The Lakers have plenty of questions after the first quarter of the season, including Frank Vogel’s job status and whether it’s time to panic over the roster following a 10-11 start, writes Sam Amick of The Athletic.
The Lakers are still contemplating how often to use LeBron Jamesat center this season, Harrison Faigen of SB Nation’s Silver Screen and Roll writes. Los Angeles has seen success with James at the five, albeit in a small sample size, but the team doesn’t want to overextend its 36-year-old superstar.
“It’s something we talk about,” head coach Frank Vogel said. “It’s something we consider. But you have to measure what that does for his workload… and whether that’s something that we just want to use in small doses when needed, or if it’s going to become part of us on a regular basis.”
James has played positions 1-through-4 at different points of his career. Having the ability to also play the five is unprecedented, but it’s something he may need to do when Anthony Davis sits this season. Having lost to the Kings on Saturday, the Lakers dropped to seventh in the Western Conference (10-11).
Here are some other notes from the Pacific:
Kings forward Harrison Barnes and center Richaun Holmes both missed Saturday’s game, but interim coach Alvin Gentry is confident the duo won’t be sidelined for long, James Ham of ESPN 1320 tweets. Barnes is day-to-day with a sprained right foot, while Holmes is dealing with a non-COVID-related illness.
Klay Thompson had a vulnerable moment after the Warriors‘ victory over Portland on Friday, Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic writes. Thompson was seen sitting on the bench once the game ended for 35 minutes, clearly wanting to be part of the team’s success. He last played in an NBA game during the 2019 Finals, but he appears to be moving closer toward a return. He suffered torn ACL in 2019 and tore his Achilles in 2020 during a pick-up game.
Suns forward Mikal Bridges is making an early case for Defensive Player of the Year, Evan Sidery of BasketballNews.com opines. Bridges has provided a serious defensive boost for Phoenix, who ranks second in the Western Conference at 16-3. The team has also won 15 straight games.
A little more than a quarter of the way into the season, the Lakers are below .500 again with a 10-11 record.
They lost at home Friday night in triple-overtime against a Sacramento team that had lost eight of its past 10 games. The Kings were without two of their best players, starters Harrison Barnes (foot) and Richaun Holmes (non-COVID illness), per Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee.
The Lakers were up by 13 points in the fourth quarter and led by seven in the first overtime before letting both leads slip away, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN.
Anthony Davis, LeBron James, and Russell Westbrook played a combined 150 minutes in the loss, which was the team’s second straight overtime game, and fifth of the season.
The on-court fit of the “big three” has been rough thus far, but Davis thinks a winning streak could be around the corner.
“You know, 10-11, I mean, we could go on a 10-game winning streak, 12-game winning streak, now the narrative is different,” Davis said. “You know, 10-game winning streak, we’re 20-11. Now we’ll shut everybody up. But it’s on us. We’re going to have to do it. It’s not just going to be easy.”
Coach Frank Vogel might be on the hot seat despite the team winning a championship a little over a year ago.
Projected rotation pieces Kendrick Nunn (knee) and Trevor Ariza (ankle) have yet to play for Los Angeles this season. Third-year wing Talen Horton-Tucker missed 13 games due to thumb surgery, while LeBron has missed 11 (10 to injury, one to a suspension). The team is 6-4 with James in the lineup and 4-7 without.
However, the Lakers have had a relatively easy schedule, having played 13 home games versus eight away. They’ve already played the Rockets, Spurs, and Thunder twice each, and barely beat the Pistons (they went 5-2 in those games, blowing big leads in both losses to the Thunder).
The season numbers look pretty troubling; the Lakers are 23rd in the league in offensive rating, 20th in defensive rating, and 24th in net rating (-3.0), per Basketball-Reference.
During preseason, we ran our annual Over/Unders for the 2021/22 season. 58.2% of our readers predicted that the Lakers would eclipse their projected win total of 52.5 games. In order to win 53 games, the Lakers would need to finish their remaining 61 games with a 43-18 record — a .705 win percentage.
What do you think? Do you still think the Lakers will win 53-plus games? Vote in our poll, then head to the comments below to share your thoughts!
Lakers star LeBron James has been fined $15K for making an obscene gesture on the court, the league announced (Twitter link).
The incident occurred at the end of the fourth quarter during the team’s overtime win against Indiana on Nov. 24. He was also warned for using profanity during his post-game availability in response to his one-game suspension.
In a separate tweet, the league also announced that Trail Blazers forward Robert Covington was fined $15K for throwing his face mask at a referee.
The incident took place in the second quarter of the team’s loss against Sacramento on Nov. 24. Covington received a technical and was ejected from the game.
There’s “rising buzz” in NBA coaching circles that Lakers head coach Frank Vogel is facing increasing pressure with the team still sitting at .500 (10-10), says Stein. Earlier this week, we mentioned Vogel when we speculated about which head coaches could be the next to find themselves on the hot seat.
Lakers head coach Frank Vogel figures to face scrutiny if the team continues to struggle this season, but Dylan Hernandez of The Los Angeles Times preaches patience and thinks general manager Rob Pelinka should be careful about how he handles the situation. If Vogel were to be let go, there would be “no one left standing between Pelinka and the firing squad,” Hernandez writes, adding that Vogel is a defensive-minded coach who lost many of his best defenders in the offseason.
November 25th, 2021 at 9:34am CST by Dana Gauruder
LeBron James missed the Lakers’ game against the Knicks on Tuesday and felt his one-game suspension was unwarranted, ESPN’s Dave McMenamin writes. James struck the Pistons’ Isaiah Stewart in the face on Sunday and was assessed a Flagrant 2 foul. The league suspended James on Monday and handed Stewart a two-game ban for repeated “unsportsmanlike acts.” They were battling for position on a free throw attempt.
“When I swung down on his arm, he got off balance and the left side of my hand grazed his face. And I knew right away,” James said. “So, I knew right away I had caught some part of his head. So, I went over to apologize to him, and obviously, you guys saw what happened after that. But definitely accidental.”
We have more on the Los Angeles teams:
Lakers guard Russell Westbrook recorded a triple-double against the Knicks and a near triple-double against the Pistons. Anthony Davis wants to see Westbrook play with an aggressive style, McMenamin relays in a separate story. “I tell him before every game: ‘Be nobody but yourself. That’s why we brought you here,'” Davis said. “I think a lot of times, he tries to go passive and to start passing the basketball, looking for other guys, which is great, but kind of takes him out of a rhythm. And he can do the same for guys while being aggressive.”
Carmelo Anthony is averaging 15 PPG in his new role as the Lakers’ top reserve. Anthony, who is playing for the veteran’s minimum, has proven he can be effective off the bench after being the No. 1 scoring option most of his career, as McMenamin notes at ESPN.com. “I’m still here doing it,” Anthony said. “I think that’s what I’m honestly excited about. I’m here in Year 19 still doing what I’m able to do. Still passionate about the game. Still passionate about coming to work every day and getting better.”
Marcus Morris felt good after playing 31 minutes for the Clippers on Tuesday, according to Andrew Greif of the Los Angeles Times. Morris had missed a month due to knee soreness. “Take a month off, I think I looked good myself,” he said. “Shots will come, rhythm will come, I’m a veteran, just felt great to be out there.”
In his early look at 2022’s top free agents, John Hollinger of The Athletic ranks Bulls guard Zach LaVine as the No. 1 player in next year’s class, ahead of stars like Wizards guard Bradley Beal and Nets guard James Harden. As Hollinger explains, LaVine will be just 27 years old when he reaches free agency, which means his next contract is a good bet to cover his prime years. Beal will be 29 and Harden will be entering his age-33 season, so the final seasons of long-term deals would be a little riskier in those cases — especially for Harden.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
Former NBA first-round pick Malachi Richardson is continuing his professional career in Poland, having signed with King Wilki Morskie Szczecin, according to the team. The 22nd overall pick in the 2016 draft, Richardson hasn’t played in the NBA since the 2018/19 season and most recently suited up in Italy.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Mexico City Capitanes’ first season in the NBA G League has them based out of an apartment complex in Fort Worth, Texas without a home arena. Scott Cacciola of The New York Times takes a closer look at an unusual start for the G League’s first Mexican franchise, which won’t actually play in Mexico in 2021/22.
With the Lakers and Knicks set to face one another in Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night, Sopan Deb of The New York Times explores why Sportico and Forbes have given both teams valuations north of $5 billion and why the value of a big-market franchise like the Lakers or Knicks isn’t really dependent on whether or not they’re winning.
November 22nd, 2021 at 9:52pm CST by Dana Gauruder
LeBron James‘ one-game suspension will result in some cost savings for the Lakers, Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets. While James will lose a game check of $284K, the Lakers will receive a $142K credit toward the luxury tax that projects to save them $532.5K.
November 22nd, 2021 at 6:31pm CST by Dana Gauruder
Kevin Durant rested his right shoulder sprain during the Nets’ win over Orlando on Friday and it apparently made a difference, Brian Lewis of the New York Post writes. Durant returned to practice on Sunday and returned to action against Cleveland on Monday.
“Kevin is great. I think it served his shoulder well to miss a game,” coach Steve Nash said.
Durant is off to a strong start, averaging 28.6 PPG, 7.9 RPG and 4.9 APG in 16 games.
We have more on the New York City teams:
LaMarcus Aldridge has thrived while playing on the Nets’ second unit but it’s still been a tough transition, he told Lewis. “It’s very difficult. You’ve been one type of player or a certain type of player your whole career. It’s definitely different coming off the bench and not playing much,” Aldridge said. “So it’s been difficult. … I’m still trying to figure it out and navigate it and find my spots. And I’m just trying to find my ways to try and help out.” Aldridge is playing for the veteran’s minimum after coming out of a health-related retirement. He’s averaging 12.9 PPG and 5.4 RPG in 20.6 MPG.
Kemba Walker played both ends of a back-to-back this weekend for the first time this season. However, that won’t always be the case for a guard who’s battling knee injuries in recent seasons, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post. “Nothing is set in stone for back-to-backs,’’ Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. “It’s just communication with medical people. Kemba has a lot of say in it. I trust him. He feels comfortable. And he’s done a great job taking care of his body.’’
The Lakers will face the Knicks on Tuesday and Carmelo Anthony is looking forward to coming back to Madison Square Garden against his former team, Berman writes in a separate story. He says the New York fans treat him with uncommon adoration. “I always look forward to playing at the Garden, playing in front of the fans,” Anthony said. “With the Knicks or against the Knicks. That love is different. That fan base is different for me. It goes deeper than basketball. They embrace me. I embrace them.”