Losers of six out of their previous seven video games with simply two weeks remaining within the common season, the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers do not look something like a title group proper now.
And after Sunday’s 121-114 defeat at Staples Middle to a Toronto Raptors group that got here into the night time 12 video games underneath .500, L.A. hardly even resembles a playoff group.
At 36-28, they now have an similar document because the Portland Trail Blazers, who’re at present within the No. 7 spot within the Western Convention. The Lakers are in sixth solely as a result of they maintain the tiebreaker with Portland from beating the Blazers on Feb. 26.
This yr, being No. 7 does not assure you a first-round playoff sequence. The NBA will maintain a play-in event during which the Nos. 7 and eight groups face off and groups seeded Nos. 9 and 10 can even play. The winner of the 7-Eight recreation advances to the primary spherical and the loser of the 7-Eight recreation performs the winner of the 9-10 recreation to find out the ultimate playoff berth in every convention.
Requested about doubtlessly capping a 72-game season that adopted a 71-day offseason with needing to win an additional recreation simply to qualify for the postseason, Lakers star LeBron James joined the rising refrain criticizing the play-in format.
“Whoever got here up with that s— must be fired,” James stated.
The truth that the Lakers even needed to touch upon a possible play-in situation says all of it contemplating in February the group was off to a 21-6 begin and appeared in wonderful place to defend its title.
However a calf pressure and Achilles tendinosis in Anthony Davis‘ proper leg induced him to overlook 9 weeks and a excessive proper ankle sprain induced James to overlook six weeks, and immediately L.A. finds itself with extra questions than solutions with solely eight video games left on the regular-season schedule.
The primary of these come on the second night time of a back-to-back on Monday in opposition to MVP front-runner Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets.
James, who was held out the ultimate six minutes, 42 seconds on Sunday after experiencing soreness in his proper ankle, may not even play in it.
“I positively wish to get wholesome. Not just for myself, however for our group,” James stated, confirming he would make the choice primarily based on how he feels Monday. “I would like to ensure my ankle is the place it was earlier than the damage. I’ve obtained to be good with it.”
James, in no unsure phrases, prioritized well being and restoration over chasing wins for playoff seeding.
“It does not matter on the finish of the day if I am not 100% or near 100%,” he stated. “It do not matter the place we land.”
Including to the priority degree for the Lakers is the truth that Davis, in his sixth recreation again from damage, seemed simply as off his recreation as James did in his second recreation again — if no more.
Davis scored 12 factors on 5-of-16 taking pictures (together with Zero-of-Three from Three) in opposition to Toronto with 9 rebounds, seven assists and three steals, and L.A. was outscored by 11 within the 33 minutes he performed.
“You sort of get used to the 20-25 minutes [range], and now you push up 10 extra minutes, 12 extra minutes and now you bought to get that wind enjoying that lengthy for a whole recreation,” Davis stated.
When requested if he’s succesful in the mean time of being the identical man who dominated throughout his first season in L.A., he stated: “I feel I will be. Actually.”
However he additionally supplied an trustworthy evaluation of the place the Lakers stand, coping with yet one more setback earlier than the Raptors recreation when it was revealed that Dennis Schroder can be out due to the league’s well being and security protocols.
“The whole group is kinda in a stoop proper now, a drought. No more so individually, however simply collectively, on each ends of the ball,” Davis stated. “That is the bottom we have been shortly … However the one method is up. We actually cannot get any decrease than this.”
Lakers ahead Kyle Kuzma was much less diplomatic.
“I simply do not assume we’re related proper now. I feel we’re unhealthy and simply not adequate,” Kuzma stated. “We’re simply not collectively as an entire — group, employees, every thing.”
When requested what he would do to start to restore no matter is inflicting the Lakers’ rut, Kuzma urged giving extra enjoying time to middle Marc Gasol, whose position has been restricted since L.A. signed large man Andre Drummond off the buyout market. Aside from that, he was perplexed.
“I do not know, man. It is simply very robust. It is simply an unlucky scenario,” he stated. “It is robust, man. It is simply robust. It’s totally robust. I am unsure what to do.”
Davis talked about, perhaps if solely to remind himself, what many on the roster achieved final season after they received all of it. There is a delight that comes with that, and it hasn’t died out simply but.
“It is no enjoyable whenever you’re dropping, however on the finish of the day, we are the champs, man. Like, we’re the champs. We are the defending champs,” Davis stated. “So we obtained to play that method and play with a bit bit extra swag.”