Russell Westbrook couldn’t work out a approach to persistently mesh along with his new teammates, Anthony Davis couldn’t keep wholesome and a 37-year-old LeBron James couldn’t carry a staff all by himself.
The Los Angeles Lakers made no secret they have been a staff constructed to win a championship this season. As an alternative, they received’t even make the playoffs.
In a improvement that few would have seen coming six months in the past, the Lakers have been eradicated from the playoff race on Tuesday evening after a 121-110 loss to the Phoenix Suns. Westbrook scored 28 factors, Davis added 21 and James watched from the bench, nursing a sore ankle that stored him out for a second straight sport. The Lakers fell to 31-48, eleventh place within the Western Convention, and may not crack the highest 10 to earn a spot within the play-in event.
“It's nothing greater than we simply didn’t get it performed,” Lakers ahead Carmelo Anthony mentioned. “We are able to’t make excuses; we simply didn’t get it performed.”
Well being was a relentless subject this season for the Lakers, who not often had Westbrook, Davis and James on the ground on the identical time. Davis has solely been out there for about half the season, lacking time with knee and foot illnesses.
“We had the items however accidents acquired into the way in which of that,” Davis mentioned. “That was the distinction in our season.”
The Lakers and the James-Davis-Westbrook trio may make one other run collectively subsequent season, although it’s unclear in the event that they’ll need to give it one other shot. Davis and James are underneath contract whereas Westbrook appears more likely to train his $47m participant possibility.
“That's the plan, however nothing is promised,” mentioned Westbrook, who took an enormous chunk of criticism aimed on the staff. “You’ve form of acquired to take someday at a time and also you’ve acquired to pay the playing cards you're dealt.”
Even a month in the past, it appeared the Lakers had time to determine a approach to regroup, get wholesome and make a run on this yr’s playoffs. James seemed 10 years youthful at instances along with his scoring manufacturing, averaging 30.3 factors for his highest common since 2008.
“I believe the world would like to see, we might like to see what this staff may could possibly be if we have been wholesome for a full 82,” Davis mentioned.
Westbrook performed arduous on Tuesday evening, plowing by means of the Suns’ protection time and again in a determined try and make one thing optimistic occur. There have been a couple of massive buckets but in addition a couple of massive turnovers. The inconsistency was all too acquainted.
Lakers coach Frank Vogel mentioned he was “extraordinarily disillusioned” that the season will finish wanting the postseason. The Lakers have misplaced seven straight video games and now should play three extra with no playoffs on the horizon.
Vogel led the Lakers to a championship in 2020 when the playoffs have been performed within the Florida bubble. Now his job safety seems tenuous at finest.
“I can say it has not been because of lack of effort,” the coach mentioned. “We have now all put within the work. Our guys stayed preventing proper until the top. We introduced integrity to the method. We simply fell brief although a disjointed season.”
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