The Lakers‘ slide continued on Monday night, as they dropped a home game to their L.A. rivals, the Clippers, falling further out of the Western Conference playoff picture. With just 18 games to play, the Lakers are now 5.5 games back of the eighth-seeded Spurs, who won a nail-biter over Denver.
While the Lakers’ odds of reaching the postseason are increasingly remote, there are still no plans for the team to rest LeBron James down the stretch. James said as much to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin after Monday’s loss.
“That would take a lot of convincing from [head coach] Luke [Walton] on up,” James said, suggesting that GM Rob Pelinka, president of basketball operations Magic Johnson, and owner Jeanie Buss would all need to be involved in that decision. “Unless I’m hurt, I’m not sitting games.”
If the Lakers’ playoff hopes continue to slip away, it would make sense for the team to prioritize its young players down the stretch. Resting James would allow the team to avoid putting unnecessary miles on its franchise player in the first season of a four-year contract. And, of course, with LeBron out of the lineup, the club might end up improving its lottery position as well.
So far, no one from the Lakers has approached James about the idea, according to McMenamin. However, LeBron wouldn’t be surprised if the idea is broached sometime in the coming days or weeks.
“That conversation hasn’t occurred, but I’m sure it can happen soon,” James said.
While the four-time MVP seems opposed to the idea of shutting things down entirely, he acknowledged that if the Lakers’ don’t turn things around in a hurry, monitoring his playing time over the season’s final month would be a possibility.
“You kind of look at the rest of the games, and look at the percentages of what’s going on there in the future, and see what makes more sense for not only me but the team itself as well,” James said.
Here’s more on the slumping Lakers:
- In a piece examining the problems in Los Angeles, ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne writes that LeBron James talked with Magic Johnson before the season about targeting play-makers and guys known for their toughness. The Lakers ultimately ended up going out and signing veterans who fit that bill and were willing to play on one-year deals, which is how the team ended up with players like Rajon Rondo, Lance Stephenson, and JaVale McGee rather than outside shooters.
- There’s plenty of blame to go around for the Lakers’ disappointing season, Bill Plaschke writes in a column for The Los Angeles Times. Plaschke points to James, Johnson, Rob Pelinka, and Jeanie Buss as those who are at least partially responsible for the dysfunction.
- Ric Bucher of Bleacher Report suggests (via Twitter) that there are ongoing whispers about Luke Walton being a candidate for the UCLA head coaching job if he’s let go by the Lakers at season’s end. Luke’s father Bill Walton is a notable UCLA alum.
Then start winning them
Does that include his feelings?
A true pro, never understood about sitting, resting & all of that nonsense, if a player is good to go he has to play that is that. I hate resting players that aren’t hurt.
It’s a smart strategy if a team is in the right position (already clinched, etc.). With that said, I personally think LeBron should be playing.
Fans pay big money to see the stars. So, there’s no reason why he shouldn’t be out there. I definitely see both sides of it, however.
Coaches and teams have to protect their players, and jobs are on the line, but fans pay the bills and want to see the stars, as much as possible.
It’s a difficult one to say who’s wrong and who’s right.
Who cares? Prefer that he would have said “As long as we’re playing, I’ll shut up.”
So would everyone.
So the current Lakers team was chosen by Lebron too? When will teams learn not to let him dictate the roster? He hasn’t picked a good team yet.
The Cavs were good enough for 4 straight finals, playing a style that fit a system built around their key player.
Sadly they don’t need James to sit in order to tank.
These people are really going to pretend Lebron didn’t miss 20 games. They were easily a playoff team with him healthy
Not really. He’s been back a while now and they’re still losing.
True but they were playing very well before he went out. Let’s just assume they only won 50% of the games he missed which is reasonable considering they are a borderline .500 team anyways. They were 6-11 without him. So basically there additional wins. Plus kept the momentum. Worse case they are sitting at just 2 games back instead of 5. I think almost everyone thinks that had LeBron not got hurt even with all the other injuries, they would be a playoff team.
There’s no point in talking about what-ifs with this team. He IS back and they’re playing terribly. He puts in no effort and has ruined the team’s chemistry. The Clippers and Kings are much better teams. The Lakers have no big man depth and their guards are playing terribly. Their best guard (Lonzo) has been hurt all year. They traded their best center (Zubac) to a division rival that plays in the same building as them!!! Their coach deserves to be fired and the only other players worth keeping (Kuz and Ingram) play the same position as the washed up, no effort, max player that they signed for the next 4 years. They are not good enough, with or without LeBron James, to even make the playoffs in the stacked West.
That’s not true the Lakers are something like 21-20 or 22-19 with Lebron in the lineup. They are barely above .500 at best and the injury and suspensions are just an excuse.
Lonzo Ball exists too. Hating the Lakers is fine. But to actually pretend this team was at full strength this season is comical. They will miss the playoffs jeez you cant even mask your BS
Dionis said when the season started that the Lakers wouldn’t make the playoffs. Good call Dionis!
He said the Lakers would be in the finals too. Guy changes his opinion at a moments notice
You’re right they’d make the playoffs if LeBron didn’t miss 20 games. And if they played in the Eastern Conference.
Anyone thinking that since the deadline lakers have been tanking to better there pick for anthony davis? Currently sitting at 11/12 celtics highest pick is 14….also ironic ingrams averaging over 20 since all star break.
Yeah, because two or three slots in the back end of the lottery is going to make a huge difference to the Pelicans when trading one of the best players in the league.
Ingram is breaking out and better than Tatum. They cant even hide behind the “advanced metrics” anymore
Tatum has regressed a lot this season, I would take Ingram over Tatum any day.
I really don’t get why everyone assumed the Lakers would make the playoffs. They were horrible last year and made the one notable addition. There should be no surprise. This is just more media nonsense frankly.
The media gets into group think and it hurts them. Tim Bontemps has been saying since before the season that he thought the Lakers would miss the playoffs and other writers gave him crap. It is just like how all the writers are constantly saying “watch out for the Celtics if they put it all together they are scary” when we have seen over 75% of the season no signs of that ever happening.
I think its hilarious that the Lakers will miss the playoffs.
Of the 30 teams in the NBA, the Lakers are last in free throw shooting, 28th in 3 point shooting, tied for 28th in turnovers, 24th in points allowed per USA Today Sports.
Magic did not want another Cleveland. Instead of signing shooters he wanted playmakers, heady guys, tough guys. It was a pretty big deal at the time, easily googled, HR articles. (Shelburne link)
Well, he didn’t get another Cleveland! Another case of beware what you wish for.
The Sixers fan in me says…. Happy for you Bron. You chose to go to a trash team with Zero potential instead of playing with 2 All Stars and a team that was a probably a verbal ‘yes I’ll come’ away from trading for Kawhi. Literally could have been poised to overtake GSW. Go make movies and fade into irrelevancy.
The Bron fan in me is hoping he gets his crap together.
The Lakers should trade LeBron before they become another team left to rebuild after his contract is over. Cleveland got top pick after he left the first time, Miami still hasn’t recovered and Cleveland is now a train wreck. These are all the result of LeBron getting what he wanted in each place with his buddies and getting them large contracts and then leaving teams financially strapped afterwards. Moving LeBron may also appeal to other free agents to come to the Lakers since the circus and the LeBron camp would be gone.
You sound like my friend that’s a Lakers fan. Wanted to trade LBJ for Jokic lol.
Sit on the Pine and start coming in as a 6’th man.
Lebron :
You really need to start giving the existing Lakers players a chance to become a unit.
Then play your card and come in where you become a fluid part of the growth.
Then want to play with you!
They need their confidence as well…
LBJ could have expressed his desire (which I’m sure would be accommodated) to not sit out games in many ways, preferably in private. Instead he used it as another chance to undermine Walton. The guy’s a great player, but he’s simply not a leader, and in any conversation of the GOAT, that’s a factor, whether he realizes it or not.