The Los Angeles Lakers were absent on offense in last night’s 109-80 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, a team struggling to find momentum in the opening 20 games of the season.
The stars did not come out–Anthony Davis had a season-low 12 points to go along with 11 rebounds. LeBron James had just ten points to go along with eight rebounds and five assists.
D’Angelo Russell led the way in scoring with 20 points, a quarter of the team’s total output.
Even when catching Anthony Edwards on an atrocious off night with just eight points, the Los Angeles Lakers couldn’t capitalize with shots on the other end.
The team’s performance is a microcosm of a worry for many Lakers fans: when neither Davis nor James are rolling on offense, it’s hard for the team to find ways to win. Or even compete.
Los Angeles Lakers Have A Fatal Flaw
The “third option” appears to change every night. Russell’s 20-piece would have been a great compliment to the expected performances from Davis and James to put the Lakers over 109 points. But it wasn’t enough.
The team looks very efficient when Davis is scoring around the rim and crashing the boards or when James is facilitating and drawing defenses at a high level. When both are happening, they look unstoppable.
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The cycle has been apparent for a few years, but now that the offensive lead has been passed from James to a more ball-centric Davis, contributions from others are more important.
It was Austin Reaves for about five months, and then he couldn’t take the next step. Which Russell are we getting tonight? Not one really knows. Dalton Knecht has proven to be a nice piece who has contributed right away but is far from a consistent third option for a team with win-now aspirations. Gabe Vincent and Max Christie show up significantly in the box score about once every five games, leading them to more minutes than they might deserve.
Like many trade deadlines, the Lakers will be “in” on a lot of guys. But now a move to push some pieces in for a proper third option isn’t just a strategic move rooted in basketball optics, but a desperately needed step to construct a real roster.