Can things get any worse for the Lakers?
Fortunes were supposed to be different this time. New coach. New young players. A healthy LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Yet the Lakers are struggling as mightily as they did before, entering Sunday 0-5.
The Lakers blew a fourth-quarter lead last Sunday against the Trail Blazers, with Russell Westbrook shouldering the blame for an ill-advised jumper with less than 30 seconds left and the Lakers up by 1. In Denver, with Westbrook out with a hamstring injury, the Lakers played one good quarter and were put away late by the Nuggets.
Meanwhile, Lakers general manager
Rob Pelinka, who put together this flawed roster, just signed a contract extension. And owner Jeanie Buss continues to make the major decisions.
The organization is a mess, and nobody is going to feel sorry for a team that includes James and Davis.
Pelinka sought to improve the roster by getting considerably younger, signing Lonnie Walker, a former first-round pick who never reached his potential in San Antonio; Troy Brown, who flamed out with his two previous organizations; and Juan Toscano-Anderson ,a former defensive spark plug in Golden State who lost his role last season to
Gary Payton II.
The Lakers got younger but not necessarily more talented. The problem is perimeter shooting. The Lakers entered Friday’s game against the Timberwolves last in the NBA in 3-point percentage (22.3). They are off to a historically bad start from behind the arc in an era where 3-point shooting is mandatory to win.
Kendrick Nunn, who was supposed to help last year’s club before missing the season with a mysterious knee injury, is shooting 29 percent in his return. Westbrook entered Friday 1 for 12 from the arc (8.3 percent).
While new coach Darvin Ham has improved the defense, the Lakers can’t score consistently.
“We’ve got to make some shots,” James said. “Some of it is early-season stuff. Obviously it’s a new system, a new group of guys. We’re still trying to get familiar with one another. We’ve been at the bottom of everything offensively.”
Westbrook has been blamed for a lot of the Lakers’ issues, but it obviously isn’t all his fault. But his status on the team and his $47 million expiring contract continue to spark debate about whether a trade is desirable for both sides. Westbrook has regressed dramatically as a shooter and his playmaking is questionable.
He used to rely on his speed, athleticism, desire, and ability to finish at the rim. Westbrook has never been a premium shooter, but now his poor midrange and 3-point shooting have encouraged defenses to double James or Davis, leaving Westbrook open. And Westbrook is stubborn enough to take those shots in a quest to prove he’s still an All-Star-caliber player.
Westbrook, who turns 34 in two weeks, is experiencing what many former cornerstones endure once they hit their early 30s and their skills begin to decline. They remain convinced of their star power and talent, and believe the right situation will transform them back into All-Star players.
In other words, Westbrook is not trying to be a role player, although the Lakers brought him off the bench Friday. Ham met with Westbrook during the summer, encouraging the guard to flourish under the new coaching staff and revamped roster. But Westbrook has been essentially the same player and the Lakers have to ponder whether he will ever adapt.
“We’re four games in, and it sucks to lose, but there’s time for us to right the ship, and it starts now,” Ham said. “It starts yesterday. But again, the more energy we can put on the offensive side in terms of running habits, creating separation, making sure we execute. Our consistency with our energy, maintaining our energy and competitive spirit throughout the 48-minute game, irregardless of what’s going right, what’s going wrong, that’s how you create a culture.”
Creating that culture is going to be a meticulous process, and there isn’t much the Lakers can do to upgrade their roster unless they use Westbrook in a trade.
If the Lakers stand pat, they have enough salary next summer to sign another standout player to join James and Davis. But at age 37, there may not be too many more next years for James, whose tenure in Los Angeles has been mostly a disappointment, save the bubble championship in 2020. James signed off on the Westbrook trade, and the Lakers sent out two pieces from that title team — Kyle Kuzma and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope — to facilitate the deal.
Pelinka also allowed key defender Alex Caruso to sign with the Bulls after Caruso made it apparent he wanted to return to Los Angeles. Pelinka then dealt rising prospect Talen HortonTucker to the Jazz to get Patrick Beverley, and while Beverley plays hard and can still defend, he’s not a shooter.
The hope is when Dennis Schröder returns from a hand injury and the veterans adapt to Ham’s system, fortunes will be better. But even in the best-case scenario, the Lakers have little chance of competing with the likes of the Warriors, Grizzlies, and Suns in the Western Conference.