The 2018–19 Lakers Season Review
This is what we could have called the start of the Lebron James Era and a season that should have been dominated by the Los Angeles Lakers — but for this season the Lakers will not contend for the ring. They will miss the Playoffs and it will be the first time LeBron missed the postseason since his second season (2004–2005). Here’s why:
The Laker faithfuls had so many expectations for their ball-club, yet they didn’t live up to the hype. Dethroning the Golden State Warriors and being in the playoffs was exactly what the Lakers signed up for this season. King James is not to blame for this so let’s re-evaluate their season and dissect why they are missing the Playoffs for a sixth consecutive season.
First: the amount of injuries the Lakers suffered this season are unfortunate to consider. It impacted starting lineups, team chemistry, and game time. Due to injuries, Luke Walton used 23 different starting lineups. It’s hard to build momentum and motivation if you don’t have your whole team and have to deal with lineups getting switched. Teams need chemistry on the court. LeBron only played 53 games so far. This injury has sidelined James for the most time in his career.
Here is a list of the King’s injury history:
2003–04: three games with a sprained right ankle
2005–06: three games with a sprained left ankle
2007–08: five games with a sprained left finger
2009–10: two games with ankle sprains and sat out four games at the end of the season to allow his right elbow to heal
2012–13: five games with a strained right hamstring
2013–14: a game with a back spasm, a game with a strained right groin and a game with a broken nose
2014–15: a game with a sprained wrist and a game with a knee soreness in addition to the eight games with back problems
Lebron, being the star player, missed a lot of game time and it impacted the team overall. This total adds up to LeBron playing in 94% of his possible games throughout his career and has never missed a playoff game.
Lonzo Ball’s game time was also cut short due to an ankle injury with him only playing 47 games.
Brandon Ingram was also shut down for the season because of a blood clot in his arm. Ingram also missed time via suspension due to an on-court altercation with the Houston Rockets, limiting him to play only 52 games the entire season.
Rajon Rondo struggled with injuries as well and also missed time because of the Rockets’ altercation.
The Lakers’ projected starting lineup of James, Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma, Brandon Ingram and Javale McGee only amounted to 18 games (15–3) of actually being played together. This lineup only shared the court for 233 minutes. This is not a lot of time. In comparison, the Milwaukee Bucks who have the best record in the league have five starters who shared the court almost 598 minutes together.
Second: The Lakers’ lack of 3-point shooting. As a team, they shot .329% which is ranked 29th in the league. Let’s put that into perspective, a LeBron-led team hasn’t ranked under the top 12th in the league for 3-point percentage since 2007–08 Cavaliers. The Lakers are also 22nd in 3-pointers made, 10.1 makes per game. In today’s NBA, teams have to be able to hit the long ball to win.
Third: Trade rumors and rumors in general impact team collaboration. The rumors involving the trade of Anthony Davis have been well documented as well as Luke Walton getting fired. Young players are impressionable so hearing their name in constant trade rumors can disturb the chemistry of a team. This conflicts with their security and only adds to the insecurity of not knowing what team they’ll be moved to, what teammates may be removed, and even what coach they’ll have. Regarding Luke Walton, it must have been a challenge coaching a team with injuries, limited game time, and the possibility of losing his position.
The Lakers have had a rollercoaster of a season, but let’s hope the light comes back to Tinseltown in the season to come. Magic Johnson will have to shake things up this offseason to get his team back on track…but let’s expect some big moves by Los Angeles this summer.
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