Skip Bayless lives for moments like these; tonight has been a long time coming. LeBron James has been a bit-part player with the Lakers this season, staying out injured for a long stretch. In the games he’s played, he’s been ineffective, with his successor, Anthony Davis, playing a more critical role as he should!
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Considering the fact that he’s about 9 years younger than him, AD needs to put up more performances like this. And while LeBron can still do it, tonight, he just couldn’t do it against the Pacers. One could argue it was his worst game in a Lakers uniform this season. He put up decent numbers on paper, but he was lethargic when it mattered the most.
A 17-point lead was cut short like a hot knife through butter, and most of it came with Bron on the court. The fourth quarter against Indiana was reminiscent of a G League team facing NBA champions. For some reason, the Lakers thought they could coast while there was a whole quarter to play.
The Eastern Conference team slammed the Lakers’ brakes for them. Andrew Nembhard, a rookie from Canada, stole the show. He hit four three-pointers in the game, the most important of which came at the expense of the 45-million-dollar earner.
The game’s final shot was a 3-pointer right on the face of an outstretched – or not – LeBron James. He had let his man open, and for someone who possesses court vision like Seijuro Akashi from Kuruko no Baske, this was lackadaisical.
Skip Bayless – like a broken clock – is right about 2 things – LeBron made a late layup, but he had a brutal 4th quarter
4 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 assist. a stat line that doesn’t seem too bad, but if you dig deeper, you’ll know the true story. LeBron was 2/8 from the field and was a whopping -10 on the floor. The only other Laker who was worse was Dennis Schröder, and he played three minutes less than Bron.
This game is indicative of what is to come going forward. Bron is at that age where he no longer can assert himself for the entirety of the game. Clutch moments like this one define the Lakers’ season, and giving up a 17-point lead is atrocious.
Skip Bayless is right—and rightfully so. It was a brutal quarter, and he only had one worthwhile contribution, which made it a 1-point game.
What next for the Lakers?
Coming into this game, the Lakers had hit a purple (and gold) patch. They only lost one of their last six games and were looking to make it six out of seven. For three-quarters of a minute, it looked like they were going to, but then it all changed. Russell Westbrook, a catalyst off the bench, was taken out, and it collapsed like a house of cards.
Will this affect Darwin Ham’s policy of rotation? It could, given that he handed over a sure-shot victory to the Pacers. The next team they play is the Portland Trailblazers, another in-form team. This time, it would be harder to assert themselves since their attack is much more spread out.
Should LeBron James be playing big minutes for the Lakers? Yes, he still gives them points. But should he play in crunch situations like the one tonight? Not if you want to defend a slim lead, because he doesn’t play defense.
The 2013 DPOY runner-up is no more—Bron only likes the chase-down block. Tonight, Lakers fans will go home “Hard” broken, thanks to a rookie from the land of the Maple Syrup.
