Here’s a brief listing of groups I undertaking will end with a greater file than the Lakers — at the least as they’re presently constructed — by the top of the season: nearly all of them.
That’s the obvious takeaway from the NBA’s opening evening, the place the Boston Celtics proved a greater group than the reloaded Philadelphia 76ers, just for the Golden State Warriors to one-up them by taking three Hall of Famers carrying purple and gold out to the woodshed for a two-hour lengthy beatdown.
The Lakers are cooked, and in the event that they don’t commerce Russell Westbrook — and one or each of their first-round draft picks — so as to add some depth, they may waste one more 12 months on the tail finish of LeBron James’ dwindling prime. That’s unhealthy enterprise as a result of LeBron theoretically solely has yet another season after this one assured on his deal earlier than he can change into a free agent. And if the Lakers have been solely in a position to squeeze one ring — a hoop in an remoted basketball bubble at that — out of James’ years out West, then was the experiment, and the price of doing enterprise, actually successful?
James, miraculously, continues to defy Father Time’s will. He’ll be 38 by the top of this calendar 12 months, but within the season-opener, he performed 35 minutes and completed with 31 factors, 11 rebounds and eight assists. Even Anthony Davis seemed like his outdated self, proving well being is, certainly, wealth with 27 factors, six rebounds and 4 steals.
The downside isn’t James, neither is it Davis. They’re the one two holdovers from the 2020 Bubble Championship squad. The downside is, sadly, Westbrook, and what he represents in purple and gold.
A nasty match.
On paper, Westbrook had a superb recreation: 19 factors, 11 rebounds and three assists would earn most different gamers reward.
Westbrook, nonetheless, isn’t most different gamers. He is a shoo-in Hall of Famer making $47 million this season. He doesn’t appear to be he belongs on the courtroom with James or Davis, not due to his expertise, however as a result of these abilities as a non-perimeter menace simply don’t complement the opposite two Laker stars.
The Lakers knew this, although they need to have recognized it earlier than buying and selling for him within the first place. They labored extra time in makes an attempt to commerce him this summer time — even making an attempt to pry Kyrie Irving from the Nets within the aftermath of Kevin Durant’s commerce request — however none of these makes an attempt have been profitable as a result of they refused to half methods with their two remaining tradeable draft property: first-round picks in 2027 and 2029.
That’s the price of doing enterprise with three groups who might drastically enhance the Lakers’ odds at making a decent playoff run. The Indiana Pacers have Buddy Hield and Myles Turner. The Utah Jazz have Mike Conley, Jordan Clarkson and Bogdan Bogdanovic. The San Antonio Spurs have Josh Richardson, Doug McDermott and Jakob Poeltl. And the Charlotte Hornets have Gordon Hayward, Kelly Oubre and PJ Washington.
And all of them need each Los Angeles first-rounders as a result of they, as I and as you already know, see that with out them, the Lakers are achieved.
Isn’t it humorous — dare I say hilarious — that the Lakers are searching for the very depth they gave as much as purchase Westbrook within the first place? The identical depth that performed a key position in them successful the Bubble Championship over the Miami Heat?
In 2020, their depth included Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Kyle Kuzma, J.R. Smith, Dennis Schroder, Danny Green, JaVale McGee, Dwight Howard, Alex Caruso, Talen Horton-Tucker, Markieff Morris and Rajon Rondo.
They traded Kuzma and Pope (and Montrezl Harrell plus a first-round decide) to the Wizards for Westbrook, then dealt Horton-Tucker and Stanley Johnson, recent off a breakout season, this summer time for Patrick Beverley.
And in Monday’s season opener, the Lakers began Beverley and Lonnie Walker IV alongside James, Davis and Westbrook, and performed guys named Matt Ryan (who isn’t the Indianapolis Colts quarterback however would possibly as nicely have been), Austin Reaves and Juan Toscano-Anderson significant minutes.
That’s not going to work as a result of these gamers aren’t difference-makers. And the Lakers received’t be, both, in the event that they don’t make a change.
The solely change they’ll make is transferring on from Westbrook, attaching each first-round picks to his $47M wage, and changing the depth they misplaced with the a number of blunders made since their final championship run. The Lakers, fairly frankly, must meet up with the remainder of the league. They are nonetheless residing previously, and right here’s a actuality examine: No group, save for Luka Doncic’s Dallas Mavericks, goes wherever with out actual depth to assist their stars.
And if the Lakers can’t get that depth, what occurred Monday evening will change into a daily incidence. The Warriors ran up a 27-point lead over essentially the most storied franchise in all of basketball can attest, largely with out making an attempt, in a recreation the place LeBron was caught on the courtroom taking part in actual minutes whereas additionally cracking jokes together with his good friend, Warriors ahead Draymond Green, who was on the bench.
That’s all you wanted to see to know the Lakers are cooked.
And when good meals is cooked, everybody rushes to eat.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com