The Lakers believed they could compete with the Nuggets in the playoffs, so what happened? - The Boston Globe

General manager Rob Pelinka passed on making a major move at the deadline to acquire the likes of Donovan Mitchell or Trae Young because the Lakers have more assets this summer with more draft picks to include in any trade.

And they're going to have to hope they can attract one of the aforementioned two or another All-Star-caliber player with some of the salaries of the underachieving role players. And they're also going to have to include considerable draft capital.

James, who turns 40 in December, has an increased sense of urgency, and while it's expected he'll remain with the Lakers on a new deal, he does have ways to encourage his team to make the necessary moves to compete immediately.

The Lakers have to enter next season and the rest of James's career with a championship-or-bust mentality. They were hesitant to offer Reaves in potential trades, but that mind-set may have to change. What the organization has to address in the coming weeks is the future of coach Darvin Ham.

Davis called out Ham for the team's lack of execution in Game 2. Ham, who has defended his players and consistently alluded to injuries as the reason for their inconsistency, rejected that claim. Ham is 90-74 in two seasons and 8-11 in the postseason, with seven of those losses coming to the Nuggets.

The Lakers' issues are a combination of aging players who are now more inconsistent, as well as a lack of faith in players such as Russell, Hachimura, and Taurean Prince, who was discarded in other places. The Lakers hoped signing those players to extensions after last year's run to the Western Conference finals would spark their play.

Hachimura said the Lakers are falling short against the Nuggets because of their lack of experience playing together. But any team with James and Davis should be good enough to compete for a championship. But they have been failed by their supporting cast and the lack of a true, quality point guard.

It appears the Lakers are learning the hard way about trusting Russell, while the acquisitions of Gabe Vincent, who burned the Celtics in last year's Eastern Conference finals, and Spencer Dinwiddie have had minimal impact.

What has to be even more demoralizing for the Lakers is the Nuggets are in command of the series despite playing their B-game. The Nuggets shot 26.9 percent from the 3-point line in the first three games, and while Murray hit the Game 2 winner, he shot 37.7 percent in Games 1-3.

The difference has been their supporting cast. Aaron Gordon, Michael Porter Jr., and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope have delivered and are cemented in their roles. The Nuggets are a cohesive team, and that cohesion has taken years to build.

With James and Davis nearing the end of their careers, the Lakers don't have that type of time, and they'll need to make some immediate and impactful moves this summer to help James make one final run at a title.

HORNETS HAPPENINGS

Clifford ready for next chapter

The Hornets are seeking a head coach and Celtics assistant Charles Lee is a candidate, after Steve Clifford agreed to step down and accept a front office position. The Hornets were 48-116 in two seasons in Clifford's second tenure.

His teams were besieged by injuries to players such as LaMelo Ball, Mark Williams, and Gordon Hayward, and then the domestic assault suspension of Miles Bridges. Still, Clifford said he thoroughly enjoyed coaching the Hornets' younger core and attempting to foster their growth. Brandon Miller finished as a Rookie of the Year candidate, and Williams is a staple in the middle. The Hornets have to hope Ball can play a full season, and that they can capitalize on yet another lottery pick.

"The one thing that we really tried hard to do, we played eight in a row at home against really good teams, and I thought our guys were great," Clifford said of his final days as coach. "We're out of it, they're not meaningful games. We were competitive in every game. I like our guys, and injuries have been beyond our control, but still they've hung in there. We played a really good game against Cleveland and beat them; we played a really good game against Orlando and beat them.

"I want them to learn from this. We have younger guys that continue to grow, and in terms of not coaching, I have it in my mind because I'm at that age unfortunately that I have a lot of friends who retired in the last couple of years. The one thing I do know, you have to move on. I'm not going to dwell on things. Three years ago, I didn't know if I'd get another chance. When I got this job, I thought this is finally my chance with a roster that you know what, we could be a top-four or -five team. I never really coached a team like that. And the injuries, we were 29th in injuries last year and 29th this year, it's kind of taken that away. Yet I loved it. I'm glad I coached these guys. And I'm looking forward to this next part, so what I'm telling myself now is I'm just going to look forward."

Clifford will work with new general manager Jeff Peterson, and the hope is his knowledge can boost a franchise that's made some questionable drafting and free agent decisions in recent years.

"I'm interested to learn," Clifford said. "I have a relationship with Jeff Peterson when I did the consultant thing in Brooklyn. Jeff's great and we got along well then and I learned a lot from him. So, I'm kind of interested instead of just being at the draft, being at the draft meetings, being at the free agent meetings, and see how things work and maybe I'll like it."

Clifford had nothing but compliments for former staff mate Jeff Van Gundy, who is a consultant for the Celtics. Clifford filled the same role a few years ago with the Nets.

"The consulting thing is tricky because I did it one year, and I believe if you do it the wrong way, you can actually be a negative," Clifford said. "And if you do it the right way, you can be very much a positive. A consultant in our league, you have to be careful. Everybody has really good coaches and the players are the best in the world. And to think that anybody's going to come in and be more of an expert on the players that you're working with or the teams that they've been doing than the coaches who are already there have been doing, that's crazy to me. You have to pick your spots and figure out what areas you can most help in, and that's what he's doing."

ETC.

Thompson thinks he can still get it done

The Warriors missed the playoffs for the third time in five years. While the futures of Stephen Curry and Draymond Green are settled because they recently signed extensions, sharpshooter Klay Thompson, who endured an up-and-down season, is an unrestricted free agent.

Warriors management said they want Thompson to return, but he could take advantage of the opportunity to explore the market and perhaps seek a new team that would offer a more prominent role. Thompson saw his minutes reduced slightly with the emergence of rookie Brandin Podziemski and also spent some time coming off the bench.

The primary difference between Thompson now and before he missed two years with injuries is his 2-point percentage. He's no longer an efficient midrange shooter, but he did average nearly 18 points in his age-33 season and will draw considerable attention as a free agent.

"Obviously, you want to keep winning," Thompson said. "When you've been a part of winning seasons, you don't really want to go away from that. So, I would like to win again. One for the thumb would be nice. I still think it's in reach. It's just going to take a huge effort. But other than that, just got to think about what will really make you happy in the last few years of your career."

Thompson, who turned 34 in February, realizes he is not the player he was before tearing an ACL and rupturing an Achilles' in consecutive summers. Rarely do players come back from major injuries, especially after a two-year absence. Thompson has proved to be durable in his return.

"It's not my career averages, but it's still pretty dang good," he said. "Well, 2019, could you imagine if they didn't pay me after I got hurt, that would have been really bad. Like, went to five straight Finals, you blew your knee out, yeah, sorry. So, no, that was very nice of them. I try every year to give my best effort.

"And the ownership group has been great. I have nothing but positive things to say about them. They treat us with great respect and do all the little things for us to do our jobs at the highest level. I mean, it's up to them, but at the end of the day whatever happens, it's all gravy, it's been such a special run."

Thompson shot at least 40 percent from the 3-point line in his first eight seasons. But that has dropped to less than 40 percent in two of three seasons since his return. Despite being less efficient than in his prime, Thompson is still one of the game's premier shooters. Teams such as the Magic and Rockets have the salary-cap space to add Thompson.

The Warriors are going to have to consider their long-term salary structure and whether retaining Thompson can help their final championship push with Curry and Green. Also, rising forward Jonathan Kuminga is eligible for a contract extension and has to be included in the long-term future.

Thompson said his expectations are not too high. He maintains he is still capable of another career season.

"When I came back I was the second-leading scorer on a championship team," he said. "And when you've experienced that you're like, I'm back. And then, even that next year, led the league, 41 percent from three, on [301] makes. That's very hard to do. So, the moments were there, but maybe my burst wasn't what it was. And that happens. But at the end of the day I still feel like I can do it at a very high level, and I did have times where I did. Obviously, the way it ended this year wasn't what it was the last couple years, but I'm not going to let one sour night or year ruin a decade-plus of great work and success."

Thompson acknowledged he experienced self-doubt. Coach Steve Kerr briefly brought him off the bench, and also benched him in the fourth quarter when he was unproductive. The Warriors and Thompson will have to come to an agreement to continue this marriage. It would be odd to see one of the game's all-time great shooters in a different uniform.

"You sulk, you pout when you're not shooting up to your expected splits," Thompson said. "I think I did better with that this year, just trying to exude great body language at all times and think deeper than just stats, think about your love for the game and why you do play this game. At times I have been a front-runner in the past. When things don't go my way I might point the finger rather than just taking ownership for your situation.

"So that's what I've learned and I try to pass down to younger athletes, it's because when you do great things over and over and you keep that high level of confidence and attitude in a great space, eventually it will work out for you and you'll have no regrets when it's all said and done."

Layups

The NBA Draft is approaching and the Celtics have the 30th and final pick of the first round after finishing with the best record during the regular season. This draft is considered one of the weaker in recent years for top-tier talent, but the Celtics may be able to nab a quality player, a seasoned college prospect who could contribute immediately. Because the Celtics are above the second apron, they are going to have to find creative ways to fill their roster with inexpensive players. While first-round rookie contracts are guaranteed, the salary of the 30th pick will start at about $2 million. President of basketball operations Brad Stevens has traded the team's first-round picks in recent years, but because of the salary constraints he may be inclined to invest in the 30th pick. The Celtics also have Jordan Walsh and Neemias Queta returning next season, along with Drew Peterson on a two-way contract. They will have to make a decision on guard JD Davison, who just finished the second year of a two-way contract and would have to be signed to a standard contract . . . The Kings will have some competition for swingman Malik Monk, who finished second to Naz Reid for Sixth Man of the Year in a close race. Monk is an unrestricted free agent and his importance to the Kings was punctuated when he went down with a knee injury and missed the last nine games of the regular season. The Kings were 4-5 in those games and then lost to the Pelicans in the Play-In Tournament to end their season. Monk made $9 million this season, the final of a two-year, $18 million deal, but he should get a healthy raise because of his production and durability. Teams such as the Magic, Pistons, and Spurs have enough cap space to sign Monk to a lucrative deal. The Kings' core players are all signed beyond next season, meaning their flexibility is limited, and bringing Monk back because they own his Bird rights is a priority . . . Celtics forward Jayson Tatum received one first-place vote for Clutch Player of the Year award. Curry won the award, with the Bulls' DeMar DeRozan finishing second in the voting.

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Gary Washburn is a Globe columnist. He can be reached at gary.washburn@globe.com. Follow him @GwashburnGlobe.