What three things can we take away from an unsightly Lakers outing against the Utah Jazz on Sunday
If fans were in the business of trying to watch a perfectly executed and masterful display of basketball on Sunday night, then they should have looked anywhere but a television showing the Utah Jazz taking on the Los Angeles Lakers. What ensued inside of STAPLES Center on Sunday night was nothing short of a travesty and a crime against James Naismith.
It probably could have been expected that this game would be a bit unattractive considering all of the key pieces missing for both teams. D’Angelo Russell, Kobe Bryant, and Brandon Bass were all out for the Lakers while Rodney Hood was hobbled and Derrick Favors was out yet again for the Jazz. Even still, you would have hoped that the two squads could manage more that 160 combined points. But alas, they could not as the Jazz earned the 86-74 victory.
The Lakers’ loss to the Jazz was their 31st of the season and set the record for the worst start to a season in franchise history. Before this catastrophe of a basketball game, though, the Lakers had been showing real signs of hope and causes for optimism with their effort and growth. That being said, lessons are far more difficult to come by after a game like Sunday night’s.
However, you still have to dig and grow if you’re the Lakers coming out of this ugly, ugly loss. So let’s do just that; these are the three things that we can take away from the loss to the Jazz on Sunday night.
Next: The Offense Can Be Offensive
It Doesn’t Take Much For The Offense To Get Ugly
Let’s just take a look at the offense by the numbers against the Jazz:
- The Lakers shot 32.6 percent from the floor, going 29-89
- They also shot 3-21 from three-point range, good for only 14.3 percent efficiency from deep.
- Hey, at least on their 29 main shots, the Lakers assisted on 15 of them.
- But still, they shot under 33 percent from the floor—what the hell.
So you see, literally everything that could cause the Lakers problems offensively happened. Not only were D’Angelo Russell and Kobe Bryant out of the lineup, but the presence of Rudy Gobert and Jeff Withey on the interior for the Jazz really deterred the Lakers from trying to attack the paint or getting solid looks when they did attack.
And considering how not so hot this team has been for most of the season when they start relying on jumpers to carry them, it shouldn’t be surprising that the offense was atrocious against a solid defensive team that forced them to rely on jump shots—especially when two of the Lakers’ best creators off the dribble were out with injuries.
Even still, seeing the two best scorers for the night in Jordan Clarkson and Lou Williams go a combined 11-36 from the floor and 2-12 from three is hard to stomach, no matter the circumstances. However, it is a reminder of just how fragile this ecosystem is and how quickly it can crumble.
Next: Randle Getting Back Into a Groove
Julius Randle Might (Somewhat) Be Getting Out of His Slump
Though there really wasn’t too much to get excited about for a Lakers team that only scored 74 points on the night, it was nice to see second-year forward Julius Randle finally come back to life. In 27 minutes of action, the big man put up 11 points and seven rebounds before ultimately fouling out. However, those are all actually incredibly positive considering what Randle has been doing lately.
In his four previous outings leading up to the matchup with Utah, Randle was a combined 3-23 from the field (not a typo). This stretch also included him getting benched late in a game and starting a “feud” with head coach Byron Scott while also including several instances where Randle looked to be unbelievably frustrated and even despondent at times.
With all of that on the minds of fans coming into the game against Utah, it was great to see Randle get some shots to fall and to see that he was at least trying to stay more active defensively. He wasn’t effective and he did foul out, but that’s better than lazy fouls or simply not doing anything at all. Hopefully this game and what Randle showed against the Jazz is a sign that his little slump is out of the way.
Next: Old Man Mamba
Kobe Bryant: Still Old
Kobe Bryant is old.
This certainly isn’t news or anything that Lakers fans need to be told at this point, but it’s something that was banged home after Kobe Bryant received a DNP due to an Achilles strain. 37 years old isn’t terribly advanced in age in terms as a whole, but in terms of an NBA player who has been playing in the league since graduating high school, he’s a fossil and that he can still contribute at all is remarkable.
However, the fact that he drew the DNP on Sunday night for an injury that was not the sore shoulder that landed him on the injury report only furthers the point that this isn’t the same Kobe that used to be able to power through any pain—even if that mentality is still there for the Black Mamba, the physical ability to do that type of thing has long since left Kobe’s body.
Next: Kobe Should Be Next Lakers Head Coach
Make no mistake; this is not to disparage Kobe by any stretch of the imagination. Again, that he’s able to play at the level that he has as of late when he’s been on the floor after all the miles that he’s put on his body is incredible. However, the Lakers legend isn’t completely whole at this point in his career. And his DNP against the Jazz was a sad reminder of that for fans.