Editor’s note: This is the Monday Feb. 28 edition of the Purple & Bold Lakers newsletter from reporter Kyle Goon. To receive the newsletter in your inbox, sign up here.
At the end of a long, unpleasant evening in which most things went wrong for the Lakers, LeBron James was speaking to the media with a microphone in his hand. The ‘Lakers’ flag slid down and dropped against his hand as he was mid-sentence about how the team is looking to improve.
James had to laugh: “Even the mic don’t work.”
Those were the vibes Sunday night, which was, in every recognizable sense, a disaster:
WEEK IN REVIEW
Friday, L, Clippers 105, Lakers 102
Sunday, L, New Orleans Pelicans 123, Lakers 95
The Lakers (27-33) are No. 9 in the Western Conference standings, 21.5 games behind the first-place Phoenix Suns (42-10). They are 3.5 games behind the No. 8 Clippers for a single-elimination spot in the play-in tournament, and 2.5 games ahead of the Portland Trail Blazers and New Orleans Pelicans who are tied for 10th place (11th place misses the postseason altogether).
HIGH POINT: It’s difficult to say there was one.
LOW POINT: The Lakers’ loss to the Pelicans on Sunday night was different than any other they’ve had this season. In a game they needed to win, that they acknowledged they needed to win, the Lakers were a virtual no-show, then let go of the rope midway through the game. Fans have booed during this season, but never as loudly and often as Sunday night – and this time, it felt as if the entire team was the target, as their deficit sunk below 32 points to the then-11th place team in the West.
TRENDING TOPIC: An honest question arose out of Sunday night’s chaos: Have the Lakers given up?
The last week saw a parade of stories trumpeting the Lakers’ dysfunction, from James’ All-Star weekend teases about his future, to the reports of meetings between the front office and Klutch to smooth things over, to the disappointing on-court results. In fact, it’s not hard to derive that the latter was at least in part caused by the former. The conversation around the team has been dominated by talk of James and the Lakers brass not being on the same page about the team’s future. As the two most important stakeholders in the organization’s wellbeing, it skews the team when rumors of feuding arise.
James’ desires and front office machinations have capsized team chemistry before: In 2018-19 after the Lakers failed to execute their first attempts at a trade for Anthony Davis, the Lakers crawled to the trade deadline utterly in shambles, getting blown out in Indiana. Players had been living for weeks with the idea that they might get traded at any moment. Obviously the trade deadline has passed this season, but given the notion that James wanted a roster shake-up, and that the front office didn’t have enough faith that a trade would substantially improve the team, it’s difficult to see how any other player (or coach, for that matter) would work up the motivation to go all-out in a season in which the Lakers are clearly well short of contending. It’s worth adding that the Lakers seemed to have some spunk immediately after the deadline, but Davis was injured shortly thereafter which obviously dampened hopes.
The Lakers have resisted talking about how important any one part of the season is relative to any other, but it’s clear that the upcoming week is make-or-break for thefranchise, with only 22 games remaining. If they lose a few more games in a row, there might be nothing to salvage. Said James: “We got a tough stretch with Dallas, Clippers again Thursday, then Golden State on Saturday. And we still got 10 road games this month, or March, so it don’t get easier for us.”
READ OF THE WEEK: While James lashed out at the media for twisting his words during All-Star break, it’s fairly clear that there were issues between him and the Lakers after the deadline. I wrote about James’ moves to create leverage, how transparent they were, and how so many in the organization resist taking accountability for the team’s failures.
HEATING UP: While there’s a strong temptation to leave a blank space, it’s worth pointing out how Dwight Howard has competed. The 36-year-old has shortcomings, but getting plugged back into the starting lineup, Howard averaged 10 points and 13.5 rebounds in his two games. Frank Vogel said the veteran was excited about getting back into the rotation, and while some of his naturally positive energy was muted in the wake of Sunday’s loss, the rest of the team could try to find some of the enthusiasm Howard brings on a nightly basis.
COOLING DOWN: There was no player more disappointing than Russell Westbrook on Sunday. Before notching an assist nearly 43 minutes into the game, the guard had a stat line of seven turnovers and zero helpers. Rather than work around defenses, he drove straight into them. On one of his turnovers in the second quarter, Westbrook drove into the paint packed with three defenders, then lost the ball as he pivoted out looking for an outlet. The season has required constant management of Westbrook’s worst instincts in order to harness his most dynamic talents. But it feels like the Lakers are back at square one with him, and he’s simply playing however he wishes.
INJURY REPORT: Obviously Davis is out for awhile. Depending on if the Lakers can compete without him, it will be interesting to see if the franchise determines it is worth it to put him back in the lineup by the time he’s healthy, which is expected to be in four or more weeks. James has played through a knee injury, which he denied has substantially affected his play, but his elevation on Sunday looked not up to its usual level. AveryBradley has now missed three games with knee swelling, and the only recent update is that he’s day-to-day with that injury. Rob Pelinka said after the trade deadline that Kendrick Nunn was due back in late March, for whatever that’s worth.
QUOTABLE: After Westbrook implied that some of his teammates are bothered by the home fans booing the team, he was asked if he takes those boos home with him: “Nah. Take it home? For what? (expletive). Take it home? I got three beautiful kids at my house. Why would I take it home? If they boo, they can take their (expletive) home. I ain’t worried about that. It doesn’t bother me none. It’s a part of it, and I’m not really worried about it at all, and that’s how I do it.”
AHEAD OF THE CURVE: Just win, baby. The Lakers are entering a part of their season where they’ll be the underdog in nearly every game. If they need motivation, the Pelicans just provided some by showing that as bad as things are, they could get worse if the Lakers slide out of the playoffs altogether. Said James: “It all starts with a win. That’s what it starts with. Try to get off of this slide and get a win, and learn from that win with things you did well, things that you didn’t do so well.”
COMING UP (All times PT)
Tuesday, Dallas, 7 p.m.
Thursday, at Clippers, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Golden State, 5:30 p.m.
– Kyle Goon
Editor’s note: Thanks for reading the Purple & Bold Lakers newsletter from reporter Kyle Goon. To receive the newsletter in your inbox, sign up here.
