Lakers-Kings reaction: Sacramento punks LA to complete season sweep

Lakers-Kings reaction: Sacramento punks LA to complete season sweep

Yo yo I’m yovon bhha Lakers beat rider for the athletic and welcome to another Lakers postgame reaction show I just got back to my hotel from the golden one Center where the Lakers lost 120 to 107 to complete the season sweep at the hands of the Sacramento Kings LA drops

To 36 and 31 they’ve won 12 of 18 games but have lost twice to the Sacramento Kings in the past week and I’m not going to bury the lead for you guys La got punk tonight I don’t know how else to say it but this was another must-win

Game and not only did they lose but I think this was worse than last week’s loss and last week I called it the worst loss of the Season uh given they blew a 19-point lead they got destroyed in that second quarter and were pretty much

Blown out the rest of the way they they tried to make it interesting in the second half but it was never really that close and in this game it was closer deeper into the game it was a four-point game at Halftime but then they got blown

Out in the third quarter but to me the reason this one was worse was because of the no shows offensively from LeBron James Anthony Davis and D’Angelo Russell through the first three quarters and then the team’s non-existent effort defensively in transition and with their backline and second third and fourth uh

Rotations in terms of getting out to Shooters and the Kings made 19 threes uh I have it here they shot 19 of 41 which is 46.3% so nearly 50% on threes in a game that the Lakers I mean LeBron and AD both spoke at shootaround today and both

Spoke about the importance of this game Darin ham spoke pregame the Lakers had a practice yesterday they they so you know to lead into this game they had two days off uh they had a practice you know they had one day completely off rest that was

80’s birthday then they have a a day of practice going over film prepping uh based on last week’s matchup then they have a shoot around and they have another opportunity to go through again More film and more strategy and they just come out and lay an absolute Egg

And I just I don’t understand it uh I did Spectrum on Monday and I was asked to uh to pick a word to describe the Lakers season and I chose confounding and I stand by that word I think that word applies to their performance tonight where again it’s a it’s a must-win situation

This is a team directly above them in the standings this is a team they were two games behind entering this game if they had won this game and if they had won last week uh they’d be tied in the season series and they’d potentially be tied in the standings and the fact that

They lost both games in the manner that they did um I mean I think credit goes to Sacramento and their coaching staff their game plan uh Their Stars their starters the the way that they performed we obviously often look at things through a Lakers perspective on on this

Show just because of I’m a Lakers beat reporter this is primarily Lakers content uh but I think the Kings deserve a lot of credit uh that said you know I think it was pretty surprising effort from the Lakers in a game that was essentially a must-win and that they had

Two days to prep for so I’m going to quickly run through some numbers Ru haimura had 20 points though only took one shot in the second half and that came late in the fourth quarter LeBron had 18 13 and9 continuing his double- digit scoring streak but he didn’t reach

Double digits actually until the fourth quarter ad80 had 22 and S Austin Reeves led the way offensively with 28 and D had an absolute stinker with six points on two for n shooting so with that other way let’s get into the three takeaways from tonight’s game take Point number

One is LA’s three leading scores came up short offensively in a game that they desperately needed at least two if not all three to have monster performances to help this team get an important Road win against a team that has had their number for two years now I want to start

With LeBron because he he to me was was the the odd one where you saw that one stretch in the fourth quarter uh when he finally got going he reaches double figures then he has a couple back-to-back dunks and he gets downhill and there’s part of it was breakdowns on

The king’s end uh where he just gets wide open uh back-to-back dunks but part of it too was like why wasn’t that happening more tonight and he finished 6 for 16 uh was four for six in the free throw line so did get to the free throw

Line uh several times obviously but five turnovers for him to nine assists you know did uh ultimately move the ball well but it was just very an uncharacteristic performance from LeBron where it felt like every time there was kind of a key stretch or a key moment he

Would have an odd miss or a bad turnover and this was I mean it’s it’s funny saying this cuz he had 18 13 and N but this to me was one of his worst Gam games of the season and this was again a a game where the Lakers really needed

Him and I know he was under the weather uh he he was sick uh that was why he didn’t speak to us last game postgame uh you could hear it in his voice speaking to him at shoot around and after the game uh but it it still was like it just

I don’t know it was a very uncharacteristic Lebron game ad finished 7even of 18 uh he had again 22 and 10 but uh was thoroughly outplayed head-to-head by Damonte sabon who dictated the terms of Engagement he was you I mean when I say the Lakers got

Punked it was at times ad getting punked specifically by sabonis and and sabonis played with a level of physicality that ad ultimately couldn’t match and this was the second time in a week that we saw that really the fourth time this season and now he’s 0 and 10 against

Sabonis all time in their career matchup so um I would have liked to have seen ad take a hard foul on him or or you know just do something to kind of set the tone or or at least match because there were several points in this game like I

I think of that one play late in the third where uh sabonis kind of tries to drive on him ad stops and then he just turns pivots and elbows ad in the face and uh it knocks ad back and scores and I was surprised Darin didn’t get a

Technical on that play like it was a blatant offensive foul there’s really no other way to to cut it but you know ad ad Falls he’s holding his face uh you know Lakers are upset it was just like I don’t like I don’t know what you’re

Supposed to do there if you’re ad like that that was maybe one of the few times where like I didn’t necessarily hold that against him but there were several of those plays of of of times where um you know sabonis would catch the ball deep and just move ad with with his

Shoulder with his elbow just W with his frame and he was able to draw fouls score inside uh get offensive rebounds and I I just felt like he he really dominated ad tonight and sabonis 17 points 19 rebounds 10 assists so he gets the triple double uh so 80 technically

Outscored him but he doubled him on the glass uh more than doubled him in the assist column and and he really controlled the game uh for the second time in the past week and to me was overall the best guy on the floor then

There was DLo who went two for n on a day when an ESPN story came out uh essentially detailing his resurgence with the Lakers and his journey from uh last summer where he doesn’t get the contract that he wants but he’s able to negotiate a player option and then he

Gives up uh the the the de facto no trade clause so he agrees basically if the Lakers want to trade me they can trade me and then he goes through uh a rough December gets benched then he suffers a tailbone injury comes back from that and not only plays his best

Basketball as a Laker but plays some of the best basketball of his career over the last couple months uh and and but mid all that is is dealing with the trade rumors and uh being thrown in for dejon Murray or Zack LaVine or or different deals and he handles it all

Well uh for the most part and now we’re here uh but there was a quote in there about d uh talking about his relationship with Arvin ham and how last season he felt like he couldn’t come to ham and have honest conversations with him because of Ham’s relationship with

Dennis shuder and uh you know shuder obviously had been coached by uh previously in in Atlanta and they had a very close relationship uh was in some ways the Toran Prince of last year’s roster in terms of uh being the kind of the the coach’s darling and ultimately

That DLo felt like there was a cap on his relationship with Darin a a cap on his role with the team just given the Dennis Dynamic and that this year things have improved and and you know they’ve been able to have some difficult conversations they’ve been able to go

Back and forth over text message and film sessions uh but I think people glommed on to to the the the content of the Dennis situation and that was obviously a storyline last year in terms of just Dennis and and some favoritism and um him closing gamees sometimes or

Or the three guard lineups or just Dennis’s role being somewhat too large and again it’s kind of been a continuation into this season uh with largely torian Prince but to a lesser extent uh cam reddish but that was really interesting that you know the way

That all kind of came out and played out and then DLo lays a stinker and as uh one of his worst games of the Season like I mean he’s still had six assists and I I felt he was Finding ruy and Austin and keeping those guys going as

They were hot uh but two for n started 0 for six before he made his first shot a a big stinker so I I think I don’t like it’s a little reductive to just say it’s because of this but to me when you look at LeBron ad and DLo combining to shoot

15 for 43 under 30% or right around 30% like that’s if I told you that before the game you probably would have said the Lakers lose and again like ruy and Austin stepped up uh they both ruy had 20 points on nine of 11 shooting Austin

Had 28 points on 10 to 17 shooting including seven threes like those guys did about all they could offensively to try and carry the load uh that’s about as good as it’s going to get from either one of those guys and it really was the other three all really struggling for

The first three quarters again LeBron got going a little bit in garbage time uh ad80 made some jumpers late and DLo really just never got going uh but it was disappointing from that perspective of just Lakers needed at least one of those guys to have a normal game

Probably two of them ideally three of them and for all three to really have bad offensive performances um that was like that was the game right there takeway number two was the Lakers defensive rotations were inexcusable tonight and I’m talking specifically their three-point rotations again Sacramento shot 19 of 41

46.3% I went back on Synergy and watched all 19 makes and there were some Trends uh one a couple times early uh DLo overh helped for no apparent reason off of Keon Ellis he made a couple of Threes uh then a lot of it was LeBron

And a lesser extent and then a lot of it was LeBron um I would say honestly almost half of the threes were directly related to LeBron not closing out hard uh Lebron not getting around a screen uh Lebron not switching when a guy was clearly trying to trigger a switch uh so

I I mentioned LeBron’s offensive struggles and him dealing with the ankle injury him dealing with sickness uh but it really to me what was more the defensive end where I think you can make the case this was arguably his worst game or or worst performance of the

Season because uh like we know LeBron’s 39 year 21 uh most minutes of any NBA player in in history so like so on some level his effort defensively is excusable just because he played 40 minutes tonight uh he he continues to carry a giant offensive load and he’s

Doing things in at you know at a point in his career where we’ve just never seen a player do these things and do them at the level that he’s doing them at but his efforts as the low man continue to fluctuate night toight most times they’re not great uh but then

There are the games where they are great and you just kind of Wonder like why can’t he do that more consistently or or why can’t he do that at least in the bigger games or bigger moments when the Lakers need it and tonight to me on

Paper was that type of game Lakers had again a couple days off a couple days to plan uh a practice a shoot around and the fact that uh Lebron you know wasn’t getting around dribble handoffs to contest uh Harrison Barnes or uh was not really paying attention that he was the

Help guy on the weak side to Keegan Murray or um again you know a guy calls for a switch and LeBron doesn’t switch out or he switches without the communicating with the other player and like it was just a lot of miscommunication and miscues and it’s not solely on LeBron like they’re like

Ruy had a couple of them um again DLo had a couple you know Austin had like one or might have had one um and just some of it was tough shot making from the Kings like this is a really good three-point shooting team I think I

Believe they’re top five uh in makes and attempts and they burn the Lakers and like that’s just uh that’s just how it goes sometimes right like and and especially at home but I didn’t even mention this yet this was like back toback for the Kings like that was the

Other thing is like the Lakers came in rested two days off uh kings came in playing a a Bucks team in granted it was a blowout so they got to rest their guys a little bit didn’t uh play them their their normal minutes or workload but

Like if anyone had an excuse tonight it was the Kings where they were the less desperate team they had already won the season series against the Lakers they were up 3-0 and they came out like the team with the sense of urgency like it was a game seven like their season was

On the line I I think the Lakers clearly have some limitations in terms of uh you know point of attack guys right now like V’s out gave Vincent’s out cam reddish was out uh so there is a limitation there I thought Spencer Den witty for as bad as he’s been offensively continues

To play really high level defense I thought his defense against Monk and fox uh was really impressive tonight and he continues to be a plus Defender uh for this group didn’t score tonight went 0 for two missed a big three at at a critical part in the second half but

Like uh aside from Spencer dwy and I thought Max Christie also had some good minutes uh played n and a half minutes he came in and was you guarding Monk and uh I thought you know monk had a the thing was like the Lakers were kind of successful with their game plan with

Like monk went 3 for 10 fox went 9 for 20 uh so just under 50% but like you know given given how much he had torched them before that that’s a win for the Lakers sabonis was only 6 for 10 uh and it felt like you know the Lakers did

Switch things up defensively uh last time I was very critical about their game plan uh this time uh they they mixed in some switching they mixed in some up to touch uh in terms of like ad80 being at the level of the screen uh they mixed in some two3 Zone which

Sometimes works sometimes didn’t when it didn’t it was ugly and and the Kings kind of figured that out and the lickers eventually went away from that but like I got to give Darin and the coaching uh staff credit for mixing up pitches like that was a big thing LeBron talked about

A shoot around ad mentioned like guys guys have mentioned recently the need to switch up pitches defensively and they did that uh and I thought for the most part the initial defense of like the point of attack and protecting the rim were actually fine for the most part

Like uh Sacramento had 38 points in the paint remember last game I think they had 78 uh something like that and and fox himself had 32 so like from that perspective Lakers actually had some defensive progress it was really uh the the you know Darin mentioned the

Multiple efforts and and sort of like the second action the third action the fourth action and that’s where the breakdowns were like the Lakers were fine on most of the first actions and they were fine on even some of the second but once they got to like that

Third fourth action that’s where you saw the breakdowns and now look there there were some bad like specifically again with LeBron like there were some bad ones where it was just like you know guy Harrison Bens brings the ball up the floor ruds like a dribble head off with

With sabonis sabonis pitches it back to him and he’s like wide open and just gets a three and like that’s partly on LeBron and some of the stuff could be scheme based too like I I I you know we’re not in the coaches meetings we’re not in the the pregame meetings so like

I don’t know how much of that was like Hey if if Harrison Barnes wants to shoot like let him shoot but Harrison bards made 7 11 Theses Keegan Murray made five of of 10 and Keon Ellis made three of five and like that was the difference was uh even though Fox and sabonis

Didn’t have like these monster games it was the role players of the Kings really stepping up and and burning the Lakers with with like right there that’s 15 of your 19 threes for the kings came from Barnes Murray and Ellis the the defensive mistakes that they had were

Just again inexcusable it wasn’t point of attack Fox is just burning them uh it was a lot of just dribble handoff stuff and the Kings moving the ball side to side and eventually the Lakers got tired or the Lakers mixed up a coverage or or again miscommunicated so like I felt it

Was more so the the manner in which they made these mistakes that was discouraging for such a big game and really shouldn’t be happening in game 67 uh of an 82 Game season I know they’ve had a lot of injuries they’ve had a lot of rotation changes lineup changes

Different variables that have gone against them but this group for the most part this current group of the guys that they’ve had available have been playing now for at least a couple weeks together if not dating back to uh you know right before the All-Star break so I don’t

Know if I if I buy that excuse as much like V has been out since early February Gabe’s been out basically the whole season Christian did go out right before the All-Star break so that’s been a factor but they’ve now not had Christian for going on three weeks and then cam

Has been in and out of the lineup but he’s only played like two or three games uh since the All-Star break so it’s not really like that’s more of a factor for like a you know tan or Max and and that affects their minutes a little bit but

Like it’s not a giant change to uh to the rotation that where I think it would have these Ripple effects so the Stars missing shots you know 8 LeBron Miss some some bunnies 8 had a couple dunk Miss is and whatever like sabonis was bothering him and that’s one thing the

Defense is the one thing you can control and the fact that the Lakers were were so bad defensively for stretches of this game I I just to me it was inexcusable takeaway number three is this next game against the Golden State Warriors on Saturday is a must-win or it’s at least

A must win if the Lakers want to avoid the number 10 seed they’re currently a game ahead of the warriors uh they’re 36 and 31 the Warriors are 34 and 31 so they’re two games up in the win column but losing that game to the Warriors

Would put them down down uh 2-1 in the season series they still have a fourth matchup uh in La later in the year but given you know I I said it in my matchup rankings earlier in the week on episode three of boas’s block like the Warriors

Have entering I believe a couple days ago had the fifth best record in the league since late January when Draymond Green I think it was January 27th when when Draymond Green entered the starting lineup against the Lakers and and from that point they they’ve been playing

Really well and I I think they’ve gone one in one since then so maybe they’re you know sixth or seventh best record in the league but they’re in that like top six or seven and the fact that uh they’re playing so well and the Lakers have largely been playing well but not

As well as the Warriors that is a bit of a troubling sign and now and look now Luca donic is dealing with a hamstring injury and and those can be tough to deal with uh so we we’ll see what happens with with Dallas and and golden

Like Golden State and Dallas are the the two primary competitors with the Lakers uh in terms of seating but but this game against the Warriors it’s it’s going to be a similar situation now where the Lakers have two days off two days to prepare uh they they’re going to be off

Thursday they’re going to have a practice on Friday we’ll see about shoot around on Saturday it is an earlier game so I doubt they shoot around they’ll probably have a walkth through uh but this is another their home again rested at home like this is another one where

You have no excuses I I believe Draymond missed the game today Steph’s been out going to assume those guys are probably back against the Lakers because it’s the Lakers and that’s how goes this season but that’s a huge game and one variable that’s going to be really interesting is

The Kings and and the Warriors are are slightly different a popular uh comparison this week has been Sacramento and Denver I think offensively there’s a lot of similarities there I do think obviously joic and Murray are just better versions of of uh Fox and sabonis and the defense is night and day like

There there’s no Aaron Gordon on the Kings uh there’s really no PJ on the Kings either no kcp like it’s not a perfect comparison but I do see the similarities especially with the two-man game and and a passing big man um and and just the dribble handoff stuff and

Like there are some similarities with the offense but there’s also some similarities with the Kings and the Warriors given Mike Brown came from uh the the Warriors system and and learning from Steve Kerr and uh helping that team win championships and implementing a lot of the the five out stuff and there’s

Actually some overlap with sabonis and and Draymond Green uh so I’m I’m interested to see too like the Lakers how they respond in a similar way to like the Warriors are another team that’s top five in in three-point makes sent attempts and I believe they’re even shoot the the three better

Than than the Kings from a percentage perspective and uh that’s just another team that could get hot and easily drop 19 threes on you and I mean they they have the best shooter of all time the two arguably the two best Shooters of all time so it’s like a it’s kind of

Like a second chance for the Lakers to problem solve some of the things that defensively uh but it’s also a test to me of I’m beginning to be a little bit worried with the Lakers starting lineup and I think it makes the most sense giving the available Personnel so I

Don’t think it’s a short-term change necessarily but I I do think if you have a team that has a lot of movement and a lot of shooting and is able to space the Lakers out and force them into rotation and really force them into multiple actions this starting group defensively

I don’t know if it’s just I just don’t know if it’s good enough and it probably doesn’t matter in certain matchups and if if you’re a more isoe heavy team Like a Phoenix or or the Clippers uh or even Boston sometimes when maybe the bad version of Boston the good version

Of Boston is spraying the ball around but the the teams that rely more on ball movement and shooting and spacing and are smart and and run smart actions and and run a lot of handoffs and and different things intricate sets I do wonder if this starting group is

Good enough to hang with them defensively uh my inclination is no and I think we’ve seen them struggle a bit against Denver and against Sacramento and those are two of the teams that I I would classify as as those types of offensive teams and against Denver I

Mean the way they kept up with Denver was really their offense and and just scoring at a it kind of you know turned into a track meet in terms of just like both teams are scoring a lot and the Lakers were able to keep up with them in

That way but it wasn’t like the Lakers were getting all these stops and it was like this defensive slugfest so I do wonder if when gab Vincent returns or Jared Vanderbilt returns uh if and I think it would have to be V not not Gabe but like as the Lakers you know cam

Comes back like as the Lakers have to get some of these point of attack defensive minded perimeter guys back uh I mean one like how that affects the rotation just in general like how many of those guys are playing uh I think Vando is going to play but is Gabe in

The rotation is Cam in the rotation how does that affect things and then two specifically with the starters if Vando can return in time does he go back to starting and do you move ruy to the bench and you just say we’re going to play a little bit bigger Off the Bench

With like ruie Spencer and Christian or Jackson depending on the matchup and and then you know m i mean Tan’s probably in the rotation but like Max or like you can kind of play with that like other perimeter guy spot and I don’t know about Gabe and where he fits into all

That but like I just wonder if the Lakers need another defender in that group and you can’t change the roster obviously at this point uh but and I don’t know if it I don’t know if it’s spenc like I thought again Spencer’s defense has been really good he hasn’t

Shot the ball well he has he’s moved the ball well I think he’s like fit in the the offense but he hasn’t been the the scorer or or the the creator that the Lakers envisioned him being um but I just think I don’t know what the answer

Is it might just be V swapping in for for ruie uh and I do think there will be matchups where Lakers need ruie to to start or to close at a minimum and like I again I think Ru is their fifth best player but and I don’t know if you break

Up Austin and D again like I just I think that’s Galaxy reigning it I think that’s their their third and fourth best players I just I don’t know there there’s something with that group defensively and like part of it is how much effort an engagement is is LeBron

Bringing um but like looking at the other three guys like there are just some physical limitations and some defensive limitations with a combo of ruy Austin and DLo and if if this group is not getting 30 free throws a night or taking 40 to 503s a night I just don’t

Know if the offens is going to be at a high enough level to offset their defensive limitations and of course mixing guys in so it’s not like these guys are playing 48 minutes but even looking at it tonight ruy played 36 minutes LeBron played 40 ad played 41 Austin played 37 just two

Seconds away from playing 38 or or being above uh you know 37 and a half uh DLo played 33 and then you look at the bench uh basically 20 for Spencer just under 10 for Max 13 for Tan just under seven for Jackson so like they W with a pretty

Tight rotation it was technically a 9-man rotation but only seven guys crack double figures in in terms of minutes and you know they they played like more of a playoff style lineup and there was a lot of minutes with the starters and and again it’s only certain matchups so

Maybe it’s more of a matchup based starting lineup thing but I I think they miss Vando Gabe just point of attack guys like another option could just be playing maxmore I’ve been clamoring for that for a while uh I just don’t see it happening like this would have been a

Nice matchup to play him more for some reason they went back to Toran at the four which that lineup was a negative toan was lost on the team in plus minus I thought kind of after a couple good games had a a bad game or or subpar game

Uh and you was two for two did hit a three but like uh I just you know one Rebound in in 13 minutes and I don’t know uh I think there’s still some tweaks that could happen with the rotation I just think there’s something to like the the Lakers just need better

Defense out there and and finding AIT better two-way balance but that’ll do it for today’s episode I will be back on Friday with a special guest I have the interview lined up for tomorrow so think you guys will enjoy that one and again thank you guys so much for watching if

You enjoyed this video be sure to like comment and subscribe and I will talk to you soon yeah

Here’s my reaction to the Los Angeles Lakers’ 120-107 loss to the Sacramento Kings at the Golden 1 Center on Wednesday, March 13, 2024.

I cover why this probably tops last week as the worst loss of the season, the Lakers’ three leading scorers (LeBron James, Anthony Davis and D’Angelo Russell) all struggling offensively, LA’s inexcusable defensive effort, AD vs. Domantas Sabonis, how important Saturday’s game vs. Golden State is now, why I’m becoming concerned with the starters and more.

If you enjoy this type of NBA content, please like, comment and subscribe!

Chapters:
0:00 Intro
4:04 Takeaway No. 1: LA’s three leading scorers come up short
10:57 Takeaway No. 2: Their defensive rotations were inexcusable
19:06 Takeaway No. 3: Golden State is now even more of a must-win
22:31 Bonus Takeaway: Why I’m becoming concerned with the starters
28:06 Outro

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