On December 23, Beijing time, the Lakers suffered a three-game losing streak the day before the Suns, and they will face the Spurs at home tomorrow. The Lakers officially gave the personnel situation of the next game, Bazemore, Bradley, Munch, Nunn and Reeves all missed because of isolation, while "thick eyebrow brother" Anthony Davis also continued to miss because of a sprain of the left knee ligament, and Ariza and LeBron James had a high probability of playing, can the Lakers defeat the Spurs to stop the decline?
Due to many problems such as the uneven lineup and the team's run-in, the Lakers have not only suffered three consecutive losses recently, but also their offensive efficiency (93.3), average points per game (97.3 points) and free throw shooting rate (66.2%) are the lowest in the league in the same period.
In addition, the Lakers currently rely too much on the play of veterans, and due to the unstable roster list, their platoon layout sometimes causes questions from the outside world, such as the last tragic defeat to the Suns, Lakers assistant coach, now temporary manager Fitzdale sent Thomas Jr., Tucker, Russell Westbrook, Lajeon Rondo and Trevo Ariza This small lineup of suicide, this lineup is very hot at both ends of the attack and defense.
Dwight Howard was deprecated last game when sources said the Lakers coaching staff was unclear about the amount of game load Howard could handle, and staff were still watching his recovery progress (before sending him to the court). The Lakers are about to take on the Spurs, and Fitzdale recently revealed that Howard has done some training and that playing the Spurs should be able to play, although not 100% certain, but he hopes Howard can prepare for tomorrow's game. The use of Howard is likely to be an adjustment for the Lakers, after all, there is a shortage of people on the inside, and Jordan Jr.'s performance is a disaster.
Second, Fitzdale also revealed that it may give development league players some playing time to give the team vitality, especially before Reeves and Munch return. The Lakers' last game against the Suns mainly insisted on using veterans, Fitzdale said that the team was fighting for victory at the time before sending development league players to play, but given the Lakers' age system, Fitzdale was happy to use some young players.
Considering the uneven lineup, Wei Shao's mistakes in the last two games have increased, with 7 and 6 mistakes respectively, which has caused Wei Shao to be complained about by many fans. Fitzdale was in an interview with Wei Shao, who said that the Lakers have had many players missing the game recently, and Wei Shao wants to carry the team and try to help the Lakers win more victories, which also leads to an increase in mistakes under pressure. "When Westbrook attacks, his teammates don't always find the right place around him," Fitzdale said, "And he wasn't alone with his seven turnovers last night, which we discussed when we watched the game footage."
Many fans are concerned about Ariza's situation, he has performed well in the last two games, there is still a battle, but only played 15 minutes and 20 minutes respectively, it can be seen that the Lakers coaching staff has obvious playing time control over him. Ariza revealed his situation in an interview, saying that he is currently recovering well, but by the end of the game his feet and ankles began to produce a little soreness, which is what happens with continuous exercise, and he will keep his ankles as warm as possible.
The Lakers, currently 16-16, ranked 6th in the West, are in a difficult position and need a win to get out of the way and boost the morale of the team.