The Los Angeles Lakers are not going anywhere with this squad. LeBron James can have 27-7-7 games, Anthony Davis can have his double-double and some blocks, and Russell Westbrook can try to have his triple-doubles off the bench, they can’t get the Ws.
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Already among the NBA’s greatest 75 players of all time, this trio should be playing their best basketball right now. Nobody expects Brodie to be a game-winner anymore, nor anyone believes Davis could play consistently throughout a season.
Whatever James does, has done, or will be doing until he retires will always be a big thing, but still, the 37-year-old’s lack of effort on the defensive side of the ball is never going to be as big an issue as everything else in LA.
So, it is surprising to see them not being at their best when they were under the least pressure to start the season. They should be enough to get a team to cruise through to a Playoff spot, but according to the Lakers’ head coach, this trio needs more help.
Darvin Ham is looking for some help for LeBron James, AD, and Westbrook
One thing that is haunting them the most is the lack of creativity and as Brodie said after the 114-100 loss against the Cavaliers on Sunday, no one knows whose job in LA it is to distribute the ball.
Meanwhile, Darvin Ham, who in accordance with the whole basketball community’s advice moved the triple-double machine to the bench, is now seeking some help for the legendary trio.
The poor man felt his team’s soul left the building in this game and didn’t hold back in asking his squad or maybe the front office to get LeBron “some f**king help”.
As currently constructed no one in the squad looks prepared to do it on a consistent basis.
Moving Westbrook to the bench doesn’t look like the solution for coach Ham
James is not being as good a playmaker as he has been throughout his 19+ years career, especially not how terrific he has been since coming to LA in 2018.
His last season’s bump in scoring to chase Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s scoring record might have something to do with it.
With another creator in Brodie moved to the bench, the Lakers are to depend on Patrick Beverley and Dennis Schroder (when he comes back) for their playmaking, which doesn’t sound good for “contenders”.
They have got to solve this problem as soon as possible. Otherwise, it is not long before they will be out of contention from even the Play-in tournament, much earlier than last season.
