Lakers’ slim margin of error, uncertain identity exposed in loss to Clippers
INGLEWOOD — The Lakers’ 116-102 loss to the Clippers on Sunday night at Intuit Dome provided another example of lessons they’ve been reminded of constantly this season.
Their margin for error is thin.
And their identity is very much a work in progress – a sentiment multiple people within the organization acknowledged, while also adding that they feel the team is trending in the right direction.
“We are growing and we all know that during the growth process, you have some bumps and that’s OK,” first-year head coach JJ Redick said after the loss. “That’s OK. Our group is, we’re together and we’re connected certainly more times than not.
“And we’ll continue to grow and build. But I thought there was some good stuff [on Sunday]. There was some good stuff. But yeah, we just gotta keep trying to get better.”
And the Lakers got a firsthand look at what it looks like when a team, such as the defensive-minded Clippers, not only has an identity, but has a larger margin for error not just because of its roster construction and style of play, but because it consistently plays to its strengths.
“I consider them a great team,” Redick said of the Clippers. “They have Hall of Famers. [Ivica] Zubac is a monster.”
Redick added: “They’re a defensive team with an offensive engine and a bunch of guys who play their roles really well. Then you add Kawhi [Leonard] to that and he, the guy just doesn’t miss.”
And the Clippers being rooted in their identity is why they’re 24-17 with the league’s second-best defensive rating despite Leonard missing the first 34 games and being on a minutes restriction in the five games he has played.
The Lakers, meanwhile, have gotten great availability from their best players: Anthony Davis and LeBron James have both played 37 of the Lakers’ 40 games so far. Austin Reaves has played in 35 games.
Despite this, their identity remains a work in progress as they near the season’s midway point.
“I feel like we’re working to get there,” Reaves said of the team’s identity. “New staff, new head coach. It’d be beautiful if we could just come in and snap your finger and know exactly what you’re supposed to do every single possession.
“So I’d say we’re still working there. Everybody’s trending in the right direction. So that’s a positive. But like you said, they know their identity. Every player [on the Clippers] knows what they’re out there to do. We’re working to get there.”
The Lakers are 22-18 after Sunday’s loss, but with a negative point differential and an 11-18 record against teams with records .500 or better. In this one, they were outrebounded 38-33 (giving up eight offensive boards to Zubac) and outscored in the paint 54-48.
“I think, again, it goes back to just not having a huge margin for error,” Redick said. “And I think our group is like, if one guy is gone from the rotation, there’s an exponential effect to that. When we’re healthy, we’re whole, and we’re playing and connected, and we execute, I think we’re a great basketball team. That’s what I mean by that.
“We have a 22-18 record, we have a negative net rating. Some of that is lost games because we’ve died. We just don’t have a huge margin for error. And nor can we create that margin organically. It has to be emphasized daily to touch the paint, to play paint to great mentality, make the extra pass. We don’t have a guy on our team that is going to necessarily always draw two to the ball, we don’t have a guy on our team that’s going to be able to get past this guy one-on-one and get to the paint and spray out. It’s just not our team. So we have to do it through connectivity, through execution. And when we do that, we’re really good.”
When asked if there are ways the Lakers can improve their margin for error, LeBron James responded: “Nah. That’s how our team is constructed. We don’t have room for error – for much error.”
Which makes an 82-game regular season even more mentally demanding.
“We don’t have a choice,” James said. “I mean, that’s the way our team is constructed. And we have to play close to perfect basketball.”