The Los Angeles Lakers pulled off a stunning victory on Thursday night, delivering a blow to the Boston Celtics. Despite missing key players LeBron James and Anthony Davis due to injuries, the Lakers managed to defeat a fully equipped Celtics team with a score of 114-105. The Celtics’ lack of focus led to coach Joe Mazzulla benching Jaylen Brown, Jrue Holiday, and Kristaps Porzingis early in the third quarter. This unexpected result could be a mere anomaly before the All-Star break, or it could signify deeper issues for both teams.
Let’s focus on the Lakers first, who currently have a .500 record despite AD missing only four games and James sitting out for six. This season has been a disaster for a team that instilled fear in the Western Conference last year, reaching the conference finals as a play-in team. We had higher expectations for them this year.
Perhaps our expectations were unfounded, considering the underwhelming performance of the teams the Lakers defeated to reach the conference finals last year. Both Golden State and Memphis are currently outside of the play-in positions. However, we anticipated that the cohesion and chemistry built during that playoff run would carry over to this season. Unfortunately, players like Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura have not lived up to their potential, despite Reaves showing improvement in the past few games. Gabe Vincent’s injury has also impacted the team, although he is not the linchpin of their success. Lonnie Walker IV’s absence should not have had such a significant impact, and it remains baffling why D’Angelo Russell takes the third-most field goal attempts on the team.
Cam Reddish and Christian Wood can also be blamed, but they have proven to be unreliable without the presence of all-time great players like LeBron James. The fact that they have not benefited from the “LeBron bump” is telling but not surprising. The only valuable trade asset the Lakers possess is James himself, who has been rumored to be on the trading block according to local sports anchor David Pingalore. However, it is highly unlikely that LeBron will be traded, as his agent Rich Paul has stated, and there may not be many teams interested in a 39-year-old player/coach/GM. While I personally would advocate for exiling D’Angelo Russell to Antarctica to prevent his excessive shot attempts, the Lakers are short on guards, making him indispensable.
The Lakers find themselves in a difficult situation with no apparent solution. The only glimmer of hope lies in Reaves finding his rhythm. Thursday’s victory could potentially spark another second-half surge, similar to last year. However, apart from Gabe Vincent’s anticipated return in early March, it is unclear what changes could prompt such a surge.
Now let’s turn our attention to the Boston Celtics, who currently hold the best record in the NBA. Despite their success, I still have reservations about fully trusting this team. They only suffered their first home loss on January 19 against the Denver Nuggets but have since lost to both of the Lakers’ teams at home. Something seems off with the Celtics.
Many fans attribute these issues to coach Joe Mazzulla, and it is a valid criticism. The Celtics boast the most talented starting five in the league, and when they play as a cohesive unit, they are nearly unbeatable. However, they do not consistently perform at their best when faced with adversity. For a team with scoring options at every position, it is concerning that they rank 20th in assists per game.
When things go awry, players often lose focus and resort to relying on spot-up shooters and ball-watching. Although Jayson Tatum possesses an impressive offensive repertoire, his most difficult moves should be reserved for desperate situations. While I appreciate the contributions of Jrue Holiday and Derrick White, there needs to be a veteran presence on the court who can hold players like Brown, Tatum, and Porzingis accountable when they stagnate. This is reminiscent of the value Rajon Rondo brought to the Paul Pierce-Ray Allen-Kevin Garnett Celtics.
Since the Celtics lack a true facilitator or someone willing to disrupt the harmony within the team, they will need to address these issues collectively. Unfortunately, the Milwaukee Bucks have already taken the initiative to replace their coach with someone who can foster unity. Like the Lakers, the Celtics will have to rely on internal changes, as they do not have much to offer in a trade.
The media may be quick to press the panic button for both the Lakers and Celtics, but panicking will not solve their problems. The root of their issues lies in their respective cities, and it is up to Los Angeles and Boston to rectify them.
