The Los Angeles Lakers earned their most spectacular win of the season Thursday evening, whereas the Boston Celtics arguably ceded their worst loss. With LeBron James and Anthony Davis sidelined with accidents, Austin Reaves and Co. handed a completely staffed C’s staff their third house defeat of the season, 114-105. Joe Mazzulla sat Jaylen Brown, Jrue Vacation and Kristaps Porzingis early within the third quarter as a result of staff’s lack of focus, and this might merely be a bizarre consequence a few weeks earlier than the All-Star break, but it surely additionally may very well be one thing extra for each squads.
Let’s start with LA, who’s sitting at .500 regardless of AD lacking solely 4 video games and James simply six. For a gaggle that put the worry of god within the Western Convention a yr in the past, making it to the convention finals as a play-in staff, this yr has been an abject catastrophe contemplating the place we thought they’d be.
Maybe that was misguided given the state of the 2 groups LA beat to get to the WCF — Golden State and Memphis are presently sitting exterior of the play-in — however you’d assume the cohesion and chemistry constructed from that playoff run would’ve carried over. Reaves hasn’t been the man LA paid him to be till the previous couple of video games. Ditto for Rui Hachimura, who’s capturing it effectively, however isn’t contributing a lot else.
Free-agent signing Gabe Vincent is damage, but he’s not the fulcrum of something. Whereas shedding Lonnie Walker IV damage, it shouldn’t have, and I’m nonetheless at a loss as to why D’Angelo Russell makes an attempt the third-most area targets on this staff.
One might blame Cam Reddish and Christian Wooden, however they’re licensed losers who can solely be trusted as contributors subsequent to all-time nice gamers, like, say, King James. The truth that they’ve been resistant to the LeBron bump is telling, albeit unsurprising.
The one actual commerce asset is James, who native LA sports activities anchor David Pingalore stated the staff is purchasing round. I don’t imagine LeBron shall be traded as a result of LeBron has by no means been traded, Wealthy Paul stated he received’t be traded, and I don’t know what number of groups are available in the market for a 39-year-old participant/coach/GM. I’d vote for exiling D’Lo to Antarctica simply so he can’t chuck 13 pictures per sport, however LA is brief on guards, and he’s a vital evil/untradable.
The Lakers don’t have an out, and the one hope is that Reaves will get going. Thursday’s win may very well be the beginning of one other second-half surge like final yr. Nevertheless, apart from Vincent’s return — slated for early March — I don’t perceive what modifications to immediate stated surge.
Which brings me to Boston, the staff with the NBA’s greatest report that I nonetheless don’t totally belief. They didn’t drop a house contest till Jan. 19 towards the Denver Nuggets, however have since misplaced house video games to every of LA’s groups. Whereas it feels just like the toughness and protection discovered beneath former coach Ime Udoka remains to be there, one thing is amiss with the Celtics.
Followers will level to Mazzulla for that, and it’s a good criticism. Boston has essentially the most proficient beginning 5 within the league, and after they play as one, are close to unattainable to beat. It’s simply that it doesn’t occur sufficient after they’re backed right into a nook. For a gaggle with scoring choices at each place, it’s malpractice that they’re twentieth in assists per sport.
When issues aren’t going effectively, guys lose focus and too usually revert to spot-up shooters and ball watching. I do know Jayson Tatum has a deep bag of offensive strikes, however essentially the most troublesome forays must be reserved for bail-out conditions. As a lot as I like Vacation, and am having fun with Derrick White’s apex season, there must be an grownup on the ground who will get after Brown, Tatum and Porzingis after they stagnate. That’s what made Rajon Rondo so worthwhile for the Paul Pierce-Ray Allen-Kevin Garnett Celtics.
Seeing as Boston doesn’t have a real facilitator/resident assh-le prepared to upset the Kumbaya vibes, together with Joe Mazz, they’re going to need to do it collectively. Sadly, Milwaukee already made the transfer of firing their coach and changing him with Mr. Ubuntu. So, just like the Lakers, the modifications should be inside as a result of Boston additionally doesn’t have a lot to supply in a commerce.
The media can slam on the panic button all they need for each the Lakers and Celtics, however the one end result could be panic. And actually, the issues aren’t about roster strikes, getting wholesome or exterior components. It’s about Los Angeles and Boston self-correcting their points.
