Lakers "Quarter of the Season Gone" Report Card!

***(NOTE TO READER: THIS BLOG ENTRY WAS FINISHED BEFORE THE GAME AGAINST THE CELTICS (FRIDAY NIGHT). I MEANT TO PUBLISH IT EARLIER IN THE DAY. OOPS!)***

Okay because my muse, or my cat, somehow deleted my notes from the last few games off of my laptop (always blame others for your mistakes!), I’ll dive right into my “1/4 of the season gone by report card” segment. Here is where I give letter grades to the players, the head coach, and even the guys who are sitting at home collecting pay checks while nursing their broken-down bodies. 

Let’s do this:

The Team: D+. I know we don’t have a prayer of making the playoffs here in the loaded West, but I still don’t think the Lakers are as bad as their record indicates. Well yes…...maybe they are.  There were a few games where nearly everything came together.  And the over-the-top blowouts seem to be a thing of the past. It can only get better from here right? Right???? 

Coach Scott: B-. Considering this team has provided plenty of overtime for the medical staff (for the 2^nd season in a row), I would say that Scott is doing a commendable job. I think he needs to reign in Kobe a bit more (year right), and possibly tweak the starting lineup. At the very least he’s made them a little more competitive. They are losing by less and less every week!

Kobe: B+. Kobe is Kobe. You know what you’re getting with him. He’s a step slower, and a bit banged up after 18 seasons, but he’s still game, and willing to put his body through the grind. I'd like to see him continue with that scorer/play-maker role he’s adopted these past few games. And is it asking to much to cut down on the turnovers? At the end of the day, when you get a triple-double, Kobe's turnovers should not be a part of it.
And when you’re triple -teamed, it’s okay to pass the ball. Really it is!

Jordan Hill: B. That’s right, a B. I’m sure some of you feel he deserves a higher grade. I certainly want to give him one. He leads the team in rebounds, and is third on the team in scoring. But I’ve been watching him closely. I still think he can play better. He falls asleep sometimes on defense, and he doesn’t always put a body on someone while rebounding. He recently said he cut down his drinking and it’s given him more energy, but why not take it one step further? How about eliminating most of your drinking during the season and see what your energy level is like then? What a novel concept.

Carlos Boozer: C+. Boozer is putting up numbers that are not spectacular, but not horrible (13 points, 6.6 rebounds). This is what I expected of him. My beef with him is his defense. I know he’s never going to make the all-defensive squad, but how about just a little more effort? He gets into foul trouble quite often, and he sometimes stands around in rebounding situations. Whatever happened to boxing out?

Jeremy Lin: C. Here’s another guy who still hasn’t reached his potential. Maybe the LinSanity of a few years ago was a fluke, but I’ve seen enough of him to know that he has the potential to bring it on any given night. Why doesn’t he? Everyone seems to think it’s a confidence issue. Maybe so, but Kobe and Scott have faith in him (on most occasions). I would love to see him get to that level of consistency that he had in New York.  In the end, if he can handle the point adequately night in and night out, I’ll be satisfied.

Nick Young: A-. The Swaggester gets the highest grade so far, but not because he’s the best player on this team. He receives this grade because he brings the excitement every night, and is a big reason we’ve won four out of the last nine (you know you’re desperate when you’re quoting stats like that). His defense has picked up, and he’s been knocking down shots late in the game…......when he gets the chance. I just hope Kobe takes the blinders off and looks for Swaggy in the last few minutes of a game. Pass him the damn ball Kobe!!!!

Wesley Johnson: B+.  A few weeks ago this may have been a lower grade, but he’s starting to come around. Johnson has made huge strides since the D’Antoni reign, due in part to the coaching staff believing in him, and because of his own budding confidence. Once again we have a player whose ceiling is yet to be reached. Anybody with athleticism like Johnson’s should be putting up big numbers in at least two categories. Though his numbers aren’t scary good, they are on the rise. His confidence in his shot is growing every day, and he plays solid defense. I believe any success the Lakers may enjoy this season (and of course it’s subjective and debatable to what you’d consider “success” for this squad) might rest with the idea of Johnson becoming a reliable 2^nd or 3^rd scorer.

Now that we’ve covered the starting five and Swaggy P, I’ll breeze through the bench.

Ed Davis: C+. Yet another guy who can jump out of the building, but can’t stay on the floor long enough for us to take advantage of it. The guy can block shots with the best of them, but he has the propensity to foul while he’s at it. He can’t stay out of foul trouble, a la Boozer. I like his aggressiveness around the basket. He picks up offensive rebounds, and swat’s away nearly two shots per game. If he can stay out of foul trouble, the team’s defensive success, which has been sorely lacking this season, can only get better.

Ronnie Price: C-. I’m still an advocate for packaging him in a trade with Steve Nash to some team looking for cap space. However, I will begrudgingly admit, he’s improved over the last few games. He was aggravating my last nerve there for awhile, but as of late, he hasn't been as much of a bonehead. If he can continue playing like this, and uses his greatest advantage – his years of experience - he’ll be helpful.

Wayne Ellington: B. I liked his efforts before the tragic loss of his father, and since his return to the team, he’s been steady as a rock. I agree with the utterance from that dinosaur Stu Lantz: this guy needs more shots. He executes the jump shot off a screen as well as anybody, plays with calm demeanor, and can handle both ends of the court.  Give him the rock coach!

Robert Sacre: C+. I’m happy, for the most part, with his play. He’s starting to finally flex that over sized frame of his, and he’s hitting that 10-12 foot shot with some regularity. If he could just be a little more of a rim defender, his grade would be in the B’s.

Jordan Clarkson: Incomplete. He hasn’t been on the floor long enough for me to make an accurate assessment, but he holds a lot of promise. His athleticism and eagerness are fun to watch!

Ryan Kelly: Incomplete. I wasn’t really excited about him in the first place, and was slightly surprised when they brought him back from last year’s squad. He needs to be a consistent stretch four if, and when, he comes back.

The Injured List: F. Usually when you look over an injured list, you scan it to see who will  give us a boost when they return. Well let’s see: Steve Nash, Julius Randle and Xavier Henry. All of them are out for the year. So much for that.

I’ve run out of players. I’d grade the ownership, but I really don’t know which Buss kid is running the show. 

If you made it this far, you’ve got way too much time on your hands. See ya’ next time! Go Lake Show!!