Is it too early in the NBA season for a team to face a pivotal stretch of the game? Not if this franchise is Los Angeles Lakers.
The Californians lost 10 of their first 12 meetings off course, but quickly bounced back to win 6 of their next 8 games. However, it’s not clear if those wins should really inspire much hope, as the Lakers have beaten the Spurs three times and won three more against teams without a leader.
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The real test for this team came with the calendar change from November to December. Those led by Darwin Hamm, who are currently out of the area Playoffs and Play-Insthey have a moment ahead of them that will define the rest of their season.
With something that will affect everyone from the players to the decision makers in the front office, the Lakers are under pressure to find a way to the top of the NBA.
The Lakers schedule in December
The Lakers have a tough month ahead. They began their run in December with a six-game road trip, including one back to back against Cavaliers and the Raptors.
12 of the next 16 games for the Californians will be against the above opponents 50% wins. The Lakers are 4-12 against these types of opponents and 4-0 against the opposite.
Matches with possible lottery opponents such as e.g Pistons (Dec. 11), Hornets (Dec. 23) and Magic (Dec. 27) they will be important because it may be difficult for them to find other wins.
| Date | Opponent | Balance |
|---|---|---|
| December 4th | to the Magi | 11-11 |
| December 6 | in cavaliers | 14-8 |
| December 7 | in predators | 11-10 |
| December 9 | in the 76s | 12-10 |
| December 11 | to the Pistons | 5-18 |
| December 13 | vs. Celtics | 18-4 |
| December 16 | vs. Nuggets | 14-7 |
| December 18 | vs. Wizards | 11-11 |
| December 19 | in suns | 15-6 |
| December 21 | to kings | 11-9 |
| December 23 | vs. wasps | 5-17 |
| December 25 | in commandos | 10-10 |
| December 27 | in magic | 5-17 |
| December 28 | in heat | 10-12 |
| December 30 | to hawks | 12-10 |
LeBron James and Anthony Davis must make an impact and stay healthy
James and Davis have found their names on the Lakers injury reports more often than they would have liked, missing a combined 8 games so far. If one of the team’s stars goes down, this stretch could be a disaster.
However, there is some reason for optimism. After a decent but unspectacular start, AD has been phenomenal on both ends of the floor, managing the Lakers while James recovers from a groin injury.
Davis has avg 29.3 points, 14.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 2.5 blocks and 1.4 steals in his last 10 games. He has largely left his shooting behind and dominated the paint, destroying opponents.
Brodie to The Brow 💥
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Anthony Davis wipes the glass with a one-and-one turnover on NBA League Pass 💪
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LeBron has looked more like himself since his absence, scoring an efficient 39 and 31 points in recent wins over the Spurs and Trail Blazers, respectively. Lakers coach Darwin Hamm is moving away from unreliable role players, so the team needs its stars to be consistently good.
The big question: Will they be able to maintain this level of play?
The Lakers have little margin for error. In a close loss to the Pacers, Davis disappeared late in the fourth quarter, touching the ball 4 times and failing to make a single shot attempt in the final three minutes, according to ESPN Stats. That was all it took for one double digit lead to disappear.
“We know how good we are, but we have to produce on the pitch” AD said after defeating Portland. “We stay together, stay focused and try to go game by game.”
Lakers management needs to do something
In October, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Lakers would wait until after Thanksgiving to make any major moves. The situation has already changed.
According to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin:
The Lakers hope more teams are willing to engage them in trade talks after Dec. 15, when contracts signed over the summer will be eligible for negotiation, sources said. But even with better odds, trading slows down over Christmas, so the chances of any move before mid-January are remote.
The Lakers released Matt Ryan last Thursday, opening up a roster spot and allowing Rob Pelinka more flexibility. But will it really do anything?
The Lakers can’t pretend they’re committed to a new championship mission with this draft, and they can’t wait for a top pick in the 2023 NBA draft because the Pelicans have the option to trade him. Californians are currently trapped in a tough situation.
Pelinka preaches patience and gives Ham room to work in his first season in charge, but waiting until mid-January or later to seriously consider a trade could mean missing out on a chance to make this campaign count. And it’s clear that Lakers players, including James, aren’t interested in missing another year.
The views expressed here do not necessarily represent those of the NBA or its organizations.
