Did the Los Angeles Lakers just blow their golden opportunity? Game 2 of their series against the Nuggets saw LA hold a lead for most of the game. However, Denver slowly but surely came back from an 11-point deficit, eventually snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. It was a total collapse from the Lakers, who may have squandered their best chance to win this series.
There were a lot of factors that led to the Lakers' Game 2 loss to the Nuggets. Let's look at the three players most responsible for this devastating loss, and how each player contributed to the demise of their team.
LeBron James
Unfortunately, LeBron James being a big reason for a Lakers loss is becoming more and more common in the postseason. Before this season, James was almost always a reliable threat in the playoffs. This postseason, though, cracks are starting to show in LeBron's game.
There are a lot of positives from LeBron's Game 2 performance, to be clear. He was locked in on defense, getting key steals and blowing up plays that he's involved in. His rebounding and passing was also consistent, per usual. He had some nice trademark dishes that gave his Lakers teammates good looks.
For all of the good he did, though, he undeniably cost them the game with his horrible offensive output. LeBron was visibly gassed during the fourth quarter, with some fans noting that this was the first time the Lakers star played like his age. He took way too many ill-advised threes in a game where he didn't have his shot. He inexplicably blew layups and dunks he normally makes. He wasn't attacking the basket with the ferocity we know he has.
LeBron James is undoubtedly playing through an injury (one that might have been reaggravated during Game 2). That does not excuse his shoddy performance on offense. The Lakers need him to be better in order to have a chance of winning this series.
Anthony Davis
Anthony Davis' Game 2 can be summarized in the same way as LeBron's performance. On defense, he was phenomenal. When he wasn't on Nikola Jokic, AD was able to alter shots and make life harder for the two-time MVP. And while he did get cooked by the Big Honey on some possessions, AD still held his own for the most part.
The problem, again, is that AD was near-invisible on offense. His 18 points is a bit misleading, since he shot just 4-of-15 from the field. Like LeBron, there were a lot of usually easy shots that AD missed at the rim. His midrange jumper has been hit or miss this postseason, and last night, it was a complete miss. Davis also couldn't attack Jokic in the post.
The daggers came in the fourth quarter. Anthony Davis hit a corner three in the middle of the Nuggets' fiery run to cut the lead to five. Apparently, that shot gave the Lakers shot him all the confidence in the world to shoot more threes (despite being a below-average shooter). Davis got two more open threes after that, including one in the same corner he hit his first three. Both shots did not go in, killing any momentum that LA was trying to build. They were good looks, but AD failed to capitalize on those opportunities. Davis needs to start making these shots to make life a lot easier for him: attacking Jokic off the dribble is much easier than trying to post him up.
D'Angelo Russell
Prior to Game 2 of the Lakers-Nuggets series, Denver guard Bruce Brown said that part of their game plan was to take D'Angelo Russell out of the equation for LA. That was backed up by Nuggets coach Michael Malone's statement. Clearly, that game plan has been working. For the second straight game, Russell is a non-factor for the Lakers on both ends. In a game where Davis and James ended with a negative +/-, Russell had the worst +/- with a -16.
In theory, Russell should be a secondary or tertiary player that can run the offense with or without LeBron James. His awful defensive reputation is a given, but the Lakers were banking on his offense outweighing his defense. So far, that hasn't been the case. The Lakers are a far better team on defense without him, and he's not scoring the ball enough to warrant him staying on the court.
The Lakers now have a problem with Russell. They don't exactly have the depth to replace Russell on the playoff depth chart, barring another breakout performance from an end-of-bench player. They're basically stuck having to play him significant minutes in the playoffs. Unless Darvin Ham can find a way to get D'Lo going without sacrificing on defense, LA might be doomed.
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