So, there’s a lot that happened in this game and whenever (or at least pretty often when) that’s the case I’m going to go to a bullet point recap. Sorry, I’m a blogger so I love bullet points. If you want the pure numbers, though, the Lakers beat the Knicks 121-117 and snapped a 12 game road losing streak in the process. They also got their 1st win of this five game roadie and with two games left they could actually have a winning record on the trip. I know, I’m getting ahead of myself.
On to the bullets…
- Luke Walton switched up his starting lineup, removing Timofey Mozgov and Luol Deng in favor of Tarik Black and Brandon Ingram. Walton noted that with only so much season left to play, the emphasis was going to shift more towards the younger players and seeing what they could provide in different roles/heavier loads.
- For the Ingram/Deng switch, this played out as expected. Ingram’s minutes rose to 32 against the Knicks and he took full advantage of that extra time by scoring 14 points and grabbing 7 rebounds. Ingram’s rebounding was especially important in helping the Lakers not only finish defensive possessions, but transition into offense quickly. Ingram, unlike Deng, has real grab and go ability and it’s clear Luke encourages Ingram to take the ball up himself rather than look for an outlet. After the game Walton commented that the Lakers’ offense can really benefit from Ingram pushing the ball with the starting group, noting that having D’Angelo and Young fill the lanes is a real threat.
- Deng still played 24 minutes which is only 3 fewer than his season average. So, yes, Deng went to the bench but this move didn’t much affect his overall run, only who he played with and when he played with them.
- Mozgov’s removal was not quite the same. Timo was a DNP-CD while Black, Zubac, and Nance got all the minutes at C in this game. After the contest Mozgov was very politic about the change and was careful to not rock the boat. I greatly respect how he handed things, knowing full well going from starter to not playing at all is as drastic a shift as could happen. It is not at all comparable to what Deng dealt with.
- Julius Randle returned to the starting lineup as well and looked good after a poor, short showing against the Celtics. Randle said after the game it is the best he’s felt after dealing with pneumonia and it showed on the court. He was active offensively and did a very good job of attacking Porzingis’ length by getting into his body and then using his shoulder to create some space for little runners and jumpers across the lane. Porzingis still blocked a couple of Randle’s shots, but it wasn’t the rejection fest from when they matched up in Los Angeles earlier in the year.
- Russell only played 19.5 minutes and there’s really no explanation for the short run. Russell didn’t shoot well (1-4, 2 points), but did have 6 assists and zero turnovers. After he sat down for rest in the 3rd, I thought he might get back in, but in all honesty the team kept the lead up enough where getting him back out there only would have served the purpose of padding his minutes count/stats. Coming off his knee/calf, is that really necessary?
- Also, over the past 4 games (including vs. the Knicks), no Laker has played more than Russell’s 117 minutes. So, I’m not really concerned about a game where the team was up by 20 most of the night and D’Angelo didn’t even play 20.
- Watching Tarik Black get into his defensive stance when the ball handler comes off a pick is fantastic. I am a junkie for a big who knows how to engage a ball handler trying to attack him and Black does this as well or better than any big on the team. Seriously, the coaches should show tape of him to the other bigs (I’m looking at you Randle) as an example of how to drop your hips and be ready for the guard coming off a pick.
- Speaking of Black, the Lakers were +34 and had a defensive rating of 71.0 in the 20 minutes with him on the court Monday night. That will get it done.
- Another good scoring night from Lou. His 22 led the team and he was his normal efficient self, hitting 6 of his 11 shots and all 7 of his FT’s. That said, he had some horrid turnovers due to over-penetrating and there was a moment near the start of the 4th quarter I would not have minded him getting subbed out. His play leveled out, though, and it was much ado about nothing.
- Jordan Clarkson had a fantastic hustle play that deserves mention. A 50/50 ball sailed into the backcourt and Clarkson was able to win the footrace over his Knicks counterpart, then threw a great pass upcourt to take advantage of the team’s numbers advantage which then turned into an easy basket. That was an easy 4 point switch all because he busted his ass back defensively and did not give up on the play.
- 10 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 blocks for Zubac in 17 minutes. Again, the kid can play. I feel bad for Mozzie, but both Zu and Black need minutes; both impact the game in tangible ways and I can understand the coaches wanting to see more of them. I want to see more of them.
- Metta made an appearance late, hit a stepback jumper, and got MVP chants in the Garden. It was a real feel good moment.
This was a really good team win. Everyone who played contributed in a real way to getting the win. Be it Lou’s scoring, Young’s combination of outside shooting and solid defense, Black’s rebounding, or Randle’s general assertiveness, every guy brought at least a little something to the table which was positive. It was a nice recall to earlier in the season when the team was playing its best ball. Let’s see if they can carry it over into these last couple of road games.
Pbz06 says
I feel bad for Moz, but at this point both Black and Zubac are better players (never mind that Zubac needs minutes so we can develop and see what he can do with extended burn).
Good fun game to watch. Lakers should continue to push the pace.
I don’t mind Deng off the bench.
JC still plays a little too much iso ball. He has possessions where he dribbles for 18 seconds. Ugh.
Lou can be fun but what’s the point of giving him so many minutes and free reign to chuck?
FredP says
The starting lineup was close to what you suggested in your podcast. Did Luke need permission from the FO to make the changes that he did? Hopefully, Ingram can keep it up against better opponents but I think he is a much better complement for Russell and Randle than Deng is.
BTW 121-107 for the final score.
wwlofficial says
We need less political (contract) reasons and have more basketball reasons for minutes distribution.
Mozgov will be staying on the bench until we need him. He’ll be there for awhile.
Deng is very much suited for that stretch-4 bench role.
Zubac is really my 2nd favorite Laker next to Larry Nance, Jr. I hope to see them both start one day.
Tarik Black is really a positive guy. No way around it. He is someone I want to have on my team whether starting or backing up. Hustle Hustle.
D’Angelo has been up and down but I still think he is the alpha of our kids. Ingram is coming into his own.
I still hate Randle no matter what you say.
Clarkson is who he is, love him or hate him, a useful player that can either be good or bad. I hope Randle’s IQ (or lack thereof) doesn’t influence him as much.
BigCitySid10552 says
Nice team win. Glad to see Organization has decided to “go with the kids” at this stage of the season regardless how it may affect keeping or losing this year’s draft pick.
Hmmm, wondering if Magic was involved in that decision?
J C hoops says
Why do you hate Randle? Just curious. I have reservations about him too.
Personally I like winning so I really enjoy watching Lou W play. All our youth is getting plenty of time and touches. If Lou sticks around for a couple more years and the team improves, he’ll still be young enough to contribute.
The way you feel about Randle is the way I feel about Clarkson. His contract, to me, was appalling.
BigCitySid10552 says
Record wise it’s now official, the Lakers have stooped their 4 year downward spiral. Since ’12-’13 the Lakers went from 45 wins to 27, then 21, & last season 17. With this season’s 18 win, our boys are on an upward swing.
Seven guys in double figures, another w/ 9 points, sweet & timely win, especially on the road.
Alexander_ says
Finally a really enjoyable game for us, both in the W and as the game that ended the political allocation of minutes. It not hard to see that Luke had been playing the contracts over the youngins to avoid bringing on more pressure to Jim and Mitch for last summer’s horrid contracts. It is a safe bet that Magic catalysed the plan change.
I have been a big Zu proponent since pre-season and believe he’s got a real chance of being the first of this group to make All Star. His game is fundamentally sound and he’s 7-1/265 at all times, which will lead to statistical stability of something like 18-10-2-2 per 36 by the end of the season. I thought it’d be early next season when he’d take over Mozgov’s starting spot, but it’ll be sooner.
It was interesting listening to the extended Magic interview, where he and Worthy were in vehement agreement over Randle’s potential if he “learns to use his right”. I got the impression that Magic wasn’t being a talking head but he’d bring specific actions to bear on Randle’s development.
I also agree with his comment that we are one superstar “that makes others better” from contention. What I heard is a strong intent to pitch the top players in FA that fit the description – CP3, Curry, Durant, maybe Griffin or Hayward. It’s not hard to imagine adding CP3, Jackson/Ball, and a year of experience in the system and overall growth will make us massively better next year. I would also see a trade of a couple of youngins not named BI/Zu for one more stud (Randle and Clarkson for Butler or something like that) for better age and position distribution, especially if we get to keep the pick.
markymark888 says
wwlofficial Agree with most of what you said. Although i don’t necessarily hate Randle, i am just not convinced about his play. I wouldn’t mind seeing him go first out of all the young guys.
bluehill says
Some observations about last night’s game, echoing some of the sentiments in the room.
About Tarik – “Black, an undrafted free agent from Kansas in his third season, is
averaging 6.0 points and 5.5 rebounds on 51.6 percent shooting in only
16.2 minutes a game this season. If you equalize his playing time over
36 minutes a game, he’s averaging well over a double-double. He has
earned the right to take on a bigger role. While Black doesn’t have the
dimensions in either size or skill to be a high-level starting center,
he has more than justified the two-year, $13 million contract he signed
with the Lakers in the offseason. He looks headed for a 10-year career
in the league.”
About BI – ” Ingram was an excellent outside shooter at Duke, but his stroke has yet
to translate to the deeper NBA 3-point line, which has handicapped him
on offense. He’s not an elite athlete and he doesn’t have the strength
to finish at the rim in traffic, so he’s not going to be effective if he
can’t punish a defense from the perimeter. The biggest red flag about
Ingram’s shooting might be his 66.9 percent mark from the free throw
line, and misses like this aren’t going to help:”
About Lou, who I am surprised there doesn’t seem to be much interest or hopefully there is and Mitch is doing his thing – “Williams is on a reasonable contract, having signed a three-year, $21
million deal before the start of last season, and he could fit on almost
any team as an offensive spark plug off the bench. He was great in that
role for the Raptors two seasons ago, when he won Sixth Man of the
Year, and he could help a number of offensively challenged teams
(perhaps the Thunder, Jazz, Grizzlies, or Hawks) in the playoff race who
need another initiator on the perimeter. Williams can take over a game
at any time and possibly swing a playoff series in the right situation.”
https://theringer.com/lakers-knicks-tarik-black-brandon-ingram-b06a36797487#.iiswulipe
LT Mitchell says
The answer is Yes.
C_money1 says
Yes, a great team win. But another win driven by Nick Young and Lou Will. My concern is Luke doesn’t give Dlo and Brandon Ingram enough minutes at the end of both halves so they can learn how to close them out together.
Last night was a perfect example of this. The lakers were up by 20 most of the game so I will exclude the second half. But in the 1st half DLo was taken out after playing 7-8 min in the 1st qtr and was brought back in with 3 min left in the 1st half. 3 min is simply not enough time to get a rhythm and make an impact on the game. Why not bring him in with 7-8 min and see what he can do (or can’t do). It seems like that happens all the time this year. Those min are given to Lou will or Nick Young.
Dlo and BI are suppose to be the future. Why not put them in together at the end of games to let them grow and also to see what we have in DLo. 50 games into the season and we don’t know if he is the guy or not.
bluehill says
Speaking of Knicks, Phil has taken to twitter to give Melo a poke. For all the criticisms I’ve had of Jim Buss, I don’t think he’s been as bad as Phil has been. Porzingis was a great pick, but trying to implement the triangle and the downstream effects in terms of coaching hires, player contracts and trades has been bad.
As for Deng and Mozgov, I was hopeful and willing to give Mitch the benefit of the doubt, but the people that hated those deals from the beginning have been right. While the growing pains of the young guys has probably contributed to their struggles, Deng and Moz are complementary players to surround a superstar or a couple of superstars. We don’t have that yet (hopefully in a year or two).
As complementary players, they don’t complement our roster of young guys that well. If Luke’s offense is predicated on pace and space, these guys bring neither to this group. I thought they had the potential to play in that kind of offense, but the young guys seem to be a step or two faster. Listening to an interview with JC last night, you could tell that he thought Deng was slowing down the second unit, although JC was very diplomatic about it (and it’s not like he was going to pass it to Deng anyways).
It looks like both guys are mismatched for this group and the Luke’s offense. Not their fault, they have been put into a difficult situation, (although they millions of reasons to not feel too badly). The FO and Mitch, in particular, have to bear responsibility for these decisions. Not sure how much Jim influenced these decisions if at all.
Pbz06 says
Good post. I agree about Deng completely. He was a bad fit from a personnel standpoint before even getting on the court. We all knew Walton was going to run a faster pace offense with lots of cutting. We all knew Deng had a lot of mileage and isn’t a good SF defender anymore. We all knew his best position is now PF where Lakers had Randle, Nance, and Black. Just didn’t make sense and he’s been brutal to watch. At least he’s a likeable guy and total pro, but 4 years????? Ingram already surpassed him.
Mozgov is a little more understandable. Lakers absolutely needed to fill the hole at Center. We all wanted more Black but no way we felt comfortable just turning him loose as a starting center that’s undersized. We also had no idea who Zubac was and how quickly he would progress. It’s clear now that the best lineups feature Black in the rotation and Zubac’s floor is already better than Mozgov.
Hopefully Lakers can find a dance partner for them.
Nick Young can play out his final year. I don’t mind Lou as long as he’s not ball hogging late in games and playing 25 minutes.
A Horse With No Name says
bluehill Reportedly Luke and Brian Shaw both wanted Mozgov. Will their heads roll too? Nah. Jimmy and Mitch are going to take one for the team.
bluehill says
Pbz06 A Horse With No Name You’re right about Mozgov. I should have made a distinction. I thought he could play the same role as Bogut – mobile rim protector with a mid-range shot – and he would be and is a big upgrade over Hibbert. I’m assuming that Mozgov is still the same player, but unfortunately we need him to be something more than what Bogut provided at GSW since we don’t have Curry, Klay etc. Again maybe in a few years.
Horse, I can understand why Luke and Shaw, wanted him if true. So maybe it wasn’t Mitch driving that one. I’ve been in favor of keeping Mitch because of the good things outlined by Lon, but I don’t have any idea how these decisions get made and who should bear the primary responsibility for them good or bad. Listening to the Magic interview, I would be surprised if Mitch is gone. It sounds like they have a good relationship, but obviously just speculation on my part.
_ Robert _ says
Jerry West: Let’s get this done. Jim out. Jerry and Mitch groom Ryan.
CHearn says
Off Topic!!!
If only the Lakers had a first round draft pick in 2020, there
are two stellar players that could probably help any NBA team today even though
both players are sophomores, LaMelo Ball and Zion Williamson.
LaMelo Ball is the most intriguing to me since he’s excelled
and started on his school’s varsity team since the eighth grade. Last night he scored 92 points against a
rival school and recently scored 33 points in a loss against Oak Hill Academy’s
Super Senior Squad. I thought LaMelo had
the highest ceiling of all the Ball brothers when everyone else was goo-goo gaga
over his older brothers Lonzo and LiAngelo.
I can’t wait to watch his maturation process, basketball IQ, and
physical abilities develop going forward.
UCLA is back, baby!
Zion Williamson is a modern-day Schea Cotton and LeBron
James. Zion is just bigger, stronger,
and more athletic than his counterparts so his game and future prowess in
college or the NBA is less tangible than Ball’s. Williamson needs to develop go to moves,
counters, and a mid-range to three-point shot in the ensuing years.
mattal says
Regarding Walton/Shaw wanting Mozgov: Coaches are paid to win games ‘this year’ not ‘next year’. So it’s not a stretch for coaches to have a long list of players they want who will help them win games. It’s the FO that must keep a big picture perspective on things especially in a cap driven league.
So, no, Walton/Shaw expressing a desire for Mozgov does not give Jim/Mitch a pass. It’s their responsibility to be the ‘grown ups’ in the room and say, ‘I will get you Mozgov if we can sign him for 2 years but if its longer than that his limited skill set and the length of the deal would not in the team’s best interest.’ The same checks and balances should have prevented the FO from signing Deng.
This is why I believe that Jim’s deadline impacted the FO’s decision making process this past summer. A team that needs three years of incubation does not need expensive win now free agents. The FO was desperately trying to make the 8th seed and show sufficient progress to get a stay of execution.
It’s very much like a Greek tragedy, the very moves (signing Mozgov/Deng) that were supposed to save them will end up costing Jim/Mitch their jobs.
Travis Y says
mattal Couldn’t agree more. They have been patient throughout this entire 4 year drought.
Yet, instead of paying max money for a great free agent, they spent max money on role players. Our results this season shows how that works out. I agree that max free agents weren’t meeting with us, but that means that you need to spend less on role players, not MAX dollars and years.
They were on tilt since they have not been able to land marquee players, thus they became desperate because of Buss’ timeline.
J C hoops says
On tilt – and Greek tragedy – the moves they made to save themselves may be their undoing.
Awesome and apt analogies.
The irony is sad and delicious.
Bring on Jerry West and Ryan West to run the team.
JuanJ says
Fine write-up Darius! Man, not only does it provide some eagle-eyed insight, cold hard facts & approving nods to a couple of our fellas, but it also incorporates:
the title of one of Shakespear´s plays,
as a countrepoint to that, a full-on modern sports term in: `busted his ass back defensively´ hahaha,
&, finally, to what may possibly result in widespread use of the following, newfagled bball terminology: `the rejection fest´, which Julius suffered at the hands of Porzingis back in L.A.
What fun D.! Good stuff.
Good W for all –
___
re: playin´ the young fellas:
heck yeah, keep it coming Luke {& thanks, apparently, to the Magic man 🙂 }
Vasheed says
mattal
Part of the discussions to recruit Walton were the discussions of personnel the Lakers were going to pursue. It is entirely possible that if Mitch and Jim laid out an outline to half rear end pursue desired free agents as described the Lakers would not have signed Walton.
I would also question the F.O. if it did not strongly pursue free agents that our coaching staff said were necessary to implement their system.
I agree that in the end the F.O. bares responsibility for the end result. However, I believe there were likely more compelling reasons to offer the said contracts then you are implying about the deadline.