Lakers wanted Nuggets, so what happened?
The Lakers thought it was a preposterous idea to intentionally lose their play-in game against the Pelicans to avoid having to play the defending champion Nuggets.
Instead, they won going away, knowing they would face the league’s best team in a highly anticipated firstround matchup. And there was revenge on the Lakers’ minds as the Nuggets swept them in last year’s Western Conference finals. The Lakers truly believed they were prepared for the Nuggets, prepared for a grueling series, and had the star power with LeBron James and Anthony Davis to make the Nuggets uncomfortable.
The Lakers had their moments in the first three games of the series, leading at halftime in each. But each time they were chased down by two-time MVP Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and their teammates. The Nuggets have no fear of the Lakers. They know they are the better team and realize that Davis eventually fatigues during games and isn’t as effective.
And at 39, James is more capable of a triple-double than one of those 50point games to carry the Lakers on his shoulders. What has been most disappointing about the Lakers is the supporting cast. While Austin Reaves has averaged 15 points, he hasn’t been impactful. D’Angelo Russell is shooting 32.6 percent in the series and his disengagement during a timeout late in Game 3 went viral.
Russell, a former second overall pick of the Lakers, is in his ninth season and has constantly dealt with maturity issues and maddening inconsistency. But he does have a player option this summer that he may exercise because his market value is plummeting.
Rui Hachimura attempted 15 shots in the first three games and was essentially a non-factor. The issue is the Lakers don’t have enough support for James and Davis, and that’s been the case since their championship in the bubble in 2020.
General manager Rob Pelinka
passed on making a major move at the deadline to acquire the likes of Donovan Mitchell or Trae Young because the Lakers have more assets this summer with more draft picks to include in any trade.
And they’re going to have to hope they can attract one of the aforementioned two or another All-Star-caliber player with some of the salaries of the underachieving role players. And they’re also going to have to include considerable draft capital.
James, who turns 40 in December, has an increased sense of urgency, and while it’s expected he’ll remain with the Lakers on a new deal, he does have ways to encourage his team to make the necessary moves to compete immediately.
The Lakers have to enter next season and the rest of James’s career with a championship-or-bust mentality.
They were hesitant to offer Reaves in potential trades, but that mind-set may have to change. What the organization has to address in the coming weeks is the future of coach Darvin Ham.
Davis called out Ham for the team’s lack of execution in Game 2. Ham, who has defended his players and consistently alluded to injuries as the reason for their inconsistency, rejected that claim. Ham is 90-74 in two seasons and 8-11 in the postseason, with seven of those losses coming to the Nuggets.
The Lakers’ issues are a combination of aging players who are now more inconsistent, as well as a lack of faith in players such as Russell, Hachimura, and Taurean Prince, who was discarded in other places. The Lakers hoped signing those players to extensions after last year’s run to the Western Conference finals would spark their play.
Hachimura said the Lakers are falling short against the Nuggets because of their lack of experience playing together. But any team with James and Davis should be good enough to compete for a championship. But they have been failed by their supporting cast and the lack of a true, quality point guard.
It appears the Lakers are learning the hard way about trusting Russell, while the acquisitions of Gabe Vincent,
who burned the Celtics in last year’s Eastern Conference finals, and Spencer Dinwiddie have had minimal impact.
What has to be even more demoralizing for the Lakers is the Nuggets are in command of the series despite playing their B-game. The Nuggets shot
26.9 percent from the 3-point line in the first three games, and while Murray hit the Game 2 winner, he shot 37.7 percent in Games 1-3.
The difference has been their supporting cast. Aaron Gordon, Michael Porter Jr., and Kentavious CaldwellPope have delivered and are cemented in their roles. The Nuggets are a cohesive team, and that cohesion has taken years to build.
With James and Davis nearing the end of their careers, the Lakers don’t have that type of time, and they’ll need to make some immediate and impactful moves this summer to help James make one final run at a title.