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Should the Los Angeles Lakers (4-6) do things? How can LeBron James, Magic Johnson and Luke Walton straighten the boat? And what is the quality of this team at its peak?
Our NBA experts answer the big questions about L.A.
1. What is your biggest delivery of the first 10 games of the Lakers?
Kevin Arnovitz, ESPN: We can talk about the plot of the palace or determine if a collection of veterinarians having spent a year could form bonds with LeBron and the kids, but the truth is that despite the call of the pump and the Lakers star, they win and lose the same basketball games as everyone else in the league. And the Lakers are losing basketball games right now because they're playing an indifferent defense and are hurting themselves by the glass.
Golden State is leading the pack which remains unchanged. Beyond that, it is a pure chaos in our classification of the fourth week.
Kawhi Leonard has won a championship, is relatively healthy and comes from Southern California. Take it all with a grain of salt when it comes to his free agency.
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Chris Herring, FiveThirtyEight: That their horrible defense, tied for 12th place last season but 23rd in the league, puts too much pressure on their attack, which is still trying to figure out how to work with the best player in the world to compete. closed off. This includes James himself, who did not seem active enough on the defensive side of the word. That sounds a lot like the Cleveland Cavaliers last season, who have trouble keeping their heads out of the water because of the seriousness of their defense. Tyson Chandler, at this stage of his career, will not solve the problem.
Tim Bontemps, ESPN: Tricks and follow two: it's the most entertaining team in the league and that's exactly what I expected. They have a ton of interesting and bizarre personalities, a lot of drama, a fast pace and a terrible defense – which makes a lot of close games and goals scored. But they also form a team with a ton of new parts that need time to gel together. Their presence under .500 after 10 games is not a surprise. And with the way their roster has been built, a team around 10th in attack and in the last 10 in defense feels good on.
André Snellings, ESPN Fantasy: The Lakers have a lot of talent and they need to know how to match it. The way the team was built this off season has always been interesting. The Lakers surrounded James with pure bodyguards who do not shoot well, talented and long strikers who naturally play the role of James, as well as a great role man who does not speak out. Despite that, when they perform well with their fast pace and penalty shoot-out, this team has a tremendous – if not scary – edge against most of the Western Conference teams.
Kevin Pelton, ESPN: Not that I'm surprised, but the internal expectations were too high for the flawed alignment of the Lakers. Despite James' patience, Johnson's critics on Walton behind closed doors suggest that he was neglecting the flaws in the list that he and his general manager Rob Pelinka had prepared this year, which would likely not be contested. not in the West, no matter the coach.
2. Which one is the most true?
A. The Lakers must take a big step forward.
B. The Lakers should be patient.
Snellings: B. They could have tried to create a more traditional team around James with shooters at each position, keep the great talented Julius Randle and move harder to win now. Instead, they kept their kids, opened a pay gap for the next off season and brought in veterans with one year contracts. Now they have to develop their young players, win a playoff spot and be ready to add a star for the off season so they can play next season.
Arnovitz: B. Making a franchise change after Match 10 on the 328 games for which LeBron James is under contract with the Lakers would be an act of impulsive desperation. The front office has decided to keep the young core, probably because the members of the executive board think that with time, they will be able to get on with James – or move them if they do not. do not do it. Unless the Lakers have an opportunity that would give them a chance to fight in a seven-game series with the Golden State Warriors and solidify for the future, what would be the goal?
Good time: It sounds like a loophole, but we could answer the question in both directions depending on expectations. If you think that the Lakers should be able to play in the playoffs, for example by reaching the finals of the West, they'd better go to great lengths to add talent because, in their current composition, they're identical in the playoffs. from the beginning of the season. If you think that the Lakers need to see what they have in their young core, they must be patient and see how good they are and what types are suitable for James. I'll get along with him because my expectations were lower than most people's expectations.
Pelton: B. None of the Lakers' struggles up to now is surprising. Between their young talent and their cap of 2019, the best version of the Lakers is yet to come. Therefore, they should only act if it allows them both to preserve their future in the short and long term rather than overly reacting while trying to save 2018-19.
Herring: B. First, I think many of us expected them to compete. Sunday night, apart from the bad start, they were competitive against very good teams. Johnson himself noted that James' teams usually started slowly, so that's never been different – especially with younger teammates. If they really wanted to move things so early, why not settle for barriers in the summer and really go? The impatience would have made more sense then now, in my opinion.
3. Fact or Fiction: The Lakers need James to have more impact.
Good time: The same theory of the previous answer applies to this one. Does LeBron James play as hard as he can? No, but it also approaches 34 and has traveled about a billion kilometers. He will not go out in November. At the same time, James can not turn this list of non-shooters into shooters, from non-defenders into defensemen and can not add the extra competent 7-foot or more that the Lakers did not sign this summer. One thing he could and should do is play a central role – but he was never going to do it, and the Lakers knew it too.
Arnovitz: Made? The guy averages 27 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists, but James ranks only 13th in the rate of use; he has not finished outside the top 10 since his rookie season. It's interesting because it's not exactly the heat of the 2010-11 season when he was playing with a group of teammates dominating the ball. So unless someone else on this list can turn into a high – volume, high – efficiency gaming force, the Lakers will need a little more. But where they could really use James' more impact is on the defensive side. The new Lakers facility in El Segundo is equipped with all sorts of interesting things, but there is no machine to go back in time.
Herring: Made. The early and somewhat noisy net rankings – which show that the Lakers improved by 11.5 points per 100 possessions when James is out of the field – set it to some extent. The attack will improve, but it must do more on the defensive side of the ball, where it tends to make its way, especially in transitional defense situations. I wrote a few words about his reputation stay back and occasionally pick cherries, which is understandable considering everything he's doing on O. But the Lakers are playing at a breakneck pace, and expect to pay a higher price than anybody else when one or two of their players do not come back defensively.
Pelton: They could certainly expect more from him this season. James 'attendance rate is dropping dramatically, and although it may be wanted by the Lakers' willingness to use him more as a finisher than as a designer in Cleveland, this is not yet translated by increased efficiency. Add to that his incoherent defensive effort and James has so far been less effective than ever in the last decade. Of course, a better James production would make the Lakers more formidable.
ShoutsThe Lakers would probably be better in the long run if James does not just take over and try to lead them as far as possible. They do not have the talent this season to compete with the best teams in the NBA, and it was obvious. If James puts on his Superman cape and takes over, the team could win a few more games, but young players would not grow as needed. For this team to finally compete, the young talent must learn to carry more of the charge itself.
4. Who is LA's second best player?
Pelton: JaVale McGee has been her second-best player so far, providing absolutely needed rim protection and activity while finishing the basket trick. In the long run, I still think that Lonzo Ball is their second best player, especially given the improvement that he has demonstrated as a 3 point shooter.
Snellings: For the moment, probably McGee or Rajon Rondo. Both veterans have demonstrated their ability to be effective in their respective roles. However, the Lakers need this answer from their pool of young guys. Rondo's success seems to come at the expense of Ball, who is a different player when Rondo is not available. Kyle Kuzma was the most effective youth in the attack, able to shoot and score effectively while playing against James. Brandon Ingram's early progress was delayed by the suspension. Part of this trio must appear.
Arnovitz: Ingram. He is still developing his creativity and many of his readers are dribbling attacks in a straight line. But there is a lot of play out there and a long athletic setting to propel it – and the Lakers could also use it to strengthen their wing defense. They also need Ingram to punch the 3-point ball in the 39% sequence he signed last season and to get more volume.
Herring: In terms of performance? I can not believe I'm saying that, but it's probably McGee. He has been a brilliant player, playing the greatest number of minutes he has in years, at both ends of the field. (The fact that the Lakers decided to get Chandler signed was not a charge of McGee, but an awareness that they needed someone who could get closer to what he did in the 20 minutes that McGee gasped.) As the season progresses, though, I think Ingram or Ball will become the team's second best player. This development would be a good one for the team in the long run.
Good time: Most of the answers to this question would probably include Ingram, Ball or Kuzma. Mine, however, is Josh Hart. He is the best defender of the team (just look at him in the pole, they can not move him), a good 3 point shooter and a perfect fit with James as he does not need balloon in his hands. I will take him on my team every day.
5. What is the quality of the best version of this team?
Herring: I imagine that the Lakers will struggle to win six or seven consecutive victories, if not more. But unless the defense regains its momentum or the offensive really begins to hum even more, it's hard to imagine the Lakers winning 50 games or more this season. That would likely leave them as a marginal playoff team, fighting for one of the last two or three seeded players. The reality is this is what this team should look like. Somewhat deficient in shooting. Defensively challenged when he's baking. Things will improve with time. But on the basis of who they came out and signed, we should have waited for these results at this point.
Arnovitz: 52-30. The Baby Lakers managed to form a 12th ranked defense last season. Thus, they are not far from the possibility of finding a plan that can improve their position. If perimeter players can swing between 39 and 40% of the bow, the multiple game leaders in the lineup are turning the defenders around in circles every night, and James can get a performance from the top. another world that can push a game in the earnings column 10 or 12 times. between now and April, it is feasible. But a regular dose of what we saw against Toronto on Sunday, and nothing is closer.
Good time: A first round out as the team ranked lower. The Lakers are not as good as the Warriors, Denver Nuggets, Houston Rockets or Utah Jazz, at a minimum. This leaves their ceiling as the fifth seed or worse – and, in turn, makes them come out in the first round. Another story is to know if they can survive in the doldrums of the West teams fighting for one of these last places in the playoffs. One thing to note in this regard: McGee has been significantly better than anyone could reasonably have expected so far. And yet, even with that taken into account, the Lakers are under the .500 mark and pretty bad on the defense. Every time his piece regresses – as many scouts want – beware.
Snellings: This current team still has a potential of 55 wins if everything is set up. The Lakers have the athletes to play quickly and efficiently, and with Chandler joining the group, they should have a solid edge protector and a rebounder in the field as much as they wish to help start the break. The younger guys will understand James better, and he obviously has another speed when the team needs him to take him up. It's not the Warriors or the best version of the Rockets, but the Lakers could compete with everyone in the West.
Pelton: There have been times when the Lakers have appeared to be a team of 50 victories capable of winning a series of the first round of the Western Conference. Despite their limited shot, they put so much pressure on the rim that they can create good shot attempts in the half-court attack. The question is whether the Lakers can support the necessary defense effort to reach this level, which we have only seen very closely – and exclusively with McGee on the ground. We will see if Chandler helps on this last point. I am skeptical.
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