Los Angeles Lakers: 3 critical things we learned from the seeding games
By Jason Reed
3. Losing Avery Bradley is a big deal and could swing a playoff series
The Los Angeles Lakers knew that they were going to be without Avery Bradley in the Orlando bubble long before the bubble began. Bradley opted against playing in the bubble, citing the health and safety of his family.
This was definitely viewed as a loss heading into the bubble but it was not one that was getting the respect it should have deserved. Losing Bradley was getting downplayed and even I am guilty of it.
I knew that not having Bradley would impact the team but with Alex Caruso waiting in the wings I thought the team would be more than fine without him. Boy, was I wrong. The perimeter defense has been so terrible in the bubble this season and a big reason why is because there is no Bradley.
This could change in the playoffs with the intensity going up a notch but not having Bradley is absolutely something that could swing an entire playoff series. If the Lakers cannot solve their perimeter issues against a team like Portland or Houston then they are going to have a really rough time and could be shot out of the building.
The blame cannot go on Bradley, as his and his family’s health and safety is obviously most important, but it is clearly a big loss not having him. The Lakers have not stepped up yet to fill that void and that is a bit worrisome heading into the playoffs.
Of course, things could change and Frank Vogel is a brilliant defensive coach, so perhaps he simply did not want to show his hand during these seeding games with some defensive sets. Regardless, we did not give enough credit to Avery Bradley.