The Lakers are, mercifully, just 13 games away from the end of a miserable 2018-19 season, including Sunday afternoon’s game in New York against the Knicks.
They never showed the ability to flip the proverbial switch and make any kind of real playoff push, despite proclamations from LeBron James that he would be getting into playoff mode early to help facilitate such a run. Over the past few weeks, the conversation in Los Angeles has slowly shifted into one trying to assign proper blame for this season’s misfortune, from ownership to the front office to coaching to LeBron to the veterans and, finally, the young players.
On Sunday, the Lakers found themselves in a tight game with the Knicks, providing another proof point that they’re much closer to the league’s bottom tier than that of the contenders. During the first half, Knicks color commentator and NBA Hall of Famer Clyde Frazier took LeBron to task for being seated at the far end of the bench, only chatting with Tyson Chandler in street clothes, while the rest of the Lakers were in the huddle.
LeBron James is so ready for the summer 😂 https://t.co/NF00obVC78
— Dime (@DimeUPROXX) March 17, 2019
It’s far from the first time this season we’ve seen James physically separate himself from his teammates on the bench, sparking conversation about his connectivity to the rest of the team. Frazier’s point is an understandable one. LeBron is the face of the Lakers, but also the league, and when everything he does is looked at and scrutinized sitting at the far end of the bench is always going to look like he’s not engaged with the team.
Clyde believes that LeBron may not be and, considering the way this season’s going, that very well could be the case, but in public he should at least keep up appearances that he’s still all in. James, if asked, will likely shrug it off and note he regularly rests on the end of the bench, but it won’t stop chatter when the camera lingers on the Lakers bench the next time he’s four seats away from the next closest teammate.
