“We are not just one player,” second-year forward Kyle Kuzma declared in the aftermath of the Lakers’ victory over the weekend. It was a significant development, to be sure, and not simply because they prevailed against the very Kings who tormented them just three days earlier with an emphatic comeback. Consider: It marked the first time in three tries that they won without top dog LeBron James in the lineup, as good an indication as any of their growth. It’s especially noteworthy in light of the fact that his teams hadn’t triumphed in the last 16 matches he missed.
Considering that James figures to still be out for the foreseeable future due to a groin strain, the Lakers need to keep pushing. It certainly helps that they’re confident, as much a function of their youth as of their immediate past experience. So integral is he to their system that his sidelining cannot but be disruptive. On the other hand, it’s likewise a grand opportunity for the otherwise-overlooked supporting cast to take a central role. And against the Kings, it managed to do so. Brandon Ingram, second overall pick in 2016, proved particularly productive in the crunch, spearheading the offense with heady decision making.
That said, the Lakers are clearly a work in progress. Ingram’s starring role against the Kings, for instance, came at the expense of Lonzo Ball, second overall pick in 2017; the latter was compelled to ride the pine as he took over ballhandling chores. Admittedly, head coach Luke Walton’s constant shuffling from game to game is reflective of the uneven roster of the purple and gold; key figures perform overlapping roles even as other facets deemed crucial to success in the age of advanced metrics are left wanting.
Which, in a nutshell, is why the Lakers will ultimately go only so far as James can take them. That’s they’re solidly in the playoff picture as opposed to scrambling in lottery territory is due in large measure to his efforts. They’re bucking preseason prognoses because of him, and they’ll harbor prime postseason placement also because of him. Any injury he suffers is disappointing at best and devastating at worst. They may indeed be more than just one player, but that one player is who’s driving them most.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994.
