The Lakers made no progress on Thursday night toward turning their season around, suffering a blowout loss to the rival Clippers. It extended their losing streak to four games, dropped their record to 27-35, and left guard Russell Westbrook looking for answers once again.
“My role and what I’m doing has changed every single night,” Westbrook said after the game, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “So I’m just trying to figure that out as I’m playing and to be able to benefit and help my team.
“But my expectations are still the same. I’m not a quitter. It’s not in my genes. I don’t quit, regardless of what the hell is going on. I’m going to fight to the end, and if it don’t work, that’s cool, too. I can live with the results. But I’m never going to give up or give in because of a little struggle that’s happening this time of the year.
While Westbrook’s struggles are hardly the only reason the Lakers have had such a disappointing season, he hasn’t fit in like the team had hoped and has faced criticism for months. Asked on Thursday if the Lakers have discussed the possibility of bringing Westbrook off the bench to change things up, head coach Frank Vogel replied, “We’ve talked about everything.”
Within his report on the Lakers’ situation earlier this week, Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report wrote that Vogel’s staff has never “seriously broached” the idea of having Westbrook come off the bench to the former MVP, adding that Westbrook likely wouldn’t entertain the idea. But these are desperate times for the Lakers, and Vogel’s comments on Thursday indicate it hasn’t been ruled out.
With just 20 games left in the Lakers’ season, time is running out to right the ship. With that in mind, we want to know whether you still have any faith left in this L.A. team.
At 27-35, the Lakers hold the No. 9 seed in the West, a full nine games back of the No. 6 Nuggets. They’re one game up on the No. 10 Pelicans and two games ahead of the No. 11 Trail Blazers. The Spurs (3.5 games back) and Kings (4.5 games back) are also lurking, but aren’t serious threats to the Lakers at this point.
Given the lack of serious competition outside of the West’s top 10 seeds, it still looks like a reasonably safe bet that the Lakers will qualify for the play-in tournament. But earning a playoff spot outright by finishing as a top-six team will be virtually impossible, and even finishing in the top eight looks increasingly unlikely, since they’re 5.5 games back of the No. 8 Clippers. If they finish ninth or 10th in the West, they’d have to win two play-in games to even make it to the playoffs.
As a reminder, the winner of the play-in game between the seventh and eight teams earns the No. 7 seed, while the loser of that game plays the winner of the matchup between the ninth and tenth teams for the No. 8 seed. That means the Lakers might have to beat, say, the Pelicans and then the Clippers (or Timberwolves) to even claim the No. 8 seed. At that point, they’d be in line for a matchup against a top-seeded Suns team that eliminated them from the playoffs last year.
Based on how the Lakers have looked lately, I’m growing more and more skeptical that we’ll even see them in the playoffs, whether or not they have Anthony Davis back for the play-in tournament. But we want to know what you think.
How do you see the Lakers’ season ending? Do they still have a chance to make a playoff run? Should they already be looking toward 2022/23?
Vote in our poll, then head to the comment section below to share your thoughts!
Just want everyone to remember that LAL was up 2-1 vs Phx & winning at home in gm4 when ADavis got hurt in their 1st rd series last season. They also won the NBA title with Bron & AD the previous season. They’re TOUGH with those 2 guys together. If Nunn comes back too they should be feared by every team in the West
They were down in Game 4 when AD went down with less than 1 minute of the first half. I believe they were down 7 and being out played. Also, the 2 games they won were when Chris Paul could barely lift his arm after being injured in Game 1. Game 4 was the first game he started to look able to play after the injury. I get annoyed everytime I hear Lakers were up 2-1 with AD as he played an entire half of game 4 and the way they were playing in that game, it was likely to be 2-2 with him healthy.
They definitely weren’t down 7. I just checked it & Phoenix was up 51-50 when ADavis went up & missed a layup, landing awkwardly & effectively ending the Lakers season. They were also at home
Ok, i take that back they were down 4 at half with AD. AD missed a layup with 48 seconds left and Phoenix went on a fast break and hit a three with 40 seconds left. AD still in game. AD was also playing very poorly in that game and Lakers had been outscored by eight points with him on the floor. He shot 2 of 9 from the field for six points and four rebounds. Phoenix was outplaying LA with Paul able to lift his shoulder and shoot again. It was going to be 2-2 going back to PHX. AD only missed 1 game in that series, thats very good for him to play in 5 of 6 games.
Injuries are part of the game. With or without AD, this team is TRASH, and is feared by absolutely nobody. You seem stuck in 2014 my guy
I JUST reminded you about the Lakers winning the NBA title not even 17months ago. With AD they’re literally world champs… But 2014 tho?Do you think AD peaked when he was like 20? I know he hasn’t played in a few weeks but trust me he’s still good & so is LeBron James
Big big asterisk next to that title.
Yikes you’re one of those guys
In 545 minutes of playing together this season, the pair of LBJ and are a NEGTAVE 2.4 pts per 100 possessions. They were a +8.3 in 2019-20. They don;t have the supporting cast this year so it doesn’t matter if they are both playing.
Sure. Having 2 of the very top players makes them dangerous if they are healthy.
But you really can’t expect that this season. And AD simply doesn’t look as good this season even when healthy as he has in the past.
Letting Caruso walk was a huge blunder. Letting an agent be the GM was another blunder. Letting the worst coach in NBA history (Rambis) interfere with the actual coaching stuff is yet another blunder. Jeannie Buss listening to Linda Rambis is an amazing blunder. The Buss children being jealous of Jerry Wests reputation to the point of refusing him a role as advisor was a fatal blunder as he is the only man who could have helped them construct a productive roster.
I loved Jerry West as a player, and believe he’s been the best NBA FO person since Red Auerbach.
However, for decades West caused the Lakers grief, ever threatening to retire as he was sick of the grind. Jerry Buss got tired of his complaining and promoted Mitch Kupcheck. West kept in touch with Kupcheck as a sounding board.
The Warriors were smart to hire West in an advisory role so he didn’t have to be bothered with the petty stuff. He knew that Monta Ellis and Stephen Curry both needed the ball a lot so they couldn’t play together. He made the decision to keep Curry for the long-term. He was instrumental in drafting Klay Thompson; and hopped a quick commuter plane from LA up to the Bay Area when he found the owner was about to trade Draymond Green for Kevin Love. He had to explain that both Thompson and Green would be needed for their defense if the team were to be a championship contender, especially when they would have to make up for Curry who was a poor defender and spent most of his energy on offense.
Jeannie and her brother (if he’s still involved) should just bring in Jerry and ask him who – or one of 2/3 – they should hire to run basketball operations. They should make a hire, leave the man/woman alone to build a staff that builds a team over the next 2-4 years. They should be preparing to send everyone out – including James, Davis, and Westbrook.
If your trading LBJ and Davis you just let Westbrook expire
Buss bother hasn’t been involved in years
There are 30 different teams with 30 different paths. Lakers don’t build they go ALL in and try to strike when the iron is hot. I like the different roads teams {try} and travel to get atop the hill, its what makes the NBA soo interesting…How boring would it be if everybody operated with the same line of thinking
How do I laugh react to a comment on here?
Spoiler…it already has
Lakers fans don’t understand this word “AND”
Lakers have traded future draft picks for this current team
AND luxury tax AND losses
They will make the play in, cause they have already got a fair amount of wins. They then likely play the Clippers who have beaten them over and over again this season and on paper the Lakers should be better but clippers most likely win that. Either way they would beat the Suns in the first round anyway
They’re 2 games up on the 11 seed. I don’t know what “a fair amount of wins” means specifically, but they’re at significant risk of missing the play in tournament all together.
If the Sabonis trade had jump-started the Kings or if the Blazers hadn’t pivoted to full tank mode by shutting down Nurkic, I’d be more worried about the Lakers’ play-in spot, but none of those teams are playing well right now (which is why, in the story, I referred to the “lack of serious competition” for a top-10 spot).
But if Sacramento, San Antonio, or Portland unexpectedly gets hot, things could get really interesting. The Lakers have a tough schedule the rest of the way (second-hardest, according to Tankathon).
Yeah sorry I thought they had a couple more wins, but as Luke said. The Kings sit 4 and a half games back and are still trying to figure things out with Sabonis and make that work.
Portland shut down Nurkic which means you’d think they will go tanking. Spurs are still competing for a spot but very much so riding DeJonte Murray’s back. I think Lakers just sneak into the play in but then don’t get any further
Clippers? WHy are they likely to play them? They’d have to beat NO first (probably on the road) and then expect Clippers to lose to Minn before they would meet them in the 2nd game of the play in. Likely scenario is they get the 10, lose to the Pelicans and watch the playoffs from their couch.
I actually called it before the season that the Lakers wouldn’t make the playoffs, and I got ridiculed for it. Doesn’t seem so ridiculous anymore…
Did you put 300 on it +1400? No one laughing at me now. Bet Cavs to make it +1600 too. People laughed at both. It’s about depth in the modern nba and it was obvious they didn’t have enough.
There’s nothing funny about a braggart
Put it on your resumes.
in pain
This is the answer ^
Doing my own Poll. Who really cares where Drama King – BRON BRON finish. Oh the NBA that’s right. Nobody else wishes to see the biggest whiner in the NBA play any extra games this year. He already plays a regular season of basketball and regular season of head games and whining.
“My role and what I’m doing has changed every single night,” Westbrook said
He’s ball-hogged and jacked up awful shots all year long, inexplicably taking 21% of his shots from 3 despite shooting 28% from there this year (and only 30% throughout his career). The coaching staff might be asking him to do different things, but he’s clearly just playing the same way he always has, for better or worse. Would love it if he accepted responsibility and actually tried new things, but I’m not holding my breath.
Westbrook is so petulant and delusional its laughable. He should be on 2nd unit with a more run and gun style. Him, Reeves, Monk/Tucker, Melo, Bazemore, and Howard. The main unit until Davis comes back would be James, Monk, Johnson, Augustin, and Tucker.
What does it matter if he’s first or second unit? The main unit you just listed is James and a 24 year old who is already on a minimum contract that only had 2 contract offers this offseason, 2 guys that were on multiple 10 day contracts this year, and 21 year old that has been a major disappointment this year. Not a good roster no matter how you move them around.
20 teams make the playoffs. The “Play In” is another way of saying “The First Round”.
This is what politicians / lawmakers do when they pass a “fee” as opposed to saying it’s a new “tax”.
A slick way of separating the public from our money.
Chuck made a comment in passing last night that the more I thought about it, the truer it rang. The only players capable of landing the Lakers a 9 or 10 seed, play in NO or Portland… Their season and how it ends is completely out of their hands.
AD makes the LAL a special team playing together with LBJ… without AD there is nothing LAL can do to win games consistently, so no point in messing with rotations nothing will work until AD is back & fully fit!