National Basketball Association

Can LeBron spur Lakers to keep playing like they did vs. Jazz?

Updated Jan. 18, 2022 4:06 p.m. ET

By Melissa Rohlin
FOX Sports NBA Writer

Two days ago, LeBron James made a vow.

The Lakers had just waded through a 37-point loss to the Denver Nuggets, the second-biggest defeat of James' career.

Things got so bad that the usually sunny Laker legend Magic Johnson weighed in with a rebuke of the team, tweeting that L.A. fans "deserve more than a lack of effort and no sense of urgency."

In an uncharacteristic move, James left Saturday without speaking to the media. He was too disgusted. Instead, the following evening, he wrote a tweet: "#LakerNation I apologize and I promise we'll be better."

In the next game, Monday against the Utah Jazz, the Lakers embodied everything they had been lacking. They were brimming with effort. They beat the Jazz, who have the top-rated offense in the league, 101-95.

Stanley Johnson drove through the paint as though his life depended on it. Austin Reaves was so determined after a missed shot that he chased down his own rebound and spiked the basketball through the net as though it were a volleyball. And Russell Westbrook actually mopped the floor in the first quarter after a courtside fan spilled a drink.

It all left one very important question: What the heck did James say to his teammates after their latest loss? James' rallying cry must've been brilliant. His words must've been so stirring that they inspired a millionaire superstar athlete to take on janitorial duties for a few moments of a game.

Except there was no speech. LeBron's promise was to himself.

"I didn’t say anything to the team," said James, who had 25 points, seven rebounds and seven assists Monday. "It’s my accountability, my own accountability for myself and my teammates. I didn’t say anything to the guys. Talk can be cheap at times. You just got to go out and have action, and we did that tonight."

Effort is a slippery thing. When it's there, it can be seen in sprints and dives and jumps. There are actionable moments we can all point toward. But when it's not there, it's often disguised. It's obvious but invisible. It's the difference between milliseconds. It's a step that wasn't taken. It's an arm that could've stretched just a bit farther into the air.

For the Lakers, effort has been lacking far too much this season. Before Monday's game, I asked Lakers coach Frank Vogel why that has been the case. If the team's lack of effort is a symptom, what is the greater disease?

"It’s tough to identify," Vogel said. "If it was easy, it would never happen."

It's unclear what has been going wrong. Sure, Westbrook's shot has been off. Anthony Davis has missed the team's past 14 games because of an MCL sprain in his left knee. James is now 37. The role players have been inconsistent.

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But those things only scratch the surface. The Lakers shouldn't be a .500 team. Even with all of those speed bumps, they have enough talent to be contenders.

So what's the problem? Do the Lakers not want it badly enough? That's clearly not the case. Westbrook has never won a championship. James is in the twilight of his career and obviously knows this might be one of his final opportunities to compete for a fifth ring.

Do the Lakers want it too much? Are players deferring? Are they overcompensating? Are they just not trying hard enough? This much is certain: It shouldn't be happening.

The Lakers, who entered this season as title favorites, have underperformed to such a degree that it's questionable whether their season can be redeemed. There have been so many bad losses, so many head-scratchers. They've continually vowed to do better. They've tried to claim certain moments as turning points. But their words have continually rung hollow.

Maybe that's why James was silent this time. When asked why he didn't talk to reporters Saturday, he didn't hesitate in his response.

"I didn’t like what was gonna come out of my mouth," James said. "So I decided not to speak with you guys. I understand some things that I say can be everywhere, so I didn’t want that for my teammates at that point in time. So I decided to keep it to myself."

It continued with his teammates. Instead of yelling or pontificating or begging, he made a public promise. They all read it. His silence spoke volumes. No one wanted to let him down. No one wanted to make a liar out of him.

So, on Monday, everyone did the small things, highlighted by Westbrook picking up a mop. The triple-double king gave a different kind of assist, making himself infinitely more likable to a fan base that has seethed over his every turnover and clanked shot since October.

"I actually don’t think that was a small occurrence," Vogel said. "That was an example of, 'Hey, let’s all let go of whatever we’re feeling from a negative standpoint and the clouds that come with losing and all of that. Let’s let go of that and bring a positive spirit.'"

After bringing a positive spirit, Westbrook channeled the Holy Spirit. The 6-foot-3 guard made a one-handed jam over the 7-foot-1 Rudy Gobert in the second quarter, sending the Lakers bench screaming and jumping. Westbrook then trash-talked his way into a technical foul, but no one could blame him for it.

When a reporter pointed out that some people didn't think he still had that in him, Westbrook chuckled.

"That’s their problem," he said after finishing with 15 points, eight rebounds and three assists.

This game, however, belonged to Johnson, who signed his second 10-day contract with the team Monday. The 25-year-old went from being the eighth overall pick by the Detroit Pistons in the 2015 draft to struggling to stay in the league.

Against the Jazz, he made a strong case for the team to sign him for the rest of the season. Johnson scored 10 of his 15 points in the fourth quarter, helping erase the Jazz's nine-point lead.

It was a total team effort. The Lakers held the Jazz to 36.9% shooting from the field and 26.1% from beyond the arc. Everyone did everything he could, including the immeasurables. The effort was palpable.

But can they maintain it? What's going to prevent them from reverting to the lackluster team we've seen in recent games? How do they build on this?

The problem is they can't. And James doesn't need to explain that to his teammates.

"We had some juice tonight," he said. "We played to our capabilities. We followed the game plan. But every game is its own challenge."

Right now, the Lakers' biggest struggle is internal. When the effort is there, they look like the team we all thought they could be. But so far this season, it has been there only in spurts.

For James, it has frustrated him to the point of silence.

If only for a brief moment, that appeared to work for this team.

Melissa Rohlin is an NBA writer for FOX Sports. She previously covered the league for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Times, the Bay Area News Group and the San Antonio Express-News. Follow her on Twitter @melissarohlin.