Los Angeles Lakers Should Sit Carlos Boozer If Poor Play Continues
By Anthony F. Irwin
@AnthonyIrwinNBA
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The lone positive to come from Julius Randle’s devastating injury is that with him out, fans wouldn’t have to throw things at their TV screens while Byron Scott continued to play Carlos Boozer over a cornerstone of the Los Angeles Lakers’ future. Scott has said recently that he won’t make any lineup changes for 15-20 games, but if Boozer keeps this up, Scott will have to rethink that timeline.
The Lakers are far and away the worst defensive team in the league. Boozer said after a recent practice the bigs have to step up and help the guards on penetration. Um, Carlos, whom exactly are you referring to? You’re no guard, my friend. Watch tonight as Phoenix Suns guards slice through the Lakers like Michonne’s katana through zombies in “The Walking Dead.” Boozer will be nowhere to be seen.
Offensively, Boozer hasn’t been much better. I mean, don’t get me wrong, his game is offensive, but that’s kinda the problem. Too many plays end in Boozer mid-range jumpers. God forbid he make the next pass to a three-point shooter, but the Lakers are stuck playing in the 70s. It seems pretty straightforward. If the player shooting the third-most shots on your team is a power forward shooting .432 from the field, your offense isn’t working anywhere near peak efficiency.
Most players who aren’t good on offense make up for it on defense. Go ahead and laugh for a second at Boozer making up for his poor offense on the other end of the floor. I’ll wait. Matter of fact, I’ll join you; hold on a sec.
Look, Boozer seems like a nice guy and a great teammate. He fervently supports his guys with famous “AND ONE” screams regardless of in-game situation. After the game, his points seem to make sense without throwing teammates under the bus. But it’s like a blind date; if the first thing someone says about that potential date partner is they’re really nice, you’re cringing at the idea of what they might look like.
I usually preach patience with teams’ rotations and especially coaches. Throughout an NBA season there’s always progression and regression to the mean. That being said, it seems pretty obvious what Boozer brings or doesn’t bring to the table. If Scott really does intend to wait another 11-16 games to see if Boozer turns it around, we’ll all know the tank job is on.
“AND ONE!”
Anthony F. Irwin is an NBA, NFL, MLB and NCAA Football contributor for www.Rantsports.com. Follow him on Twitter, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google. Send him an email at .
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