The Lakers will have to decide how much they want to risk Walter Tavares
At the beginning of last season, the Los Angeles Lakers' front office laid out a plan. It would be another disaster of a campaign, but this year they would make the leap to fighting for a playoff spot. Most pooh-poohed that idea after this offseason was complete, with only the Orlando Sentinel arguing that the Purple and Gold had the pieces to return to the postseason. And yet, while it's still early yet, and red flags abound, three games into the season, the Lakers are 2-1, and tied with the powerhouse Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns atop the Pacific. Naturally, not even the most myopic Lakers fan seriously expects them to still be in that position at the end of the season, but it's a marker of how far the team has come already.
The opener at Dallas, despite being a disappointing 7 point loss in a hard-fought game, demonstrated that this was a vastly improved squad. It was a night where the team just couldn't find the bucket, and yet, despite shooting just 40.5% as a team, they were still in the game until the closing minutes of the fourth quarter, when the Lakers simply didn't manage to break through. "Don't worry about it. It's just one game. We've got 81 more to go," Isiah Thomas reminded his troops afterwards.
No one was more furious at the defeat than DeMar "DeRoco" DeRozan. He took personal responsibility for the loss, despite scoring 21 points and forcing Lance Stephenson to foul out after 18 minutes. That drew him Justin Anderson, who even as a rookie is an exceptional defender, and showed no fear of the man who's become one of the CSL's marquee names. "I give Justin total credit for what he was able to do," DeRozan said. "The Mavericks are like us - a team that a lot of people are really disrespecting. But I still feel like we had a real shot to win this game, and I'm mad as hell we lost."
Fast forward to the Lakers' sold out home opener against the Memphis Grizzlies, who had the fearsome backcourt of Mike Conley, Jr. and Goran Dragic waiting. The team was confident they matched up well against the Grizzlies, believing Memphis' frontcourt was ripe for destruction. The game began with the Grizzlies jumping out to an early lead, fueled by a fierce fast break. But then the Lakers leapt forth, and by the end of the first period, it was a 9 point Purple and Gold advantage, which they would never surrender en route to a victory far more dominant than it first appeared.
Memphis forced Walter Tavares out early with fouls, but DeMar DeRozan in turn steamrolled Courtney Lee and Glenn Robinson III en route to 40 points and a block, hitting 16 of his 23 from the floor and 8 of 10 from the charity stripe. Taj Gibson just missed the double-double with 20 points and 9 rebounds, and Robin Lopez was capable in replacing Tavares, putting up a 16 point, 10 rebound, 1 block double-double. But the performance that got everyone talking was O.J. Mayo's 18 points, 9 assists, 7 rebounds and a steal, hitting 50% of his shots and 4 of 7 treys in a matchup against a player who makes over six times as much as he does.
Rajon Rondo found his calm last year in rehab
Next up, a marquee storyline. The return of Rajon Rondo to play the Lakers, a year after a drug overdose led his contract to being voided and a year-long suspension handed down from the CSL. He went to a rehab center for the stars, and made excellent use of his time, learning how to overcome his addiction. This summer, he returned to the Thunder on a lucrative deal, feeling focused and poised, and he was hungry to prove the Lakers wrong in fighting to have his contract canceled. But Rondo was not at all the problem for the Lakers. He's been off to a slow start, looking as rusty as one might expect from someone with a year off the world's premiere basketball league, and his 5.3 turnovers after this game leads the league. Besides which, the Purple and Gold had every faith that loved rookie T.J. McConnell would shut Rondo down.
No, what worried the Lakers was Nick Johnson going up against O.J. Mayo, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist on DeMar DeRozan, and the overall defensive talents of the Thunder. The coaching staff suspected an ugly game was in the offing, and in those kinds of contests, it can be anyone's game.
As it turned out, no worries needed. The Lakers exploded early, and dominated the game, blowing the Thunder off the court 110-89, with Oklahoma City never once getting the lead. It was the Purple and Gold who played exceptional defense, causing OKC to shoot just 38.5% from the floor. Walter Tavares had his way with Nikola Vucevic, hammering him and the rest of the Thunder post for 33 points, 11 rebounds, a block, and 3 steals. DeMar DeRozan crushed the second straight opponent sent to stop him, mauling MKG for 23 points, 10 rebounds, and a steal in hitting 7 of 13 from the floor. Despite a horrible shooting night (4 of 13), Taj Gibson again just missed a double-double, posting 14 points, 9 rebounds, 5 blocks, and a steal. And this time, it was Aaron White who led the charge from the bench, the rookie scoring 11 points with 5 rebounds in just 15 minutes, thanks to his uncanny ability to get to the line. As for Rondo - 2 of 10 for just 8 points, 10 assists, 4 turnovers, and a steal. Operation Shutdown achieved by T.J. McConnell.
But the victory was a costly one. Walter Tavares is dealing with a sprained toe for the next 7 games, including the upcoming 4 game road trip. All signs point to a quick erasure of the winning start, and a plummet back down to the bottom of the Pacific. Team sources say they'll take Tavares on a day to day basis, and opinions are currently split on whether to start him or Robin Lopez during the injury period. The Cape Verdean is insisting that he'll suit up, but the medical staff fears an injury aggravation.
"This is exactly why I didn't take Denver's prop bet," Lakers GM Jestor said after the game. "Big guys, I mean really big guys, like Walter are more injury-prone, and a serious injury to him would have ruined our season. We probably should have taken it anyway, in hindsight, because the Nuggets continued to make frankly stupid moves, trading away their first with zero protection for Sam Dekker, who is a 4th or 5th starter, and in doing so, greatly strengthened the Phoenix Suns. Like that team needs any more damn help than they have now."
Dekker's first game in powder blue? 8 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals and a block in a blowout home loss to the Timberwolves, putting the Nuggets at 0-3. At least initially, the bottom of the conference finish the Lakers GM predicted is proving accurate. And it's the Suns who will be laughing all the way to the lottery bank.
2028