How did we get here?
That question has been on a loop in my mind. With every Cooper Flagg jumper over Luke Kennard. During the whole fourth quarter of Tuesday’s Thunder game.
It’s hard to really grasp how quickly everything went awry. This season deserved better than this.
How did we get here?
A week ago, the Lakers were riding high, fresh off one of the wins of the season against the Cavs. It capped off a March where they established themselves as one of the best teams in the NBA. Their big three had finally coalesced and become a dominant force, led by Luka Dončić and his historic scoring performance.
Even if they were still a level below the Thunder or Spurs, they were building something. With Luka playing at the level he was, it didn’t take much squinting to see the Lakers stunning one of the favorites in a series, either.
And then, in about 24 hours, it all just collapsed.
At 2:59 p.m. PT on Friday, Shams Charania of ESPN reported that Luka had suffered a Grade 2 hamstring injury that would rule him out for at least some time. At 2:11 p.m. PT on Saturday, the Lakers announced Austin Reaves would be out with an oblique strain.
It was a 1-2 combo that would have made Mike Tyson envious. The Lakers went from a puncher’s chance — if not more — to staring at the lights with their back on the canvas.
Even as they’ve peeled themselves up off the mat to give it a go in the final week of the regular season, they’re beyond a shell of themselves. If they offer more than a whimper in the playoffs, it’ll be a surprise.
It’s an unjust ending to a season that had so much behind it.
It hurts because of what this team was becoming. They had built throughout the year to peak as the postseason arrived and, amidst all sorts of injuries, it was finally happening. Luka and Austin and LeBron James had gotten that time on the court together at last and it looked great. Now, it’ll all be for naught.
Luka’s scoring exploits will be remembered because those nights are hard to forget and are easy to highlight. But his level of buy-in defensively raised the floor of this team and was a big factor in that March success. Now, it’ll fade into the background.
Much the same, Austin’s early-season rise to superstardom won the Lakers some important games and secured tiebreakers that mattered down the stretch. But he, too, had slotted nicely into a role as the second star, forming a dynamic backcourt. He, too, had made strides defensively to help this team compete. Those, too, will be for naught now.
And then there’s LeBron. After years of being The Guy on teams, not only had he handed the keys over to Luka on the fly, but he had moved Austin ahead of him on the totem pole as well. In Year 23 at age 41, he was reinventing himself one more time, becoming a third fiddle who feasted in transition while doing a bit of playmaking when necessary. But he was more than willing to sit back and watch the new stars of the franchise take over. And now, none of that matters.
It’s feels especially harsh for him as the chances of him competing for a title are extremely finite. With his future uncertain, there’s a non-zero chance this was the last go. And it was ripped away.
As up and down as his season has been, Deandre Ayton and Jaxson Hayes had seemed to find their footing and were having success. The latter had certainly re-established himself after a disastrous playoffs last year.
Marcus Smart had been a home run signing for the Lakers, coming in and doing the exact things they needed of him. He may not have been at his best defensively, but he was certainly still good enough. And he had more than a few nights when he alone swung games.
Rui Hachimura had not only accepted his role coming off the bench, but embraced it. In a contract year, no less. Luke Kennard came in as a midseason acquisition and fit better than anyone could have expected.
And now, it’s over with no reward.
Kennard’s game-winner against the Magic. Rui’s against the Raptors. Luka’s against the Nuggets. Austin’s against the Wolves. Those all live on as singular moments with no collective payoff.
The chemistry-building moments on and off the court were supposed to have a greater end goal in mind. The teaching moments in losses. The gritty wins where you learn something about your team. It all ended up being a little too meaningless.
The Lakers were almost certainly not going to win a title this year. But their play in March changed that from a definitive statement to one with a little less certainty. They had built to a moment where they would have a chance. To have it all upended in one weekend is a gut punch.
Having to watch what’s left of the team limp into the playoffs makes it worse, because you know it’s not an accurate representation of what this team was. It’s to say nothing of the players left, who have to pick up the pieces and finish the season while likely in some form of shellshock as the fans are experiencing.
None of it seems fair. Life isn’t fair and the basketball gods can be cruel. But this Lakers team deserved more than this ending. It’s really just hard to fully grasp.
How did we get here?
You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.
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