I thought the Lakers were supposed to be tanking but they’ve won three games in a row. What’s up with that? Don’t they have some pick with protections on it that they risk giving up if they win too many games? Did nobody communicate the situation to the players? I know that NBA players play hard no matter what the tanking status of their team is (unless you’re Jusuf Nurkic playing for the Nuggets, in which case you never play hard), so the real question is, did nobody communicate the situation to coach Walton? It’s his job to put out a lineup that will lose. Say what you will about Julius Randle, but if he plays thirty minutes in a game, you’re not trying your best to lose. There are guys way worse than him on the roster who could get those minutes.
Randle’s always been a good rebounder, and it shows even more when the opposing team lacks in the way of physical big guys. Willie Cauley-Stein might be the only guy currently available for the Kings who can properly box out and grab rebounds. It’s no surprise that Randle feasted inside and only once had to resort to his unreliable midrange jumper. What’s Skal Labissiere gonna do to stop him anyway? It’s like if you made a little human figure out of popsicle sticks and then drove over it with a cement mixer (hint: Randle is the cement mixer in this analogy. I know analogies can be hard sometimes).