the Rookies and bench players not named Price or Davis were just a little bit too worked up. they really needed to focus on business, but they were focused on so many other things. that makes turnovers and being a step late. still, i thought the defense was pretty good. they need to do more of that. oh, and at least hit the open shots. they could have easily won by just hitting those easy open looks that were aplenty.
a broken leg….
agree says
The Lakers OFFENSE is HORRIBLE. LIn played lousy and he still had 37% of the team’s total assists?! 10 -3pt attempts LOL that’s a joke, and they just don’t seem to work to get open looks. Math isn’t subjective, taking a decent amount of 3’s is a must and using your offense to create open 3’s is a must. This team turned back into a team that apparently treats the free throw line like the out of bounds line.
Defense is going to be the least of this teams problem. As I stated before if this becomes the Boozer/Kobe jumpshot offense, they are going to stink worse than last season. “Princeton” can’t be just a garbage name for super slow (no fast breaks), no threes, grind out 15 footers and attack them rim while not creating spacing to do so by spreading the floor with 3’s.
The pattern of substitutions was also beyond strange. Henry played more than he probably practiced thus far and isn’t wasn’t pretty. The whole team shot lousy. This was like watching Scott’s Cavs but with LESS offensive firepower. This anti-D’ Antoni strategy is going to make for ‘vomit inducing’ basketball not “smash mouth”. They just will not be able to win just by amping their defense up a bit. They need to do a TON of PnR’s. I don’t have anything good to say about this game. Lin and Davis better shoot 12+ times a game from now on and someone and they better install a real offense. Randle’s injury was just sickening and getting extra sleep just took priority over staying up late to watch a lot of games this year.
alfharidi says
Aaron, Randle’s injury is the final proof your tanking theory was right. In order to accomplish that, the Lakers got to deal with the basketball gods themselves!
Tra says
We just canât catch a break
—
Seems, as of late, we’re catching too many .. Literally
As others have mentioned, here’s to a speedy & full recovery for the youngin’.
KO says
I wait in anticipation for Lakers season to start. One horrible game and long awaited top draft choice later and I feel defeated.
Now what do I have to look forward to. 4 point games from our starting center and SF? Robert Sacre? Kobe going one “on five? More D-Leaguers replacing injured players? 36% shooting and that’s 2-pointers not 3’s? Another year of tank talk which usually gives you about a 20% chance of picking a winner? Just 2 more years before Jimmy goes back to the stables?
Not a very good start. I think I eat some worms.
BigCitySid says
“The most important aspect of the Los Angeles Lakers’ season just vanished.
Kobe Bryant’s return was the headline and Byron Scott’s homecoming to coach his favorite childhood team was a prominent theme of opening night, but both are more representative of the Lakers’ glorious past than their uncertain future. Rookie Julius Randle was the one growth stock, the player to cultivate into the next star.” J. A. Adande.
Well said J. A., that sums it up perfectly.
Rubenowski says
I went to my buddy’s house to watch the game and I just couldn’t finish it so I left early. Then I woke up to Julius’ injury. Poor guy. This is just bad luck. It’s what poker players call “variance.” Sometimes people suck out on you, sometimes your set on the flop meets a bigger set, sometimes your Ace-high flush runs into the straight flush. A few years ago Bynum went down in back to back years. Last year the injury bug was back. And it looks like this year it did not leave the premises. It happens. Just like landing Magic in ’79 with the 1st pick and then James Worthy three years later also with the 1st pick are examples of good luck, this is just a downswing. It’s painful as heck, but it will be over one day. Still, it hurts. Get well soon, Julius.
On another note, what the heck is Byron Scott teaching the team on offense? They looked so lost out there. Kobe looked good. 16 points in the first half! But he had to work hard for those looks. So again, what the hell is Scott doing in practices?
Shaun says
The chris paul trade was when things turned for us.
We lost all of our built up talent capital in that failed trade and a ton of bad karma which led to lamars demise, bynum becoming a shell, getting nothing for dwight, getting nothing for gasol whicg lwd us to our team now.
I stead of having 2 promising cornerstones in dwight/healthy bynum and paul we now have nothing since i would say it will take randle another 2 years to develop.
Kneel for jahilllllllllll!!!!!!
Our luck probably will not turn until Jim leaves the fo … i actually think a lot of things are out of his control but there is just some stank on his tenure
Aaron L says
So I guess the bright side is we will be keeping that Phoenix pick
BigCitySid says
The title of this posting is: “Bottoming Out On The First Game”…if only that were true and this is as bad as it is going to get this season. But personally it looks like it’s going to get worse.
Ryan says
Well…Kobe looked pretty good. We’re gonna miss that guy one day.
Treylake says
Worst nba record seems possible.
O/U 20 wins?
Craig W. says
Ironically, I saw hustle on defense – at least until this young team (just put together) got discouraged. There may not be enough talent, but they did hustle in the 1st half. Then they just got tomahawked by Harden.
KenOak says
I turned off the game and headed to bed just before the injury. Iâm sick. This seems like some twisted joke. Hopefully JR will heal up and come back twice as strong with twice is much will to win. F%^&
Baylor Fan says
Looking at the replay, Randle broke his own leg by kicking himself as he went up for a shot. This is the same leg with the broken foot that was still healing going into camp. Hopefully, the leg and foot will be fully healed before he gets on the court again. He may be better off losing some weight to relieve the stress on his legs.
T. Rogers says
I really feel bad for Randle. He seems like a good kid who really wants to play the game he loves. I just hope he can get back on the floor before the season is over.
Someone up thread mentioned the team maybe going 0-13 to start off. I’m laughing (in pain) to myself right now because that is a very real possibility! Really who is left on the roster who can actually play? And this not shooting threes thing need to end ASAP. Someone please tell Byron Scott we’re in 2014 not 1987.
Well I guess that top 5 pick is safe. Get well soon Julius Randle.
Brian says
Bummed for Julius, and for myself and all Lakers fans.
I’d really like to see the Lakers take a shot on the “Santa Cruz Splash Bros,” Seth Curry and Mychel Thompson!! Both of their brothers are absolute studs – I’m betting at least ONE of those two guys can turn out to be a diamond in the rough and a real player in the league.
Oh, and Ed Davis and Jeremy Lin need to be playing 40 minutes a game.
We need to see about 400 pick and rolls between these two every game!!
Aaron says
Rememeber who was the first one to tell you (over and over) before guys like Zack Lowe and other “smart NBA analysts”…
http://www.sbnation.com/nba/2014/10/29/7088823/la-lakers-kobe-bryant-tanking
Renato Afonso says
Because I only saw highlights I won’t say much but while I understand the lack of 3 point shots being a concern, that is not what concerns me the most. 12-3 in made 3 point shots is not a 27 point swing but a 9 point swing assuming we shot 2 pointers instead. Once I properly analyze the offense I’ll give an opinion, but to be fair I don’t think the problem is a lack of 3 point shots (even if the stat line “says” so). The problem is the lack of open looks at the basket. Harden had a couple of 3 point shots that were properly guarded and still went in and didn’t result from ball movement but rather simple isolation play. Credit the offensive player in those. However, all Lakers’ baskets seemed to be heavily contested and that’s no way to win regardless of being inside or outside the 3pt line. Either way, it’s going to be an interesting season…
BigCitySid says
Congrats to all posting on FB&G for not allowing negative feelings about D12 to incorrectly paint the “D12-Kobe elbowing incident”. This is professional basketball. Unless you are ready to wear a face mask the next day, you don’t get up on a big guy like that, especially a much smaller guy. Kudo’s to Kobe for the effort & for calling it right.
agree says
Ok now that I’ve calmed down and recovered from the game. Some good things.
Lin looked good the second half and attacked the rim and dropped of some nice passes. But clearly they need an offense beyond that and throw it to Kobe and watch him shoot.
It pains me to say it but Boozer played pretty well and actually scored near the rim for a change. If he can do that more and refrain from shooting so many 15 footers, he will be tolerable. I would still like to see Davis/or Hill slotted at the 4/5 and Boozer off the bench.
As Brian mentioned above, have Lin/Davis do lots of pick and rolls and for goodness sake please have someone that can shoot 30% stand at the corner 3 area. They need to spread out the defenses. Scott better start asking his guys to take 3’s more often and set some off ball screens to open up 3’s for any of the wings. The pain is looking pretty mucky, and they can’t afford to wait until Young gets back in December to start shooting 3’s. If they avg 10 3’s a game they are going to be record breaking. Right now they basically have Lin who can get to the hole well and that’s about it. Everyone else seems to need someone to set them up.
Vasheed says
I feel very badly for Randle. I was very concerned he might be riskier then advertised as he had already had a foot injury. Any thoughts of him bulking up for the PF position should be squashed in his future.
As devastating news as this is I don’t see the injury to Randle as devastating to the season’s outcome. The one position the Lakers have a glut is at PF. In this first game the brightest spots have been Boozer and Davis. Randle is a important consideration in the Lakers long run future but this year not so much.
Lin as I said when we first got him. He is wonderful with the exception that he coughs up the ball with any pressure applied to him. Its not a good trait in a PG. This was how Linsanity ended when teams found out his weak spots and exploited them.
Chearn says
Ko-“36% shooting and thatâs 2-pointers not 3âs?”
Exactly! They should concentrate on making 2’s before they start taking 3’s (notice I didn’t say making). Long shots equal long rebounds! The Lakers have no 3pt threat on the team, no Glen Rice, Reggie Miller, Curry, Thompson, Ariza, or Harden. The opposing team will leak out on every 3pt shot for layups, and a mushrooming score. The lack of 3pt shots is to control the tempo of the game, at least a bit. The Lakers have no one with foot speed to run the floor on those long shots, and even if they did one player would get back and it would be 3-4 players against one lone Lakers player.
Best to take baby-steps and learn to make layups, score around the basket and live with 15 footers so the team can get back on defense.
Here’s to hoping Randle has bones that heal quickly. He can take this time to work on the mental aspect of the game, and shooting just like Fisher, and Ariza before him. Get well soon youngster.
Calvin Chang says
Ronnie Price or Jeremy Lin has to be guarding James Harden the next time they play. I noticed that Harden has more problems penetrating off the dribble against a smaller and quicker defender because they can get under his space and tip the ball. If Harden’s being guarded by a taller player = like Wes Johnson or Kobe, the opposite happens. Harden gets under their space, stretches his arms out, and draws the foul.
Robert says
Feel really bad for Randle and the entire Laker Family.
Link below is an article by A Woj. For the cliff notes version just read this one sentence:
“The Lakers are a spiraling franchise, trapped between the twilight of Bryantâs greatness and a bridge to nowhere.”
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/julius-randle-s-injury-is-yet-another-cruel-blow-to-crumbling-lakers-154552606.html
Patrick Lanigan says
This will end up being a blessing for the team. This group was already one of the worst teams in the league WITH Nash and Randle. Now? Hard to make a compelling argument that they will finish outside the bottom 5.
The best way to rebuild is by clearing cap space and adding young talent through the draft. Keeping the 2105 first round pick is critical, and, now, likely.
Anonymous says
Rememeber who was the first one to tell you (over and over) before guys like Zack Lowe and other âsmart NBA analystsââŚ
—
When it comes to the Lakers, Tom Ziller couldn’t find smart with the help of a police dog and a magnifying glass.
Basically, the covert tank job narrative appeals to three kinds of people:
1. People who are still traumatized in basketball terms by all the Lakers’ success, and so are afraid that the current mess is just a prelude to some massive reversal that puts the team back on top in 2-3 years.
2. People who are so connected to the idea that the Lakers belong on top and will always “find a way” and so can’t deal with how bad things really are for the franchise.
3. People who like the idea that Kobe is in on it, since that would prove beyond any doubt that he really truly cares more about numbers than winning and always has.
Like I said, is it possible? Sure. But what is much more likely is that the org’s decision-makers are simply overly optimistic about some guys on the roster, and that Kobe still thinks he can carry a bad roster to .500. Doesn’t mean that they are “dumb”–just human.
chibi says
i am not going to feel sorry for randle or the lakers. they just have to deal with adversity the right way. we will see what randle is made of now. he can spend his downtime perfecting his shot and becoming ambidextrous or he can mope around.
T. Rogers says
Chibi,
It’s kind of hard to perfect your jump shot when you are limited in the use of your leg.
rr says
From Robert’s link:
______________________________________________________
âWhere the broken bone was held together, the bone had rotated slightly,â one NBA executive told Yahoo Sports. âIt was not aligned perfectly. Our guys felt that, despite [Randle] not feeling pain, it should be fixed for long-term stability.â
Several general managers had come to that conclusion based on the recommendations of medical staff, but the Los Angeles Lakers studied the foot, the screw inserted within it and chose a different course.
__________
George says
A. Woj: âThe Lakers are a spiraling franchise, trapped between the twilight of Bryantâs greatness and a bridge to nowhere.â
—
Man, dark days indeed.
So many on the board have been advocating the fact that these low points are natural and normal in the life cycle of a franchise. What hurts most about Randle’s injury is that he was supposed to be the bridge to life after Kobe.
I think its best for the FO to stay the course and no try to make moves that may bring a few extra W’s this year but ultimately hurt our ability to acquire assets: draft picks, young talent and cap flexibility.
While no one likes losing we have to focus on what is best for the franchise longer term.
bryan S. says
Robert: Read the Woj article and found it on the edge of irresponsible speculation. Implicit in his narrative is that the concerns about Randle’s right foot during the draft process were a warning that he might be vulnerable to injury. Then, presto, he breaks his right tibia first game out. ( Never mind that he has been playing a lot of basketball for a long time since recovering from his foot procedure.) Now admittedly, it seemed weird for his leg to break without any apparent real trauma. But it wouldn’t be the first time in NBA annals (see Worthy’s rookie year). In sum, until I hear a specialist in bio-mechanics say that the one lead to the other, it’s just another guy with a platform making himself heard.
And spare me the doom and drama with “spiraling out of control” and “bridge to nowhere” lazy cliches! The bridge is outrageous cap room in the very near future and young talent on the way via the draft to join future star Julius Randle.
Dave says
rr:
Like you, I read the A Woj article. I read the quote you cited a number of times and still don’t know what he is implying.
My understanding is that Randle’s broken leg is a fluke accident – not at all related to his broken foot. However, I can’t help but think that Woj is asserting that the Laker FO ignored the warning signs that scared off so many.
What is your take on the Woj’s point?
Dave says
rr: I have a follow-up comment to yours stuck in moderation. Bottom line – what is A Woj. implying by that observation? Is he saying the Lakers failed to do proper due diligence on Randle before drafting him?
George says
From Chad Ford’s Chat from today:
Q: Kobe is officially in Carmelo mode. Gonna get his, no matter what happens to the team?
Chad Ford: I’m not a huge Kobe fan. But honestly, what other choice does he have right now? Who else is really stepping up on that team. He’s so much better than anyone else on that roster — even with all the injuries? He was selfish to take away all the Lakers cap space. But most people would not have left $20 million a year on the table just to give that money to other people. Do you, when you get a raise at work, say … “You know what, to make the company better, I want to give away 2/3rds of that money to help bring in more talent?” He could have done what Tim Duncan and Dirk (which is so, so extraordinary) did and give his team flexibility to sign other top free agents. So I don’t feel sorry for him. But at the same time, the Lakers front office has horribly mismanaged this rebuild in just about every way possible. It’s not all on Kobe.
Robert says
Dave/rr/George/bryan S: Not sure what Woj was implying, but in my case, I do not think we should have known for sure. However the health risk was certainly on the table with this pick. That does not necessarily mean it was a bad pick. It was simply a risk. However it is another bad result which can be thrown into the bad luck category. We have been having our fair share of bad luck and bad results lately. Throw in a couple bad decisions and voila spiraling it is. I think the bridge to nowhere is not accurat. The reason being that at this point, I do not see any bridges at all. We are where we are.
bryan S. says
rr’s quote from the Woj piece: “where the bone was held together, the bone had rotated slightly”
–said one NBA executive; and “our guys felt that . . . is should be fixed for long term stability.”
So, an anonymous “NBA executive” weighs in about what “their guys” thought–super. The Lakers did their due diligence and sought out the pre-eminent physician in this area who read and saw all reports and images, and physically examined Randle to boot. Do you think that might be worth mentioning, in the interests of fair and balanced reporting? Or maybe that doesn’t fit the dark days of mis-steps and certain doom narrative the writer is sellling . . . .
rr says
Dave,
I think Woj is implying that the Lakers blew it, and Woj is the second big-site media guy to suggest that the Lakers are doing a bad job with injury prevention/medical issues etc. Ton Haberstroh was the first. Anonymous quotes should always be taken with several grains of salt, but we do know that:
a) Jim Buss let Alex McKechnie go and some other changes were made.
b) The Lakers have had serious injury issues the last three years to the point where injuries, along with the CBA have been the #1 defense used by people who are saying the FO is not the problem with the Lakers.
c) Now the Lakers’ first lottery pick since Andrew Bynum, Julius Randle, who came in with a health concern, has suffered a catastrophic injury in his first NBA game.
This may be all bad luck, or it may indicate that there is a problem that needs attention.
rr says
And spare me the doom and drama with âspiraling out of controlâ and âbridge to nowhereâ lazy cliches! The bridge is outrageous cap room in the very near future and young talent on the way via the draft to join future star Julius Randle.
—
This is the Aaron narrative, pretty much word-for-word. Aaron knows a lot about basketball, but people buying into this should recall that Aaron is batting .000 in his instant-rebuild scenarios at this point.
Cap space guarantees nothing, especially since Miami and New York, as well as any number of other teams, will have plenty as well in three years, and since the Lakers have serious roster problems. Also, the next big star who may change teams, Kevin Durant, has no ties of any kind to LA and strong ties to OKC and DC. And, almost no one, other than a subset of Lakers fans, from what I have seen, thinks that Julius Randle is going to be a star–and given that his explosiveness is one of his prime assets, this injury could derail him to an extent.
It’s fine to have hope. But there is no particular reason, other than a belief in Lakers’ Exceptionalism, as the KBros call it, to think that the Lakers will get off the deck any time soon.
rr says
Found this on another site and it defends the Lakers:
“Julius Randle’s first injury was a Jones fracture; this does not cause any issue with stability of the lower leg. There is no literature that suggests anything of the sort. The forces that cause a Jones fracture and the forces that cause a tibial fracture are in completely opposite directions (inversion versus eversion of the ankle/foot).
Now, if they WERE the same and he managed to break his tibia rather than the 5th metatarsal (which is a much thinner bone) that would just be evidence that his first procedure was highly successful.
I am a physician. Any honest orthopedist will tell you that foot surgery of any kind is a dicey proposition and almost always leads to long term complications of one sort or another. Not operating on someone who is having no pain or symptoms is almost certainly the correct decision.”