The Dallas Mavericks gave up on Luka Doncic

 

                                             (Credit: LM Otero/AP Photo) 

The biggest move at this year's NBA trade deadline was undoubtedly the three-way deal between the Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas Mavericks, and Utah Jazz that sent Luka Doncic to the Lakers and Anthony Davis to the Mavericks. Given that Doncic is one of the brightest young stars in the NBA, it was a shocker to the basketball world to see the Mavericks willingly trade him to a Western Conference foe. Davis will be turning 32 years old later this season and being as injury prone as he is, it's far from a guarantee that he'll produce to the level that the Mavericks want him to. Actually, on that note, Davis reportedly might need to undergo surgery to address an injury, so there ya go. 

Doncic in contrast is turning 26 years old later this season and is only in his seventh NBA season. He's arguably not even in the prime of his career yet. At least he shouldn't be. Most guys peak at the ages of 28-30. To trade one of the brightest young stars in the league before he's hit his prime can only signal one thing: The Mavericks gave up on Doncic. 

Now the obvious question is why? Why did they give up on him? They were faced with either having to give him a max deal this summer or trade him at the deadline and they chose to move him. Why? 

The word on the street is the Mavericks were worried about Doncic's conditioning and durability. When looking at his career stats, you'll see that in four of his seven seasons, he's played 61-66 regular season games. He's barely cracked 70 games once as a rookie with 71 games played and in a league that plays 82 games per regular season, you need guys who can play at least 75 games per season with a good deal of regularity. Doncic hasn't hit that mark once. And if he's not able to hit that mark, it's hard to have faith in him being able to play deep into May and June during the playoffs. Though I should note, Doncic did play in all 22 playoff games for the Mavericks last season in which they lost to the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals in five games. 

Still, the questions about durability and conditioning appear valid when you look at Doncic's body of work. He's getting a lot of money to play in the NBA and when he's missing 20% of the regular season, that makes him cost a good deal amount more per game played. Of course, the irony of this trade is what I mentioned earlier which is that Anthony Davis is injured all the time. He's at least played in 75+ regular season games three times in his NBA career, but he too is frequently playing around 65 games per season if not fewer. 

Obviously, as I said, the Mavericks really didn't want to pay Doncic a max deal and just didn't have the faith that they could build a consistent title contender around him. That's pretty amazing considering that they were in the NBA Finals last season. For Doncic, this could prove to be a wake up call for him to get in better shape and take his conditioning more seriously. Or it could just plant even more seeds of doubt in his mind. It'll be interesting to see how he responds.

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Saturday Slam: The Los Angeles Lakers probably wish they could tank this season

 

                                             (Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn/USA TODAY Sports) 

The Los Angeles Lakers are 0-5 with road losses to the Warriors, Nuggets, and Timberwolves and home losses to the Clippers and Trail Blazers. LeBron James is averaging 25.8 points, 9.4 rebounds, 7.2 assists, and 1.6 steals per game while Anthony Davis is doing his part with 24.0 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks per game. However, the rest of the team is pretty weak. Lonnie Walker IV is averaging 13.4 points per game on 41.5% shooting from the field, which isn't bad, but Russell Westbrook is really stinking it up, averaging 12.3 points per game on an absolutely horrible 30.9% shooting from the field. It's just bad. Like really bad. 

And then after Westbrook, there just isn't much. Westbrook was supposed to be the third part of a "Big Three" and he's far from fulfilling that role. He's weighing them down like a really big paper weight. 

The easy answer to this problem of course is to trade Westbrook. But he's turning 34 in a few days and he has a contract paying him $47M this season. Nobody, even in today's NBA, will want to take on that contract. He'll also be an unrestricted free agent next season, so teams will be able to pick him up for a lot less money assuming he continues to build a house of bricks in Los Angeles. 

The Lakers are in a bind. Trading Westbrook is a long long put and yet so long as they have him, they're going to continue to struggle. If they had a lottery first round pick available for next season, they could at least entertain the possibility of tanking for this season. Letting Westbrook brick their way into the NBA draft lottery where they could get a high pick and use that piece to build around for the future. 

But given all these win-now moves that they've made, the Lakers don't have that option. If they were to win the NBA draft lottery after the season, the pick would go to the New Orleans Pelicans, who as part of the Anthony Davis trade, have the rights to swap first round picks with the Lakers in 2023. So that option, as attractive as it looks right now, is off the table for them. 

If the Lakers do want to turn this around, they need to do so like now. They have a home stand starting Sunday that begins with the Nuggets followed by the Pelicans, Jazz, and Cavaliers before making a return trip to Utah to face the Jazz. This upcoming home stand is crucial. They need to at least post a .500 record on this home stand (2-2) to stay afloat. If they go 1-3 or heaven forbid 0-4, they could be looking at a really really bad season without having any of the benefits of tanking. It can't get any more brutal than that. 

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Tomahawk Tuesday: How concerned should the Los Angeles Lakers be right now?

 

The Los Angeles Lakers are currently 5th in the Western Conference standings, 8 games back of the top seeded Utah Jazz, 7 games back of the Phoenix Suns, 6 games back of their inner city rivals Los Angeles Clippers, and 4 games back of the Denver Nuggets. The Lakers have slipped back in the standings due to LeBron James (ankle) and Anthony Davis (calf) missing extended periods of time. James has played in 41 games this season while Davis has played in 26. Fortunately for the Lakers, Davis is now back, having played three games since his return. But James' return date is still up in the air. 

To the question at hand, the Lakers should be moderately concerned right now, but there's no reason to panic. They're the defending champs and at full strength, they should be favored to come out of the Western Conference. All four of the teams ahead of them are teams that have never won an NBA championship, which means all four of those teams still have a lot to prove. 

On top of that, some of those teams ahead of them are dealing with injury issues of their own. The Jazz have had to play without Donovan Mitchell for the past 10+ days or so due to his ankle injury and the Nuggets have lost Jamal Murray for the season due to a torn ACL. The Suns' Chris Paul has had injury issues in the past and the Clippers' Paul George likewise has found ways to get hurt in the playoffs. So, everyone is dealing with injuries right now or at least has the threat of injuries hurting their seasons. 

That all said, the Lakers still find themselves in a tricky spot. If they stay at the 5 spot, they'll likely have to win the championship without home court advantage in every series they play in. Home court advantage is crucial in the NBA and to not have it puts your team at a real disadvantage. Plus, they have no shot at winning the title without James and Davis healthy. If those guys go down again come playoff time, it's game over. 

I'm confident that James will be fine in the playoffs. He's rarely shut down like this and I suspect part of this is just being overly cautious for the playoffs. But Davis has had real injury issues for his entire career, which is why I was skeptical of their title chances a year ago. So, he's definitely one to watch throughout the duration of the season. 

The bottom line is the Lakers still are the slight favorites to come out of the Western Conference in my book, but they have their work cut out for them and none of the teams ahead of them are going to back down without putting up a real fight. The Jazz, Suns, and Clippers in particular see an opening here and have to be motivated to see a wounded Lakers team currently chasing them. It'll be interesting to see how they finish the season and whether or not the Lakers will be able to gain some ground before the playoffs start. 

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Saturday Slam: How will the 2020 Los Angeles Lakers be remembered?

 

                                             (Credit: LakersDaily.com) 

One year after starting their journey for a title in October of 2019, the Los Angeles Lakers finished the job in October of 2020, defeating the Miami Heat in six games. This is the Lakers' 17th title in franchise history. LeBron James won his 4th NBA championship and 4th NBA Finals MVP while Anthony Davis won his first NBA championship. It was a strange season given the time off due to COVID-19 and the return to the bubble in Orlando, but as they always say, a win is a win and the Lakers found a way to get it done despite all the adversity. 

There will be some who will put a bit of an asterisk next to this championship, but I find that to be unfair. Especially since the Lakers came in as the top seed in the conference. The way this season was set up being in a bubble and played on a neutral court favored lower seeded teams and put higher seeded teams who earned home court advantage at a bit of a disadvantage. To win this title despite losing out on home court advantage is just another feather this Lakers team can put in their cap. 

More broadly speaking, this Lakers team will be remembered as the team that brought a title back to Los Angeles after a decade. The Lakers went through some dark times after their 16th championship in 2010. Giving Kobe Bryant an excessive contract, a lack of real identity or future, and tragically, the death of Bryant and his daughter earlier this year. To the credit of James, he came to Los Angeles firmly believing he could win a title and believed that Anthony Davis, a guy who has had injury issues over the years, could be his sidekick. 

In addition to James and Davis, this Lakers team truly embodied what it means to be a team. Head coach Frank Vogel did a really nice job of bringing everyone together and getting everyone to buy in. Rajon Rondo, Kyle Kuzma, Danny Green, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Dwight Howard, and others played their roles and made sound contributions. Unlike other teams that won due to superior star play, the Lakers won by their depth and unselfishness. This was the most likable Lakers team I've seen win a title for this very reason. 

Ultimately, there's a lot to like about this year's Lakers team. LeBron James showed why he's an all-time great, Anthony Davis proved he could deliver in the NBA Finals, and everyone came together to get the job done. It'll be interesting to see if this team can defend their title and bring an 18th banner to the Staples Center. 

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Tomahawk Tuesday: How should the Los Angeles Lakers approach the rest of the regular season?

                                             (Credit: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

The NBA restart season begins on Thursday with two games: New Orleans Pelicans vs. Utah Jazz followed by Los Angeles Lakers vs. Los Angeles Clippers. Both games will air on TNT with the Jazz and Pelicans tipping off first (6:30 PM EST). In case you are unfamiliar with the format, each of the remaining 22 teams will play eight seeding games and if the ninth seed in each conference is within four games of the eighth seed, then a play in series will be triggered. That's the skinny.

While some teams are fighting for their playoff lives or jockeying for position, the Lakers pretty much have the #1 seed in the Western Conference locked up. They need just two wins to clinch. This is overall a good position to be in as the Lakers can more or less view the eight seeding games as tune up games and bonus scrimmage games to get themselves back in shape. However, there is the challenge of balancing rest versus rust. Obviously, the Lakers want to make sure their players stay fresh for the playoffs, but given the amount of time guys have had off, they also don't want guys to get too rusty.

Personally, I think the Lakers should err on the side of avoiding rust. There are only eight seeding games to play and they still do need to clinch the top seed. If they had everything wrapped up right now, that might change things a bit. But, given that they still need to secure the top seed and the fact that the number of seeding games is so few, the Lakers should use these final games to establish a good rhythm and make sure they're all ready to go come playoff time. Opening up against the Clippers is a great way for them to get their juices flowing as the Clippers are one of the teams in the West that is seeking to topple them off their perch.

LeBron James is also a workhorse and rarely gets injured, so I think the Lakers should feel pretty confident in his ability to log significant minutes with little risk. The only guy who I might be cautious with is Anthony Davis. He has a fragile history and the Lakers would probably be wise to not overwork him. If there's a guy who they should be careful with and mindful of, it's Davis. If he goes down, their road to an NBA championship becomes a lot tougher.

Outside of that, it really should be all systems go for the Lakers. They have the top record out West and have the luxury to view these eight seeding games as additional tune ups. As we look at the Western Conference, they're definitely the team to beat.

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Mock Draft Monday: Kobe Bryant helped pave the way for high schoolers choosing to go pro

                                          (Credit: Eileen Blass-USA TODAY Sports) 


Last week I wasn't much in the mood to blog about the NBA after the death of Kobe Bryant. I just needed some time to regroup a bit and think about how I wanted to remember Bryant on NBALord.com. I was planning on doing my Saturday Slam piece to remember his whole career, but I needed a bit more time to think about what my next blog post would be. Considering that I have my different themes on here, I figured I would use those themes to address Bryant's career through several different lenses. Up first is through the lens of his high school career and more specifically, what impact he had on high schoolers thinking of going straight to the pros.

Leading up to the 1996 NBA Draft, Bryant wasn't sure what he was going to do. He was genuinely torn about whether to go to college or go straight to the NBA. Both had their pros and cons. In the interview I've attached below, Bryant talks about weighing those options and not yet being sure what decision he would make. The pros of going to college was to get a year or two to grow as a basketball player without the pressures of being a professional while also getting to enjoy the college life. On the other side of the coin, going to the NBA meant the chance to get paid right away, something that also appealed to Bryant. Even though it meant more responsibility.



A year earlier, in the 1995 NBA Draft, Minnesota Timberwolves legend Kevin Garnett went 5th overall out of high school as well, becoming the first player in two decades (Darryl Dawkins and Bill Willoughby) to go straight from high school to the NBA. One major difference between Garnett and Bryant was the fact that Garnett had horrible grades and test scores, making division one college basketball a non-option for him. The only colleges Garnett could attend were junior colleges, sort of forcing his hand into going pro. Bryant on the other hand was a good student in high school and took his education seriously. College was an option for him and he knew that if he went straight to the NBA, some may second guess his commitment to getting a quality education.

In the end, Bryant chose to go to the NBA. When the Lower Merion High School Class of 1996 listed what colleges they were attending (in the school yearbook or newspaper), Bryant wrote "NBA-nuff said!" Bryant's decision resulted in him getting drafted 13th overall by the Los Angeles Lakers via the Charlotte Hornets. By choosing to go straight to the NBA when college was an option for him, Bryant helped legitimize that path for the likes of LeBron James and others who felt they were ready out of high school.

Flash forward 25 years later, the NBA is likely to once again allow high schoolers the option to come straight out instead of having to spend a year in college or overseas. When the NBA does formally make the switch back, it will be a nod to Bryant and all that he accomplished. Bryant proved that if you are ready to go pro, you should do so. He also showed that such a decision requires a lot of thought and shouldn't be taken lightly.

When looking back on the 1996 NBA Draft, what is a bit crazy is to see Bryant selected 13th overall. In hindsight Bryant would have gone #1 overall to his hometown Philadelphia 76ers instead of Allen Iverson. At that time, coming out of high school was so rare that a lot of teams were afraid to gamble on him. Especially since he was a guard. To the Lakers' credit, specifically Jerry West, they recognized Bryant had a lot of talent and was capable of being their next franchise player. Their decision to take Bryant changed the course of basketball history forever. Bryant went on to become a five time NBA champion and arguably the greatest Laker of all-time.

If you're going to look back on Kobe Bryant's career, it's impossible to not reflect on his high school career and how amazing it was that he took that leap into the NBA without playing in college. Such a bold and brave decision is truly fitting for one who would give birth to "Mamba Mentality."

Note: If you are reading this article via e-mail, click here to check out the interview I posted above. 

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Saturday Slam: The Los Angeles Clippers are starting to gel

                                         (Credit: Sports Illustrated) 

In last week's Saturday Slam piece, I wrote about the Los Angeles Lakers. This week I'm writing about the team who they share the same building with: The Los Angeles Clippers. At 20-7, the Clippers are just 3.5 games back of the 23-3 Lakers and starting to look like the team we all thought they would be.

On Friday night in Minnesota, Paul George (46 points) and Kawhi Leonard (42 points) became the first duo in franchise history to each score 40+ points in a game, guiding the Clippers to their fourth straight win. The two of them are forming a really scary tandem, capable of scoring, rebounding, and playing elite defense.

Around George and Leonard is a killer supporting cast in Lou Williams (19.9 points & 6.2 assists), Montrezl Harrell (18.7 points & 7.6 rebounds), Landry Shamet (9.1 points), and Patrick Beverley (7.8 points & 1.5 steals). These four guys are the glue. The ones who really make the engine go.

As we saw last year, these guys were capable of playing winning basketball before George and Leonard arrived. They just didn't have enough to go all the way. What George and Leonard are able to give the Clippers is that extra boost to become a true championship contender. In addition to having a steak, you need a little sizzle to win an NBA championship and the Clippers have that now.

While the Lakers are the favorites to come out of the West, the one team they should be keeping a close eye on is the Clippers. The Clippers have a legitimate one-two punch in George and Leonard, a great supporting cast, and toughness. Harrell and Beverley are the kind of players who won't back down to anyone and after what we saw him do in the NBA Finals last season, there's no reason to think Leonard is afraid of anyone, either. It's going to be fun to see what they do in 2020.

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Saturday Slam: Can anyone stop the Los Angeles Lakers?

                                         (Credit: Russell Isabella-USA TODAY Sports) 

It didn't take long for LeBron James and Anthony Davis to find synergy on the basketball court. The newly formed Los Angeles Lakers are 20-3, having won 9 of their last 10 games. I got a chance to watch the Lakers a bit this week as they defeated the Utah Jazz 121-96 in Salt Lake City on Wednesday and the Portland Trail Blazers 136-113 in Portland on Friday.

What really stood out to me is how effortlessly they dominated. James and Davis looked like they were out there on the playground having fun while Dwight Howard was prancing around like a happy little kid as he blocked shots, grabbed rebounds, and even made a 3-pointer. Watching James and Davis execute a pick and roll is a thing of beauty and also very frightening for opposing teams. When they get it going, it's hard to see anyone stopping them.

In addition to having a superstar duo in James and Davis, the Lakers have a really good supporting cast around them in Howard, Kyle Kuzma, Danny Green, Rajon Rondo, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Avery Bradley, and JaVale McGee. Aside from Kuzma, that's a pretty veteran group and it shows in how well they play.

While the Lakers have a lot of depth, it really is James and Davis that are making them go. James is averaging 25.6 points, 7.0 rebounds, 10.7 assists per game, and 1.3 steals per game while Davis is averaging 26.6 points per game, 9.1 rebounds, 1.4 steals, and 2.7 blocks. Both are putting themselves in the MVP conversation and playing some of the best basketball of their careers. Especially Davis.

At this point, the only thing I can see slowing down the Lakers is the grind of the NBA season. If Davis catches the injury bug and others get banged up, there is a real chance some other team comes out of the West. Otherwise, this is the Lakers' to lose. They have two of the top five players in the NBA and are already playing like a cohesive team. If you are the rest of the NBA, you should be very afraid.

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Tomahawk Tuesday: Los Angeles Clippers send early message to Lakers on opening night

                                          (Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) 

On opening night, the Los Angeles Clippers defeated their crosstown rival Los Angeles Lakers 112-102 behind 30 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block from Kawhi Leonard. Even though it was just one game, the Clippers sent an early message to the Lakers by winning this game. Especially since Paul George (shoulder) did not play.

To a large extent, there was a lot of mystery going into this game considering the fact that both teams have rebranded themselves. The Clippers have added Leonard and George while the Lakers have brought in Anthony Davis, Danny Green, and others to join LeBron James. Both teams expect to make deep playoff runs and contend for the NBA championship as a result of their offseason moves. Given that both teams have a lot of new pieces, what we saw tonight is just a prelude to what we'll see come May and possibly June.

That all said, it's still huge for the Clippers to win this game considering the rivalry that they have with the Lakers. By winning tonight, they set the tone for the rivalry and made it clear to the rest of the Western Conference in the process that they are indeed a legit threat to win the conference despite having a ton of new pieces. Once George comes back, that should take them to another level, which is kind of scary to think of.

As for the Lakers side of this, they have to brush this off as one game and remind themselves that they too were short handed as Rajon Rondo and Kyle Kuzma were both out. On top of that, they're still figuring out how to get their pieces to work together and that come the second half of the season, they're going to look a lot more cohesive.

Overall, tonight was a good night for the NBA. The Clippers and Lakers played a hard fought game, showing that their rivalry should be fun over the course of this season and possibly beyond. The NBA has been stagnant when it comes to rivalries over the years, so this should give the league a nice little pop during the course of the regular season and hopefully the playoffs.

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Saturday Slam: DeMarcus Cousins has really fallen from grace

At the end of the 2016-17 season, DeMarcus Cousins concluded a season in which he averaged 27.0 points and 11.0 rebounds per game in 72 total games played. He spent the bulk of that season with the Sacramento Kings but was traded to the New Orleans Pelicans to conclude the season. Since that year, everything has gone downhill for him in a rather shocking manner.

First, in the middle of the 2017-18 season, Cousins suffered a torn Achilles which limited his season to just 48 games. Prior to the injury, he was playing really good basketball, averaging 25.2 points and 12.9 rebounds per game. A torn Achilles is no joke, but an injury that one can come back from with the proper rehab. Still, no team wanted to take a chance on him until the Golden State Warriors scooped him up for close to nothing. He spent most of the 2018-19 season in street clothes, but was able to produce a little bit during the 30 games he played, averaging 16.3 points and 8.2 rebounds per game before going down once again with a torn left quadriceps.

Already looking like he might be damaged goods, the Los Angeles Lakers threw their caution to the wind and decided to sign him this past July, hoping that he could get back to full strength. Instead, he tore his ACL in a preseason workout a little over a month later in mid-August, ruling him out for the entire 2019-20 season.

In the midst of all this injury misfortune, Cousins got married and even that didn't go as planned thanks to a leaked audio tape of him threatening to kill his ex-girlfriend over the phone for not allowing their son to come to his wedding. As a result, an arrest warrant was issued and now he's in the middle of an ugly legal dispute.

At just 29 years of age, Cousins' career seems to be over and what's crazy is that it wasn't that long ago that he was an NBA All-Star. We've seen guys drop off quickly, but rarely do we see guys drop off like this. It's like one day he's the best big man in the NBA and the next day he's having a hard time convincing teams to take a chance on him. Hopefully for him, he is able to find his second wind. If not, he better get ready for life after basketball.

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Saturday Slam: Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are heading to the Los Angeles Clippers

                                          (Credit: Frank Gunn-The Associated Press) 

On Friday night, I wrote a blog post for Saturday all about why Kawhi Leonard should stay in Toronto, why he would be foolish to leave behind a situation where he is the toast of the city and hero to all of Canada and then boom! News broke that Leonard was joining the Los Angeles Clippers! Even more amazingly, news subsequently broke that Paul George will be joining him as a result of being traded from the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Danilo Gallinari, four unprotected first-round picks, one protected first-round pick, and two pick swaps. The Clippers have also waived Tyrone Wallace as a result. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN has the details below.

ESPN story on the Clippers bombshell acquisitions of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George: https://t.co/CYnIGPhipn

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 6, 2019

With Leonard and George, the Clippers have a legitimate one-two punch that has the chance to win a championship. Aside from the photo, the one vestigial remain of my original Saturday Slam post for this weekend is that the Clippers are a better choice for Leonard than the Lakers.

The first reason is because the Clippers were a better team last season. Unlike the Lakers, the Clippers actually made the playoffs, giving the Warriors a bit of a scare in the first round. The Clippers looked like a team that was going places and by adding Leonard and George, they're more than just going places. They're entering themselves into the championship discussion.

The second reason is that the Clippers will be Leonard's team. Had he joined the Lakers, Leonard would have been second fiddle to LeBron James. Or at least that would have been the perception. Instead, Leonard gets to be the the man on this new and improved Clippers team, giving him a chance to go after James and prove himself to be the superior player.

Third, there's less pressure on Leonard. The Clippers have never won a championship before and quite frankly have never come close. By going to the Clippers, Leonard is able to be somewhat in the shadows of the Lakers, something that he doesn't mind.

Fourth, as was said above, Leonard gets to play with Paul George, one of the best wings in the NBA. George should play well alongside Leonard, giving the Clippers a legit second option. Together, Leonard and George have the chance to do a lot of damage and take the Clippers to even higher heights than they achieved during the Chris Paul/Blake Griffin era.

I will later address what this all means for the Oklahoma City Thunder and Toronto Raptors, but for now, I want to focus on the Clippers. For them this is huge. They're in the game now and a real threat to win the NBA championship. On top of that, they're set to form a really fun crosstown rivalry with the Lakers, something that is certain to boost ratings across the league. As exciting as this past NBA season was, I'm already eager to see what next season has in store.


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Saturday Slam: Will the Los Angeles Lakers survive the NBA playoffs?

By unloading Mo Wagner, Isaac Bonga, and Jemerrio Jones to the Washington Wizards in addition to having Anthony Davis waive his $4M trade clause, the Los Angeles Lakers have freed up $32M in cap space. As a result, they now a chance to land one more max player to join LeBron James and Davis.

With James and Davis alone, the Lakers have a much more competitive team than they did last season. If they can add one more max level player (such as Kawhi Leonard), there's a possibility that we'll see them in the NBA Finals next season. Especially since the Golden State Warriors are hobbled.

That all said, the Lakers shouldn't be banking on a 2020 championship just yet. For one thing, we don't know who they'll add in free agency. Secondly, health is a major concern. James is 34 years old and played in just 55 games last season due to various injuries including a hamstring. While some of the games he missed were due to caution, it's no secret that he is getting older and has a lot of miles on his legs.

As for Davis, he's much younger (26 years old) but also not as durable. He has never played 82 games in any NBA season and on average misses a shade over 16 games a year. What's particularly alarming is that Davis has never made a deep run in the playoffs. Given his injury woes, it's far from a guarantee that he'll be holding up come late May and June.

The bottom line with the Lakers is that as good as they project to be on paper, it's hard to predict how well they'll navigate the injury bug. If this were a shorter season with fewer playoff games, I would like the Lakers' chances to go the distance. But when we're talking about an 82 game season and a playoff format consisting of four rounds all of which are a seven game series, I don't know if I like their chances. The NBA playoffs are a grind and I'm far from convinced that the Lakers have what it takes to survive.

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Tomahawk Tuesday: Magic Johnson's time as Lakers president was a total failure

                                         (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) 

Earlier today, news broke of Magic Johnson's abrupt decision to step down as president of the Los Angeles Lakers. Johnson held a press conference announcing his decision, saying that he wasn't having fun in his role as president. He wanted to go back to being more of an ambassador for the organization and game of basketball as whole. While it was a tough decision, he said this was the right thing for him to do.



Given all that he's done for the sport and the Lakers organization, it's tough to see Magic Johnson's time as Lakers president go toes up like this. As great of a player as he was, he was a pretty horrible president. When Johnson took over as president back in 2017, the Lakers finished the season 26-56. The hope was that with him now at the helm, the organization would finally get back on the right track. Instead, they went 35-47 in the 2017-18 season and then 37-45 this season. That's not exactly the type of growth they were looking for.

During his first summer on the job, Johnson made the decision to part ways with former #2 overall pick D'Angelo Russell, who has since flourished with the Brooklyn Nets. This season, Russell averaged 21.1 points, 7.0 assists, and 1.2 steals per game en route to his first All-Star Game appearance, making Johnson look like a fool for trading him.

On top of parting ways with Russell, Johnson also made the decision to allow Julius Randle to enter the waters of unrestricted free agency. During his first season with the New Orleans Pelicans, Randle has averaged 21.4 points and 8.7 rebounds per game, once again making Johnson look foolish.

While Johnson does deserve some credit for getting LeBron James, the vibe I got is that James more or less recruited himself to Los Angeles. He wanted to be a Laker for the sake of being a Laker. I don't think the presence of Johnson played much of a role there. Even if it did, it's not like things got better with James on board. Injuries did play a role, but Johnson failed to put the right type of team around James, largely due to his decisions to part ways with Russell and Randle.

The bottom line is that Johnson's time as Lakers president was a total failure. The team struggled under him and he made personnel moves that were clearly ill-advised. Hopefully for the Lakers, they'll get someone in the front office that actually knows what they're doing.

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Tomahawk Tuesday: Could the Los Angeles Lakers miss the playoffs?

After failing to acquire Anthony Davis at the trade deadline, the Los Angeles Lakers find themselves in a bit of a rough spot, sitting 10th in the Western Conference with a 28-29 record and a full three games back of the 8th seeded Los Angeles Clippers. At the beginning of the season, the expectation was the Lakers would for sure make the playoffs. How far they would go was the only question. But now, the discussion has shifted to whether or not this team will even make the playoffs, making this season more disappointing than people expected.

While I think all teams like the All-Star break because of the rest and days off, the timing of it is better for some teams than others. As winners of 3 of their last 10 games, the All-Star break couldn't have come at a better time for the Lakers, who lost badly to the 76ers in Philadelphia and narrowly lost to the Hawks in Atlanta following their dramatic one-point win in Boston. The hope is that with some time off and a chance to regroup, they'll be able to get back on the winning track.

Given that they have LeBron James, it seems like a foregone conclusion that they will make the playoffs. I mean, he's carried teams on his back before so why should we expect anything different come March and April when that final playoff push comes? The answer is health. James has already missed some time due to a strained left groin and there's concern that it may bother him for the rest of the season. On top of that, Rajon Rondo has missed some time with a hand injury while Josh Hart (left knee) and Lonzo Ball (left ankle) are currently on the shelf. When you're a young team that is still trying to gel, such injuries can prove to be very costly.

                                         (Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports) 

If the Lakers are able to get healthy down the stretch of the season, I have little doubt that they'll find a way to sneak into the top 8 of the Western Conference. However, if they're unable to stay healthy and the injury bug continues to plague them for the rest of the season, then odds are good they'll be on the outside looking in come playoff time. While James expected a rebuild when he came to Los Angeles, I don't think missing the playoffs was supposed to be part of the plan. It'll be interesting to see how things shake out in the second half of the season.

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Saturday Slam: Five likely landing spots for Jimmy Butler

                                          (Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) 

Earlier this week on NBALord.com, I addressed the tension growing between Timberwolves star Jimmy Butler and head coach Tom Thibodeau. Since that article was published on Tuesday, multiple reports have surfaced that confirm that the Timberwolves will indeed look to move Butler and that he will not be present at team media day on Monday.

Sources: Minnesota owner Glen Taylor has made it clear to President/Coach Tom Thibodeau and GM Scott Layden that Jimmy Butler's on the trade block and Taylor wants the front office moving to find a deal. Taylor is pushing for a fast resolution.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 23, 2018

All-Star Jimmy Butler has been granted permission to not participate in Minnesota Timberwolves‘ media day on Monday, league sources tell me and @JonKrawczynski.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 22, 2018

Personally, I think the Timberwolves should entertain the possibility of firing Thibodeau if that will keep Butler around, but it does not look like they are going to go that route. With that being the case, below are five likely landing spots for Butler.

#1. Los Angeles Clippers: There have been additional reports that Jimmy Butler would prefer to get traded to the Los Angeles Clippers. He likes Los Angeles and the Clippers are in need of a new superstar to build around.  The Clippers also have some assets that the Timberwolves might like such as Tyrone Wallace, Lou Williams, and rookie Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. If the Timberwolves want to get rid of Butler as quickly as possible, the Clippers should be the first team they call.

#2. Milwaukee Bucks: Butler played his college ball at Marquette in Milwaukee, so going to the Bucks would be a homecoming of sorts for him. I don't know if a duo of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Butler would be enough to get the Bucks to the NBA Finals, but it would certainly be interesting to find out.

#3. Los Angeles Lakers: If Butler wants to go to Los Angeles, the Lakers are the only other alternative to the Clippers. What makes the Lakers a likely landing spot for Butler is they have a ton of assets to offer and are in desperate need of another superstar to pair with LeBron James. A duo of James and Butler would wreak some serious havoc in the Western Conference. They'd be instant contenders.

#4. New York Knicks:  The New York Knicks are rumored to be on Butler's list of preferred destinations and they could really use another superstar to pair with Kristaps Porzingis. If the Knicks can land Butler, they'll definitely be cooking with gas at Madison Square Garden. I don't know how good they'd be, but they'd be an instant playoff team in the Eastern Conference.

#5. Brooklyn Nets: The Brooklyn Nets are also rumored to be on Butler's list of preferred destinations and they are in desperate need of a superstar. On top of that, they have the space to sign him. Like Chicago and New York, an added bonus of trading Butler to Brooklyn is that he'd be out of the conference. The Timberwolves are probably hesitant to help out a team that they might end up facing in the playoffs, upping the odds of Butler getting shipped out East.

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Saturday Slam: LeBron James is not afraid to speak his mind and it is awesome

One of the things I feel obligated to address on this blog is the way in which LeBron James is not afraid to speak his mind and stand up for what he believes in. In a recent interview with CNN's Don Lemon, James talked about his I Promise School, his future with the Los Angeles Lakers, and how he feels about the direction of our country as a whole. While some athletes prefer to shy away from topics surrounding politics and social justice, James has embraced his celebrity status to shed light on issues that he finds to be important, regardless of what anyone else thinks.

While I don't think every athlete should feel obligated to speak their mind, I think it is awesome that James has felt this moral responsibility. Millions of Americans look up to him, especially young African Americans. To them, he represents the American Dream and all that it stands for. In a divisive time in our country, James has been a beacon of hope and light, reminding us that goodness and decency can still be found in the United States of America.

What I think is most impressive about James is his long-term vision. He understands that he can do so much more than just win NBA championships. He can build a legacy that truly lasts if he is willing to give back to his community, stand up for what he believes in, and do his part to be an instrument for change.

The I Promise School is just one example of that. With this school, at-risk children in his hometown Akron, Ohio and the surrounding areas will get a chance to get an education that they otherwise wouldn't have gotten. Even though he himself didn't go on to college, James still values the importance of an education. He has talked in the past about how much it meant for him to graduate from high school and he wants to make sure that other children get the same opportunities that he got.

Given that he is on the path to becoming a billionaire, it would be easy for James to forget about his roots and spend his time doing other things. He doesn't have to be doing any of this and yet he recognizes how much of an impact he can have on his community and beyond.  When you really step back and think about it, it is amazing what James is doing.

Some argue that James should stick to building schools and other philanthropic projects without weighing in on political matters, but remaining silent about such things would be inconsistent with his larger mission. James isn't just about building schools. He's about molding minds and affecting the social conscious of this country. If he were to remain silent about issues regarding race and social justice, he would be failing to accomplish what he feels is his most important job.

Regardless of who you are, when LeBron James says something, you listen. When he calls out certain people for the way they behave, you listen. You may not like what he says, but you damn sure heard what he said and that is precisely why he's saying it. He's a voice for those who don't have a voice. That's powerful beyond anything that can happen on a basketball court.

Whether you love LeBron James on the court or not, one cannot deny the power of his actions and the force that he is for good off the court. While Michael Jordan will probably go down as the greatest basketball player to ever play the game, LeBron James will undoubtedly go down as having left a bigger legacy. So many guys say they want to prepare themselves for life beyond basketball, but LeBron James is actually doing it. He recognizes the impact he can have as an NBA superstar and is doing all he can to leverage that status for the betterment of society. It is awesome.

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Saturday Slam: Can LeBron James deliver a title to Los Angeles?

Like every summer, NBA free agency has been wild. Lots of unexpected moves have happened and I aim to address many of these moves in the coming weeks. If there's one move that I need to first address, it's LeBron James' decision to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers for the Los Angeles Lakers on a four-year, $154M deal. Joining James in Los Angeles will be former adversary Lance Stephenson and journeyman point guard Rajon Rondo, who both agreed to free agent deals with the Lakers shortly after James.

James' decision to leave Cleveland for Los Angeles could produce the most interesting chapter of his career, but only if he wins a championship. James cannot finish his career in Los Angeles without winning a ring if he wants any hope of improving his legacy. He knows this and seems up to the challenge.

The biggest hurdle standing in James' way is the Golden State Warriors, who appear poised to win the NBA championship for the next three years. The Warriors have a proven championship formula in place while the Lakers have a lot of question marks outside of James. Rajon Rondo and Lance Stephenson are both curious additions to say the least. While both guys are talented, I could easily see them not producing the desired results that James hopes they will. They both have a history of creating some friction in NBA locker rooms and have only really found success in one environment, Rondo in Boston and Stephenson in Indiana. While adding both Rondo and Stephenson, the Lakers lost Julius Randle to the New Orleans Pelicans, a guy who many felt had the chance to be a key piece for the franchise going forward.

                                          (David Richard-USA TODAY Sports) 

Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram are both talented pieces who should promise to get better over the coming seasons. While there are rumors of the Lakers possibly moving Ingram and/or Ball in order to get Kawhi Leonard, I personally think it would be wise for them to keep both of those guys around. They shouldn't make the mistake the Cleveland Cavaliers made, which was to trade a young promising player (Andrew Wiggins) for a more established veteran (Kevin Love). With those two guys learning from James, the Lakers can be assured that they'll be in good hands after his departure.

While there are still a lot of pieces that need to fall into place, I personally believe LeBron James can deliver a title to Los Angeles. As we saw in Cleveland, he doesn't need much around him to make things competitive and with a better cast around him, it would be foolish to rule out his chances. He's too talented to dismiss and given that he has four years to make it happen, I think there are good odds he'll strike it rich at least once.

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Saturday Slam: What does the future hold for Isaiah Thomas?

                                          (Credit: ESPN.com) 

Earlier this month, Los Angeles Lakers point guard Isaiah Thomas underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right hip and is expected to need four months to recover. While the Lakers are reportedly open to re-signing the two-time All-Star, the future for Thomas remains uncertain. Since being drafted by the Sacramento Kings with the 60th overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, Thomas has proven his worth, averaging 18.9 points, 5.1 assists, and nearly 1 steal per game during his time in the league.  However, he is yet to find a permanent home, playing for five teams in a span of seven seasons.

Thomas has had a really good career. The numbers and All-Star appearances back it up. Yet for whatever reason no team has been willing to commit to him for the long term. He's considered to be a very valuable trade chip but not a guy who you can really build a team around. His value seems to lie in being a guy who you can trade to get other good assets. It's a very weird role to play in the basketball world because you are both desired and unwanted at the same time.

Personally, I think Isaiah Thomas deserves a shot to stay in a place for at least three seasons. Having to constantly be on the go like he has been is very challenging. He has to get used to new systems, new teammates, and new cultures all at the same time. Everyone, regardless of what profession they are in, wants to find some sort of consistency in their lives and it's impossible to do that if you are constantly getting traded from one team to the next.

As for whether or not the Lakers can be that permanent home for Thomas, I don't see why not. They're in desperate need of some sort of veteran presence and Thomas can provide that for them. Assuming he is able to get back to full strength, he'll be able to give them a reliable All-Star to build around for the coming seasons. While he isn't perhaps as good as Kyrie Irving or some of the other superstars in the NBA, he's still a really good player who can make your team more competitive. You can't constantly be looking for "assets" at the expense of a finished product like Thomas who can help you right away.

If Thomas doesn't stay in Los Angeles, he is certain to have several teams interested in his services during free agency. I think where he's best served is in a sixth-man type of role on a championship contending team. He's a guy who can come off the bench and give you points while also providing veteran leadership. He's also someone you can trust in clutch situations as is evident by the fact that he led the league in fourth quarter points just one season ago.

Regardless of where Isaiah Thomas ends up after this season, I just hope it's a place where he can stay for the long term. He's a good enough player to stick around in the same spot and has done all he can to prove his value in the NBA. While the NBA is a business, that can't be used an excuse for why a good player like Thomas can't find a permanent home. Out of 30 teams in the NBA, there has to be at least one place where he can finally build a legacy for his own. He just needs to find where that place is.

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Tomahawk Tuesday: Comparing #8 Kobe Bryant to #24 Kobe Bryant

                                          (Credit: CBS Sports) 

On Monday night, the Los Angeles Lakers retired Kobe Bryant's #8 and #24. There has been a lot of debate about which Kobe was better and so I have decided to weigh in.

One interesting to thing to ask yourself when going about this debate is which number do you envision Kobe Bryant in when you think of him? Is it #8 or #24? Personally, when I think of Kobe, I envision him wearing the #8. I think the reason why is that I am old enough to remember Kobe when he was a rookie and also when he won his first three NBA titles with Shaquille O'Neal. I guess I just think of him wearing a #8 because that's what I first saw him in.

When looking at the stats and accomplishments of the two eras, it's pretty evenly split. #8 Kobe averaged 23.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.5 steals, 0.6 blocks, and 2.9 turnovers per game en route to three NBA championships, eight All-Star appearances, four All-NBA First Teams, and one NBA scoring championship (2006). #24 Kobe averaged 26.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 1.4 steals, .3 blocks, and 3.1 turnovers en route to two NBA championships, 10 All-Star appearances, seven All-NBA First Teams, and one NBA scoring championship (2007).

While statistics do a great job of comparing the two eras, they don't capture the full scope of what made Kobe so amazing in both eras. In the #8 era, what made Kobe amazing was his phenomenal athleticism and ability to score at will. It was in this era that Kobe scored 81 points against the Toronto Raptors (2006), which is the most points scored in an NBA game since Wilt Chamberlain dropped 100 points in 1962. When he wore the #8, Kobe Bryant was as good of a one-on-one player that we've seen and there were few that could do anything to contain him. In addition to his scoring and athleticism, Kobe won three titles with Shaq, already cementing himself as one of the greatest to ever play.

In the #24 era, Kobe wasn't as athletic or flashy, but he was perhaps even more lethal. It was in this era that Kobe learned to share the ball and be the go-to option on a championship team. As good as he was during the #8 era, Kobe was still in the shadow of Shaq. In the #24 era, he won his first of two rings without Shaq, finally establishing his own separate identity.

When looking at how Kobe played during the #24 era, he was much better from a technical standpoint. He had a lot more moves and developed a post-game, similar to what Michael Jordan developed at the end of his career. Kobe made up for his diminishing athleticism with more tools in his bag and a willingness to play team basketball.

Personally, I think what makes #24 Kobe most special isn't the rings or the fade away jumper. It's the way he overcame adversity and evolved into one of the most beloved players in the game. I hated #8 Kobe all the way through, but I grew to respect and admire #24 Kobe with each passing year. When Kobe continued to play after tearing his Achilles and fracturing his knee, that was when I finally recognized how special of a player he really was. That fighting spirit and refusal to give up was made most evident during those dark moments. That was when the world got to see how much of a fighter he was and how much he loved the game of basketball.

Sadly, I never enjoyed watching Kobe play until the very end of his career. Back when he was winning championships, I hated him and wanted him to lose so badly. Now that his career is over, I frequently watch highlights of his games and admire his greatness. I even find myself rooting for him when I watch him play in his final game against the Utah Jazz, the team of my childhood.

Whether you love him or hate him, one thing that can we can all say about Kobe Bryant is that we miss him. If you are a Lakers fan, you miss cheering him on. If you are a Spurs fan or a Celtics fan, you miss rooting against him. Kobe's impact on the game of basketball truly cannot be quantified and while he never surpassed Michael Jordan as the greatest ever, he carved out his own unique legacy that he can truly call his own. There will never be another "Black Mamba."

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Saturday Slam: If LaVar Ball really cared about his sons, he'd shut up

                                         (Mark J. Terrell/AP) 

If LaVar Ball really cared about his sons, he'd shut up. There's no way to sugar coat it. His comments directed at other NBA players, most recently John Wall, serve as motivation for these players to shut down his son Lonzo, who is averaging 11.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 9.0 assists per game during his first four games with the Los Angeles Lakers.

I debated whether or not I should write this article given that I don't want to give LaVar any more attention. At the same time, there's no way for me to not address this guy. As a basketball writer, I have a duty to give my honest, unabashed take on how this moron is putting a target on his sons' back every time he talks trash. While some like LaVar and see him as a marketing genius, others, like myself, see him as an egotistical nut job that doesn't have all of his wits about him. To a certain extent his actions are theatre, but to another extent, this is who he really is. No sane, normal person would act like he does. Even if they were trying to promote their kids and build a brand around them.

While LaVar is batshit crazy, what's perhaps even more troubling is his lack of empathy for his sons. Especially Lonzo, who is the Michael Jackson of the Ball family. If LaVar actually cared about his son and his NBA career, he'd recede into the background and not become a problem that he has to manage. The fact that LaVar continues to make idiotic and egotistical comments just goes to show that all he cares about is himself.

Unfortunately for LaVar, Lonzo is really all that he has. Neither of his other two sons have a serious shot at an NBA career. LaMelo in particular is an overrated little dweeb that has no idea how to run an offense and only knows how to play street ball. The fact that he has his own shoe is a joke and also will likely deem him ineligible to play at UCLA. As for LiAngelo, the middle Ball brother, he's supposed to be pretty good, but the odds of him morphing into a #2 overall pick in the NBA Draft are very low.

I don't like LaVar Ball and I don't give him a hall pass for being some "marketing genius." His behavior is inexcusable and does nothing to help his sons. If he really cared about them, he'd shut up and not seek the spotlight. It's really that simple.

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