After losing to the Hornets on the road, the Lakers have suffered two straight losses. As a result, the Lakers' record ranked ninth in the West. You know, the Lakers began to shout slogans this season to win the championship, but their current record is still far less than expected. So, why did the Lakers fall into such a situation?
The first aspect is the cause of injury. The Lakers are already a team with an average age, and many players have been infected with the new crown during the season. In addition, the Lakers' two cores, James and Davis, are plagued by injuries. James first suffered an abdominal injury and recently missed two games with a knee injury. Davis previously suffered a sprained cruciate ligament and, more recently, a sore wrist. James and Davis are the tactical core of the Lakers, and the absence of these two players has had a great impact on the team's record.
The second aspect is the run-in cause. The addition of Westbrook did not greatly improve the strength of the Lakers. Westbrook shot poorly and could only rely on the basket to score. Westbrook has been looking for a suitable style of play for himself, and how to maximize the benefits of the Big Three when they are on the floor, are all problems that the Lakers need to solve. Judging from the current situation, Wei Shao's single-core team is better than the effect of him and Zhan Mei being present at the same time.
In the third area, the quality of defense has declined. In order to trade Westbrook, the Lakers sent away Pop and Kuzma. In addition, the Lakers did not leave Caruso. In this way, compared with last season, the Lakers lack a number of tough players who can defend. The addition of Stanley Johnson fills this up to some extent, but it is also far from enough.
All in all, the Lakers' structure of this team has been unreasonable, James and Davis have frequent injuries, and they are not suitable as the core of a championship team. If the Lakers want to rush to the championship, James and Davis must stay healthy for a long time in the season. In addition, the compatibility problems of James and Westbrook are also difficult to solve. Vogel is unlikely to let Westbrook play as a substitute, and there have been some emotions before Westbrook did not play at a critical moment. Due to the poor condition of the season, the Lakers are likely to have to play the playoffs to have a chance to reach the playoffs. The Lakers must prove the strength of the team through performance, otherwise the Big Three will be a joke in the end.