The Lakers have been off since Tuesday, a terrible loss to the Warriors on national television which brought, front and center, all that is wrong with this team. Losing to the best team in the league — one motivated to break an all-time record on their home court — isn’t in itself embarrassing. Losing by playing as bad as the team did with Kobe floundering to a 1-14 shooting effort is not the same as going down admirably.
As the team’s play continues to suffer, it gets harder to insulate themselves from the criticism and critiques that stem from it. After the games, the beat reporters look for explanations from the players and the coaches. The onus is on those in the locker room to provide insight and context to what is happening on the floor. Speaking to why you are bad or why something isn’t working can get exhausting. Add in what’s going on with Kobe and things can turn uncomfortable.
This is the backdrop for the team right now. They are 2-12 and, after a back to back Saturday and Sunday, the Lakers head out on the road for an eastern road trip. It is not so much whether the losses ensue, but how they play in accumulating those losses. Good play from the young players, a solid Kobe game or two, more strategic game plans from the coaches will go a long way in pacifying some of the critics even if the losses don’t stop. Is this team up for that, at least?
For me, that is the hope right now. And it starts tonight in Portland, a terribly difficult place to play historically for the Lakers. Portland should have starting PF Meyers Leonard back in the lineup and offer the dynamic backcourt of Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum. The Lakers played this exact team fairly closely just a week ago. They trailed by only 4 at halftime before getting outscored in both the 3rd and 4th quarters and ultimately losing by 14.
Tonight it will be interesting to see if the Lakers can keep the game closer for longer and whether their young backcourt and bring the same early energy and effectiveness they brought in that first matchup. Russell and Clarkson both had solid games and did well to attack offensively, helping to set the tone for the game early. They were outdone by Lilllard, but that should not be a surprise. Tonight it would be nice to see them continue to play an attacking style of game and let the chips fall where they may.
The other keys to the game are what Randle can do against good size in Leonard (as well as Noah Vonleh and Ed Davis) and whether he can remain effective when getting into the paint against athletic defenders who love to challenge shots inside. If Randle can score efficiently, rebound well, and establish some open court chances for himself and teammates the Lakers will have a solid chance to stay in the game.
Where you can watch: 7:00pm start time on TWC Sportsnet. Also listen on ESPN Radio Los Angeles 710AM.
rr says
They are actually 2-12,although they will likely be 2-14 heading to Phila.
Darius Soriano says
Yeah, thanks RR, I fixed the post. Had “14” on the mind after thinking of Kobe’s Tuesday night.
Robert says
Kobe Alert: Tough times for the Lakers and for Bean, however that does not mean he does not continue to add to his legendary status. Kobe needs 8 minutes played to attain 47,118 minutes and to move by Gary Peyton and into 9th place all time. KB is currently 54th all time in defensive rebounds, and is embarking on a quest to get into the top 50. He needs 18 more to catch Maurice Lucas (rebounder indeed), and then Kurt Thomas and PJ Brown are soon within striking distance. The Logo is 77 dimes away. That is $7.70 for those of you interested in collecting dividends on the $24 million. The All Star game was mentioned earlier. Yes the starters are a popularity contest, however the year end All NBA teams are as legit as it gets with regard to pro sports award teams. Kobe has been named to 16 All Star Teams (tied for 2nd all time). He has been named as an All Star Starter 16 times (1st all time). He has been named to 15 All NBA Teams and 11 times has been named as an All NBA Starter (Both of those are tied for 1st all time). So it seems whether by fiat, meritocracy, monarchy, or vote – it all results in one thing – Kobe Rules !
Anonymous says
From ESPN:
Kristaps Porzingis says he gets advice from Phil Jackson nearly every day. The rookie says Jackson, the Knicks president, “lets Coach [Derek] Fisher do all the work, but then he comes up to guys and tells little details about the offense, something maybe that all the other coaches didn’t see. Phil’s always there and he sees other things, and he’s very helpful for me… It’s the best place for me to be right now, alongside with him.”
—-
I’m sure Jim gives advise as well, on the horses, bars/clubs and doing the least amount of work to get by.
J C says
funny post about phil by anon.
even though our season is miserable already,
I can’t help but be a little happy for d fish in ny
phil has his issues but he knows the game like few others
i’m sure it’s helpful having one of the best coaches in history give a few pointers
good for them.
re last thread
even as a sometime-detractor, I can say that:
kobe isn’t done yet.
he’ll have a few good games still this year
and when he does, some folks will say, “he’s back.”
that’s what it’s like getting old
you can still turn back the clock once in a while
it just gets fewer and farther between
rubenowski says
I predict russell will go for something like 14-6-5 tonight IF he plays in the 4th. Hopefully the blazers guards dont torch us again, but im not holding my breath.
Gene says
If Kobe only shot off a pass without all the dribbling…. Plus passes more…he can still be effective…
Fern says
About the other thread, in whatever way physically and statistic wise Kobe’s final season ends up it wont make a dent on his legacy, that’s already set up in stone, he is the second best Laker of all time behind Magic and ahead of The Captain and im sure he will be immortalized and join Magic and Kareem outside Staples, im sure that’s a given, i find some of the comnents here downright disrespectful and ungrateful and this is one of the most even headed Laker sites , im aware and i criticized his play this season and it’s painfully obvious he is done and he needs to retire, we all knew Kobe was going down guns blazing and like i said before, he needs to retire for the Lakers move fwd, but thinking that he should retire now it’s ridiculous and insane, he won’t leave all that money on the table would any of you?, is as simple as that, im convinced he will retire after this season because he knows better than any of us that he don’t have it anymore and even though is necessary i will shed a tear when he call it a career, we won’t see a competitor like Kobe again in an NBA that has become soft, those “superstars” of today wouldn’t last half a season in the NBA that Kobe made his debut , apreciate the man for being what he is, THE LAST OF HIS KIND, Lou Williams grandma passed away my condolences to him and his family, as sad as this is I don’t see any reason why DAR don’t play at least 35 minutes tonight and hopefully a better flow on both sides of the court not a lot more but beggars can’t be choosers , it’s all about the kids now and the future, us fans? We need to endure. GO LAKERS
Fern says
It’s going to be a long game…
KO says
Very obvious Lakers will be team to give Philly 1st win. Bet on it. 2 more airballs Kobe now leads all NBA.
And some argue he earned the right?
This is the worst team in the NBA. Wide open 3 point shots all year.
Show the fans you give a crap Jimmy and fire Bryon. Might not help but at least shows you care.
YOUR TEAM IS UNWATCHABLE. DO SOMETHING!
Dwight says
I think Byron has lost the team.
LKK says
Lakers need either Russell or Clarkson to emerge as an above average defensive player. Opposing guards feast on our team.
vhan says
JC was scoring the basketball and then BS subbed him out. Its like WTF?!
And then Kobe checked in back there and the lead ballooned again to 14.
Why let Young play when he didn’t even had a basket.
KevTheBold says
I’m seeing better ball movement tonight !
This Blazer team is providing excellent lessons for our kids.
KevTheBold says
These types of losses I can live with.
Ruben, your prediction was almost right on the money.
brian b says
I’m a lifelong laker fan and I can’t believe the lack of defensive effort on this team. The only one playing Defense is Metta, Randal and hibbert. Kobe and the rookie lose their man every time down the floor. Awful how open the portland guards were tonight. Uncontested 3 pointers. Will be a long season. Nick young needs to go.
rubenowski says
Ok, I lied. It wasn’t really my prediction, it was my curandera’s. I asked her how Russell would perform and she came very close. Not bad. She’s the one that assured me last season that we had a deal with the NBA cabal and would be guaranteed a top 3 pick in last summer’s draft. It’s too bad she was right about us getting torched by Lillard and McCollum again, though (but seriously, who didn’t see that coming?)
But in all seriousness, I think Russell got real good experience tonight. He committed a couple of costly mistakes in the 4th, but that’s the kind of learning that should be taking place. He woulda had 7 assists tonight if Bass and Hibbert had converted their dunks, but in fairness they were in traffic and Hibbert got fouled on his. And hey, he only had 2 turnovers. He played the most tonight (almost 38 min). I wouldn’t be surprised if Russell finished the year averaging 13-5-5. I would consider that a pretty good rookie year. He’s improving with every game.
Good games by Randle and Clarkson too. But the defense was terrible.
tankyou says
Defense continues to be my longterm concern. I don’t view DAR as ever being a good defender, even if he becomes a good offensive guy. Clarkson should be better I would think, but I don’t know if its his mentality, limited strength or what, but his defense is blah as well. So assuming these are our two main guards of the future, I don’t see their offense being so great that it can make up for the large number of teams that will destroy them with their talented offensive guards. Tons of teams have great guards that score alot, especially in the Western conference–so I see this as more of a longterm issue.
Randle is still the question mark for me, can he become a decent defender as well–I have more hope for him in this regard since he has quickness/strength to become at least average or better as a defender.
So they best fill the roster with a whole bunch of guys who defend really well. Of course they need a Coach that teaches defense, has good schemes, and actually makes adjustments on defense–not just on offense. Telling people to “man-up” endlessly is just not good enough as a Coaching strategy. Of course I think we still need our #1 option, if Clarkson/DAR/Randle is our go to guy, we either have a long wait until the become elite, or we will just struggle to be more than mediocre/fringe playoff team in the future. I suppose they may get a chance to swing for the fences again in the draft, it seems hard to imagine after watching them play that the Lakers will do any better than last season.
Kobe is leading the team in Assists! At 3.4 APG, that’s just sad, DAR is a rook but still averaging 27mpg and 3.0 APG? Passing is one of the few skill sets that should carry over to the NBA pretty readily, so perhaps he isn’t going to be quite the assist machine many thought?
So the Lakers are on pace to win what 12-15games? Assuming the learn to win some close ones, this team looks like 20 wins might be their final tally–pretty sad. I didn’t learn to love basketball as a kid and watch sports to root for draft picks every year–especially so early in the season. But who knows maybe the 76ers won’t get the #1 pick this year….
pat oslon says
AGREED brian b!
I can’t believe the lack of defensive effort on this team either. Portland is not a playoff team and yet the toy with us and handily win both games. Portland shot nearly 48% and 40% from the trey. Their guards alone scored 66 points. D-LO and Clarkson got torched again. This is a very young group but lack of defensive intensity is inexcusable.
Josh says
Byron has lost this team. Did you see Clarkson’s face when he got benched? I wish the local media would start giving him the business. Pinkus used to be such a good reporter, but he’s looking like a company boy these days. Thanks for keeping it real Darius! It’s not about our record or Kobe. Like Jerry West said, we just don’t play a winning style of basketball. We’re systematically flawed.
Warren Wee Lim says
2 wins in 15 games and the Lakers are indeed unwatchable. Byron is a terrible coach on offense and on defense and he’s the worst motivator because his antics are so outdated. He hates everyone on the team except Kobe who he can’t control, and the rest of the team hates him terribly.
Anonymous says
Hibbert not the answer at center. He’s averaging career lows in pts and rbs. Epitomizes the Jim regime. A desperate reach. Nothing else was available that was cheaper and a permanent solution would ruin his free agent summer plans.
This was a game he should have dominated. Plum lee is a journeyman and Leonard is a third year player. Portland’s centers made a bigger contribution than Hibbert.
Warren Wee Lim says
If all it cost is for us to send a 2nd rounder in the future to acquire Hibbert, its not the FO’s fault. I would do the same deal 10x out of 10. The only thing I worry about is we may have effectively “lost” Ed Davis to Portland by agreeing to acquire a big 17M expiring contract. 20M/3 is what Ed got and he could’ve provided what Roy is doing, at a 3rd of the price. We could’ve effectively got someone like Robin Lopez and Bismack Biyombo too.
LKK says
What’s most concerning to me is the porous defense of our starting backcourt. At some point in time Russ and Clark have got to step up and assert themselves on that side of the ball. It’s got to become personal when you are getting torched game after game.
Clay Bertrand says
rubenowski, however you got the numbers for Russell, pretty darn close!! : )
Nothing unexpected in this game except maybe McCollum going off more than Lillard.
The Loss with the young guys playing pretty decent minutes is fine. I wish A. Brown was getting some run in these losses too. Might as well accelerate EVERY young player’s growth this year as much as possible.
I felt bad for Kobe on that one airball especially…..smh….You could see him chastising HIMSELF under his breath some after that shot. Glad he got a few to fall just to get that taste outta his mouth.
Still Byron seems to think he can/should lean on Kobe somehow…..subbing out Clarkson for Kobe?!??!????!!!!? Clarkson was rolling. He gets the Lakers back to within 10 I believe. You could feel a TEENY bit of momentum and then BAM!! Kobe gets subbed in for JC and the momentum is GONE instantly. I think Portland then scored 6 straight. SMH.
Clay Bertrand says
Byron’s post game comments regarding the potential Lottery pick were very intriguing to me. How he addressed the whole issue was strange. Instead of just flat out DENYING anything to do with his coaching and the correlation between losing and getting our high pick he said,
“It’s impossible to think about the team, try to get our young guys better, the team better and also thinking about a pick……That’s six months away and you might not even get it. I don’t concern myself with things that aren’t in my control.”
What’s just odd is that for Byron, even just “thinking about a pick” can only be contemplated if he himself mentally admits the team is so bad that the pick could be possible. Now while he doesn’t have direct control over the Lottery process, he DOES have some CONTROL over how the team progresses.
Just mentioning those competing thoughts together in one sentence when the result of our draft pick can ONLY come from a failure of the team to do well sounds like the language of a not so stealth STEALTH TANK.
It’s like saying, “It’s impossible to think about my wedding, my honeymoon AND cheating on my new wife six months from now if things don’t work out.” YIKES!! Who would say such a thing out loud??
Coaches usually don’t even comment on Lottery stuff especially in November. Especially Laker coaches!! I just found Byron’s comment to be puzzling if not a little bit telling if you read between the lines.
BigCitySid says
– @ Fern’s November 28, 2015 at 6:50 pm post:
“About the other thread, in whatever way physically and statistic wise Kobe’s final season ends up it wont make a dent on his legacy…” absolutely disagree. This will only be true among those who love Kobe. Other groups including those who don’t care for him, those who look at career averages and let’s not forget those who didn’t see Kobe in his prime will view him differently. Just as you view some of the all time greats you never actually saw play. It’s human nature.
Clay Bertrand says
Note: I am not claiming some grand conspiracy or plan by the FO to tank the season. I am saying Byron’s openness to discussing the pick suggests the acceptance that keeping it is a very REAL possibility.
Still odd way to discuss it though…..
Anonymous says
Warren the point is that Ed Davis would have meant a commitment by the FO. So the easiest temporary solution, Hibbert, was found. The problem with the Lakers is that most of the roster is a temporary solution.
Look, we fans know this Lakers team is not good and that the kids need to play. The silver lining is that Jim told Jeanie he would win and develop the kids. He stated publically that, ‘the Lakers have turned the corner.’
If Jeanie holds Jim accountable then he’s gone. The hope is she replaces him with someone who knows how to build a roster through the draft and trades — and has the gravitas to woo game changing elite talent in the free agent market.
KevTheBold says
Tank- I wouldn’t doubt D’Angelo’s assist potential when most of his passes are to Kobe.
To anyone saying he’s “not nba ready” – His stats, even without all the factual factors against him, prove without a doubt, otherwise.
To the comments about his defence – Let’s not use words like “can’t” or “never will”. He’s already disproven those negatives. He simply has a lot to learn, not unlike his teammates, and indeed his coach.
I realize that he was obviously not the choice of many here, but I am disappointed not to see more patience, and positive responses from those who have firmly and unfairly disparaged him prematurely.
He is, after all what stands between us and a future of continual futility.
Though it’s too early to call him a potential star, he’s proven that he is no bust.
Please encourage him, as he is one of us now, better or worse.
BigCitySid says
– Tonight vs the Pacers is a back to back game. Which means there is a good chance Kobe won’t play, giving us another opportunity to see how different the young guys play w/o him.
Fern says
I don’t understand why is odd to discuss the possibility of the pick if the team is 2-13, those are questions that are valid, and about the Draft, the team has done very good in the Draft historically and the last couple of years is no exception, Julius and DAR are very good picks and Clarkson is absolutely last year’s steal, if the Draft could be redone he would be a top 3 pick easily, remember all the talk last year gushing about exum? Me included, where is he now? Oh yeah gone for the season with a destroyed knee, that could be the Lakers think about that, the main thing i remember about Exum last season is being posterized by Clarkson, that was ugly, about DAR assist total in every game i see at least 3 of his passes that would be assists wasted for a myriad of reasons with the right system and players he could be averagin 6 or 7 asist a game and all the talk about his “horrible” shooting talk has gone away his fg avg is up to 41% and his 3point % is up to 33% and is avg close to 11ppg, those numbers compare favorably with Westbrook rookie numbers, im not saying he will be that good but this kid can ball and will get better, same with Randle, if he learns to use his right hand and develop a Kevin Garnett kind of go to jumpshot he will be a beast, the Lakers have a ton of issues in the court and the FO but the Draft is not one of them, again, this team will be stuck in the mud until Kobe retires, with Kobe gone, 3 promising youngsters, 5 if we keep next year pick and you count Nance and two max spaces available, the Lakers will be wide open for a quick rebuild/ reload.
Anonymous says
Is Williams still out? If yes, then Clarkson and Russell will get a lot of burn.
rr says
Sid,
The Lakers are 0-3 without KB and there has not really been a huge uptick in the young guys’ numbers when he has not been there. Clarkson and Russell had pretty good O numbers against PHX, but as noted, both of them have trouble on D with or without Kobe and PHX, especially Brandon Knight, torched the Lakers. Young guys are going to be inconsistent whether Kobe is out there. As people have been telling you for awhile now, not everything that happens on the Lakers revolves around Kobe’s shot selection, personality, and salary.
I think Williams will probably still be on bereavement leave, so yes, Russell and Clarkson will probably play more minutes than usual tonight. Whether they play well remains to be seen.
TempleOfJamesWorthy says
Re: Stealth tanking
I think what some need to realize about the Lakers current predicament (which I believe is a stealth tanking job) is this is almost certainly NOT the front office’s Plan A. It’s likely the best they could do as circumstances evolved.
Plan A was very likely something along the lines of sign LeMarcus Aldridge, sign a second impact free agent, add a couple of low-price veterans, combine with development from the young core, and give Kobe one last taste of the playoffs.
Plan B was probably like Plan A without LeMarcus Aldridge.
But, as the offseason evolved, impact players turned down the Lakers, and the pool of available talent dried up, the Lakers were stuck with Plan Q (or whatever letter), which was sign cheap veterans who might have mid-season trade value, make sure those cheap veterans had mismatched/duplicated skill sets so the team would really stink, and hope that the lottery gods bless the Lakers again in 2016.
It is undeniably painful to watch, but that’s what NBA rebuilding entails. Before the Golden State Warriors became the current NBA juggernaut, they had to endure seasons of 29, 26, 36, and 23 wins. And they had to hit home runs in 3 out of 4 consecutive NBA drafts (Epke Udoh being the one dud) to rebuild their talent base.
Laker fans have been spared this indignity since about 1994 (even the post-Shaq-pre-Pau teams still had peak Kobe, Lamar Odom, and some decent vets), so we’re not used to it.
rr says
Good post at 1229 pm.
rr says
TOJW,
I would add again that I think a lot of Lakers’ fans would mostly be OK with this if it were all the young guys playing and the coach were a guy like Darren Erman or David Fizdale. But most hardcore fans don’t really want to watch Kobe, Byron, and guys like Hibbert, BB, Young and Williams go 2-13 even if KB’s presence still sells tix and merch. That is why the Lakers’ blogosphere at the moment mostly involves people complaining about Kobe and Byron.
I called last year’s team a Frankenstein’s Monster, and although some of this year’s parts are newer, I think the joke still fits.
Mid-Wilshire says
tank you,
I think it’s a little dangerous to make definitive statements such as “so-and-so will never be a good defensive player,” especially when we’re talking about a 19-year old.
Are Russell, Clarkson, and Randle having their challenges in defending the best players in the world on a nightly basis? You bet. They’re getting scorched. But this is not a shock. Usually, young players develop their offensive skills first. Why? Because it’s more fun. Most young players prefer to go out and work on their shot. It’s human nature. In any NBA draft, out of the top thirty players, 3 or 4 (if that) may be known as defensive stalwarts. The others are often oblivious to defense. But they love to shoot the ball.
In the years that I’ve been following NBA basketball, I’ve noticed that there’s usually something of a more-or-less predictable curve that occurs in a player’s development. 1) He develops his offensive game first. 2) After a year or 2 (or 3) he learns to play with others, refining his passing game slowly but surely. (Steph Curry was not a great passer when he first came up, for example; he’s quite good now.) 3) Then, after 3-4 years in the league, after being hammered and harassed by a series of coaches, they finally begin to develop their defensive chops.
Defense, for some reason, almost always seems to come last. That was the case with Michael Jordan. That was even the case with Michael Cooper. It’s just the way of the world.
So, to say that a young player in his first or second season will never develop into an outstanding defender is a bit premature. The truth is, we won’t know how they’ll develop for another few years.
It just takes time…and patience.
Baylor Fan says
If the Warriors and the 76ers are models for how to run a franchise, than the Lakers are in big trouble. The obvious part is that the Lakers simply do not have their pick in two of the next three drafts barring more amazing lottery luck. So their “home run” picks need to be current players on the team. Looking at the 76ers, even though they have had historically poor records, they have yet to win big in terms of the players they selected. It is not clear that any of their current players will be the foundation of their next great team. The Lakers would be better served building a winning culture this season so their young players do not get discouraged like the ones in Philadelphia.
BigCitySid says
– @ rr, are you not interested in see how the young guys play w/o Kobe?
– I thought the plan all along was to rest Kobe on the 2nd night of back 2 backs…was I wrong?
Anonymous says
Fern — the FO wanted elite free agents — designed rosters w/ cap flexibility in mind — they failed so miserably that they ended up with lotto picks.
KevTheBold says
Just a side note to the Okafor regrets.
As we as Lakers fans know too well, how off court behavior can affect a team.
Okafor thus far: A bar room brawl ending with a gun in his face, and being pulled over for driving 108 miles per hour in his first couple of months as a pro, demonstrates a serious lack of judgement.
Another reason to be thankful for who who we have.
KevTheBold says
Free agents are overrated imo.
Not only do the majority of the best, never leave their bread and butter teams, the ones that do rarely make the impact the media claims they will.
Think about it, if they were so dominant, they would have dominated where they were.
The whole idea about free agents are to build hype, to gain clicks and viewers to sell ads.
Championship teams, are in majority, grown from draft picks.
Yes, the process takes time, so the free agent idea caters to the impatient wishing for short cuts.
A long shot, however, should never be seen as par for the course.
Yet here we are with the majority of fans turning up their noses at draft picks, and praying for some other team’s used items.
Fern says
@ANON thats right, they wanted the home run aproach but that dont diminish the fact that they had done a good job in the Draft, in the last 2 years we have gotten 5 good player thu it…
Fern says
@Kevthebold, if we drafted Okafor he would not be averaging 18 ppg, that Sixers team is a disgrace and one of the reason this tanking concept needs to be revised, and he can’t guard worth a damn and i guess he wants to be gansta, im ok with our pick, if Towns was available that would had been the best and obvious choice, but we got a good pick, makes me laugh people making definite statements about players in their first and second year on the league, smh
rr says
Kev,
You should probably take those complaints up with the FO, rather than with the fanbase. Since Phil left, the FO has traded, I believe, 9 draft picks; and since Howard walked and Kobe went down, both Jim and Mitch have made repeated public statements about the importance of signing FAs and maintaining financial flexibility, and have designed the roster with future cap space in mind for three years running now.
rr says
Sid,
I have said several times that I felt very strongly that the FO should have offered Kobe one year, not two, so no, I don’t really want him on the team at this point, and I am not that interested in watching him. But I don’t think that his absence from the lineup will mean the young guys suddenly step up their games. From Kwame Brown to Shannon Brown to Trevor Ariza to Sasha Vujacic to Jordan Farmar to Earl Clark young guys have not, on the whole, suddenly seen their careers take off when they got away from Kobe. In fact, some of them have seen their performance drop off after leaving the Lakers.
KevTheBold says
rr, yes, I agree, yet we can’t know if they actually believe what the public is told.
I would surmise however, that since their main income is derived from media outlets, it’s best to feed the hype machine.
Then again, The rarety of a Shaq, {as you know Kareem and Gasol were trades} keeps the fantasy alive.