NBA Inventory Watch: L.A. groups headed in several instructions
Melissa Rohlin
FOX Sports NBA Reporter
We’re lower than a month away from the NBA commerce deadline, so it is particularly attention-grabbing to have a look at which groups are thriving and which of them are flailing on this week’s Inventory Watch.
Rising: The Lakers
Essentially the most stunning latest win-streak has belonged to the Lakers, who strung collectively 5 straight victories with out Anthony Davis earlier than falling to Denver on Monday in a sport with out LeBron James and AD.
When Davis suffered a stress harm to his proper foot in mid-December, it appeared a positive guess that the Lakers had been going to plummet within the standings. Davis was taking part in MVP-caliber basketball and, with out him, how would the 38-year-old James be capable to shoulder the load of each superstars?
The joke’s on us.
James has scored at the least 30 factors in 10 of his final 13 video games, together with two 40-plus level performances. Over his final 15 video games, James has averaged 32.3 factors on 55.6% taking pictures, 7.8 rebounds and 6.8 assists. James was named Western Convention Participant of the Week on Monday, his first time profitable the weekly award since Dec. 2021.
James has been a pressure. Thomas Bryant has excelled as a starter. And throughout the Lakers’ win-streak, the crew quickened its tempo to make up for dimension deficiencies and locked in on rebounding.
It has been a profitable recipe for a crew that’s going to have a troublesome stretch forward, with harm information popping out Friday that key position gamers Austin Reaves and Lonnie Walker IV are anticipated to overlook the following week or two. However the Lakers additionally received some very promising information: This week, Davis will start the ramp-up course of to return to the ground, as ESPN first reported.
The Lakers have withstood Davis’ absence thus far. Now the query is, when Davis returns, with James taking part in so effectively, can the Lakers dig themselves out of twelfth place within the Western Convention and into playoff competition? Presently, they’re just one sport behind Portland for the ultimate play-in slot and simply three video games behind Sacramento for fifth place.
Falling: Brooklyn Nets
Why are the Nets on this class, you is perhaps asking. They’ve gained 14 of their final 15 video games, skyrocketing to second place within the Jap Convention with a report of 27-13.
Nicely, that is an anticipatory fall.
The Nets acquired fairly a blow Monday when famous person Kevin Durant was identified with an remoted MCL sprain in his proper knee. He is reportedly going to be sidelined for a couple of month, in response to ESPN.
Durant has been phenomenal this season, averaging 29.7 factors on 55.9% taking pictures, 6.7 rebounds and 5.3 assists. He has been the Nets’ glue the previous few seasons, persistently taking part in nice basketball amid the crew’s frequent drama.
Now, it will be Kyrie Irving‘s time to select up the slack.
When Durant suffered an MCL harm in his left knee in Jan. 2022, the Nets had been 5-17 over his greater than 1.5 month absence. Nevertheless, throughout that point, Irving wasn’t with the crew throughout residence video games due to the New York Metropolis vaccination mandate.
It should be on Irving to verify an identical slide would not occur once more.
Rising: Memphis
The Grizzlies are the most well liked crew within the league proper now, profitable their final seven video games. They’ve achieved their second-best 40-game begin in franchise historical past at 27-13, trailing solely their 29-11 report in 2014-15.
They’re hungry. They’re deep. And famous person Ja Morant is on a mission to show that his crew is the actual deal and shall be taking part in into the summer time.
The Grizzlies are tied for the most effective defensive score within the league (109) and have the eleventh finest offensive score (113.9).
Even with Morant sidelined the final two video games, the Grizzlies have not missed a beat with wins over Utah and San Antonio. In opposition to the Spurs on Monday, all 5 starters scored in double figures.
Falling: Clippers
The Clippers have misplaced six video games in a row for the primary time within the Kawhi Leonard–Paul George period.
Most just lately, they fell to Atlanta on Sunday, though that they had an 11-point lead halfway by means of the fourth quarter.
It is irritating for a Clippers crew that entered this season with championship expectations. Leonard missed all of final season due to an ACL harm and Paul George performed solely 31 video games. With each of them again, the Clippers had been anticipated to make some actual noise within the league.
Nevertheless it’s clear the Clippers have been taking their foot off of the gasoline, highlighted by their 33-point loss to Denver final week.
“That is the spot the place we see should you actually benefit from the sport and if we’re a crew, seeing if we will dig out this gap,” Leonard informed reporters Sunday. “It’s enjoyable. It is a good problem for us.”
George has missed the crew’s final two video games due to a proper hamstring harm. However Leonard performed a season-high 38 minutes Monday, ending with 29 factors, seven rebounds and 4 assists — nevertheless it nonetheless wasn’t sufficient.
The Clippers have proven a definite lack of focus and urgency just lately and issues aren’t going to get simpler for them anytime quickly. This week they play Denver on Tuesday and Dallas on Friday, groups which can be in first and fourth place within the Western Convention, respectively.
The Clippers want to determine a method to flip issues round quickly earlier than one more season that started with lofty expectations ends in disappointment.
Melissa Rohlin is an NBA author for FOX Sports activities. She beforehand lined the league for Sports activities Illustrated, the Los Angeles Instances, the Bay Space Information Group and the San Antonio Categorical-Information. Comply with her on Twitter @melissarohlin.
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