USA TODAY International Edition
Lakers unable to keep momentum
LOS ANGELES – The Lakers, despite having the best player in basketball as their cornerstone, have enjoyed being scrappy underdogs for much of this season.
So much so that they don’t seem to want to let the tag go, even after a recent run of nine wins in 11 games and more positive signs than could have been reasonably expected at this early point of LeBron James’ Tinseltown adventure.
Heading into Sunday afternoon’s 108-104 defeat to the Magic at Staples Center, it seemed like the Lakers were ready to take a significant step forward and become one of the NBA’s bullies.
Instead, James’ 24-point haul was not enough to prevent a defeat that could and should have been avoided, against an opponent that was game and courageous but not on the same level ability-wise.
“It was too much like the start of the season,” head coach Luke Walton said, in reference to a dismal second and third quarter that saw his team turn an 11-point advantage into a 15-point deficit.
Having been pushed around in the opening steps of the campaign, the Lakers seemed to lack the will to put the hammer down when doing so would likely have secured another positive result to continue the recent momentum.
“We let the momentum switch,” James said. “We have the right intentions.”
The contest was entertaining stuff, unpredictable and energy-filled, with a tense conclusion and plenty of fireworks. In that sense, it was much like most of the Lakers season, which was never boring even when it was previously mediocre.
But something has shifted with L.A., and the way it handles the difference will determine whether its campaign will go down as a highly watchable but still-flawed spectacle or something that can legitimately be called a success.
For the Lakers are now good enough to win with regularity and to dominate on occasion.
When James hit two free throws to tie things at 104 with 2:24 left, it looked as if the Lakers would assert their authority. It couldn’t, instead getting sloppy over the closing stages and failing to manage another point.
Earlier, when they went up 39-28 and were rolling in the second quarter, the chance to capitalize and have what might have turned into a comfortable afternoon slipped by.
Having seemingly taken the sting out of Orlando with an intense and purposeful start, L.A. was in firm control. JaVale McGee had four blocks to himself within the opening six minutes and the matchup was at the Lakers’ mercy.
But then complacency crept in. Right at the time when serious contenders enforce their dominance to put the game to bed, the Lakers eased off, and paid for it. The defensive sparkle was lost, mistakes crept in and, by the end, the team had missed 11 of 31 free throws.
When they are playing from behind, or playing in a game no one expects them to win, the Lakers are at their best. They need to learn how to play as a favorite. And, when the opportunity arises, like a bully.
A couple of factors played into L.A.’s revival following its initial struggles. There was greater cohesion between James and his new colleagues, players like McGee stepped up, Tyson Chandler was a worthy addition and the number of silly mistakes was significantly reduced.
More than anything though, it was all about mentality. The Lakers, having slumped to 0-3 and 2-5, found strength in being dismissed and doubted and played with the hunger of a team determined to prove its critics wrong.
In doing so the Lakers began to put a proper season of substance together and James started to find some genuine reasons for optimism instead of wondering what he had gotten himself into.
Now that things have turned around, it is different. The Lakers will be favored in most of the games they head into, especially at home. No one is writing them off anymore, accepting that at least a playoff spot is a likely outcome and maybe a postseason run if things come together. The potential shown by Lonzo Ball and Kyle Kuzma has been missed by no one, along with the reality that James is making sure he keeps plenty in the tank for when he needs it most.
Orlando is not widely respected but now stands at 10-10 and is a solid squad. The Magic moved the ball well and, in Aaron Gordon and Nikola Vucevic, have a pair of players capable of high-level, consistent productivity.
They are no fools, but neither are they a team that should strike fear into the hearts of anyone, nor one the Lakers should feel anything other than dejected after losing to at home.
L.A. has shown, after initial doubts, it can handle this league. Whether the Lakers can handle their own mind-set will dictate how far they can go.