Things haven’t gone according to the script for the Los Angeles Lakers. In a season that started in a really promising manner for the Lakers, things have now petered out. Yesterday, the Lakers succumbed to yet another disappointing defeat, this time at the hands of the Brooklyn Nets. The team led the game by a margin of 5 points at halftime. However, a poor second-half performance, during which they only scored 44 points, resulted in a 112-130 loss.

Following the disappointing loss, Lakers’ HC Darvin Ham gave an honest assessment of their sub-par second-half performances. He said, “They started to make a run, and we kind of fell apart. Just felt like we got disappointed. Some calls we thought we should’ve gotten didn’t go our way. They made some shots. We hold the ball, start slowing down, becoming indecisive.” Darvin Ham also indicated that the Lakers’ failure to convert shots on the offensive side had an impact on their defensive “energy.”

However, LeBron disagreed with his coach’s assessment. In a post-match interview, LeBron stated that inconsistent officiating affected their energy. He said, “No, I thought us not getting stops affected our energy, personally. You can’t trade baskets or when we miss, we’re not getting stops. We got to get stops, but we weren’t getting stops.”

While LeBron is unhappy about inconsistent officiating and not getting enough “stops”, it’s worth noting that the Lakers received 10 more free throws than the Nets. The Lakers were awarded 24 free throws, of which they converted 20. Whereas, the Nets only got 14 free throws, of which they converted 11. After another dismal showing, can LeBron & Co. rescue their sinking season?

Can the Lakers still make it to the playoffs?

The 2023-24 season started with great promise for the Lakers. They won the inaugural In-Season tournament in a comprehensive manner, winning all seven of their games. However, since that joyous night, their form has been nothing short of abysmal. The Lakers have lost 15 games since their NBA Cup triumph. This form has relegated the Lakers to the 10th spot in the Western Conference standings, with 21 wins and 22 losses.

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Serious question marks have risen about LeBron James and Anthony Davis’ ability to lead the Lakers to the title. However, the current composition of the Lakers’ roster isn’t good enough to compete for a title. Apart from LeBron and AD, no other Laker is averaging above 16 points per game. With the trade deadline right around the corner, the Lakers’ hierarchy needs to be decisive in order to improve the roster. Currently, the Lakers are far from being in contention for a playoff spot, let alone competing for an NBA title.

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