The Lakers box in the off -season without direction and have exhausted. Did LeBron James lack time?

Los Angeles – The Lakers were beaten – and beaten, boxing to the finish line.

It was very clear very early, it would take a monstrous effort to avoid the elimination of the Minnesota Timberwolves and return this series to Minneapolis. And for the sections of the Wednesday match, it seemed that the two teams took turns saying to the other “put me on my misery, please!”

The Timberwolves, with one of the most anemic shooting nights in the history of the NBA qualifiers, have always remained in control overnight – never undressing the feeling that the Lakers would accompany them in Minnesota for a match 6.

The Lakers gave everything they had last weekend and came empty, and only the last rites left, delivered A final of the 103-96 game In Crypto.com Arena on Wednesday evening.

The first Luka Dončić went down, his back acting as he was walking in the locker room at the end of the first half. Later, LeBron James collided with Donte Divincenzo, falling into a heap on his left leg in the fourth quarter. He never went to the locker room but he was not just after, dragging this leg as if she was no longer attached to his body.

If it was a Hokey Hollywood script, we would all say that it was put in place so that James and Dončić occur miraculous, to take the game because the Timberwolves intended to fight in stretching – but they could not.

Anthony Edwards missed the 11 of his 3 points, and that did not prevent him from hoisting them. The Timberwolves missed a record of 40 triples, but seemed to be easily winning because Rudy Gobert turned into Wilt Chamberlain (27 points, 24 rebounds) and Julius Randle cosplayé the best of Charles Barkley (23 points, five rebounds, four assists).

James' remaining shots failed because he couldn't get the elevator. And Dončić did not have the endurance to maintain a coherent type of performance while the night was hanging out.

“I did not play as I should,” said Dončić. “As a team, we did not play as we would. They were the best team, honestly.”

As for his sick return, Dončić said: “It's not good at all but I tried to go.”

Somewhere, if Nico Harrison is a smoker, he took a drag of something – not in satisfaction but perhaps validation. Not only that the defense wins the championships, but it is difficult to recall a champion whose best player has nothing to give on the defender.

The February trade shock is still on Dončić, and we think with conventional off -season that he, James and Austin Reaves will be better suited when it counts – they all seemed dismissed late in the matches, and their stranger showed when the filming of the Lakers dropped the toilets during their disastrous quarter this series.

The present and the future of the Lakers were supposed to associate to make rapid magic, but could not reach the same wavelength to surpass new jacks which are not as inexperienced as we would like to think.

And this is where the Lakers are seated, having two talents from another world in James and Dončić, but everyone has blatant needs. Dončić is eligible in August, and since he lost nine figures in what he could have signed in Dallas this summer, Smart Money says he will take it.

James is a different case. He has a player option for $ 52.6 million he will have to decide, and although it is unlikely that it goes anywhere, anything can happen. There were times when he seemed to have found the youth fountain, moments when you are wondering is the deposit that will arise – then times when he looks like a simple deadly.

This is life for a man who is 41 years old in December. What more can he accomplish? What is moreover to do for him, win another championship will fulfill him in a way in which a fourth has not already done so?

He will probably make one of the three All-NBA teams, another distinction to add to the full war box.

“I have a lot to think of me,” said James.

Physical toll is real and he showed this series. Playing smaller means that he had to face older and as Herculean players as he is, doing it every night against Julius Randle is not fun, and that does not lead to quick recovery.

The Lakers coach, JJ Redick, deserves a lot of credit for having worked with what he had, for having resumed a team that was to be maximized around James and Anthony Davis before the agreement of a life appears to meet them.

Adjustment on the fly meant that it would be difficult to go through the west without a perfect path, but no one could say what this path was. If it was not the Timberwolves standing on their way, it could have been the nuggets, the mowers or even the warriors – they were ripe to be caught given their holes.

“It's already difficult to be a coach of the NBA, and it's much more difficult to be a recruit head coach,” said James. “I thought he had managed it very well. He kept us responsible, he pushed us.

“This is certainly one thing, he is an excellent coach.”

Lakers have a first -round choice that they can exchange – the largest asset in addition to certain negotiable contracts at Maxi Kleber, Gabe Vincent and Jarred Vanderbilt (all in the range of $ 11 million).

Can they acquire what they need in an offseason and do a legitimate race in a west conference which is deep and difficult? Maybe over time.

Dončić needs a lob threat, athletics on the wings to help cover his weaknesses on the defense – and James needs to shoot to maximize his best skill, his death.

LeBron James, formerly unstoppable, is now fighting the results of time. (Images Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn)

(Imagn Images via Reuters Connect / Reuters)

“Time” was the word sitting in the air, a few moments after the end of the match. With Dončić, assuming that he puts himself in the form of a championship, the Lakers have a long track of time to remain relevant, build around him and even face.

But time is a resource that James does not have. For the second consecutive year, James' team released the playoffs in five games – perhaps a signal that they are not as close to the real contenders as it seems most of the nights during the regular season.

And every year that passes, James' body needs more care, needs more time to do well – the time he does not have, especially when young people who compete for him will gain more and more confidence, more equity.

“I don't know, I don't have an answer to that,” said James about his future. “This is something that I will sit with my family, my wife, my support group and just in a way to talk about it and see what is going on. Have a conversation with myself over the duration of the duration of continuing to play.”

James would not even dare to joke about what this team needs for the future, taking into account the calendar of Anthony David saying that he hoped that the Lakers would buy aid to the zone before … and they responded by exchanging it a week later.

“No comments. I'm never saying that, my advertisement said what needed and then he left the following week,” said James. “I had no comments. I put this uniform, I gave everything I had. “

It was not as melodramatic as two years ago, when Denver's triumph was repressed by James' interior thoughts falling as a microphone, contemplating retirement.

This time there was a feeling of resignation in his voice. Not as much energy to collect his future, but it is clear that there are only precious moments in his body.

He takes comfort for having his son with him on the sidelines, spending time with him every day and watching him grow up – perhaps the only victory this season.

He was drinking his press conference, still dragging his leg. Dončić moved slowly, carefully measuring each stage. Not far away, Redick took his head down.

All were exhausted with the long journey that ended faster than they hoped.

Source Link