Talking LeBron, Harden’s streak, Celtics
LeBron James is in serious danger of missing the playoffs for the first time in 14 years.
His Los Angeles Lakers were in 10th place in the Western Conference after a March 2 loss to the league-worst Phoenix Suns and they found themselves 41⁄2 games behind the eighth-place San Antonio Spurs.
In other words: There’s little room for error the rest of the way.
With the final stretch of the 2018-19 NBA regular season upon us, USA TODAY’s Jeff Zillgitt, Martin Rogers, AJ Neuharth-Keusch and Matt Eppers take a look at three of the league’s burning questions in an NBA round table.
Is LeBron missing the playoffs bad for the NBA?
Zillgitt: LeBron brings in viewers, excitement and drama, and the playoffs will miss that if the Lakers don’t get in. But I’d actually rather see the upstart Sacramento Kings in the playoffs than the Lakers. This would allow the Lakers to put this laborious season in the past and allow James to get some muchneeded rest. He’s made it to eight consecutive Finals — packing in two more seasons worth of games — and missing the playoffs would be good for him and the Lakers headed into next season, when they should have a different roster.
Rogers: The league’s marketing is superstar driven and that approach has brought great success, but the on-court product needs to be one that rewards excellence and punishes inadequacy, no matter who it is from. Fact is, the Lakers — barring a late revival — haven’t been good enough. And James hasn’t shown the kind of leadership to deserve a spot.
Neuharth-Keusch: A Lakers-Golden State first-round series would be record-breaking. But from a pure basketball perspective? No. The young Kings haven’t made it to the postseason since 2006, while the Clippers (who are supposed to be tanking) are one of the grittiest teams in the league. I’d rather see them have a shot than a Lakers team that has played uninspired basketball.
Eppers: LeBron is arguably the biggest star — not necessarily the best player — the NBA has ever had. Having him leading one of its marquee franchises in the postseason is undeniably preferable. LeBron has a legion of die-hard fans that will tune in, and plenty of people enjoy hate-watching him. From the Lakers’ perspective, though, missing out might not be that bad at all.
Are the Celtics too far gone?
Zillgitt: I don’t want to write the Celtics off until they lose four games in a playoff series. But things don’t look good. The Celtics have not responded well to expectations this season, and there appears to be a divide between veterans and younger players and a lack of trust that prevents the team from reaching those expectations.It has been a disappointing season, but there is time for the Celtics to get this right.
Rogers: As we saw last season, the Celtics have players capable of rising to the occasion when it matters, with Jayson Tatum being the prime example. What kind of momentum they generate early in the playoffs will be far more important than all the chaos right now.
Neuharth-Keusch: A recent skid, barbs through the media and a tough remaining schedule all point to this Celtics team imploding before April. But the talent is there, both on the court and on the sidelines, and they still have over a month to right the ship. It’s not a matter of if they can. It’s a matter of if they will.
Eppers: They’re definitely too far gone to win the East, and teetering on the edge of being too far gone to even make much noise in the playoffs. And it’s only partly due to the dysfunction in their locker room. Boston will have a tough time climbing into the top four in the conference and thus likely won’t have home-court advantage. The Celtics have seemingly had Philadelphia’s number, and Indiana will have trouble without Victor Oladipo come playoff time. But Milwaukee and Toronto are just better.
Will anyone ever come close to matching James Harden’s scoring streak? If so, who?
Zillgitt: We’re not talking Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point game here. There will be a player who matches and surpasses Harden’s scoring streak (32 consecutive games scoring 30 or more points). I could see Kevin Durant doing it under perfect circumstances — certainly not with Golden State. Such a streak requires a player who can score in a variety of ways. That eliminates a lot of high-scoring guards who are more likely to have an off night from 3-point range. Perhaps Giannis Antetokounmpo, Anthony Davis or Joel Embiid, if they improve their 3-point shooting.
Rogers: Yes, but it is possible they are still in kindergarten. Harden’s run required a set of circumstances that will be hard to replicate. It took a uniquely talented scorer exploiting a period of shifting NBA rules and taking advantage of a system which makes effective defending fiendishly difficult. Even then, Harden still probably wouldn’t have taken that incredible run to such a length if Chris Paul’s injury hadn’t forced him to bear the entire brunt of the offense.
Neuharth-Keusch: It’s certainly not impossible. His usage rate (41.1) during his streak was otherworldly (due in large part to the absence of Paul and Clint Capela), as were his shot attempts (27.2 per game). A few players in the league today — namely Stephen Curry and Durant — are capable, but they’re surrounded by so much other talent that it’s not necessary.
Eppers: Harden’s streak seemed impossible, so it would be foolish to say it won’t ever be duplicated. It will be very tough to match, though, especially since so many of the game’s best scorers are becoming more and more reliant on the 3-point shot. One off night from long range will submarine a 30-point streak real quick. My best bet is Antetokounmpo, who’s nearly automatic once he’s within 7 or 8 feet. And if he improves his outside shot, look out.