Top Takeaways from LeBron James, Lakers' Loss vs. Timberwolves
The Los Angeles Lakers suffered their third straight loss Wednesday night as the Minnesota Timberwolves rolled to a lopsided 124-104 home win over LeBron James and Co.
It was another lackluster performance that raised serious questions about whether the Lakers are in danger of missing the playoffs altogether as they slipped closer to the cut line for the play-in tournament.
Here's a look at how the race for the final two spots in the Western Conference is shaping up:
- 9. Lakers: 29-40
- 10. Pelicans: 28-41
- 11. Spurs: 27-43
- 12. Trail Blazers: 26-42
- 13. Kings: 25-46
If two of those four teams pass the Lakers, their season will come to an end without even a chance to fight for a berth in the final postseason field.
L.A. was outplayed in almost every aspect Wednesday. It shot just 41.9 percent from the field and knocked down only 10 of its 45 three-point attempts (22.2 percent). It also lost the rebounding battle 51-38 and allowed the Wolves to hit 17 threes.
James paced the Lakers with 19 points, five rebounds, four assists, two blocks and a steal in 37 minutes. Even the four-time MVP wasn't at his best, however, as he connected on just eight of his 21 shots from the field and endured a 1-of-8 night from beyond the arc.
Karl-Anthony Towns (30 points) and Anthony Edwards (27) led the way for Minnesota.
Wednesday's game marked the end of the four-game season series between the teams, with the Wolves holding a 3-1 edge.
Lakers' Continued Struggles Cloud LeBron's Future
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James is under contract with Los Angeles for next season as part of the two-year, $85.7 million deal he signed in December 2020. Each passing loss makes it easier to imagine him playing the final season of that pact with another team.
The 37-year-old admitted after Wednesday's loss to the Wolves that this campaign has tested his patience.
"I think every season for me is all about patience," James told reporters. "And it is no different this year. I think it is just testing my patience a little bit more than any season in the last few years just because of the way we are playing and the losses are coming at a bunch."
He added: "At the end of the day, I would never, ever put myself in a position where I feel like I am losing, even when I lose a game."
James hasn't expressed a desire to leave in the short term, but the question is how the 18-time All-Star's outlook may change if this season ends with a whimper and the Lakers aren't able to make some massive roster changes during the offseason.
In late February, ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported that the NBA's longtime gold standard wanted to see some urgency from the organization (via HoopsHype):
"I don't think LeBron wants to leave the Lakers. ... If they don't do anything this summer, and he doesn't extend in August, now we may have a different discussion. But today, my feeling from the conversations I had, he doesn't want out. He just wants the Lakers to have their foot on the gas."
James has been forced to carry the team on his shoulders since Anthony Davis was sidelined with a foot injury in mid-February. Russell Westbrook, who was acquired in the offseason to take away some of that burden, hasn't lived up to expectations.
The Lakers still have time to turn things around, especially if Davis returns to the lineup, but if the downward trajectory continues, it could become a rumor-filled summer for LeBron and the Lakers.
Pressure Mounts on Frank Vogel to Find Solution
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Vogel has done his best to strike an optimistic tone throughout a frustrating season, and that continued despite the minimal resistance his squad put up against the Timberwolves.
"Our guys really want it," Vogel told reporters. "We really want to turn it around."
The Lakers' third-year coach, who guided the team to an NBA championship in his first season in charge, has resisted making the one critical lineup change that could provide a spark: moving Westbrook to the bench.
Westbrook has often spent crunch time sitting on the sideline, but he's started all 68 games he's played this season and is averaging 34.3 minutes per contest.
Quite simply, his play hasn't warranted that heavy involvement. He ranks tied for 237th out of 250 qualified players in FiveThirtyEight's WAR metric because of his negative impact at both ends of the floor.
One of the most head-scratching elements of Westbrook's game is his insistence on shooting threes. He's a career 30.4 percent shooter from beyond the arc, and that number has dropped to 27.7 percent this season. Yet he's still taking 3.3 threes per game.
The Lakers feature James, who's scored the third-most regular-season points in NBA history, and six players who are shooting 38 percent or better from three-point range: D.J. Augustin, Malik Monk, Wayne Ellington, Carmelo Anthony, Kent Bazemore and Avery Bradley.
Given Westbrook's poor track record as an outside shooter and that roster construction, every three-pointer he attempts is a questionable shot. That's even more true when Davis is on the floor as another All-Star option at the offensive end.
Moving him to the bench and reducing his minutes could help shift his focus toward a more efficient approach, which in his case is driving the lane looking for layups or passes to open shooters on the perimeter.
As the losses pile up and the pressure continues to build on Vogel to find an answer, perhaps he will finally make that last-ditch effort of changing Westbrook's role. If not, he will face questions entering the offseason about why he stuck with the status quo for so long.
The Lakers return to action Friday night when they visit Scotiabank Arena to take on the Toronto Raptors.
