The Los Angeles Lakers are 16-18 after another loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Christmas Day. LeBron James has played exceptional the past 5 games but they haven’t been able to put together a good performance as a team to win. Anthony Davis is still out for another 3 weeks at the minimum. The Lakers have multiple players in and out of the lineup due to the health and safety protocols. Russell Westbrook is still finding his way on this team and how to be the most effective.
The Lakers New Year’s Resolution starts with effort on the defensive end of the floor. The newest laker, Stanley Johnson brought some defensive intensity that the Lakers are missing with Bradley and Reaves out. The shooting woes are even worse at the free throw line with the Lakers shooting just 72.5%. The 3pt percentage is at 34.4% which is not bad but it seems worse than that. LeBron James is playing great offensively but he needs help defensively in order to win games without AD.
Frank Vogel is still out due to health and safety protocols and the Lakers are mixing and matching lineups almost every other game. Kendrick Nunn still hasn’t played this season with a knee injury. Nunn comes from the Miami Heat culture where it’s all about defense and making the right play. The Lakers have to hover around .500 until Davis and everyone else is healthy.
The Lakers have to avoid the play-in tournament at all costs. A healthy Laker team is no doubt a top 6 team in the Western conference.
Featured Image: NBA.com
