Doncic injured again! Lakers extend a helping hand to the Clippers

The winter solstice is here, bringing intense cold.

Though the world might be broken and ragged, there are always those who mend and repair.

Take the Lakers, for instance, specialists in giving warmth.

Before the LA derby started, I made a point to glance at the rankings.

Wow, after a five-game skid, the Clippers have hit rock bottom but still managed to rank above the Kings and Pelicans, two historically bad teams.

In that case, someone has to step up to rescue the NBA.

After all, the Clippers’ draft picks belong to the Thunder, so the better the Clippers perform, the worse draft positions the Thunder receive.

For the sake of league balance, the Clippers need to win more games.

As a traditional powerhouse, the Lakers have the stature and are willing to “sacrifice.”

(Just kidding, don’t take it too seriously)

Not hindsight, but from the start, the Lakers looked off, getting blindsided by their city rivals.

Doncic’s form was especially unusual.

The first quarter king struggled terribly under the Clippers’ defense, missing shot after shot.

Everyone has off nights shooting; that’s understandable.

But what has always baffled me is how he fouls on nearly every possession or just gives up with his hands up.

Defense? It’s non-existent.

Maybe you’d excuse him, saying he carries too much offensive load and is allowed to coast sometimes.

However, Doncic’s defense now is more than just coasting; even Dunn is beating him one-on-one... How spectacular must his offense be to cover that hole?

Recently, the Lakers have won quite a few games, and many media outlets praise their clutch performances (last 5 minutes, within 5 points).

Having stars on the floor does make winning late easier; the Lakers boast three ball handlers who can take over in crunch time, which is enviable.

But they fail to consider:True contenders don’t need to rely on clutch moments.

The Lakers’ main issue is defense.

Don’t be fooled by their current record; giving Coach Vogel a warm welcome win is no big deal.

In this game, the team shot 6 for 38 from three, a 15.7% success rate, marking the 18th time in NBA history a team took 38+ threes but hit under 16%—a losing formula.

But the underlying defensive weakness will be exposed in the playoffs.

Doncic + 41-year-old LeBron + Rivers + Ayton + Hachimura — none of these four starters are known for defense.

Rely on Smart and Bullock?

Doncic’s defensive gap alone is impossible to cover.

Let’s see if Pelinka makes any moves before the trade deadline.

Even if he does, it’s likely to be minor.

When it rains, it pours—Doncic got injured today.

He left the game in the third quarter.

Currently, the Lakers’ injured list nearly forms a starting lineup:

Point guard Vincent, shooting guard Little, small forward Doncic, power forward Hachimura, center Ayton.

Why is this happening?

Reddick needs to reconsider his player usage.

This season’s average minutes rank: second is Doncic, third is Rivers.

First is Maxey.

The Lakers’ two players don’t have the same energy as Maxey. You still use them like that?

So injuries seem accidental but are actually the result of accumulated strain.

If those two can’t play, the burden falls back on LeBron...

Lakers fans are all too familiar with this vicious cycle.

Finally, about the winning Clippers.

The good news: Deng is back, and the team stopped the losing streak just in time.

This is their first home win since Paul’s Halloween party (apparently only Beal and Zubac attended).

The bad news: Zubac left the game injured.

Of course, if they played the Lakers every game, their record wouldn’t be this poor...