The Los Angeles Lakers earned their most spectacular win of the season Thursday night time, whereas the Boston Celtics arguably ceded their worst loss. With LeBron James and Anthony Davis sidelined with accidents, Austin Reaves and Co. handed a totally staffed C’s group their third house defeat of the season, 114-105. Joe Mazzulla sat Jaylen Brown, Jrue Vacation and Kristaps Porzingis early within the third quarter because of the group’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 could possibly 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 bunch that put the concern of god within the Western Convention a yr in the past, making it to the convention finals as a play-in group, 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 at present sitting outdoors 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 nicely, however isn’t contributing a lot else.
Free-agent signing Gabe Vincent is harm, but he’s not the fulcrum of something. Whereas shedding Lonnie Walker IV harm, it shouldn’t have, and I’m nonetheless at a loss as to why D’Angelo Russell makes an attempt the third-most discipline targets on this group.
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 proof against the LeBron bump is telling, albeit unsurprising.
The one actual commerce asset is James, who native LA sports activities anchor David Pingalore mentioned the group is buying round. I don’t imagine LeBron might be traded as a result of LeBron has by no means been traded, Wealthy Paul mentioned he gained’t be traded, and I don’t know what number of groups are out there for a 39-year-old participant/coach/GM. I might vote for exiling D’Lo to Antarctica simply so he can’t chuck 13 photographs per sport, however LA is brief on guards, and he’s a obligatory evil/untradable.
The Lakers don’t have an out, and the one hope is that Reaves will get going. Thursday’s win could possibly be the beginning of one other second-half surge like final yr. Nonetheless, except for Vincent’s return — slated for early March — I don’t perceive what modifications to immediate mentioned surge.
Which brings me to Boston, the group with the NBA’s finest document that I nonetheless don’t absolutely 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 below former coach Ime Udoka continues 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 probably the most proficient beginning 5 within the league, and after they play as one, are close to unimaginable to beat. It’s simply that it doesn’t occur sufficient after they’re backed right into a nook. For a bunch with scoring choices at each place, it’s malpractice that they’re twentieth in assists per sport.
When issues aren’t going nicely, guys lose focus and too typically revert to spot-up shooters and ball watching. I do know Jayson Tatum has a deep bag of offensive strikes, however probably the most troublesome forays ought to 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 beneficial 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 should 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 must 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 final result can be panic. And truthfully, the issues aren’t about roster strikes, getting wholesome or exterior elements. It’s about Los Angeles and Boston self-correcting their points.