The Los Angeles Lakers have played ¼ of the NBA season, and currently are sitting 5th in the west with a 14-9 record. They’ve won 3 straight, and Lebron seems to be running the offense. There’s been reports that King James has been ignoring the play calling of Luke Walton and doing his own thing as a floor general. This doesn’t seem like a big deal and it shouldn’t be presented as one.
Even when James was in Miami, he did the same thing and won two titles alongside Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh. Lebron can ultimately play all five positions on the floor and he’s such an intelligent player and thinker on the court. Losing Rajon Rondo on November 14th to a broken hand and Lonzo Ball dealing with a sprained ankle have also impacted the offense and the play calling.
Since their dismal 2-5 start, the Lakers have won twelve out of their last sixteen games. Instead of James playing off the ball, he’s had a more hands on approach which seems to be giving the Lakers more of an identity and team chemistry. With the exception of Golden State, the rest of the Western Conference is wide open in terms of seeding and playoff positioning down the road.
Houston is clearly struggling and not the same team since Trevor Ariza left along with Luc Mbah a Moute, Utah isn’t winning like many thought, and Portland has also been up and down. The Clippers are the best team (record wise) in the crowded West so far, but we’ll see how long that lasts.
These young Lakers are still trying to find their way and complement King James, as Kyle Kuzma and Josh Hart have played well. I also love the presence of JaVale McGee at the rim and as a scorer down low. Brandon Ingram has been inconsistent thus far, but it’s still early enough for him to turn things around.
There are a few things that everyone has noticed including myself which raises my level of concern for the purple and gold, especially come playoff time. They struggle from the free throw line, particularly Lebron late in games, they lack a strong outside shooting presence from beyond the arc, and defensively they need to do better.
We realize that in Tinsel town expectations to produce an immediate championship are very high, but myself along with the great Magic Johnson aren’t expecting the Lakers to win the championship this year. It’s all about finding a cohesive unit who can play well and gel with Lebron this year, and then the Lakers must find another free agent superstar to join them for 2019-2020 season. Lebron James is no stranger to pressure, but this year I feel like everyone knows it’s going to be the Warriors running through the West and winning the title again as a three-peat.
Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson are both going to be free agents after this season, and it’s clear that Lebron has always wanted to play alongside Durant to win more championships. If the Lakers can get either one of these players, they’ll be a serious contender in the league to win a title. Klay has already made it known that he’s not planning on leaving the Warriors, but I do believe that after this year Durant will be gone.
Despite the fact that Luke Walton wasn’t hired through Magic Johnson or Rob Pelinka, if the Lakers don’t finish strong or make a deep playoff run, I believe Luke Walton will be gone after this year. I think he’s done a good job thus far under the circumstances, but he’s also in an extremely difficult position.
I know it’s early and there’s a lot of basketball left to be played, but thus far the Lakers report card to me reads a B. They’re still trying to figure each other out at this point and tighten up a few things, particularly on the defensive end of the floor. The King won’t rock the crown this year in terms of another title, but it doesn’t mean we can’t stop believing in miracles.