When the Lakers host the Pistons today, they won鈥檛 simply be going for a fifth straight victory. They鈥檒l likewise be angling to keep intact a perfect run against opponents with losing records. Since the season began, they鈥檝e faced 18 such rivals, and they鈥檝e emerged triumphant every single time. Not that they鈥檝e done so with ease; against the Suns and the Pelicans last week, for instance, they needed to keep perennial All-Stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis on the court deep into the fourth quarter to preserve an outcome they appeared to be well in position to secure as early as in the first.
Not that the Lakers are complaining. A win is a win, and they鈥檙e certainly having fun en route to staying on top of the loaded Western Conference. Their outings are replete with spectacle on both ends of the court. That they have the talent to provide highlight reels isn鈥檛 in question. What remains a mystery two-fifths into their 2019鈥20 campaign is their capacity to compete at their level best from opening tip to final buzzer. So far, they lack the consistency to make even their most optimistic fans supremely confident of their chances to claim the Larry O鈥橞rien Trophy.
Creditably, the Lakers are taking care of business and winning the games they should. It鈥檚 a virtue that cannot be undervalued as they seek to be greater than the sum of their parts. They鈥檙e far from complete, though; if their seemingly comfortable leads are eroded, it鈥檚 because they have a shaky bench. Ball movement stagnates whenever James sits, while coverage becomes spotty during Davis鈥 time on the bench. Which is why load management — purple and gold style — hasn鈥檛 succeeded at all. The notion that the two can spearhead the early erection of significant advantages and then rely on the rest to protect it late has been exactly that: a notion and nothing more.
So, yes, the Lakers are playing with fire. The good news is that James and Davis have proven too potent a pairing, allowing them to emerge unscathed time and again. The bad news is that they鈥檝e become crutches. They can鈥檛 win the championship by themselves, and the earlier everybody else understands it and acts accordingly, the better.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing the Courtside since 大象传媒 introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and Human Resources management, corporate communications, and business development.
