The Lakers Are Headed for a First Round Exit

But I wanna start with the Lakers last night, uh, Evan, cause I am in the Phoenix area and I was watching the Suns Lakers game last night, and Phoenix entered this game.

Struggling, really struggling.

They had lost 6 of their previous 8 coming in.

They have not been able to score the basketball with Devin Booker out of the lineup.

Dylan Brooks out now as well.

They had, I think it was 77 points against your Portland Trail Blazers a couple of games ago.

They had 81 points against the Jalen Brownless Boston Celtics in their previous game.

They come out against the Lakers and they put 113 on them.

Now that's not a huge number by today's standards, but 100, no, no, no, I know, but compared to it, that is kind of crazy.

Like, man, compared, compared to what they were doing prior to this game, they put 113 points up on the Lakers.

Uh , they wind up beating LA.

Grayson Allen goes.

28 points, um, you know, the Lakers, the Lakers who were playing at full strength, could not get stops down the stretch, could not get stops in the entire fourth quarter.

Luka Doncic tried to strap the team on his back offensively, but that didn't work out either.

Um, this was a bad loss, man, bad loss.

3rd straight loss for the Lakers.

Uh, they are now percentage points ahead of Phoenix for the number 7, or they're, they're in the 6th seed, percentage points away from being number 7.

it's bad.

It's, it's really bad.

Like, what do you think of the state of the Lakers right now ?

I just think right now it's time for them to uh like step up and buckle in and be accountable.

You know what I mean?

Anytime the, the, the thing that everybody's harping on is how Austin Reeves, LeBron, and Luca.

Can't like formulate good minutes together, you know what I mean?

It doesn't really turn out to be like an advantageous lineup.

So I think right now you have to look at the top.

That is an understatement to say the least.

Yeah, 1000.

And also considering like I thought about it earlier, I'm like dang, if you would have told me a team with Luca and LeBron would not be.

You know, a matchup, a lineup would not be advantageous for the Lakers.

You, you, you, that'd be shocking.

So I think one thing that occurs, you have to look from the top.

I think, uh, there's so much experience, but you have to go to the king and you know, have to Have a conversation of where he can adjust, where he can be better at because I believe, you know, he's one of the greatest players of all time.

I, I don't doubt he can fit in and fill his spot, but I think the number one thing now is knowing your role, accepting your role, and starring in your role.

I, I think sometimes what they struggle with is You know, who, who can play around the head of the snake, which is Luka Dacic and not like your turn, my turn.

I think certain moments of the game when one goes out and one has a ball dominant situation, it, it, it, it really kills valuable minutes, it kills momentum, but it's also just elementary as well.

It's, you know what I mean , it's it's, it's very sophomoric in the sense of, that's what high school kids or college kids deal with.

I think, I think LeBron is very smart and knows how to dominate from a position that he can be in.

You know, when Luca and Austin Reeves are on the court, it, it's, those numbers are great.

It's very, very advantageous.

So I think it's, it's no sugarcoating it, it's the king can do absolutely whatever he wants to do and I think he's good enough to turn it on and, and, and get it clicking.

It's just getting everybody on one page and cooperating and not resisting.

And that's what I, I really take from him because these guys are too good, LeBron's too good, they're too, everybody you talk to, I know Nico Harrison is not the most High, high individual that people like to speak on, but I remember speaking to him about Luka Dacic and he's like, hey, have you ever watched him in practice, he manipulates the game like LeBron.

There's there's nobody I've ever seen like that.

So when it comes down to it, I think it's the IQ and wanting to do it and, and I, and it's the urgency to do it because in that Western Conference, it's 5 to 7 or 66, the 6, you know, being 6, you face a 3rd seed.

You slide to 7, you're gonna face the 2nd seed or you know if you get in if you get in and you're playing versus killers after you limp in and God forbid you go to Denver, like you know what I mean you go to a you go to a bad situation and just get blown out the 1st week this, this is not.

It's not the, it's not the east where you just play around at, you know, and they have to really figure it out and I think everybody else has to just get on the, on the same accord because All-Star break has passed and the trade deadline is gone.

All right, educate me a little bit here because, and you touched on this, Lukadoncic is a dynamic offensive player, arguably the best offensive player in the league.

Austin Reeves is having a phenomenal offensive season, averaging 25 points per game.

LeBron James, even at 41 years old, is a tremendous offensive player.

You put these three guys onto the floor.

And they suck.

Like they suck.

Let me give you some of the numbers here because we've just been talking about this.

According to NBA.

com, they have played 213 minutes together this season.

When they're on the floor together, they have an offensive rating of 106.

7.

Let let me put that into context.

The team in the NBA with the worst offensive rating for an entire season is Indiana.

Indiana's offensive rating is a full 2 points better than what the Lakers' offensive rating is with LeBron, Luca, and, uh, Austin Reeves on the floor together.

Um, they have a net rating with those three guys out there of -8.4, -8.4. It's their net rating.

How is this ?

Is it just as, is it as simple as You've got 3 guys that need the ball in their hands, and don't know how to play without it.

Like, how do you explain just such atrocious numbers for 3 of the best offensive players in the league?

Man, I, I, you can't explain anything like that.

And like I said, I don't want to harp on LeBron, but I think you have to go back to, uh, you have to take a little bit of peace from Dwyane Wade's book.

And you remember when Dwyane Wade first came to the Heat, even with Bosh, they realized like, yo, I got to take a step back and figure out where I can be better at because you know what, this is LeBron's team.

And whether you think so or not, LeBron is still elite.

I believe if he played with the ball in his hands for 48 minutes, he can still make something happen.

But at this point in his career, it's Unequivocally Luke Aonic's team.

And I think where you come from there, it's like, hey, the only way we're not making positive moments out of this is if we're, we're not all flowing together and, and, you know, basketball is a, a game of rhythm, a game of runs, and you all have to be on the same accord.

And I just think the fact that those numbers are sticking out shows how resistant or how much of a, you know, um A struggle it has been to get those three to cooperate and I just don't understand how because The IQ is there.

I, I just think it's just the resistance of being like, hey, I don't, I don't want to move over.

I don't want to play this role, put me in this position and, and, and I'm not there every day, but some of that stuff seems demonstrative.

I, I, I don't think LeBron has had the same joy playing.

I think it comes down to, and it's not nothing about Brown's ego.

We all go through this when we have to adjust just a bit or even go from You know what I mean?

Going from the lead role to the second role.

Like you understand what I'm saying?

That's, that's, that's, that's life, but I think this is, that's the only thing that occurs because LeBron's one of the best minds, best hoopers, and, and I, and I, I think he's a leader in that locker room.

So he has to figure out from the, from the head of the snake how he can affect it regardless of if Luca is the go to.

Well, he's not an off the ball player.

Like he's shooting less than 30% from 3 for the first time since his rookie year.

Now he's had some years where he's been in the low 30s, but this is the first time since his rookie year where he is under 30%.

That could change that like 29%, but he, the point is, he's not someone that just camps out on the wing or camps out in the corner and spots up and makes.

3 3s.

He's a guy who needs to have the ball in his hands.

Austin Reeves is a guy that needs to have the ball in his hands.

Lukaancic obviously has to have the ball in his hands.

They, they don't have the right mix.

It's not the right mix.

Like, we, we can talk about the front court because DeAndre Ayton is a catastrophe.

Like he is right now.

I mean, that game against Phoenix, oh boy, -24, he was overall in that game, 1 for 3 from the floor.

Two points.

I saw, I was listening to the Suns broadcast and Eddie Johnson is on the broadcast.

Eddie Johnson, because Eddie had in his research had read the ESPN story where DeAndre Ayton said they're trying to make me into Clint Capella.

Eddie Johnson's like, right now, you're worse than Clint Capella, man.

Like you're, you're worse.

You're worse than Capella.

So, like, this is where they are, like DeAndre Ayton, which, and this was predictable.

I mean, it really was.

Like DeAndre Ayden is not equipped.

To be the Daniel Gafford of this team, to be the Derrick Lively of this team.

He wants touches, he wants to play, he wants an offense to play through him.

That's never gonna be the Lakers with Luke on this roster.

It's just, it's disjointed, um.

And, and to get cooked by a Phoenix team which has a fraction of the talent.

I mean, the guys out there on the floor, some of them, I'm just like looking at the media guide to remember who they were and where they came from.

Like Colin Gillespie is a good player.

He was cooking them.

Grayson Allen like has the number one option.

Like, you look like Duke Grayson Allen .

I mean, he's going at him.

Royce O'Neal just burying threes like it's.

That was an embarrassing loss, man.

That was an embarrassing loss.

And I saw JJ Reddick trying to put lipstick on a pig afterwards, like saying like, we came back, no, no, no, no, no.

That's a horrible loss, horrible loss to a team that is struggling, to a team with no offensive firepower.

But the one thing I saw with Phoenix, they play connected.

Like they're moving the ball, they trust each other.

They're running, you know, a, a, a bunch of, a bunch of design plays.

Like the Lakers.

It's just like Luca gets the ball.

Luca dribbles the ball.

Luca gets a screen.

Lucas shoots.

A lot of times Luca makes because Luca's great.

There's not a lot of flow to their offense.

I'll give it to JJ on this one though.

That was a phenomenal out of bounds play that he drew up, uh, with 0.9 seconds left.

That was, that was picture perfect.

Like, you know, that was as good a look as Austin Reeves can expect .

But everything leading into that, you know, JJ said something to the effect of our losses are louder.

Maybe sure, but like you should, if you're the Lakers and you're a top 6 team in the Western Conference, you gotta be able to beat a Phoenix Suns team that is missing its two best players.

Absolutely, I agree with you.

I think one thing that occurs a lot.

When the Lakers use that excuse, like obviously it's LA and we're the big names, it's like, nah, bro, just, just, just, just make the layup.

Like we, when you go on a 4 or 5 game skid with two of the best players in the world, like that, that's a conversation to be had.

What are y'all doing over there?

Like, you know what I'm saying?

Especially in the Western Conference Finals, like those are layups.

I think sometimes even too it comes down to professionalism.

You know what I mean?

And, and, and handling that and showing, you know, how prepared you are, especially after All-Star break when you're trying to go down like turn downhill.

It's as simple as that.

Those are pros.

Every, every, you know, I know, everybody knows why that was unsuccessful and why it's scary leading up into the Western Conference Finals and we're saying, all right, we got it, we got it, we got it.

And it's like I said that last year before the first round exit, like you know what I'm saying?

And And, and, and, and, and screaming it on and it's just like, hey, you gotta get it.

We say we're gonna get it at, at the trade deadline like it just all seems smoke and mirrors sometimes.

Now you gotta look, they're one and done in the playoffs this year.

I, I don't think there's I don't think that's a hot take by any stretch.

And then you got to start to try to rebuild Dallas 2.0. You've got to start getting defensive-minded wings like Derrick Jones Jr.

and, you know, PJ Washington and start looking at springy big men that just want to run the floor, play defense, block shots, and collect lobs.

Like you gotta start looking at that in terms of roster construction.

Um, all right, one last thing, yeah, please.

I thought at one point it was like I knew Jayson Tatum would win a title.

Like, you know what I'm saying?

Like I know Wendy's gonna win a title.

I think Anne Edwards will win a title.

Like, I don't think I'll see a world where Luke Aoncis will win a title.

And that, and that, and you just said Dallas too, and that breaks my heart on that, you know what I mean?

Yeah, I don't, I don't know.

I mean, I mean it's too far ahead, but I'm just saying like when you just said it rebuild Mavericks 2.0 like shit.

Yeah, I mean, so the problem with Luca, like the focus with Luca the last couple of weeks has been his interactions with officials.

It's been amplified.

People look at him and say, why are you complaining so much?

I think there's a lot of merit to that.

Like, every time you complain, you cost your team on the other end of the floor.

They're playing 4 on 5.

Like that's just a fact.

But man, like he, he gives up on so many defensive possessions.

Like I, I was watching this game and like, I'm watching Gillespie play kind of a two-man game with a big, and it's a very simple one.

They're the two-man game, uh, the center flash to the middle.

Gillespie throws it.

He makes it kind of a, a, a side cut, catch the ball back, and Luca just kind of gives up on guarding Gillespie.

Just doesn't do it.

Like to win at the highest level.

You don't have to be elite on that end of the floor, but you gotta be serviceable.

Luka Doncic is not like, he's not Allen Iverson.

Like he's got the size to be a reasonable defensive player.

The effort isn't there, and that's what's gonna cost Luca, I think, at the end, yeah, cause all you gotta do is be in position, as simple as like, I, I, the blinders are off me for Luca.

I used to slide them all the time, and then when I started watching the game, I'm like, God, Lee, Lucas, shit, like we can move on.

It, it, it, it breaks my heart because I love Luca, you know what I'm saying.