The joy that the Lakers experienced in the aftermath of their triumph over the Rockets the other day was quickly replaced by the disappointment of defeat against the Grizzlies yesterday. It didn鈥檛 matter that they trekked to the FedExForum on the second night of a back-to-back set, or that they remained incomplete in the face of injuries and virus protocols. As far as they were concerned, they managed to drop yet another winnable match, with their sixth defeat in seven outings underscoring the unevenness of their roster.
That the Lakers鈥 travails have coincided with top dog LeBron James鈥 most productive stretch of hoops in a long, long while serves only to highlight their confounding situation. There was once a time when an outstanding performance from the four-time Most Valuable Player awardee automatically translated to a win. Not anymore; if anything, his singular exploits all the more indicate his relative lack of support. For all the pluses his advanced metrics show, his inability to convert these to positive vibes speaks volumes about his dwindling influence over match outcomes.
It鈥檚 not James鈥 fault, to be sure. And if there鈥檚 any silver lining to the Lakers鈥 swoon, it鈥檚 that he seems to have found a place in the lineup where he can be extremely effective in the short and medium terms. Certainly, playing at the five spot in this day and age of pace and space puts the spotlight on his strengths even as Father Time slowly catches up to him. Heck, it even figures to lengthen his career; with the likes of Joel Embiid and Nikola Joki膰 now clearly the exception than the rule, he can hold his own against opposing centers on defense while running rings around them at the other end of the court.
That said, the Lakers 鈥 and James himself 鈥 have never been about small victories and simple pleasures. Given their pedigree, it鈥檚 invariably the Larry O鈥橞rien Trophy or bust for them. And with the 17-time All-Star, in his own words, 鈥渙n the other side of the hill,鈥 he knows his chances of adding to his tally of titles are fading fast. So, yes, he鈥檒l keep plodding on. And, yes, he鈥檒l put mind and muscle to work to try and find a solution. He鈥檚 not the greatest problem solver in modern hoops for nothing, and the last thing he will be doing is giving up.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing 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.
