The Lakers have hit a new low point in terms of the performance and culture that surrounds this team. LeBron James has already shown signs of frustration with his teammates, even calling them out for being “selfish”. For fans who are used to watching Los Angeles basketball be crowned kings, there may not ever be another time as bad as this is right now.
The “lakers game score” is a blog post that discusses the Lakers and LeBron James. The author of the article believes that the Lakers are in critical danger of reaching an unspeakable low point.
The 2021-22 Los Angeles Lakers were on the verge of catastrophe at some point throughout the season. And not the kind from which LeBron James could rescue them.
Los Angeles may have reached a tipping point when they blew a 26-point lead against the lowly Oklahoma City Thunder on Oct. 27. Or its Jan. 15 setback against the Denver Nuggets, which resulted in a 37-point defeat. Or, on Feb. 9, a loss to a G League version of the Portland Trail Blazers. Regardless of the circumstances, it is now brutally obvious that the Lakers aren’t mired in a long-term slump: this is who they are.
With a record of 31-43, the Lakers have eight games remaining to secure a position in the play-in round. But, barring a miracle, it seems like LeBron James and his teammates will be watching the action from the comfort of their own homes in two weeks.
If the Lakers lose their next game, they will be eliminated from the playoffs.
The Lakers are in disarray, which comes as no surprise. Los Angeles has dropped its previous two games, most notably squandering a 23-point lead to the Pelicans at New Orleans on Sunday. Worse still, in the first half, James injured his ankle, putting him in jeopardy of missing some of LA’s remaining games.
The Lakers will fly to Texas to face the Dallas Mavericks, despite the fact that LeBron James and Anthony Davis are both uncertain. With a 46-29 record, the Mavs, headed by superstar Luka Doncic, are currently the fourth-best team in the West, making them clear favorites versus the Purple and Gold.
Losing against Dallas on Tuesday night, though, would have much more ramifications than any other setback the team has suffered so far.
After getting passed by the Pelicans on Sunday, LA is now clinging to the 10-seed. It currently has a half-game lead over the San Antonio Spurs, who have won four straight games. The Lakers would be tied with the Spurs if they lost against the Mavericks, a tie in which San Antonio would hold the edge owing to their better conference record.
That means the Lakers, who are without LeBron James, will be eliminated from the play-in round unless they can defeat the Mavericks on the road.
To put things in perspective, Sunday was the first time Los Angeles has dropped below the ninth seed all season. With eight games remaining, it is now in danger of sliding to the 11th spot.
The route to the play-in will become more tough due to LA’s scheduling.
The Los Angeles Lakers are facing the unimaginable prospect of missing the play-in round entirely. But, certainly, they have a fair chance of getting back into it, don’t they?
Wrong.
LA is set to embark on what may be its toughest challenging stretch of the whole season, with both James and Davis nursing ailments. Here’s what the Purple and Gold can expect between now and the conclusion of the season:
- Tuesday, March 29th: @ Mavericks
- Thu, March 31st: @ Jazz
- vs. Pelicans on Friday, April 1st
- versus. Nuggets on Sunday, April 3
- Suns against. Suns on Tuesday, April 5th
- Thursday, April 7th, at Warriors
- vs. Thunder on Friday, April 8th
- Sun, 4/10: Nuggets vs.
To begin with, five of the Lakers’ eight games are on the road, where they are 11-25. Not to mention that all five of those road games are against teams in the Western Conference’s top six.
Not only are the opponents of high caliber, but the quantity of games in a given week will be tough for a weakened Lakers squad to handle. With four games in each of the next two weeks, LeBron and AD are more likely to miss crucial games at the most crucial time of the season.
The fact that five of San Antonio’s last seven games are against playoff opponents is a saving grace. However, it’s evident that the Spurs are in command, and it’s extremely probable that LA will complete the season on April 10.
Regardless of whether the Lakers advance to the play-in round, changes are on the way.
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When it comes to this year’s dismal Lakers team, there are two things that everyone should be aware of. Regardless of what certain analysts like Shaquille O’Neal say, their adventure will conclude no later than the first round, even if they manage to sneak into the play-in round. And there will be changes.
In truth, there have been several revisions.
Expect general manager Rob Pelinka to rebuild LA’s dreadful bench with a group of veterans on one-year contracts. That might happen once head coach Frank Vogel is relieved of his duties. The Lakers will then have to figure out what to do with Russell Westbrook, who has a $47.0 million player option that makes trading him very hard.
While LeBron and AD are still together, there’s no assurance they’ll be together after this season. Following another injury-plagued season, it’s worth asking whether Pelinka would consider dealing Davis, who has three years and $121.7 million remaining on his contract.
With little budget room and no imminent draft selections, Los Angeles may be able to start planning for the future by dealing Davis. A scenario in which the 37-year-old LeBron James does not average 30.0 points in an otherwise unremarkable season.
The Purple and Gold are about to make a big move. But first, they’ll have to endure another more humiliation.
Basketball Reference provided all statistics, while Spotrac provided contract data.
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