Plaschke: Lakers’ season a collection of pratfalls and airballs

After the Lakers blew a lead and misplaced to Golden State within the first recreation of this season, LeBron James was requested whether or not he had any recommendation for Russell Westbrook, who had made all of 4 baskets.

“I informed Russ to go dwelling and watch a comedy,” James mentioned.

It seems Westbrook didn’t have to go dwelling for that.

His group was a comedy. The Lakers’ play could be laughable. The following six months have been pure slapstick.

In producing essentially the most disappointing season in franchise historical past, the Lakers have been one massive joke wrapped round a sequence of punchlines.

Well-known first phrases

The Lakers have been 0-6 within the preseason, shedding by a mean of 15 factors per recreation.

“Not regarding,” coach Frank Vogel mentioned.

Oh, he acquired it

Earlier than the season opener, Dwight Howard took the microphone, welcomed the then-Staples Heart crowd and ended his speech with, “Let’s get it!”

Three days later, in the course of the Lakers’ second recreation towards Phoenix, Anthony Davis angrily grabbed Howard by the jersey and shoved him backward into the Lakers’ bench.

It’s actually that horrible

In early January, with function gamers slowly coming back from accidents, the Lakers beat Atlanta to win their fourth consecutive recreation.

“We’re getting our guys again,” James mentioned. “It’s actually that easy.”

It might be the final time the Lakers would win consecutive video games, giving them a streak-less stretch of just about three months that ranks because the NBA’s worst this season.

About ‘getting our guys again’ …

When James and Davis play collectively, the Lakers are 11-11.

Foreigner in a land of fine photographs

In a mid-January go to to Sacramento, the operations of us at Golden 1 Heart performed “Chilly As Ice” each time Westbrook missed a shot.

He tried 14 photographs that evening. The tune was performed 12 instances.

Trolling within the deep

When he wasn’t busy ruining the Lakers, de facto normal supervisor Wealthy Paul discovered time to deliver girlfriend Adele to video games.

Throughout one such recreation, the U.S. Solar reported that she “can’t cease laughing.”

The Lakers as laxative

Throughout one of many many instances when the criticism of Vogel reached a deafening stage, James refused to hitch the naysayer’s refrain.

“I’m not a unfavourable individual,” he informed reporters. “So in case you acquired one thing to ask me in addition to attempting to s— on any individual, I’ll reply these. … It looks as if y’all are in s— mode proper now.”

Then there’s denial mode

At one level in mid-January, it appeared Vogel could possibly be fired at any minute.

“I don’t really feel like I’m below siege,” he mentioned. “It’s not onerous to do my job.”

Lakers coach Frank Vogel argues with a referee throughout a recreation towards the Nuggets on April 3.

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Occasions)

He was undoubtedly below siege. It turned not possible to do his job. Maybe no Lakers coach has misplaced a group like he misplaced this group.

He’ll be fired at season’s finish, and he’ll be deeply grateful for it.

Contagious teaching

David Fizdale is the charismatic and revered high assistant coach and was thought of a pure to maneuver into Vogel’s spot besides, um, when Vogel missed six video games due to COVID-19 well being and security protocols, Fizdale went 1-5.

Did he ship them a thank-you card?

In the course of the season, Jerry West mentioned the Lakers took away his lifetime season tickets.

Pelinka posterized

Through the week surrounding the All-Star break, James was offended that Lakers basketball boss Rob Pelinka mentioned James was OK with the group’s inactivity on the commerce deadline, and he let the world understand it.

First, he retweeted a photograph of Rams normal supervisor Les Snead carrying a T-shirt with the phrases, “F-them picks,” referring to Snead’s penchant for buying and selling draft picks to win now.

“LEGEND,” James tweeted. “My sort of man.”

Then he went out of his method to reward … Oklahoma Metropolis normal supervisor Sam Presti?

“The MVP over there may be Sam Presti. … I don’t perceive this man’s eye for expertise. … This man is fairly rattling good,” James mentioned.

LeBron James reacts after being launched as a part of the NBA’s seventy fifth Anniversary Staff throughout All-Star weekend in Cleveland.

(Tim Nwachukwu / Getty Photos)

The issue, in fact, is that James and Paul formed this group together with Pelinka.

They have been all fairly rattling unhealthy.

Dropping mixtures

The entrance workplace constructed a group so previous, so mismatched and so ineffective, the Lakers have used 39 beginning lineups this season, or principally a brand new one each different recreation.

What are you ready for?

James informed the Athletic that “the door’s not closed” on a return to Cleveland.

Perhaps she desires to hitch him

Whereas watching the Lakers path New Orleans by 25 factors within the third quarter of a recreation in late February, co-owner and governor Jeanie Buss all of a sudden stood up from her seat and walked out.

If the brick matches …

In early March, along with his struggles now symbolic of the Lakers’ nightmare, Westbrook lashed out towards followers who would chant “Westbrick.”

“Westbrick, to me, is now shaming. It’s like shaming my identify. It’s my legacy for my children,” he mentioned. “I feel quite a lot of instances I let it slide, however it’s now time to place a cease to that and put it on discover there’s a distinction, and we want to ensure it’s understood. And each time I do hear it now, I’ll ensure that I tackle it and ensure that I nip that within the bud.”

4 days later towards Washington, he addressed it by taking pictures two for 11.

Corridor Of Famer shamers

Magic Johnson ripped the Lakers for a “lack of effort and no sense of urgency.”

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar known as out James, saying, “A few of the issues he’s achieved, he ought to be embarrassed about.”

Shaquille O’Neal torched the Lakers on TNT, saying, “It seems like they’re quitting.”

James Worthy leveled them after a midseason loss to makeshift Portland, saying on Spectrum SportsNet: “That is the bottom level of nearly any season I’ve seen as a Laker over time. I don’t have any phrases for it as a result of we’ve used all our phrases.”

Not fairly all their phrases.

Audio surfaced from 2019 by which West known as the Lakers a “s— present.”

Sad hour

Earlier than a recreation in March towards Phoenix, Davis informed ESPN that his groin harm was the rationale the Lakers misplaced to the Suns within the 2021 playoffs, saying, “We all know that. … They know that. … They acquired away with one.”

After the Lakers misplaced by 29 factors, Suns star Devin Booker responded, “If ifs have been a fifth, we’d all be drunk.”

From unhealthy …

Throughout a 21-point loss in March to the Clippers that clinched the Clippers’ sweep of their four-game season sequence, Clippers guard Reggie Jackson danced and preened and crowed.

All James may do is shrug.

“They’re a greater group,” he mentioned, and when is the final time any Laker admitted that the hated Clippers have been a greater group?

The reply is rarely.

Guard Reggie Jackson encourages followers to cheer as he leads the Clippers to a 132-111 win over the Lakers on March 3.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Occasions)

To worse …

In a 20-point loss at Minnesota in mid-March, Karl-Anthony Cities mocked a Westbrook airball by trying round and pretending to seek for it.

Then Patrick Beverley went after Westbrook by shouting, “He’s trash,” and holding his nostril.

Yeah, the Timberwolves.

Air-clamation level

As lately as Friday evening, the Lakers nonetheless had an opportunity to start salvaging the season in a recreation towards New Orleans.

Davis was again. James was again. The group was intact. The playoffs have been nonetheless a chance. Even after blowing a late lead, James had one shot from past the three-point line within the closing seconds to tie it and …

After all.

Airball.