Editor’s note: This is the Wednesday, January 13th edition of the Purple & Bold Lakers newsletter from reporter Kyle Goon. To receive the newsletter in your inbox, register here.
A 117 to 100 beating from the Lakers was the last straw in a strained relationship for Houston and James Harden, who said on Tuesday night, “I don’t think it can be fixed.” So the Rockets finally made the blockbuster exchange that Harden was supposed to be asking for, sending him to the Brooklyn Nets in a four-team exchange for a package that includes a ton of draft capital and former Indiana Pacers guard Victor Oladipo as the central star in Return.
The part that Lakers fans need to know: the Nets now have Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden. And the question in everyone’s mind: is it good enough?
The Lakers (9-3 at the time of writing) appear to be dominating the field so far. They are unbeaten on the road on Wednesday morning, and the urgency with which they played can best be characterized as “half speed”. LeBron James was probably being kind to himself when, after 10 games, he said the Lakers were playing “B, B-plus” basketball.
And yet they are dominating: they are tied first in the defensive classification (104.7 points per 100 possessions), sixth in the offensive classification (113.5) and second in the net classification (plus-8.8) just for the Milwaukee Bucks. Several of their weaknesses last season are now strengths: they are shooting at 38.6 percent of the 3-point range and have the sixth bank with the highest score (40.1 ppg). They have the best NBA record, and this is happening with James playing a career loss in minutes and Anthony Davis losing two of those wins.
So, what exactly drives drinking in the NBA when the Lakers are so dominant?
Bucks have to prove they can win their own conference. The same goes for the Philadelphia 76ers, whose kicks still exist, even with Joel Embiid playing early in the season. The Clippers may have gained ground after an epic collapse in the postseason, but they will have to wait until the playoffs to prove it – and their transformation was not as dramatic as that of the Lakers.
Sitting 6-6 with Irving not sure of returning anytime soon, the Nets seemed to feel an urge to shake things up and take advantage of the biggest opportunity available: switch to Harden, who is still an elite scorer, who can play with the former teammate Durant and former coach Mike D’Antoni, and Brooklyn can be expected to gain the status of leading candidate for the Eastern Conference.
How it works? Finding enough ball time for three players whose use was over 28% last season, everyone was healthy. This presupposes that Irving, the fickle point guard who has lost all games since last Wednesday, returns to the court and gets invested – which can be a big assumption. But, for a hypothetical cause, let’s say he is back in the group at the end of the month.
Durant (29.9 ppg), Irving (27.1 ppg) and Harden (24.8 ppg) are all the best scorers and very capable 3-point shooters. Assuming that Harden is reinvigorated by the exchange and returns to play, he can be much more dangerous than he has demonstrated in the last two games. Kicking and the ability to score anywhere on the ground can make the Nets the best offensive team in the NBA, and all its stars can pass.
Does it correspond to the Lakers? Defensively, the Nets probably got worse by changing the rim guard Jarrett Allen and some of his younger players on the wing. Durant is good defensively, but fails to defend Anthony Davis and James – and is he, being the team’s top scorer so far? DeAndre Jordan is more likely to defend Davis in a playoff scenario – and politely, he is no longer at his peak.
Chemistry will be an issue, as the three stars showed a temperamental side that led to the dismantling of very good candidates: Irving in Cleveland; Durant at Golden State; Harden in various incarnations of Rocket teams. The Lakers, on the other hand, seem to be very excited about their chemistry, with almost everyone under contract and guys like Montrezl Harrell and Dennis Schröder fitting in well.
It is difficult to know how a new team comes together and fits together, but fortunately, we may not have to wait long: Brooklyn comes to visit the Staples Center on February 18, in a match that is sure to attract attention. The Lakers have apparently mastered how to defend Harden, but as one of three external threats, it will be a much more difficult task. And as difficult as James and Davis are to protect, no one has ever succeeded with Durant, a 2.13 meter cheat code.
The Lakers have the advantage (for now) of continuity, chemistry and the ability to compete on both sides of the ball. But the sheer ambition of the NBA’s latest twist says this: The Nets also want their chance at the crown and knew the status quo would not work.
Not with the Lakers at the head of the field as they are.
– Kyle Goon
Editor’s note: Thanks for reading the Purple & Bold Lakers newsletter by reporter Kyle Goon. To receive the newsletter in your inbox, register here.