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After 14 games in the 2012 regular season, the Los Angeles hold a record of 7-7 and 3rd in the Pacific Division. In fact, the Lakers are behind both the Clippers and the Golden State Warriors in the Pacific Division.
What the hell is going on here?
Yes, these are the same Lakers that were featured on Sports Illustrated, both for the adults that receive the complimentary, annual swimsuit edition and for the kids who get giggly when they see their athletic idols depicted as their favorite superheroes. Yes, these are the same Lakers that were favored to win almost every single game on their schedule before the season began. And yes, these are the same Lakers that added two superstars in Dwight Howard and Steve Nash, while providing some aid to a previous pathetic bench, adding Antawn Jamison, Jodie Meeks, and resigning Jordan Hill.
Yes. These are still those Lakers.
But no, these are not the Lakers who were dedicating practices to running the, now infamous, Princeton offense. No, these are not the Lakers who were under the direction of Mike Brown. And no, these are not the Lakers who are even close to matching the expectations bestowed upon them in the preseason.
The Los Angeles Lakers are nowhere in the state that any expert from any platform even predicted. Even Skip Bayless’s combination of pessimism and borderline idiotic claims that Andrew Bynum is a better player than Dwight Howard (by the way, how’s big Bynum doing over in Philly?), couldn’t have predicted the current state the Lakers are in:
The Lakers are currently struggling to sustain a .500 record. They have undergone a personnel-makeover after the front office fired Mike Brown, flirted with the possibility of hiring Phil Jackson, and ultimately brought in Mike D’Antoni in the hopes of bringing back the “Showtime” style of play that Dr. Jerry Buss is so famous for being a part of. (He may have not coached the team, but he sure did put in a hell of a lot of money into it). This current Lakers squad is also missing Steve Nash, who’s projected to be out from anywhere to the next one-to-three weeks. This current Lakers squad also has a Dwight Howard that seems to be looking exactly like a player recovering from a major back injury. The bench, which has been performing better of late, has failed to match-up with other secondary units around the league. Add a little bit of frustration from your other star big man and you’re basically left with Kobe Bryant being the only bright spot on this entire roster.
So what can be done to fix this gaping hole the Lakers appear to be in? Depending on where you stand, there’s a variety of solutions to the issues at hand. I’ve narrowed them down to four possible solutions, each of which have their positives, some more than others, and their negatives, some more than others. But here’s a list of the four possible solutions that actually might make some sense, along with the reasons why they don’t:
SOLUTION #1: Stop panicking and wait for Steve Nash to come back.
Why it makes sense: The hiring of Mike D’Antoni wouldn’t have sounded as good if Steve Nash was not on this roster. It’s a perfect ying-yang of sorts: Mike D’Antoni’s up-tempo offensive perfectly correlates with Steve Nash’s style of play, while Steve Nash’s incredulous basketball IQ and shooting touch fits perfectly with D’Antoni’s system. What’s going on with the Lakers right now is the equivalent of the what happened to the Indianapolis Colts when they lost Peyton Manning to a neck injury: all hell broke loose, nobody knew what the hell to do because the quarterback that ran the show wasn’t able to provide his services, and things weren’t working as well as they should have. Things aren’t as bad for the Lakers, but you get the picture.
Why it doesn’t make sense: Putting that much on the shoulders of a 38 year-old starting PG? Yes, Nash has recently run an entire offense on his own, but to put all your hopes of a championship run on the shoulders (an in this case, the legs) of a 38 year-old player in the NBA is BEYOND risky.
SOLUTION #2: Trade Pau Gasol for a PF that’s a better fit in Mike D’Antoni’s system
via Complex Sports
Why it makes sense: Pau Gasol has made a living for himself by living in the post. Not only does Mike D’Antoni’s system significantly downplays post-up plays, but soon after his hire, he openly objected to the “post-up” even being an efficient play in basketball. Also, even if D’Antoni decides to go against his own ideals, how many post-up’s would, not only Pau get, but Dwight Howard get? And who’s the main beneficiary on pick-and-rolls? Pau or Dwight? It’s always a luxury to have two dominant, well-known, elite big men, but when you have Dwight Howard, arguably the best pick-and-roll big man in the game, why would you not put him in a pick-and-roll situation as much as you can? Pau Gasol isn’t the strongest big man, but he’s often underrated in terms of strength and can do damage on the low-block. He’d also thrive in the high post, due to a combination of his ability to sink a 15-18foot jumper and his high basketball IQ. This would’ve fit perfectly in a read-and-react type of offense, such as the Princeton offense… unfortunately, that system left with Mike Brown. Gasol also seems to be struggling to find his place in D’Antoni’s offense, taking shot attempts in the single-digits for the past two games.
Possible trade options? Pau Gasol for Josh Smith and Kyle Korver works out within the limits of both of the Lakers and Hawks salary caps, but it’d be surprising to see the Hawks let go of Smith for an aging Pau, who also recently opened up to having tendinitis in both his knees. A trade involving New Orlean’s forward Ryan Andersen wouldn’t seem too out of the ordinary. (Remember that the Hornets tried getting Gasol before). Still, the Hornets would have to put together a good crop of young talent around Andersen for the talent-level to match in that type of trade.
Why it doesn’t make sense: Here comes that’s same thing the Lakers and their fans have been preaching all year: patience. All in all, Gasol’s stat line isn’t looking too bad: 13.4 PPG and 9.1 RPG. Sure, he’s not Pau, but damn, it’s been 14 games! Give it some time, wait for Nash to come back, and then see how it all meshes.
SOLUTION #3: Sell the team to Kevin Ko for 100,000,000,000 monthly payments of $1.00
Why it makes sense: I’d bring Phil Jackson back to be the head coach, reduce the costs of Lakers tickets by 15%, give away more free crap at Lakers games, force Wing-Stop to put back the fries in their “Five Free Wings” deal (a 32 oz. drink…?!?), and I’d totally fulfill my fantasy of owning the Lakers.
I mean, come on… This IS my blog.
Why it doesn’t make sense: Unless Jerry Buss, Jim Buss, Jeanie Buss, and any other “Buss” I might not know about, gets a crazy disorder that forces them to accept that over-exaggerated infomercial deal I proposed… There’s probably a 0.0000000000000000000000000001% this will actually happen.
And trust me, I’m clinging onto that 0.0000000000000000000000000001% for dear life.
SOLUTION #4: Bring Pau Gasol off the bench to be the main focus of the 2nd unit
Why it makes sense: If Pau isn’t getting the proper touches he needs, why not put him in a position to not only get a huge amount of touches, but put him in a position where he has an opportunity to be the main focus of a 2nd unit that’s struggling harder than Twinkies? Gasol would get touches, he’d get all the looks he wanted, and the 2nd unit would be stronger than ever. Everyone wins, right?
Why it doesn’t make sense: Wrong. You know who loses here? PAU. GASOL. No matter what a player says, it’s never going to be easy for a guy who’s been an international superstar to accept the role on the bench. Have you thought about how pissed off Alex Smith was when he was benched for a rookie that played quarterback at Nevada? Now imagine that, but twenty times worse and you still might not have the level of disappointment Gasol would feel. If there’s ever a model professional in sports, it’s Pau Gasol. Still, you have to assume that morale would suffer, causing his play to go downhill. You can’t really expect team chemistry to be all that hot either.
THE MOST REASONABLE SOLUTION (besides #3 of course):
Solution #1.
Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images
Look, the Lakers knew what they were getting when they signed a 38 year-old PG to a two-year contract and the injury risks that come with it. As much good as Mitch Kupchak has done (trading for Pau Gasol, trading for Chris Paul [until he was robbed/scammed/cheated/whored by David Stern, in what will undoubtedly be a future 30-for-30 film], flipping a deteriorating Andrew Bynum for Dwight Howard), how Steve Nash plays out might truly define whether he’s allowed to join the “Lakers Front Office Table” with Jerry West. I know. It’s scary to realize that the hopes and dreams of one of the most influential, biggest franchises in the history of sports depends on the consistent health of a 38 year-old point guard. But when Mitch Kupchak made the deal, he knew what he was signing up for. It’s sad that this might be the case, because Kupchak has done so well in his tenure as the Lakers GM, but it might very well be the case. My guess is that Kupchak will always be known as an extraordinary executive, whether this Nash ordeal works out or not, but if Steve Nash can come back and stay consistently healthy, Kupchak elevates himself to a whole new level.
The Lakers next game is at the Staples Center against the Indiana Pacers. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 PT.
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