The Lakers will begin the second half of their 2018-19 campaign outside the playoff bubble, not quite a departure from preseason projections. Yet, not a few quarters have seen fit to view them as a disappointment, and not simply because they have LeBron James — he with the personal streak of eight straight Finals appearances — on their side. Even as taking an early vacation has been the norm for them since 2013, not a few quarters still believe they should be better (okay, much better) than their sub-.500 record suggests.
To be fair, the Lakers were, indeed, humming for a significant period of time before the injury bug and the prospect of a major trade shook them into a stupor. After a poor start that had them losing five of their first seven games of the season, they got into a groove and went on an 18-9 spurt that culminated in a Christmas Day victory over the vaunted Warriors. By then, they had moved to fourth in the deep, deep West and in line to move further up the ladder. Instead, they have gone 8-15 since, greeting the All-Star break at 10th and seemingly ready to limp to a lottery finish.
Considering how influential James’ leadership had been during their run of success, it’s fair to contend that his absence due to a groin strain — not coincidentally his longest ever since he was chosen first overall in the 2003 draft — hurt their competitiveness. That said, what had them hang their heads more was the shadow of a trade deal that top management wanted at the expense of rotation regulars. To be sure, there can be no questioning why their front office went all out for All-Star Anthony Davis. In the aftermath of a one-sided conversation with the Pelicans that made the purple and gold look desperate, however, there can likewise be no questioning the effects of the non-starter.
Moving forward, the challenge for James is clear: He needs to rally the Lakers behind him and gain momentum for a meaningful playoff berth. And it’s not just because he’s partly responsible for the mess they’re in by pining for Davis in public. More importantly, it’s because his legacy is at stake. When he’s engaged, no one is better than him at maximizing assets on the court. Thusly, he needs to be at his best from here on end. He can no longer pace himself for what’s to come, if for no other reason than because there may be nothing to come.
Advanced metrics peg the Lakers’ schedule to be the ninth-hardest in the league, so their work is, no doubt, cut out for them. In this light, their advancement may yet be one of the highlights of James’ illustrious career. He says he’s ready for the challenge. It’s now time for him to prove it.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994.
