Competitive sports, success, success, defeat, bandits, this is an eternal truth. In the new season, the Los Angeles Lakers aims to compete for the championship is shocking. For most of the season, a series of problems such as Old James 's age and physical fitness, Thick-Brow 's glass attributes, Westbrook 's technical shortcomings, Vogel 's employment, and Pelinka's recruitment reinforcement have limited the team's imagination. In the words of Thick Brows, the most frustrating part of the Lakers this season is that no one knows how great this team can be. This is a truth and an empty word, because competitive sports are not about talking about war on paper, but about taking action. Every step cannot tolerate any sloppy or flaws.
Let’s not talk about the false, just start with the two hard indicators of record and ranking. So far, the Lakers have only achieved a record of 31 wins and 47 losses, with a winning rate of only 39.7%, ranking 11th in the West, and two wins behind the 10th Spurs (33 wins and 45 losses). With four games left in the regular season, the Lakers must win three more games than the Spurs to get a playoff spot when they don't have an advantage in the record against the Western Conference. Lakers is unfortunate. According to statistics from the US media data website, the probability of the Lakers entering the playoffs is 6.1%; the Lakers are lucky. If they were in the East, their record would only be ranked 13th, even the Knicks Wizards were inferior to that of them. They even lost their 6.1% fantasy. They should have booked air tickets and prepared for vacation.
Can the Lakers seize this 6.1% probability? Let’s look at the trend first. If the All-Star Weekend is the boundary, the Lakers' record before the All-Star Game is 27 wins and 31 losses, ranking 8th in the West; after the All-Star Game, the Lakers' record is 4 wins and 16 losses, just like an A Dou who can't help. In short, the Lakers were defeated in the period when they should have sprinted with all their might, and any team will perform at a super high level when they encounter them. Look at the future again. The remaining four opponents of the Lakers are Suns , Warriors, Thunder and Nuggets . Without a single cord, are the Lakers sure to win 3 more games than the Spurs? To put it bluntly, the loess is almost buried in their necks, and the Lakers can only pray for a little decent death. I still say the same thing: If a team with a winning rate of less than 40% is still thinking about getting playoff tickets through the playoffs, it only means that the playoff settings are not rigorous enough! When the Lakers have come to this point, they are suitable for everyone to blame, and they are not suitable for everyone to blame.
The leader of the army, breaking cognition. If James takes the blame, of course it is appropriate. This is the responsibility that the team leader must bear. Specifically for Lao Zhan himself, he also has many things worth complaining about. For example, he discussed joining forces with Westbrook despite public opinion, and the Lakers missed Hilde and DeRozan ; for example, James only attacked but not defended, and did not play an exemplary role; for example, James played and stopped and could not get rid of the suspicion of choosing opponents. But from another perspective, James is about to turn 38. His performance this season is at a historical level, refreshing people's perception of veterans, and his investment in the game is overdrawing the length of his career. So far this season, James has played 56 games, averaging 30.3 points per game (No. 1 in the league) + 8.2 rebounds + 6.2 assists + 1.3 steals + 1.1 blocks + 2.9 three-pointers, with a shooting percentage of 52.4%, and a three-point shooting percentage of 35.9%. NBA has never been able to perform similarly at this age in history, and you really can't ask him to do too much.
2 leader thick eyebrows, master key glass man. Healthy Thick Brows are the master key, and the injured Thick Brows are the glass man. This is the best summary of the Thick Brows’ Lakers’ career in the first two seasons. This season, Thick Brow was once again ruined by injury. So far this season, Davis has played only 39 games, averaging 23.2 points + 9.8 rebounds + 3.1 assists + 1.2 steals + 2.3 blocks per game. That's right, you can complain that thick eyebrows are too fragile and unreliable. But from another perspective, does Thick Eyebrow want to be injured? How did thick eyebrows get hurt? Injury is not the result that Thani Ming wants, and injury is not something Thani Ming can control. Especially on the eve of Thunder Eyebrow's second injury, he fought with heroes in the No. 5 position. NBA famous artist Yang Yi admitted in a live broadcast: Even if Thunder Eyebrow's hit like this, he will still be injured! As a result, thick eyebrows lay down within two days.This time, Thick Brows returned with an injury, he did not hesitate to bet on his health and his remaining career. What else can you ask him for?
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The third leader Westbrook has worked hard without credit. Westbrook is the giant who takes the blame the most. From mistakes to shooting, from board grabbing to skilled fouls, everything Westbrook does can attract doubts. So far this season, Westbrook has played 77 games, averaging 18.4 points + 7.5 rebounds + 7.1 assists + 1 steal + 3.8 turnovers, with a shooting percentage of 44.4%, a three-point shooting percentage of 29.4%, and a free throw shooting percentage of 66.5%. Compared with his former MVP and being crowned the triple-double king, Westbrook undoubtedly had a sense of falling from the altar this season. But from another perspective, Westbrook has worked hard without credit. He is the one with the most attendances in the team, he is the one with the most sacrifices, working hard and accepting any role. As for his own shortcomings, it is a deeply rooted chronic disease for many years. The Lakers should be mentally prepared when introducing Westbrook. You can't let Westbrook reorganize his genes in a short period of time, right?
coach Vogel, a clever woman cannot cook without rice. Vogel is also particularly suitable for taking the blame. His use of Westbrook Howard and others is a complaint. So far this season, the Lakers' offensive efficiency is 109.7, ranking 23rd in the league; the defensive efficiency is 112.8, ranking 8th from the bottom in the league. In short, the Lakers' offense that they tried to improve ended in failure, but lost the defense that they depended on. According to statistics, in the 2019-20 championship season, the Lakers' defensive efficiency was 106.3, ranking third in the league; the opponents averaged 107.6 points, fourth-small in the league. In the 20-21 season, the Lakers' defensive efficiency was 107.1, ranking first in the league; the opponent averaged 106.8 points, with 2 fewer in the league. This season, the Lakers' defensive efficiency was only 113.2, setting a record for the worst in team history; the opponent's average score was 114.8, the fifth worst in team history. But from another perspective, Vogel is a defensive coach, while the Lakers are all old, weak, sick and disabled, Anthony , Ariza , Monk, James, Bazmore , how do these people build defense? Vogel can't bring his assistant to the team in person, right?
James , Davis, Westbrook, Vogel, including the general manager and the Lakers' role players, they are all a community of shared future for the Lakers country, prospering and losing. Lakers legend Magician said bluntly when talking about the Lakers' performance this season and looking forward to the future of the Lakers: The Lakers have suffered serious injuries this season, and they did not play with the mentality of winning, which is very disappointing. However, the Lakers should leave James, Westbrook, and must not post the first round pick and send Westbrook away. James is one year older next season, Westbrook will have to bear more as he does in the near future, and Dark Brows should pay attention to health. The Lakers only need to change role players. The Magician is right. It is not easy for the Lakers to build the Big Three, and it is even more difficult to break up the Big Three.
James' age is irreversible. He has made it clear that he will be in the same team as his son in the last year; the glass attributes of Thick Eyebrow are also uncontrollable, and Westbrook is likely to execute a large contract worth US$47 million next season. If the Lakers insist on taking the first round of picks to send Westbrook away, the Lakers may not be able to win in the present, but they are destined to overdraw the future; if they change their thinking, the Lakers can completely keep Westbrook and fight again. Anyway, there are three giants who don’t have to worry about not being able to sell tickets. After Westbrook’s contract expires, the Lakers can clear out their salary space, and they can embark on the road of reconstruction faster. In short, this is the path the Lakers have chosen themselves, and they have to walk it even if they kneel down! If the Lakers ultimately miss the playoffs this season, if they insist on taking the blame, the coach Vogel, whose contract is about to expire, is the best solution! Fans, what do you think about this? Let me leave me a comment and discuss it.
