Sports
LeBron James on a big reason the Lakers are struggling
After starting this season 10-4, the Los Angeles Lakers have lost seven of their last nine games. Four of those recent losses have been by a margin of at least 25 points, and there have been times when it seemed their effort, focus and energy were almost non-existent.
The Lakers are getting repeatedly exposed on the defensive end and on the defensive backboards. They’re 26th in defensive rating, 27th in opponents’ fast-break points per game, 28th in opponents’ points in the paint per game, 27th in opponents’ second-chance points per game and 25th in defensive rebounding percentage.
But at the same time, Los Angeles is playing short-handed without forward Jarred Vanderbilt, big men Christian Wood and Jaxson Hayes and starting guard Austin Reaves.
LeBron James pointed out that it is a major strain on the team to try to win games without those four rotation players.
Via ESPN:
“Mismatching with lineups, we’re trying to figure out ways, obviously,” James said. “So it’s very challenging. We don’t have much room for error. … It’s big, big, big, big pieces.”
In particular, L.A. is missing Reaves, an undrafted guard who has blossomed over the last couple of years as a key piece for the team. He’s averaging 16.7 points and 4.8 assists a game this season, and he has missed the last four games because of a pelvic contusion he suffered on Nov. 29 versus the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Without his ability to create for himself and others, there has been added pressure on the 39-year-old James to be the Lakers’ main catalyst.
After a very rough stretch, James has played very well in the last two games. However, it won’t be enough for him to put on his cape — the Lakers need more from other players in order to break out of their current malaise.
Some of that will have to come in the form of injured players returning to game action for them.
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