Los Angeles Lakers: 3 Takeaways from loss to Philadelphia 76ers

The Los Angeles Lakers are in trouble…I mean deep trouble. The Lakers are trying hard to put up a brave front, but they have all the qualities of a team full of flaws and on the verge of an embarrassing collapse. The second Anthony Davis made his desire to be traded out of New Orleans with a rumored “desire” to come to Los Angeles, the potential disasters predicted by many in the offseason are coming.

I’ll bet the Lakers moves behind the scenes will be better drama than anything that goes on the All-Star weekend.

Magic Johnson felt the need to travel with the team and address all of the drama surrounding a team who probably set a NBA record for offering 90 percent of the team for one player. Maybe it was that 42 point low-key mutiny against the Indiana Pacers two days before the trade deadline.

Maybe it was to save face. Maybe it was a rallying call. Whatever it was, on Sunday, it did not work.

The Los Angeles Lakers did their own version of the movie Varsity Blues when the team quit on Bud Kilmer in his last game getting blown out by the Philadelphia 76ers 143-120. I mean didn’t the team win without their coach in the movie?

It’s hard to imagine that a road game against the Atlanta Hawks is a must game for the LeBron James led team but, this is a must-win game against a Hawks team that plays hard. This is the quality of team that the Lakers seem to struggle against these days. This is not a gimme game, it’s a trap game.

The game plan is something that you are going to have to let Luke Walton describe  because to be honest with you, I’m just as confused as the rest of the fans. Replacing a guy in Rajon Rondo, who basically kept the team together (somewhat) and saves the season with a huge game winning shot with Reggie Bullock who just showed up like what…37 seconds ago?

Whatever chemistry that was built from the Boston game is now null and void. It threw Rondo’s game off noticeably. Even though he had 7 assists, he did not score. He wasn’t alone in his scoring futility.

For the people who have a problem with Lonzo Ball and for the record, LaVar Ball did not hand me money to say this. The Lakers need that man in the lineup if they are going to make the playoffs.

Why? Because the man brings a defensive presence that this team is sorely lacking right now. The Lakers can’t stop anybody and believe me in this game, just like the Indy game, they did not try.

What was worse, the Sixers knew it. When Ben Simmons tries a 3-point shot, there is no fear of retribution at all. They nearly burned the building down with their hot shooting, knocking down 57.3 percent from the field. To put this in perspective, the Sixers were on pace to score 134.3 points per 100 possessions. At that rate, I could recruit four readers from this article alone and score on this bunch. The Lakers tallied the second worst defensive efficiency rate of the season (You don’t have to go too far back to find the worst.)

The Lakers are giving up 135 points a game over this bad recent stretch. The transition defense seems to be optional at times like stopping Joel EmBiid on the break.

Allowing J.J. Redick to try H-O-R-S-E shots on the break…

Plus allowing penetration for JaVale to be dunked on for the millionth time.

Here are three takeaways from the loss.

Kuzma lights up Philly

The Los Angeles Lakers had no chance of winning this game against a Philadelphia team that actually has a chance to beat the champs.. The game was actually close through the start of the 3rd quarter.

Why?

Kyle Kuzma. Period.

I’ve stated time and time again that some of the best trades are the ones that never happen. This applies definitely in Kuzma’s case.

After dropping 25 points in the win at Boston, he almost matched that total in the first 12 minutes of this game. He scored 23 points in the quarter, that matched the highest total for a Lakers player since Kobe Bryant finished his career scoring the same total in the last game before he retired.

Talk about “Mamba Mentality”. This is not a pun or a joke.

Kyle Kuzma has changed. For the better? Well, that remains to be seen. If he does get traded in the offseason, there will be no bullets left in the chamber. This dude is going to shoot the rock. He is not going to change his game to fit LeBron James anymore, trust me.

The Lakers have some big games coming from Kuz if he keeps knocking down 3-point shots at the rate he’s going. After knocking down five 3-points shots against the Celtics, he followed up with another five in this game. Over the last two games, Kuzma is shooting 10-for-16 from the 3-point line.

The Lakers need to set picks for Kuzma to get him to his sweet spot on the left-wing. For some reason, most of his shots early have been from the corner. Pay attention going forward to those that believe in analytics. Kyle Kuzma has more success on the left-wing than any other spot behind the line…

He even got a four point play from the same area to let the world know that he was cooking with fish grease.

Kyle Kuzma finished the game with 39 points, two shy of the 41 points he tallied against the Detroit Pistons last month. He shot 14-for-21 from the field and shot 5-for-8 from distance. I mean he actually hit his free throws too (6-for-7).

Only one problem, his defense still stinks.

Tobias Harris was scoring too. Not at the level of Kuzma’s explosion due to all the help he had, but Harris was gashing the defense with his scoring and play making. Kuzma just has to get better.

His relationship with LeBron James will be interesting story to watch going forward for the rest of the season. There was an incident in the last quarter where LeBron James passed the ball to Kuzma and it went out-of-bounds. LeBron was animated about the mistake. That might have been cool before, but let’s see what happens in the AD era meaning “After Davis”.

For the 39 points that Kuzma scored, it should have easily been a career-high. He sat for a nine minute stretch during the game (Umm….Walton? Substitution patterns here?) and while he was in playing the second frame, he did not get the ball. As hot as he was, one has to ask why?

If Kuzma continues to play like he has the last two games, he will be demanding the respect of the second guy for the Lakers.

Whether anybody likes it or not, Kuzma was not the only one who sent a limo.

Joel Embiid sent a limo for JaVale McGee and Tyson Chandler

The Los Angeles Lakers cannot stop Joel Embiid on a basketball court. Over this season, he has destroyed the Lakers big men overall and what’s worse, the one Lakers big man, Ivica Zubac, that may have had a chance was traded.

Here’s why…

JaVale McGee and Tyson Chandler do not have the offensive post moves for Embiid to even waste energy on the defensive end. Zubac had his limitations but he did command some attention that the big men that are left on the roster can’t.

Joel Embiid scored 37 points on an absurd 12-for-16 from the floor. He could send a video to the Lakers on how to shoot free throws because he hit 11-for-12. In comparison, the Lakers big men shot 1-for-5. Not a good look.

Defensively, the Lakers made Embiid look like a cross between Hakeem Olajuwon and Shaquille O’Neal.

Things were so bad defensively, the Lakers had Kentavious Caldwell-Pope guarding him and did not help him out. Yeah, that guy. The short shooting guard.

Even the Sixers backup center got into the act. Boban Marjanovic played only 13 minutes and he scored 10 points on 5-6 shooting. He even frustrated Chandler to the point that he got a technical foul for what he thought was an elbow being thrown. The back line of the Lakers looked overwhelmed and soft.

LeBron James is making it plain and simple that he will not play for Luke Walton

Let’s look at this picture above. LeBron James is smiling, having fun, you know living his best life.

Only one problem. His team is getting killed. LeBron James is going to let the Lakers ship sink. Sit back and watch. I’m on record, Kyle Kuzma and Brandon Ingram better get theirs and wait for Lonzo Ball to get back and infuse the life back in this franchise.

This dude is not going to do it. This is Cleveland all over again. What’s worse, this an basketball player on the decline. He can’t pull the effort needed to clean up this mess. What’s even more sad, he won’t even try.

LeBron James has been in the NBA for 16 years, his legacy is set and to watch him play in this game has to be some of the most frustrating and irritating experiences in my years of covering basketball. LeBron James finished one assist shy of a triple-double scoring 18 points, grabbing 10 rebounds and dishing out 9 assists. I say…

So? Who cares?

If LeBron James is going to play like this, why don’t everyone just shut it down and start tanking like New York, Phoenix, Atlanta for a lottery pick. This is ridiculous.

When is LeBron James going to grow up and be a leader. Most basketball purists know this but for the ones that don’t know, LeBron is looking out for himself. That attitude is spreading to the young guys. Believe me folks, they do not care anymore. Because they know he is going half-speed doing just enough to get stats up to look efficient.

This is not what the “alleged” best player in world is supposed to play like or act.

Now he can pass the ball to Brandon Ingram for alley-oops…

Hit JaVale for pick and rolls at the beginning of the game…

Or on the fast break…

But who is this guy kidding? The President of Basketball Operations comes to talk to the team about coming together for the rest of the season and the supposed best player on the team comes out passive and does nothing to influence the game with his talent like…

Joel Embiid…

Tobias Harris…

J.J. Redick…

You know players that competed and basically canceled out Kyle Kuzma’s performance.

Does anyone take him seriously anymore? Even the 76ers seem to be making one phrase of LeBron’s a joke…

LeBron’s plan has already started with his camp (aka LeBron) searching for a coaching change. Now he has to play his part and forced the Lakers to make a move or miss the playoffs altogether. He couldn’t get Anthony Davis, but he’s going to show his disappointment the best way he knows how.

The way he has done for 12 of his 16 years. Fire Walton, blame Walton, and his fans will let him get off case closed.

Eric Spoelstra survived because Pat Riley didn’t play games with LeBron. Maybe that’s why the Lakers were a dynasty in the 80’s. Players play and management makes decisions.

If the Lakers don’t deal with this behavior, there will be no playoffs. If they do, well the Warriors will have them out in four blowouts spread out over ten days.

Reggie Bullock and Mike Muscala played their first games in a Lakers uniform. Muscala scored 8 points on the strength of a couple of 3 pointers. 

I hope Luke Walton can justify starting Bullock over Rondo. Not to the fans, but Rondo.

The Los Angeles Lakers are now past the halfway point in their long journey through the NBA season. Lake Show Life will be there every step of the way. Continue to check in for Lakers news, previews and reviews.