Alexander: Lakers on verge of rather the return story

LOS ANGELES-- No matter what takes place in Sunday's regular-season ending, and regardless of whether the Lakers deal with a game on Tuesday or somehow escape the play-in zone and get a week to rest, practice and recuperate, there is one set of numbers that will loom large over the story of their 2022-23 season.

A team constantly considered championship-caliber as long as LeBron James and Anthony Davis were ambulatory didn't stumble out of the gate as much as performed a complete pratfall and spent months struggling just to get above water. There might have been times when rookie head coach Darvin Ham questioned what on earth he 'd gotten into.

But take a look at them now.

After looking after the Phoenix Suns' irregulars on Friday night, 121-107, the Lakers go into Sunday afternoon's finale versus Utah with a 42-39 record. They're 16-7 dating to Feb. 15 and have won 8 of their past 10, including a 5-1 record in a stretch of six games in 10 days, four of them on a trip with weather and travel difficulties. (The 5th game on that "trip," Wednesday night's loss to the Clippers as the checking out team, was the lone loss and was the second of a back-to-back after a late return from Utah.).

James stated. And it's routine season, clearly, and there's more basketball to be played, but to understand that we're going to complete a couple of video games above.500, this is pretty cool.".

There were, naturally, health problems that restricted Davis to 55 games and James to 54. There was the interruption of the Russell Westbrook situation, James' chase and capture of the NBA profession scoring record that in some cases appeared like an additional diversion, and then a set of relocations at the trade deadline that revamped the team around James and Davis and may have altered the tone as well.

From being 26-32, 13th in a 15-team Western Conference and pretty much considered dead in the water on Feb. 13 to 42-39 on the season's final day and still hoping for a top-six finish that would avoid the play-in … … it's been rather a journey.

At some time, after it's over, the magnitude of what they've done will presumably sink in.

" Yeah, I think so," Ham said, to laughes from those assembled in the interview room.

I'm definitely happy that we were able to battle through that adversity and attempt to find the right pieces that fit. It'll be great at some point, you understand, to think back. I didn't come here to just make the playoffs or get from one round to the next.".

Part of the achievement here is getting this made with a roster revamp at the trade due date, even if not everyone was available every night and the task of getting new players settled in was made complex by the absence of practice time that defines every NBA team's schedule. Rob Pelinka's acquisitions of D'Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley, Jarred Vanderbilt and Rui Hachimura changed the group's trajectory, and although 7-footer Mo Bamba had actually just played 7 games due to an ankle and a suspension sprain after his acquisition from Orlando, his return Friday after 14 video games missed with a sprained ankle might provide extra huge male depth.

It has actually worked so far, however it wasn't preordained.

" It's a work in progress, man," Ham said. "I think, you understand, when you acquire what we acquired at the deadline and you had different injuries to manage, not a lot of practice time maybe shootaround here or there, a great deal of it is done through film study and conversation, interaction.".

Davis stated the group had no option however to figure it out and discover a rhythm.

" Our practice has been games," he stated. "We've had the ability to figure it out on the fly, and the basketball IQ on this team is pretty high. Despite the fact that practices have actually been restricted, we've been able to talk and communicate about things that we wish to do on both ends of the floor and be able to carry out at a high level.".

Beasley, who came over with Russell and Vanderbilt from Utah in the deal that sent Westbrook away, stated the process felt natural.

"And, you understand, I've understood LeBron for a long time. It's simply unique, particularly like for me, D'Lo and Vando coming together because we've been on the same team previously.

" And you understand, we got a lot of amusing people and it makes it simpler too.".

That's not to be marked down, provided the seemingly sour mood around the group prior to the trades. One sign of friendship is the goat sounds LeBron's colleagues make in the background while he's being spoken with, part regard and part tinkering him even if. There weren't as many Friday night, possibly because James started his session with the media early.

" We tired, man," James chuckled.

They'll have all summer season to rest. The ultimate goal-- which seemed up until now away in mid-February-- is still within reach.

" You know, I've had a taste of the most favorable drug you can use, which's winning," Ham said, describing championships. "I've done it two times (when as a gamer in Detroit and once as an assistant coach in Milwaukee), and I want more of it. And that's why they hired me, because the city, the organization, we desire more of it. And we're going to get to it.".

There is, after all, only one accomplishment in this company that benefits a banner. Whether the team is all set or not, realistically capable or not, the concept of Laker Exceptionalism flexes for no man.

jalexander@scng.com.