From great favorites to the ring to giants in distress. LeBron James’ Lakers do not raise their heads in the West and the Nets have collapsed with the injury of Kevin Durant and the transfer of James Harden
Between those predictions and this reality, an abyss. On paper, back in October, in the bets and the collective imagination, only the NBA Finals were drawn, from a movie. Between the glamour, the media spotlight and the sporting morbidity, everything pointed to a dispute over the ring of fired audiences between the Lakers and the Nets, to which Big Three more powerful. But already in March and after the Ecuador that supposes the All Starthat train wreck is not just a pipe dream: it may be difficult to see either of the two franchises even in the playoffs.
There are boos at Staples, now Crypto.com Arena, and in Brooklyn there is no trace of James Harden. The Lakers, total depression, four run losses, eight in the last 10 games, are one step away from being left out even of the positions that give access to the suicidal play-in; of the Nuggets that mark the playoff are insurmountable distance. Nor the infinite effort of LeBron James is capable of straightening out one of the great disappointments of recent times in the NBA.
At the other end, the Nets were first in the East for nothing, but everything got weird in a few days and now they are a sea of unknowns. During the injury Kevin Durant they have lost 16 of 21 games and have dropped to a red-alarm eighth spot. “I don’t see myself as a savior,” says the forward, already back.
The situation is not so dramatic in Brooklyn, although today they seem light years away from the Heat, the champion Bucks or even those unleashed Sixers of Harden and Joel Embiid. It is true that in the transfer with the Philadelphians that trio that promised glory disappeared and that not even the opportunity to shine between Durant, the Beard and Kyrie Irvingbut the point guard already plays the home games – it is not ruled out that for the playoffs the prohibitions against the unvaccinated in the state of New York have already been lifted – and sooner or later he will have to appear Ben Simmons.
If a glimmer of hope is sensed in those of Steve Nash, nothing good surrounds the Lakers, who since last January 18 have been unable to win two games in a row. The bubble champions of 2019 do not raise their heads. Anthony Davis increases his crystal legend by chaining injuries -currently, a sprain; he has played just over half of the matches this season-, Russell Westbrook It doesn’t fit and LeBron, despite his thunderous numbers at 37, is desperate. He is averaging 28.8 points, eight rebounds and 6.2 assists and would be in the MVP race if it weren’t for his team’s record. In addition, the legend is on the horizon: he chases Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the all-time leading scorer (counting postseason games, he’s already passed him). “We still have games to play. Until they trample me, cut off my head and bury me four meters under the ground, I have a chance. That’s the confidence I have,” he challenges, but he also begins to make accounts about his future already. unleash angel alarms.
With his son Bronny
Because James will be a free agent in 2023, a year before his son Bronnie jump into the NBA and your confessed desire is next to, “wherever.” “I think that every game we get more depressed,” he admits about a team that breaks at the minimum difficulty, whose defense is among the weakest in the League, that loses balls like few others (almost 15 per game, only four teams in the entire league). NBA do worse) and their percentages from the perimeter are also far from the best (barely 34.6%). That moves in the market without much enthusiasm or sense -the point guard arrived in February DJ Augustine and the pvot has been cut DeAndre Jordan– and who continues to ponder Westbrook’s performance, the ineffable combo which was LeBron’s express request. Frank Vogel, who seems not to continue next year in Los Angeles, does not rule out even starting as a substitute: the coach has already tried 31 different quintets. “My role and what I’m doing changes every night, so I’m trying to figure that out as I play, looking to help my team,” Westbrook said after losing again to the Clippers (they’ve lost seven times on the run to the once-weak neighbor). ). “I’m not giving up. It’s not in my genes. I’m not giving up. I’m going to fight to the end.” Westbrook is undoubtedly the face of failure, the symptom of disappointment. When, during the 2021 draft, they took over his services, he barely missed opening champagne in Hollywood. Today they only think about how to get rid of the guy who loses the most balls in the NBA. He leads the NBA (240).
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