The Lakers hit a new low on Sunday night, suffering a blowout home loss to the Pelicans in which they were booed repeatedly by the crowd at Crypto.com Arena, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN. It was the ninth loss in 12 games for an L.A. team that is now 27-33 on the season and only has a 2.5-game lead on the 11th-place Trail Blazers.
As McMenamin observes, it won’t get any easier this week for the Lakers, who face the Mavericks on Tuesday, the Clippers on Thursday, and the Warriors on Saturday. The Lakers are 1-5 against those teams so far this season, narrowly squeaking out an overtime victory in mid-December over a Dallas squad that was missing Luka Doncic.
As Jovan Buha of The Athletic writes, LeBron James was among the Lakers who had no answers after Sunday’s performance. Russell Westbrook, who had one assist and seven turnovers on Sunday, hypothesized that teams are giving a little extra effort in games against the reeling Lakers.
“Teams are coming in, playing harder, and I believe that’s kind of their scouting report: Just play harder than them and see what happens,” Westbrook said, per McMenamin. “And it’s working. Until we determine and have the determination that we’re not going to allow it, especially on our home floor, it will continue to happen to us.”
The Lakers are expected to be without Anthony Davis for a few more weeks and are currently 3.5 games back of the eighth-seeded Clippers. If they can’t move into the top eight of the Western Conference by the end of the season, they’ll have to win two games in a play-in tournament to even qualify for the playoffs.
The Lakers’ increasingly disappointing season is likely being monitored closely for draft-related reasons by two Western Conference rivals, the Pelicans and Grizzlies. New Orleans acquired the Lakers’ unprotected 2022 first-round pick in the Davis blockbuster in 2019, then flipped it to Memphis in last summer’s Jonas Valanciunas deal.
When the Pelicans traded the Lakers’ 2022 first-rounder to the Grizzlies, they added top-10 protection to it, so New Orleans will get the pick if it falls between No. 1 and No. 10. If it lands between 11 and 30, Memphis will receive it. It seemed like a pretty safe bet entering the season that the pick would end up in the back half of the first round, but that’s far from a sure thing now, as John Hollinger of The Athletic (Twitter link) and others have noted.
If the season ended today and the Lakers didn’t earn a playoff spot in the play-in tournament, they’d likely enter the draft lottery in a tie for the No. 11 spot, as our reverse standings show. That would give them only an 8.5% chance of moving into the top four, so the Grizzlies would still feel relatively confident about their chances of holding onto the pick in that scenario.
However, this situation could change quickly. If the Lakers are passed in the standings by at least one more team, their pick may well end up in the top 10 even without any lottery luck, which would be great news for the Pelicans. Incidentally, New Orleans looks like the team with the best odds of passing the Lakers — there’s currently a 2.5-game gap between the two clubs, and the Pels have looked better since acquiring CJ McCollum.
It’s also worth noting that even if the Lakers hang onto the No. 9 spot in the West, a pair of play-in wins by the West’s No. 10 seed would move that team out of the draft lottery, pushing L.A. up one spot in the lottery standings.
At this point, it doesn’t matter much to the Lakers which team gets their lottery pick — they won’t keep it in any scenario. But it’s a major storyline worth following for the Pelicans and Grizzlies, two teams that could really benefit from having another lottery selection.
If the pick ends up in the top 10 and the Pelicans keep it, they’ll send Cleveland’s 2022 second-rounder and their own 2025 second-rounder to Memphis. If the pick ends up between 11-30 and the Grizzlies get it, New Orleans won’t get anything.
Lakers look like 1 of the very worst teams in the league rn but I would still guess that they probably end up making the playoffs & maybe even winning a few series if they get reasonably healthy (Nunn & ADavis back) by the end of the month…. Memphis is definitely gonna get that pick. I got em taking soon to be Big1G POY Keegan Murray with that pick. Murray/Ziaire/Dillon/Bane would literally be the best collection of wings in the league & give them leverage as far as when Dillon hits free agency
Only way they could win a series if they get to go against a team that has a lot of injuries. I would trade LBJ and AD in the off season. Get a bunch of draft picks and build a young team. It would be a quick rebuild if they decide to go all in and copy OKC.
I don’t see them winning a series, there’s no fight in this team and still zero cohesion 75% thru the season especially on the defensive end
It’s probably best for the org just to sit AD out ROS if there’s any uncertainty he’s not 100% (I have my doubts)
Pelicans looking better & better with the probable Laker decline continuing. AD won’t be motivated for a return if he hurts somewhere, which is likely. Four of the teams behind LAL in the WC are likely to improve, including the team that was actually able to get Sabonis and another also with two good young wings, Spurs.
MEM is not a candidate for best wings. There is too much fantasy called reality on this page, a Lakers page, what a surprise. The future has not arrived yet for Sankara’s list and one of them is still in college, another close with a PER of 9.
Lakers are now the 11th pick
If Knicks, Blazers and Pelicans win more games than Lakers, Lakers send the 7th pick to Pelicans.
Someone like Kuminga to Pelicans.
Some reporters strongly believe that Lakers will run it back next season but others predict that Lakers will pack 2027 and 2029 draft picks to dump Westbrook salary.
IMO,
Lakers should waive and stretch Westbrook to save luxury tax in summer.
Run it back for what?
Dumb him to OKC for the 2 picks and sign Beal.
So instead of biting the bullet for one season, you want to have westbrook on your cap sheet for 4? While not creating any cap space, just saving taxes which ownership is willing to pay.
If that’s the case why wouldn’t they have just traded the 2027 pick to swap Westbrook for Wall
If Pelicans get the pick does Zion stay?
You mean stay on the floor? I doubt it. He’s turning into Shawn Kemp 2.0 with the weight right before our very eyes.
He’s got a ways to go to hold Shawn Kemps jock. Kemp was an All-Star and led a team to the finals.
Zion is Greg Oden.
The worst scenario in the world the Lakers could do is waive and stretch RW this summer Sillivan
Lakers need to get younger this off-season. It’s simple as that. How you do it with not a lot of picks or cap space I’m not sure, but got to figure something out. They should have been targeting a Sabonis this deadline. Find a taker for Russ if you can of course, but be willing to listen on Davis as his injuries start to pile up. Big men don’t usually last late into careers. They break down. Wouldn’t mind seeing them trade AD back to the pelicans for Zion IF Zion gets some passion and gets in shape, but obviously there’s Oden type injury risks there.
Honestly looking at this roster, if I’m the lakers, I’m keeping Lebron and Monk and maybe Stanley Johnson on a minimum for next season and getting everyone else new. Unless you’re stuck with Russ then I guess him to. But the only option with Russ is a Russ for Wall trade probably.
Can Lakers even bring back Monk? He’s going to make more than the minimum next year and I’m sure some other team will offer more than Lakers can.
SLUN- Monk would have to have a ton of handshake faith to come back – The 6.5 bi annual gets him early bird rights year after where he could go 4/48 so 5/55 overall (about around market id presume AAV) but it wouldn’t be on paper it would be on a wink and nod with only 6.5 guaranteed for 23′ ….Id ink the guaranteed cash with another team but he does like being here and that’s the path he’d have to follow if so
For a guy who has never signed a big contract, that’s a pretty big risk for him. If a team offers him something of substance, I’m sure he jumps on it.
I assume so too but that’s the path
80/20 he signs somewhere else for me .
My plan for 2023- Do little to nothing
Trade THT for Kcp straight up
See if the Knicks will bite without inc the 1st on a Westbrook trade if they include Fournier (maybe 2 2nds)
Rw for Forrn Kemba Noel Burks 2 2nds …they could bite on this
Use the 1st at the break to upgrade Fourn
Starting lineup
Nunn
Kcp
Lbj
AD
Noel
Bn
Burks
Kemba
Fourn
Monk (if he accepts bi-annual to get early bird later
Reeves
Stanley J
Vet Min C (D Howard possibly)
Melo
Decently solid team with some salary match (Fourn+ mainly) and both 1sts avail for the trade deadline to upgrade. Nunn kemba burks pure collab role at Pg doesn’t matter who starts
**This team surely still lacks wing defense no doubt
Your just not able to get those players with the little assets we have – Stanley could play a game by game role in trying to help but there’s no REAL answer there- Backcourt D def improves tho here
Daniel House
Ben McLemore
Bledsoe / Franck Ntilikina
Hassan Whiteside / Andre Drummond
Why doing these LA/NY moves in the summer when they could have been done @last TD … Puzzling to see LA doing nothing on the buy out market not even roster space … Pelinka still in charge for next year …
Sebch – They could have talked but that trade simply just comes down to NYK ripping the bandaid off, maybe they weren’t ready …in the summer I think that changes.
They will probably push for the 1st but man that package doesn’t really validate that much value. Just getting 2 2nds and outta Fourn is a valid deal for both sides …not to mention making Thibs ability to give mins to the youths easier
Pelinka, I think he will be in all honesty, Vogel will get canned to take all the heat
This summer is all about Moving Westbrook with the 2027/29 picks and maybe Knicks will move Cam Kemba Fournier and wait for Zion
Nobody has been bought out. So, what move are they supposed to make?
TT Dragic, Jevon Carter, Drew Eubanks, Bembry
None of those players were bought out. They were waived. It is highly doubtful that any of those players would crack the Lakers lineup and be a season changer.
THT has shown his worth this season, which is nothing. Will take a 2nd round pick with him for a team to be interested.
Jay- They just had a lotta luck from blocked Lakers providing them value
KCP isn’t a huge loss for them to take a gamble on that premise; and the backcourt is wide open with mins in WASH
The Lakers would do well to purchase a second rounder or two but unfortunately can only offer that second rounder the min so if they hit like they did with THT they may have to make another deal like his and then may be stuck with a marginal asset
From a Celtic lane we love the Lakers Demuse. Sold their sol the Day to Day AD and Lebron. Kuzma, Hart, Ball, Ingram, Randall and Russell. What a team that would be!
That teams 3/4 of the Atlanta Hawks current talent/team with the same head scratching problems of who/who not to pay every year
They would be scrambling to consolidate and overpay on the trade market for a star. I’ll take the banner banked and the future cap over all that noise
Actual question. Who do you put around Westbrook to make a team a winner? I feel like unless it was 3 Seth curry’s and 1 Zion (healthy) it’d be hard to build a team with him that can win.
2 Curry
3 Holiday
4 Green
And one WB, that is 10 players
Westbrook should strictly be an energy guy off the bench at this point in his career. He needs to accept that a winning team doesn’t have him starting.
At this point if your the Lakers surely you just tell Russ your not needed and make him sit out like John Wall on the Rockets.
1 assist and 7 turnovers.
Better off giving his 30minutes to Avery Bradley, Wayne Ellington, Kent Bazemore or THT
The RW trade continues to look worse and worse – an all time bad trade. Kuzma and KCP would be very helpful players to have. Caruso wasn’t in the trade but he was a casualty of getting RW. His wing defense would be a big asset to this team.
I don’t like to see two things from reporters proposal
1 stay pad
2 run it back
Well, this is awkward… I live in Memphis, so now I sort of have to root for the Lakers to turn it around just a little bit…
Love – Sexton – two #1 picks >>>>Bron >>>>
to Cavs ….. bye.
The Bron window is closed in LA. Get what you can now. Westbrook contract comes off after this yr. It’s a good FA class.
If AD won’t stay ….. move him too. Lakers can rebuild right away. Take back your team.
I don’t understand why any up and rising team would want GM BRON BRON. He is a team destroyer at this point in his career and cancer. The guy as always is a media whore to the likes of nobody ever. Maybe to a veteran team looking for that last link but no way a team that is young and grew up together.
Yeah, it’s like, why would any team want one of the greatest players of all time? Crazy.
Really makes you wonder…
Thanks to Lebron and the Lakers sucking so bad the Grizz will have to give up the eighth pick for the Cavs late 2nd round pick.When they made that trade the Lakers were expected to go for the title. That is what happens when a franchise mortgages their whole future on one guy, Lebron,and sends all their best players to other teams. Next year, Lakers bound for the lottery again with no help in sight!