The Lakers are still winless, now 0-3, and back in action Tuesday night. They face off against the Nuggets who are 1-2, though already feeling the injury crunch. This is the last home game the Lakers will have for a while as they depart east for a five game trip which won’t have them playing back at Staples until Sunday, November 15th.
While focusing on the road trip is definitely getting ahead of things, the Lakers must be cognizant of the fact that tonight’s contest may give them their best chance at a win before the rigors of the road begin. Remember, too, last year’s Lakers’ started 0-5 before finally breaking through in their 6th game. They also only won a single game out of their first 10. Avoiding a repeat of last year would be nice, especially since this first part of the schedule was considered the “soft” portion. (I did not say soft in Byron Scott’s voice.)
Tonight they face a Nuggets’ group who is already banged up. Wilson Chandler is ruled out. Jusuf Nurkic is also unlikely to play. Nikola Jokic and Joffrey Lauvergne are both game time decisions. If you’re counting at home, the latter three are the entirety of the team’s Center corps and three of their better big men. Even if one plays (Lauvergne seems more likely than the others), their big man rotation will be down to that big, Kenneth Faried, JJ Hickson, and Darrell Arthur. That’s it. That’s the list.
This should give the Lakers an advantage inside. Hibbert may not be an offensive weapon, but his size and work on the offensive glass can be optimized against this depleted group. Randle, too, should be able to use his strength and quickness to get into the paint and, when there, not find too much resistance in the form of shot blockers. Brandon Bass — should he play; he is dealing with an eye issue after getting scratched in the Mavs game — can also find some creases to get himself some opportunities closer to the rim.
While key parts of this battle may be decided inside, it’s the match ups on the wings where folks will be paying most attention. Chief among them is the match up of rookie PG’s in D’Angelo Russell and Emmanuel Mudiay.
If you ask a vocal subset of Lakers’ fans, Mudiay looks like the better pro so far. That may well be true, but at this point it is difficult to separate the numbers he is producing with the role he is being asked to play. Mudiay is the lead playmaker for the team and isn’t being asked to share possessions with other high usage players (there is no Kobe, Clarkson, or even Randle on the Nuggets). It should also be noted, like Russell, Mudiay’s efficiency is not yet where he would want it to be (he’s shooting 33% from the field and 50% from the FT line).
In any event, the match up of these two players will be interesting to watch, if for no other reason that they were both high lottery picks and that they play such contrasting styles even though they’re both point guards.
The other match up on the wing worth your time is Kobe vs. Danilo Gallinari. Gallo has long been a player who has given Kobe issues on both ends of the floor and it would not surprise me to see that trend continue. Offensively, the “Rooster” has an underrated all court game which stretches out beyond the three point line. Kobe will need to guard him tightly on the perimeter while also guarding against one dribble pull ups against hard close outs and nice movement off the ball.
Defensively, Gallo has good size and quick enough feet to stay in front of Kobe and challenge his jumper even while sagging off. Kobe doesn’t have a great advantage in the post, either, so it will be interesting to see how he works on and off the ball to get makable shots. Considering Kobe’s struggles lately, I will also be interested to see if he presses at all or if he can fall into a more patient approach by letting the game come to him.
Considering all this, the player who might be able to make the biggest impact is Jordan Clarkson. He will be facing off against fellow 2nd year pro Gary Harris. Harris is a nice shooter who shows good defensive smarts (playing for Tom Izzo in college does that). Clarkson, though, has shown to be able to work well against same sized players (Harris is listed at 6’4″, 210 pounds) by either beating them with his quickness, strength, or a combination of both. Clarkson did not get any burn down the stretch of the loss to the Mavs, so I would not doubt he comes out of the gate aggressive.
Where you can watch: 7:30pm start time on TWC Sportsnet and NBA TV. Also listen at ESPN Radio 710AM.
Keith says
Thanks for the preview Darius.
This sounds like a victory. Nuggets are not at full strength and are playing on the road. The Lakers need this one.
Fern says
This is a really winnable game, fingers closed…
pat oslon says
We will need a concerted team effort on defense and consistent ball movement on offense.
Anonymous says
– I am concerned about Mudiay vs. Russell/Clarkson. Emmanuel is stronger than either of them.
– I am also concerned about Gallinari vs. Kobe. Danilo is much bigger than Kobe.
Even shorthanded I think the Nuggets can exploit these matchups.
J C says
We may actually be favored tonight but there will be no easy victories this season.
But if we can’t beat a team like Denver playing on the road and without some key pieces, we won’t win many at all this year.
Byron’s seat is gonna get hotter quick if he doesn’t win this one.
I predict a win but nothing would surprise me.
Robert says
Kobe Alert: This will be a quick one, since Kobe is taking a “step back”. KB moved into 19th on the games list with 1283 contests. He is closing in on two Laker alumni in the form of Sam Perkins and Derek Fisher in the total games category. Kobe also hit his 1700th 3 point shot against the Mavs. He is just 8 dimes shy of Scottie Pippen for 28th and is starting to close in on Gary Peyton for 9th in total minutes (needs 261).
We gotta win tonight. Weak opponent, they are injured, we are not, we are at home. Very few on the schedule like this.
Robert says
Please see the KoBest post above. This is why you need to root against the Spurs. If you don’t the next thing you know – their fans are posting on your team’s blog.
By the way KoBest: Are you still bitter about 2000, 2001, 2004, and 2008? Or perhaps you go way back and are thinking about 82, 83, 86, or 88. Wow – I thought you guys were a successful franchise? I know that is right – you are consistent – and your results have been. Well at least you play the right way – however it puts TV ratings to sleep.
KoBEST! Report says
Not a spurs fan, actually.
BigCitySid says
– Understandable, no one wants to say tonight’s game (4th of 82) is a “must win”, but:
1) the Lakers are 0-3
2) they are 0-3 in consecutive years to start a season for the 1st time in franchise history
3) they are in the SOFTEST part of their schedule. Only 1 team in the 1st 9 games is a shoe in for the play-offs
4) this team has more talent than last year’s crew
5) they are about to embark on a five game road trip
6) folks are already calling for Scott’s head
7) fans are questioning the draft selection of Russell
8) Kobe worshippers have been reduced to Kobe apologists
9) Laker fans want improvement…by any means neccesary and
10) Darius can’t wait to write an article w/ more positives then negatives
– If Kob seriously believes he’s the “200 best NBA player” right now, maybe he’ll give the following teammates, all rated higher more respect (and passes) on the court:
98. Roy Hibbert
109. D’Angelo Russell
110. Lou Williams
137. Jordan Clarkson
155. Julius Randle
189. Brandon Bass
– I’m expecting a win over the injury depleted, struggling Nuggets on the Laker’s homecourt.
– In the immortal words of Capt Jean-Luc Picard of the SS Enterprise “Make It So”.
BigCitySid says
– @ Robert, I know your big on milestones and I know you don’t only have Kobe-vision, but are you surprised that Tim Duncan’s latest milestone “most wins by a player with one franchise” (954) isn’t getting as much attention as Kobe’s “20 years w/ one franchise”? (I’m serious).
Robert says
BCS: Not surprised at all. When people hear the name Kobe, they think of excitement, when people hear the name Duncan, they think of a doughnut. Kobe has played for 10 head coaches – Duncan has played for 1. Kobe has 5 rings and 7 trips to the Finals during 11 years with Phil. Duncan has not matched that playing his entire career with Pop. Can you imagine if Duncan had started with Del? And had to put up with 10 coaches?
rr says
Sid,
I just Googled Duncan and the 954 has been written about on multiple sites. The Spurs get plenty of attention, and if you want to read more about them, there is a link to an excellent Spurs site in the sidebar.
Also, Kobe’s legacy–5 titles, 7 Finals, 2 Gold Medals, #3 scorer–is set in stone. He will be a first-ballot HoFer and will have two jerseys in the rafters at Staples. There is no winning end game to your posts.
KevTheBold says
Thanks Darius ! Great explanation into why Mudiay seems, to the untrained eye, a better prospect than Russell.
Go Lakers !
mud says
Sid. i hope Kobe starts for another 10 years. just for you.
Alice the Goon has had a great run, for sure. maybe you should be a Spurs fan. they’re still winning.
Fern says
Funny that Curry and Harden were called busts on their rookie years. That shows how much we know, i wonder if all those people that were irate that we didn’t drafted Mudday are so quiet because he is shooting 33% from the field so far, is he a bust too? Thats worse than DAR fgp, im not calling him a bust at all but just saying that all these guys especially guards need time to mature, id say this, in a couple of years i bet DAR is going to be the better player. im exited to see these guys mature and get better. Nice chance to get a good look at Mudday too, if we get the W better yet, GO LAKERS!!!!
Gene says
Kobe alert. …As a mentor to the rookies…If you have 3 bad games in a row….take a mental break from practice….
Mid-Wilshire says
For the Lakers to win, I think that the following 3 players must have excellent games: Jordan Clarkson, Julius Randle, and Lou Williams. Meanwhile, Hibbert must be assertive on the boards and on defense. Finally, Kobe and Russell must temper their wildness and inefficiency.
If all of that occurs, I think this game is win-able. Is that asking too much?
R says
Nothing we’ve seen so far from Kobe should be a big surprise given his age, his psychological make up, and the results of the past three seasons.
That said, he considers himself the 200th best player in the league, which is probably a throw away line. It makes me wonder, though, if there will in truth be a worse starter in the league this year.
I should probably preface negativity about Kobe by singing his praises, but his career and legacy needs no defense.
Randle Report says
Why don’t we put our emphasis and focus on the player that should be getting the attention, Julius Randle.
He should be the face of the team, not a player that is actively hurting the team.
Jonathan says
Do you know of anywhere I can watch nbatv online?
Fern says
Annnnd blew the lead, smh
Chris J says
Not sure what Huertas did overseas, but I have seen nothing that suggests he belongs in the NBA and not some rec league at the YMCA. Dude is scared to shoot, awful near the rim and plays defense like my dead uncle.
Fern says
Julius is for real…
Tim says
Jordan Clarkson having a nice game with 20 points at the half. Denver rides huge FT advantage 23-27 for the lead at the break, 60-57.
marques says
Kobe has been hurt 3 years in a row, shouldn’t he get some time to suck without people complaining. I mean..jesus. wet him get in a game rythym, then if he still is playing terrible..call for his head.
Are we really clamoring to usher in the Russell, Clarkson, Randle era?
I would rather watch kobe go 0 for 1000 than to watch swaggy azalea celebrate after every shot.
Fern says
Those assists fro DAR to Clarkson is what i want to see more often, not only to him i mean but they were in excellent rythm and timing, he start to do that, his offense will come, he needs to stop being afraid of getting in the lane.
Fern says
@marques we are claiming for a new era because is going to happen like it or not, i LOVE Kobe but he can’t play forever, to his credit tonight he is taking a different approach because he is that smart and thankfully he is staying away from chucking 3s, For the Lakers to move fwd Kobe’s era has to end. My hope is that DAR, Clarkson and Randle are the foundation of the next era…
Hale says
lay up line
Fern says
Man this season is going to be looong 20 point turnaround…
Tim says
Lakers need to take a clue from George Costanza and do the opposite of what they are doing.
Vhan says
Sick and tired of these players not playing defense. No philosophy or watsoever about defense. Whats wrong with BS?. Geez
Chris J says
Are we really clamoring to usher in the Russell, Clarkson, Randle?
——
Yes. Yes we are.
It very likely will not match the Kobe era — high bar to clear there — but one option represents the future and the other is all but done, no matter how much we may wish to hold on. I loved Showtime, too, but Worthy’s place is now on the halftime show, not starting at the three. And unfortunately, Kobe’s closer to the studio life than another All-Star season.
Anonymous says
A good loss. Would have been better if Russell played more minutes.
Archon says
Poor rebounding, a complete lack of any defensive identity or principles, too many early shot clock 3’s. This is looking a lot like D’Antoni era basketball. And I hated the D’Antoni era.
Mike says
We got rolled. Only reason the score was remotely close was Denver fouling like idiots all through the fourth quarter. We got rolled by a horrible Denver team missing their front line and one of their better scorers. This was just pathetic
Oldtimer says
If they can’t beat Minnesota and Denver, who can they beat on these road games? Lakers are lucky to have still loyal fans after three pathetic years in-a-row!
Where is Hibbert in the last five minutes?
Chearn says
I am a Kobe fan period! I let Robert and rr respond to Kobe haters as they are far more eloquent than I. Awesome posts, guys.
Indeed, Duncan had one coach with the same philosophy on offense and defense. While at the other end of the spectrum, Kobe has endured ten coaches with varying styles of play including the Triangle, the Princeton, the Princeton, SSOL, Del Harris, Bernie Bickerstaff, Rudy Tomjanovich, Frank Hamblen and Byron Scott. All the while having played with such fine NBA starters or players like Smush Parker, Brian Cook, Slava Medevenko, and Luke Walton.
As far as the game goes, that was two steps forward from the last two games. I fully expect the next game to be two steps backward. The team played with better energy and defense on rested legs. However, this team lacks a lockdown defender at any position, and that to paraphrase Stu Lantz, “Will not get it done.” No defense, no wins.
bluehill says
Coming into the season, I was preparing myself for a rough beginning as the young guys learn how to play at this level and try to figure out Byron’s offense and Kobe recovers. So I just wanted to see progress each game. I think there was some progress tonight. Randle seems like his confidence is growing on the offensive end. Clarkson just continues to impress on offense. Kobe was much more judicious in his shot selection. DLo made a baby step in terms of being a little more assertive.
Obviously so much more work is needed on defense. I wish guards would try to fight through a screens a little more. They always seem willing to settle for a switch rather than try to fight through, which leads to mismatches and it’s downhill from there. I feel for Hibbert because he’s really earning his keep right now.
matt says
I’m just glad tarik black got to play, he should have been put in sooner those denver bigs where too fast for hibbert to keep up with. Tarik and randle is a good combo, if you want speed they can rotate well. Coach has yet to play hibbert and bass together who knows what hes waiting for. Also metta has still not played, and we are giving up 30 a quarter, put some freaking muscle out there already. Again i hope scott was impressed with tarik, hope he plays more, hibbert is too slow to rotate with the smaller quicker bigs.
R says
Few people worth listening to would denigrate Kobes career, his legacy, his work ethic, his mental and physical toughness, or what he’s brought to the Lakers. However ….
However, at this point he – quite predictably! – appears to be a shell, nay, a shadow of his former awesome self.
matt says
Lol chearn mentioned slava medvadenko
matt says
You forgot to mention troy murphy
Lakafan says
Only 20 minutes for DAR?? And 17 for hibbert is not enough. How many more losses before bs is canned and we hire kevin Ollie or David Fizdale??
Chick Hearn says
Clarkson reminds me of Eddie Jones.
KL says
Another POV should be that we know the Lakers can score. Even if Kobe jacked up a lot of airballs and made some poor poor decisions (not doing the extra pass), we still managed to reach 109 points. The issue right now is tightening the defense. I’m pretty optimistic that we’ll get better as the season goes on. People often underestimate chemistry when it comes to playing defense. It will take time for the players to get used to each other and change their tendencies.
I’m a big kobe fan but not running back to D is just a bad example being the captain of the team. It all starts on top.
Don Ford says
Don’t forget Eddie Jones played excellent D!
rubenowski says
At least we got a glimpse of the future with Clarkson and Randle playing well. Russell also looked more comfortable. This trio should be playing better in the second half of the season. That still wont fix our D though.
Paul says
Ya are young guys will get more consistent offensively and Kobe will get some of his shooting touch back as the season progresses, but that won’t help us D up or rebound in the slightest. Defense isn’t only about attitude. You need a few strong defensive players on your team to bring everyone else along in the defensive rotations. It’s not just about hustle. It’s positioning and quickness. We simply don’t have enough of those players. Period
bleedpurplegold says
This is all part of a bigger plan:
bs plays our main guys (hibbert on D, DAR as facilitator) only a limited amount of time because he is on a stealth tank mission once again….our finisher and first option in kobe has bought into that and now trys to improve his 3pt shot in games and practice for one last hurray next season as a spot up shooter, clarkson gets to take over so he can be a first option alongside randle next year, they get the most touches on O. Lou and young get to shoot so we can trade them for picks.
Or you could say this team just sucks and bs is a bad coach 😀 😀 😀
On a realistic note: you guys know that huertas makes the most assists per 48min in the entire rookie class (over 10per)…cant agree with guys talking trash about him….he is NOT tge reason for us playing that bad
D. Peterson says
The team played with more energy. So that’s nice. But honestly, shouldn’t we expect the pros to play with energy every night? So I don’t view that as progress
Russell looks more comfortable, and he certainly does swing the ball nicely, but I haven’t seen a single minute of play from him yet that provides a glimpse of his fabled “upside.” I know he’s 19, and that his body and game will develop. But I remember watching Kobe 19 years ago and seeing the talent jump out, even when he made boneheaded mistakes. But Russell hasn’t shown anything in the 10 or so games he’s played in a Lakers uniform. He just doesn’t pass the eye test. Darius, do you have any plays you can point to to illustrate what the FO sees in him?
Randle is awesome. My new favorite player. I hope we lock him up for years to come.
Clarkson is for real and getting better. He lacks leadership skills, but those will come.
Kobe and the rest are pretty bad, and it doesn’t appear to me that they learn or practice anything in particular on off days. I didn’t expect to make the playoffs this year. But I did expect linear progress. We’re not seeing that at all, and the coach must be held responsible.
I love the Lakers as much as anyone. This is really hard to watch.
tankyou says
Randle and Clarson nice job on offense! Kobe reigned it in a bit at least only 5 threes last night attempted.
Lou Williams is wasted on this team, he could be helping a team actually win somewhere with his ability to draw fouls and get to the rim. For us he’s just a guy that takes away playing time from Russell in games that we apparently are going to get owned in regardless. I hope we trade Williams for a pick or something to a team that can really use him, can’t imagine he’s going to be very happy losing a ton for the Lakers this year.
If Russel/Clarkson/Randle are truly going to be our core, then we serioulsy need SF’s and Centers that are defensive specimens to balance things out. Also we need bench players that can defend in the future as well, not Swaggy types. Randle and Clarkson look like they can give us some firepower on the offensive end in the years to come, but clearly that is not enough. The West has all kinds of teams with good to great offensive players, but with better D as well. Plus teams like the Warriors aren’t that old and could be really amazing for many years to come. Hibbert just isn’t his old self defensively, honestly I think he’s just a great 2nd string Center at this point in his career. I’m just praying that we don’t have so bad a team that Byron Scott revisits “experimenting with Sacre/Kelly starting” again 🙂
BigCitySid says
– @ Robert, rr, & mud, you guys are way to sensitive pertaining to Kobe. I asked Robert if he was surprised that Kobe’s milestone rec’d so much more national fan fare than Duncan’s. That all. Very simple question. I’m under the impression you guys are NBA fans capable of appreciating accomplishments beyond those of the Lakers.
– Interesting take some guys have, when the national media plays up to Kobe it’s because “he’s exciting”, when they don’t “they’re haters”
– And please, let’s stop acting like Kobe was an innocent victim w/ all the coaching changes. Even the most successful of the 10, Phil Jackson let the public know how difficult it was to coach Kobe.
– Meanwhile, Lakers are 0-4 in consecutive seasons for the 1st time in franchise history.
KenOak says
@BCS
All Kobe all the time as usual.
As much as I hate to say it -> It may be time to move on from Byron. The FO has to ask themselves if BS is the “coach of the future?” If he is, then fine roll with him. If he isn’t the guy though…may as well cut ties and find another coach who can at least inspire this team if nothing else. I was mostly okay with the BS hire because there really weren’t many options anyway. Maybe Thibs is the answer.
bluehill says
tankyou – to your point about trading Williams, I agree and throw in Hibbert and Swaggy as well. There are going to some teams trying to position for the playoffs that could use the skills these guys have. Hibbert so far seems to have really helped himself in showcasing his defense (he’s getting a lot of chances to do that) and seems to have his head on straight again.
I know we’re only four games in, but it seems like Kobe’s recovery is going to take some time, so maybe the FO will just focusing on rebuilding and try to parlay the aforementioned players into some draft picks or younger players that are more defensively capable.
Anonymous says
The FO has to ask themselves if BS is the “coach of the future?”
__
BS was never the coach of the future. He was always a bridge coach to cover the remaining Kobe years. He’s also the coach that will absorb a lot of losses because truth be told the Lakers are short on talent.
bleedpurplegold says
Bluehill: thing is, those 3 have untradeable contracts. Which conteder has cap room/tradable guys worth 15mill, much less 15mill of expiring contracts…and who wants to take on 3 yrs and 7mill per for lou as well as swaggys contract….they are getting up in age and get solid money, even under a new cba that is midlevel type money….who will pay that for aging scorers with no d to speak of?!?
tankyou says
@bleedpurplegold, true getting rid of all three seems highly unlikely. But I think you are wrong about Lou Williams, a vet that can score in bunches from the bench tend to stay in demand. Geez even JR Smith still gets paid and he’s a horrible ball handler and a big time streaky shooter. At least Lou can pretty reliably break down his man, not rely on shooting jumpers. So I think trading him is very very doable and he isn’t ancient. It’s not like a team uses a Lou Williams in a rebuild anyway, it would be a playoff bound team. I do agree that Hibbert is very unlikely to nearly impossible and Swaggy probably slim, but still possible. Maybe sweeten the pot and give them Kelly or Sacre as a sweetener 🙂
Oldtimer says
This is really a huge problem of fans getting into trading business after 4 games. Why would you trade Lou,Bass and Hibbert when they are the stable guys that keep the Lakers afloat, same case with newbies like Clarkson and Randle? Isn’t it if you are a good employee, you are retained while analyzing in dumping those unproductive employees? Basically, this is the reason why Lakers got into this rut, we kept on a clearing house year after year from MBrown era. We have a good Coach, Bernie Bikerstaff was changed when Dantoni came in and also some able assistants of MBrown who are now coaching other teams. We have good guards like Meeks, Bazemore, Ellington who were good enough to give us perimeter shooting and lay up artists, gone after one year. Lakers retained Kelly, Sacre and Young who have problems in defense since time immemorial. Some people plan to remove Lou, that’s 20 pts minus from Lakers total pts. Who can replace him, another rookie on the pipeline like Russell? Just wondering?
Dwight says
Ben Simmons would look good in a Lakers uniform. That is if we keep our top three pick…
___
The Lakers mortgaged this entire decade in an effort to win a championship with Nash, who was 38 at the time he was acquired. Predictably that deal blew up. Now we have a bottom feeding team and still owe two of our next three 1st round picks to other teams for players that aren’t even Lakers anymore.
Why is Jeanie trusting the Lakers rebuild to the guy whose decisions imploded the franchise? If Jim weren’t family he would have been fired long ago.
bluehill says
Yeah, that’s a good point. I don’t know how the fine points about the salary cap, but maybe with the cap set to increase teams will have more flexibility.
T. Rogers says
I also agree on the point about Williams. Williams should be on a team that will use him as a scoring punch off the bench. Because Russell should be playing every 4th quarter. I get that Byron was trying to get the win last night. But the occasional win helped along by Lou Williams is not worth Russell’s development. The 4th quarter of a contested game is exactly when Russell needs to be on the floor with the ball in his hands.
Clay Bertrand says
Tankyou, THANK YOU for saying it!!! Your Lou Williams comment is 100% correct. I have been saying the same thing!!! Why did they pick Lou up at the expense of developing their prized draft pick??? UNFAIR FOR ALL INVOLVED!!!
Well, it really looks like the Lakers could have the Lottery Pick IN THE REFRIGERATOR after this upcoming Road Trip!! Honestly, we are the 2nd worst team in the NBA this year. Our Veterans make us better than Philly (You don’t see Sam Hinkie signing the 6th Man of the Year to take minutes away from HIS draft picks!!!!!!).
Rebuild NOW!!! Play the YOUTH!!!!
The Second unit may play smoother basketball, but they are unwatchable if for no other reason than THEY ARE NOT THE FUTURE!!!!!!!!!! They are BARELY the PRESENT!!!!!! Who wants to watch Bass, Kelly, Swaggy, and Lou with our 32 yr old Rookie Huertas!?!?!!?! NOT KOBE FANS that’s for sure!!!! smh……
To Anyone/Everyone who’d rather watch KOBE circle the drain than Randle, Russell, Clarkson, spring from the faucet: YOU ARE A BIG PART OF THE PROBLEM the Lakers have. They have to cater to you all to the detriment of expediting development of the FUTURE CORE.
Frankly, I’d rather watch Randle, Russell, and Clarkson MISS 1000 shots learning to be NBA players than see Kobe make 50000 shots on his way out the door.
Mid-Wilshire says
Well. Truth be told, I’m somewhat ambivalent about last night’s game vs. the Nuggets. But I’m not entirely discouraged.
On the one hand the Lakers lost again and, as we all know, played horrendously porous defense in the process. We were scorched in the paint by Kenneth Faried (28 pts. on 10-13 shooting and 15 rebounds), Danilo Gallinari, 21 pts. on 6-12 shooting, and J.J. Hickson (17 pts. on 8-9 shooting). These are 3 decent players but they had absolutely no opposition from the Lakers which disappoints and perplexes me. And under no circumstances should these 3 players ever be combining for 66 points and shooting a combined 71%. They’re good. But they’re not that good.
Also, continuing with the negatives, the Lakers only shot 41.4% while allowing a shameful 50.6% and were out-rebounded 49-41 and out-assisted 30-18. With statistics such as that, it’s virtually impossible to win. Furthermore, other than Jordan Clarkson, the Lakers were an abysmal 2-20 (10%) from three-pt. range. And to think, they lead the league (for some reason) in 3-pt. attempts.
And yet…the Lakers put up a surprisingly strong fight. This was not a blow out.
On a positive note, Jordan Clarkson was amazing. Not just good. Amazing. Superb. He tied his career high with 30 pts. on 12-19 (63%) shooting (4-6 from 3-pt. range), had 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal. Other than Kenneth Faried, he was the best player on the court. Last night he demonstrated that, when he channels his athleticism, he can be a special player. It will be interesting — and exciting — to watch him develop this year. I truly believe that the Lakers have a gem. This is very good news.
Also, Julius Randle is a beast. I realize that this is not a brilliant insight. But there is no doubt in my mind about Randle becoming one of the tougher covers in the league for years. There will be more than a few nights in which he becomes our “go to” guy. And he’s ours.
Furthermore, I was pleased with D’Angelo Russell. Not ecstatic or euphoric. But pleased. He showed more confidence against Denver than in the previous games. And some of his reads and passes (6 assists in only 20:25) were scintillating. It’s been said many times, but we should never lose sight of the fact that he is only 19 years old. (How many of us could have played point guard for the Lakers at the age of 19?) Last night I saw enough of Russell — especially with his growing chemistry with Clarkson — to be genuinely encouraged. His upside is not a mirage. It will simply take time to materialize.
So…there’s good and there’s bad. But didn’t we all predict that this was going to happen? When your 3 key players are 19, 20, and 23, can we expect anything less that a jagged, often frustrating, slightly unpredictable, and occasionally encouraging trajectory toward (we hope) eventual improvement? Isn’t this what we were all expecting?
I think that this year will probably demand not only patience from Lakers fans but discipline. We’ll have to continually remind ourselves that when Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook were early in their careers, they went 3-29 at the outset of their careers. Well…the Lakers are in the same spot.
It’s up to us to remember that. And if we do succeed in reminding ourselves that 2015-16 is really about 2017-18 and beyond, then this year, as frustrating as it will be, need not be so painful.
We simply have to be patient. We have to keep things in perspective. We have no choice.
rr says
– @ Robert, rr, & mud, you guys are way to sensitive pertaining to Kobe
—
Sid,
Pretty much 90% of your posts are either direct slams at Kobe or backhanded swipes at him, and the pattern above–making it about other people being too sensitive when you get called out on it–is part of the schtick. So, the one who needs to move on from Kobe is you, not me. I vociferously opposed his contract extension, have criticized his defense and, at times, his shot selection. I think the Lakers would probably be better off if he were not on the team right now. But yeah, I am going to call you out sometimes on posts that take backhanded shots at his overall career arc, like the multiple posts about his having missed the most FG attempts in NBA history. What is going on now doesn’t change 00-02 and 08-10, as well as the other great stuff he has done.
J C says
Kobe: Let me show you how to win.
Dwight: Ummm– check, please!
Kobe: Let me show you how to win.
D’Angelo: I’m waiting.
bluehill says
oldtimer, I don’t think we should trade the young guys. I just don’t see the point in keeping the vets to help keep the Lakers afloat. The young guys are still developing so we don’t really know what we have in them and what type of system will suit their skills and what type of players will best compliment them. By the time we figure that out, Hibbert and Williams will probably be gone.
I don’t think we’re a playoff team, so less than 40 – 45 wins this season. If the vets help us win an extra 10 games (?) 15 games (?) but at the cost of slower development of the young guys, then I would pay those extra wins because I don’t think those victories are sustainable.
I look at Clarkson’s development last year. The first part of the season he played sporadically sometimes a lot of minutes more often few minutes or DNP. Then injuries move him into the regular rotation and we see what happened. Sure he had some bad games, but he’s becoming a consistent scorer now. Clarkson could be a special situation, but I would rather let Russell play 30 – 35 minutes a night and see what he can become. We know what we have in the vets and they aren’t enough to get us past mediocre at best.
marques says
I keep hearing let the young guys develop. The problem is, the only thing you develop on losing teams is losing habits. If they can’t remain somewhat competitive and get a few veterans, Randle and Russell are screwed. They will turn into nick young and Lou williams, and never recover.
Clarkson has already picked up bad habits. He doesn’t attempt to defend with passion.
I hope kobe has something left for their sake, or they will end up in the trash bin with the rest of the high draft picks that never learned how to win.
david h says
darius: conceivably, we could be zero and sixteen by the time we meet up with the “supposed” worst nba team in Philadelphia, Tuesday, December 1st. with a loss on their turf, we could conceivably be zero and seventeen and supposed worst nba team in the nba.
note to jim buss: exactly what corner did we turn??
as per usual, you were spot on about Clarkson.
eventually, twenty five and twelve would look good on randle’s resume.
hopefully, nightly double doubles for Russell. use your feet, not your hands on defense.
kobe: where have all the flowers gone?
Go lakers
Archon says
I do wonder if the Lakers should stop focusing on Russell’s development as PG, treat this year as his “redshirt” and put the ball in Clarkson’s hands for 38-40 minutes a game.
I was a skeptic of his game last year but I’ve seen enough now to think Clarkson has a chance to be a really, really good player.
don ford says
They say BS getting canned now is bad for free agent recruitment next year, etc, bad timing reasons. So what if there was an “interim” coach? Are any of our assistants worth running the ship of young guns for the balance of the season? Is it just Mad Dog available? Who else?
J C says
Don ford
Who said that?
Is losing like this best for FA recruitment?
I think the FA needs to believe in the system.
That starts with the coach and unfortunately runs uphill to the GM and ownership.
This ship may not right itself until a full housecleaning takes place.
Chris J says
On a realistic note: you guys know that huertas makes the most assists per 48min in the entire rookie class (over 10per)…cant agree with guys talking trash about him….he is NOT tge reason for us playing that bad
—————-
Since this was likely directed at my comments, I never said Huertas alone was responsible for the team playing so poorly. There are far bigger problems afoot than the backup point guard who gets less than 13 minutes per game of playing time.
But to throw back a stat about how he averages the most assists of any rookie over 48 minutes? Come on… dude’s barely played 48 minutes, total, in the NBA and he’s averaging as many fouls per game (2.5) as assists. He’s a total liability on defense, as evidenced by his proclivity for fouling. As I wrote before, I’ve seen zero signs he belongs in the NBA. That’s not trash talking him; that’s just an honest assessment.