Can fans finally stop panicking? Is it clear at last to everyone that the sky is not falling on the Los Angeles Lakers?
No, Luke Walton is not about to be fired by the Los Angeles Lakers. .
No, the blowout loss at home to Toronto did not signify that Luke had lost control of the team, or that the Lakers season was doomed.
No, the fight in Houston was not a landmark event that would tear the team apart. (As predicted here, it has already become a mere footnote to the season).
The truth of the matter is quite simple and eminently predictable. The team needs more time to get adjusted to one another and to figure out how to play together.
When two of your top players (Brandon Ingram and Lonzo Ball) are just 21-years-old… when three key players (Kyle Kuzma, Josh Hart and Ball) are only in their second professional year… when the front office brings in so many new veterans (LeBron James, JaVale McGee, Rajon Rondo, Lance Stephenson, Michael Beasley and now Tyson Chandler), it would have taken a miracle for the team to hit the ground running.
As of this writing, the team is 5-6, certainly not a great start, but not a pathetic one either. Here’s a quick look at other NBA records. Utah, who many ‘experts’ picked to finish 3rd in the West are also 5-6, as is New Orleans. Houston is just 4-5, while San Antonio, Oklahoma City and the Clippers are all 6-4. And Minnesota, loser of 4 straight games, is 4-8.
In the East, the consensus pick to make the Finals, Boston, are only 6-4. Philadelphia, which is supposed to be a few steps ahead of the Lakers on the way back to the top, is just 7-5.
The same day that the Lakers lost to the Raptors, the Spurs got thumped at home by Orlando. The two-time defending champion Warriors just got their butts kicked at home by Milwaukee.
In the NBA, drawing conclusions based on a small sample can be wildly inaccurate, as well as hazardous to your reputation.
Here’s what we do know about the Lakers. Each of the young core four (Ingram, Kuzma, Ball and Hart) have looked great at some point, not so good at others. Inconsistency is a common trait among young players. Steady, reliable excellence is often what separates the stars from the pretty good players.
As for the vets, their performances have also been mixed. The biggest pleasant surprise is McGee. We’ll have to see if he can maintain his superb overall play throughout the season, or if he wears down.
Rondo has done a decent job at point guard, but he has turned the ball over too much (2.6 turnovers in just 27 minutes a game), and he is no longer an elite defender, instead getting beaten on the dribble far too often.
Los Angeles Lakers
Stephenson has been up and down, which is the story of his career. He sparked the come-from-behind victory over Denver (the Nuggets’ first loss of the season) with a sterling fourth-quarter performance. But a few games later on a drive to the hoop he threw a behind-the-back pass into the stands, and he played just four ineffective minutes against Minnesota. He is also not the defender he once was.
As for James, he is still unstoppable when he drives to the hoop, and has put up outstanding statistics (26.8 points and 7.8 rebounds and assists per game). But he hasn’t provided consistent leadership, his outside shot has been below average (he’s converted just under 30% of his 3’s) and his defense has also been sub-par.
There seem to be three prevailing theories about LeBron:
1. He is saving himself now so he’ll still be strong later. In other words, November is too early for him to go all out. If this is true, what message does that send to his younger teammates?
2. As he ages (he’ll be 34 next month), he wants to avoid too much contact since he might be more susceptible to injury. This could explain why he apparently refused to play small-ball center, forcing the Lakers to try a willing but ill-suited Kuzma at the position.
3. Nobody can play forever at the highest level, so perhaps we are starting to see the first signs of his slippage.
Of course, James still remains one of the league’s best players, and perhaps all his “deficiencies” will fade away as the season progresses.
The Lakers porous defense has been the subject of much criticism. McGee and Chandler are two of the best interior defenders. Hart, Ingram, Ball and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope are all better-than-average perimeter defenders. But good team defense takes time to develop. We started to see some improvement this week against the T-wolves. But it will take quite a bit longer for players to truly mesh defensively.
Time is the operative word for the team as a whole. It should take at least 20 games, and probably closer to 30 or even more, to be able to properly evaluate the Lakers. The young players and the vets are still getting accustomed to one another. To expect that to have happened in the first 10 games was totally unrealistic, if not foolhardy.
Magic Johnson said before the season even started that the team would likely get off to a slow start, but hopefully would peak down the stretch. James echoed the same thoughts. Fans should heed their words, and refrain from rushing to judgment.
In the meantime, Walton has to attempt a difficult balance. On the one hand, he is of course trying to win as many games as possible. But on the other hand, he wants the team’s younger players, who will be with the team next year and beyond (unlike most of the veterans) to gain valuable playing experience. Remember that Magic also said this is at least a two-year rebuilding process.
Words of advice to fans: Have some patience. Give the players some time. And enjoy the wild ride that this season will offer.
All statistics courtesy of www.basketball-reference.com