Tonight the Bucks stopped the Lakers 112-97 at STAPLES before the purple and gold’s seven game road trip. Spoiling Andre Drummond’s debut, former Laker center Brook Lopez also added injury to insult by stepping on the new big-man’s big toe.
Drummond had four points, four turnovers and one lost toenail before leaving the game early in the first with a contusion. Only to come back and log 14 minutes, before he left for good in the third. For the first scene of his Hollywood script, that was all she wrote.
But that’s not the point.
This AD, next to the “other” AD, gives the Lakers a Duncan and Robinson twin-tower tandem to complete their King James led big-three.
The kind they wanted the one young stud they didn’t ship to the swamp of New Orleans, Kyle Kuzma to be. Although, how about his season? Smooth like the new Eddie Jones. Increasing his range from three. The man who even said, “Jesus can’t guard me.”
The kind of third star they wanted their new generation Nick ‘The Quick’ Van Exel, Dennis Schröder to be. Although for four years he’s leaving more on the table than when the Lakers left Dwight Howard hanging on the phone this summer. Dennis the Menace may have rejected the latest Laker contract extension, but right now whilst ‘Bron and the ‘brow have been out, he and fellow summer signing Montrezl Harrell have harassed defences as a perfect pick and roll, one/two punch.
Thank God Rob Pelinka didn’t trade ‘Trez. Or forget about ‘Dre.
Because in this buyout bonanza this Hollywood script flip has managed to keep up with the ‘Godzilla vs. Kong’ like monster mash of Steve Nash’s Brooklyn Nets. Right now looking like the ‘Monstars’ to LeBron’s ‘Space Jam’. Just adding LaMarcus Aldridge AND Blake Griffin to a team that already has the best big-three of all-time in Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving AND James Harden.
A starting five hasn’t been this dream team powerful since DeMarcus Cousins joined KD and Curry in The Bay…but then he went down with injury. So does it count?
With the dunking Drummond coming from The Land LeBron used to reside in, he gives the Lake Show another outstanding option. A bigger force in the paint than when the purple and gold had the three-headed Ghidorah like monster of Anthony Davis, Dwight Howard and the hustle and heart energy of JaVale McGee last season.
The former motor of Detroit city reuniting with another former Piston in the assembly line Markieff Morris also knows how to play with Blake Griffin. An opposition advantage in this game of chess for the King’s gambit.
Andre the giant is more than an enforcer in the paint, here to take pressure off Davis like Horace Grant or Samaki Walker did for Shaq back in the day. Anthony Davis may be the next in the legendary line of legacy making, big Laker greats. From Mikan to Chamberlain. Kareem to Shaq. And Pau Gasol and what his brother Marc could have been here if they kept him when he was younger, instead of trading his draft rights for his sibling…but how about those picture perfect outlet passes?
Drum already feels like he could be one of the other “big” greats that played for the Lakers, but we’re vastly underrated like Elden Campbell. From the early post-showtime days of a more mobile Vlade Divac, before he was traded for Kobe. Or just how big the potential of Andrew Bynum was and the championship heights he reached as a winner before it all came apart like the jersey he tore up after the playoff loss to Dallas.
And of course who could forget the redemption reunion of Dwight Howard who was meant to be next in line the first time here? Coming in for injured big DeMarcus Cousins last season and having the year of his career.
From the versatility and skill of Lamar Odom, to the showtime scoring of Bob McAdoo, the Lakers have had more above seven feet than you just see between the banners of their rafters.
Now with their latest big signing following two nice ten day contracts for talented young big Damian Jones, they have someone who can look all the way up there.
Andre is already one of the best rebounders of all-time like the 73 of Dennis Rodman, who once even took his show to Lakerland for a brief interlude. Now Drummond is about to reach for more.
When he comes back from injury that is.
Drum roll please. Welcome to the show, Andre Drummond. Even if it wasn’t what we expected. Even so, the rest of the L outside a train that takes you to the BK can’t sleep on LA now. Just try to contend with these champions when all the champs are here.
Toe-to-toe.
