Lakers with a month left

Ahead of Thursday's meeting in Milwaukee, the Lakers enjoyed Tuesday and Wednesday off. An NBA rarity on the road, coach J.J. Redick's club presumably popped out once or twice to peep a little Wisconsin sunshine. It is NCAA bracket-filling weather, sunshine flowing. The local motorcycles, humming.

The head coach doesn't mind those machines, engines revving all the way up to whichever floor the Laker coaching staff swipes into. Redick isn't even trying to pretend to sleep.

The Lakers practiced and the Lakers play the Bucks on Thursday and Doc Rivers and the Bucks will treat it like a Finals preview. Giannis Antetokounmpo runs Full LeBron these days, which means contributing MVP-level play while compiling each and every single opponent's plays along the way. Depositing them to review in June, when the Bucks face the Lakers or whoever it is again (according to Giannis).

That's where Antetokounmpo is at, he can't see anything but a straight line into the tunnel, Bo Jackson-style, because Antetokounmpo's tunneled all the way before. Giannis is at peace with whatever the next three months requires and it shows, in his beautiful midrange performances.

Clanging is Luka Dončić, comparatively ringless, on the revenge tour. Dončić's voice is hoarse by the second song, he can't shoot but the defense ain't embarrassing, though the rest of the show is all growls and squeaks.

You'd throw your throat out in defense, too, if someone said you weren't conditioned for this grind. You'd press, too, if someone sniffed over your waistline on TV, over and over until it arose the beast within. Anger is an energy in the same way a handful of Skittles spins little kids around the house in circles. It can't be the diet, it can't replace dinner, we'll save the rest of the bag for later.

The 40-23 Lakers are the No. 4 seed, a half-game 'head of No. 5 Houston (who topped the Suns in Texas on Wednesday) in the race for home-court advantage in the first round. The Lakers are a half-game behind the No. 2 Grizzlies (who teetered in Utah before prevailing on Wednesday) and No. 3 Nuggets (whomped on Wednesday on national TV by the visiting Timberwolves). The second and third seeds aren't guaranteed to roll away with this as LeBron mends.

Still, the depleted Lakers are good enough to lose the tough ones, pile up the coin-flip losses even while remaining competitive. Worse, the West's three hottest teams (Houston won four consecutive, Golden State five, Minnesota six) snort directly behind Los Angeles in the standings. Even without the Lakers doing anything aggressively incorrect, there is a strong chance the Lakers are even with the Warriors and Timberwolves (4.5 games behind Los Angeles) by the time LeBron returns in a few weeks. Such is the strength of the West, six teams are in play for the No. 2 seed.

It will not let up. Los Angeles visits the Nuggets on Friday, Nikola Jokic determined to play damn near every minute in spite of a right elbow that looks like the sort of globular potato you'd snip vines from. The Lakers fly back into Los Angeles early Saturday morning, on Sunday afternoon they'll play the Suns, the first of five games in seven days at home (Suns, Spurs, Nugs, Bucks, Bulls) before jetting 2,500 miles to Orlando for another road trip.

Visits to Indianapolis, Chicago and Memphis follow before the Lakers dash back home to host the Rockets, Warriors, Pelicans to start April, four weeks after LeBron James' groin pull. Will LeBron return in the midst of all this travel, this compression? How's that midsection? The one which wrestled with Metta World Peace for 44 minutes around this time of year, but twenty-one years ago.

It is a tough schedule, but it may end before it ends: Los Angeles visits the Thunder twice in the season's final week, the Thunder are well ahead in the race for the West's top seed and will likely rest a selection of OKC's most potent players for long stretches, if not throughout.

At trip to Dallas later that week could feature the Lakers battling with a Mavericks team either securely in or out of the Play-In by that date, Mavs assured of status, no interest in fielding typical starters. The Rockets game and trip to Portland to cap 2024-25 the year may prove otherwise, each opponent potentially fighting for playoff seeding in the season's final weekend. Still, the last week might provide five gimmie wins, even with four of the contests away from Los Angeles.

Until then, the Laker defense? It compels, but it also gave quite a bit in January and February. Redick started center Alex Len in Monday's loss to Brooklyn in an attempt to sop up time and space, Alex snared two offensive rebounds in the first two minutes of the game and did little else with his remaining 11 minutes on the court, his defensive impact negated by the five-out Nets attack. Len is an asset worth banking on in times of storm and stress, like when you have only eight players to play and one of them is Alex Len.

Everyone's out: Jaxson Hayes, LeBron, Rui Hachimura, Markieff Morris even had to step out of his street clothes and into a Laker uniform and it looks really odd on him but we'll get used to it. And we may have to get used to Alex Len, for three minutes in every quarter, until the playoffs hit and normal basketball returns.

The kind of basketball where teams stick in the same city, think about the same opponent. In April and May and when Rui and Hayes and even LeBron are back. The Lakers won't travel from Los Angeles to Boston to Brooklyn to Milwaukee in four consecutive days during the playoffs. Rather, they'll be settling into the same hotel room, recharging batteries. Literally recharging batteries, cell phones and headphones and laptops, but also sleeping, relaxing.

Before then, survival. Relying on Gabe Vincent's on-then-off March from three-point land (3-6 against the Clippers, missed all six against the Pelicans, splashed all four on national TV against the Knicks, missed all three on broadcast TV against the Celtics, hit 6-9 from deep against the Nets). Asking Dalton Knecht for help with March Madness, Dalton's played for 3/64th the teams in this bracket.

We shouldn't paint Redick as bereft of shades without Hayes and Hachimura and LeBron James, even if Dončić takes until the offseason to find his truest, boldest shape.

“(Dončić’s) buy-in and level of engagement on defense has been awesome for us,” Redick says, who else would say "awesome" but the guy who loses everything if Luka doesn't get back. J.J. is correct, and it was nice to watch a few Luka Dončić performances without abjectly worrying about Luka's defense, only occasionally worrying about Luka's defense.

This is why we can't claim a jump in the standings nor any dip, only that the defense should sustain reasonably well considering the lineup swap of a 40-year LeBron for a nearly 24-year old rookie, even if the rookie can spell "Duquesne" on his first try.

Luka may be playing through several ailments, no way to heal an NBA injury, but he is 26, it won't matter. The offense will improve as the Lakers, even in relative skinflint form, grow more comfortable with the new guy.

Vincent works hard, is perfect. Jarred Vanderbilt jumps in the air with nowhere to land in search of offensive rebounds, crashing his body to the floor for the Lakers routinely. Trey Jemison and Jordan Goodwin want to be Lakers and the Lakers are used to such things, but the Lakers aren't used to wanting back as much with minimum heroes like Jemison (eager interior activity) and Jordan (17 points on eight shots in Brooklyn after a rough outing in Boston). Len won't hurt regular season games, Knecht is already starter-quality, Dorian Finney-Smith perhaps the league's most enviable role player. Shake Milton, listen, they all can't be golden.

CHARLES BARKLEY AT LUNCH: NOT A LAKER, DEFINITELY DRUNK

Every so often, usually about this time of year, Charles Barkley pulls out a story about how he was almost traded from his Philadelphia 76ers to the Los Angeles Lakers in 1992.

His agent informed him of a done deal on the day of a Sixers night game, Sir Charles celebrated his unexpected day off with a spirited bout of daydrinking, filling a booth with friends, springing for a few rounds.

Spung, until he was informed of news of a new deal, a no deal, his agent called again, the trade with the Lakers was off, lunch was over, and Barkley was back on Philadelphia 76er-time. The Sixers had a game that night, Charles probably asked to nap in the booth.

Barkley was midway through his eighth campaign with the so-so 76ers, buoyed by the idea of being rescued by a contending club out West. Chuck owned reason to believe his career in Philadelphia concluded, six days earlier Barkley reportedly received a call from his soon-to-be Dream Team teammate, Laker executive Magic Johnson, reaching out to Charles in Magic’s weeks-old role as Laker Tamperer in Chief:

Barkley got a phone call from Johnson when the Sixers were in Sacramento on Jan. 2, according to several sources.

It's unclear whether Johnson was acting for the Lakers in an official capacity - which the league would consider tampering - but he asked if Barkley was interested in playing for the Lakers.

Johnson retired from the NBA fewer than two months before Magic's Laker line linked to Sir Charles' Sacramento suite.

Barkley said he was. Johnson indicated that the deal was alive and that he would try to help get it done.

Johnson has publicly denied calling Barkley.

By the end of the Sixers' West Coast trip, Barkley was speaking openly of an impending trade.

"I know where I'm going, but I ain't saying," Barkley said after a trip- ending loss to the Portland Trail Blazers last Sunday.

Saving it for the podcast!

After some research, it appears Barkley's TNT seatmate Kenny Smith was around for the liquid lunch's supper performance. As starting Houston Rockets point guard in 1991-92, Kenny was part of the Daydrunk Drama, with the Sixers hosting Houston in the first game back from the gloomy road trip. Houston ran up a six-point lead in the first quarter before Philly responded and eventually prevailed, 114-104.

Barkley had 15 points on 6-12 from the floor, 2-4 from the line and 1-2 from deep. He sloshed seven assists and pulled 19 rebounds in 37 minutes against a Rocket frontline featuring Otis Thorpe, Hakeem Olajuwon, and Tree Rollins. Two blocks, a steal, five fouls but only one turnover.

This was Wednesday night. On Sunday, the report leaked:

The Sixers' front office has denied it, but Philadelphia initiated the talk that nearly resulted in a Barkley-for-James Worthy swap. And although that trade is apparently dead, league sources indicate that the Sixers are still shopping Barkley around the NBA.

"They've called a ton of teams," said one NBA coach. "They've made overtures to a lot of people. They're fed up with him."

General manager Gene Shue has dismissed any recent contact between the Sixers and other teams as routine business, always started by the other guy, and never more than cursory.

The Sixers reportedly agreed to send Barkley to the Lakers upon flying back from the ten-day, 2-4 road trip.

Shortly after the team returned home on Monday, teammate [Sixers swingman] Ron Anderson also was apparently convinced that he would be part of the deal, one that also was to bring young center Elden Campbell from the Lakers.

According to Sixers sources, both Barkley and Anderson went into Wednesday's home game against the Houston Rockets believing it might be their last as Sixers.

After that game, owner Harold Katz took Barkley into an office near the Sixers' locker room for a short, private meeting.

Listen, if Harold was in there, this was never going to be a tall meeting.

The report doesn't say anything about Charles' breath smelling like Listerine but also somehow Stoli and cranberry at the same time.

Katz would not disclose the purpose of the meeting, but sources say he told Barkley there was no trade on the horizon and that he wanted Barkley to stop speculating publicly about one.

Or, given the spirit of the time with the 15-18 1991-92 76ers, Katz kindly told Barkley that the quickest way out of Philadelphia was to raise his trade value so Katz and the Sixers could get more for prime Charles Barkley than Elden Campbell and 31-year old James Worthy. Nine years after James Worthy broke his leg.

So, don't speculate, so that we may stimulate speculation. Barkley was game, he knew he'd end up on a better team, and he knew he'd be telling this story in 33 years, even if they didn't read books in the future.

"They'd love to make a trade," one general manager said of the Sixers. ''I know they want to move him badly, especially after the book," the GM said, referring to Barkley's autobiography that criticizes Katz and several Sixers players.

(For further, amazing, viewing, I suggest watching the unembeddable clip from 1991, when Barkley and Dave discuss launching logo three-pointers during the All-Star Game.

The interview ends with a (well-received) callback, unexplainable without the context of the rest of the episode, because that's our Dave. Followed by a camera pan to a stagehand who appears to be futzing with a fuse box while surrounded by dozens of glass bottles of Perrier.)

Contacted between the meeting with Katz and the release of the Laker rumor, Barkley held the line even after confrontation with the press.

"I don't start trade rumors," Barkley said Friday. "You can put that on the record. I know that something was going on, and I know I didn't start it. I have no interest in uprooting my family and moving. Why would I start trade rumors?"

With Barkley doing his part, Katz chimed in:

"We haven't heard anything that would be considered a reasonable offer," Katz said. "Really, we have no interest in trading him. But you always listen. If a blockbuster came along, anybody could be traded."

Barkley remained a Sixer past the 1992 trade deadline, where the only deal of the night was New York trading Brian Quinnett to the Mavericks for 34-year old James Donaldson.

Philly missed the postseason with a 35-47 record. James Donaldson played two playoff games in 1992, Charles Barkley (averaged 23 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and two steals) played zero playoff games in 1992.

The time off allowed Charles space to sweat it out with Ernie Johnson Jr., who asked Charles about the rumors:

Barkley was eventually dealt to Phoenix that June. The blockbuster which eventually compelled Harold Katz?

A week before the draft – not at the draft, not in free agency – Sixers owner Harold Katz and coach-turned-GM Jim Lynam traded 29-year old Charles Barkley for 29-year old Jeff Hornacek, plus Tim Perry, the 12-point, seven-rebound Phoenix power forward that Phoenix wasn't going to need anymore because Phoenix had Charles Barkley now.

The team also picked up Andrew Lang, who started at Sixers center for a season before the club released Lang (a reliable, replacement-level starting pivotman who played for seven more NBA seasons), to clear cap room to sign 38-year old Moses Malone (who did not play for seven more NBA seasons).

The Sixers earned zero draft picks in the deal. Phoenix kept its first-round selection and drafted future starter Oliver Miller. Philly coulda drafted Oliver or Latrell Sprewell or P.J. Brown at that spot.

Hornacek worked for a year in Philly before he was dealt for 33-year old Jeff Malone and a first-round pick (B.J. Tyler).

Tim Perry scored 7.3 points per game in 211 games as a Sixer, 1545 total points. Barkley topped 1545 points with a month to go in his first season with Phoenix, averaging 25.6 points, winning the MVP. In 280 games with the Suns, Charles pulled nearly as many offensive rebounds (881) as Tim Perry pulled into total rebounds (915) with the Sixers.

The trade was a dark day for Philadelphia, but let’s make sure to throw some shade toward Portland while we’re at it:

One source says the Trail Blazers asked the Sixers what it would take to get Barkley. The Sixers responded by discussing a package that included two Trail Blazers and two draft picks. The ball, according to the source, is in Portland's court.

This was in January, five months before Portland's ascension into the 1992 NBA Finals. Maybe the Sixers asked for Clyde Drexler, Mr. Portland, and that was where the Blazers cut Philly off. Then again, Portland traded Clyde Drexler three years later.

In eventual exchange for Barkley, Philly is the team that passed on fourth-year All-Star Dan Majerle or 25-year old All-NBA Third Team Kevin Johnson in favor of 29-year old Jeff Hornacek, maybe the Sixers wanted deeper vets.

Perhaps Philly pinged Buck Williams plus Jerome Kersey (about to enter a four-year contract extension) and the 1992 pick (PDX chose Dave Johnson, with P.J. Brown on the board) and 1994 pick (Portland chose Aaron McKie at No. 17, though the Blazers would pick much lower with Charles goshdarn Barkley on the team).

Perhaps, instead of Buck, Philly wanted Alaa Abdelnaby, who now does delightful color analysis for the 76ers, or Blazer guard Danny Ainge, whom Portland traded its 1991 first-round draft pick to Sacramento for.

What matters is Portland did not get Charles Barkley ahead of the 1992 NBA Finals. Which is why I root for Portland these days. The next time they make the playoffs, the Bulls get Portland's first-round pick.

OLIVER MILLER

He passed away this week, he was a terrific spot starter, talented and with supreme touch.

And when Adam Silver introduces a bunch of bullshit shots over the next decade, don't let them forget that Oliver Miller was a pioneer:

YEAH, WE MOVED

Billing won't change, it never does. Oh, strangers come and go, time takes its dent, but Billing remains the same.

Oh, Billings. Don't know why I thought Montana's capitol was named "Billing."

We moved newsletter hosts but the billing process remains the same, nobody should notice anything but a name change. Please let me know if we notice anything so that I may respond, this ain't like Billings, we move quickly here.

Appreciate everyone's patience and support through the website switch. Everything should remain more or less the same, expect for the parts that are completely different. You'll love it unless you don't, I promise.

THAT'S HOW YOU START OVER

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