As the Los Angeles Lakers keep searching for their first win of the season, running into the Brooklyn Nets, another winless team, might be the answer to at least fix the least of their problems.
The Lakers can’t defend (worst in the league giving up 113 points per 100 possessions) and aren’t special on offense (13th in the NBA) with 100.9 points per 100 possessions. But they’re facing the Nets, a team that’s the second worst in offense and fourth worst defensively. At least the Lakers have some talent to rely on. The Nets? This is a team still waiting out some contracts to run out, while playing some of the dullest basketball in the NBA.
The Lakers still haven’t realized that one of their biggest problems is Kobe Bryant. Well, maybe they have. Maybe even Byron Scott has, but he keeps saying that Bryant is the last player he’s worried about. He doesn’t like being questioned about the development of young players, or the defensive issues that shouldn’t be happening to a “defensive specialist”. But Scott knows how to blame the young guys while praising those the franchise shouldn’t be hanging on to. A recipe for disaster.
This team should be about Jordan Clarkson and Julius Randle offensively right now. D’Angelo Russell is struggling, but the Lakers should be patient with him, and give him as much time as necessary to find his rhythm and place on the floor. Bryant is the mentoring type. Scott isn’t the developing type. Too wound up in their owns egos, too accomplished to think that any of this disaster is their own doing. But against the Nets, even the Lakers trainwreck looks like a team with something to look forward to.