The Lakers are difficult to change the old problem of slow heat, and the two sworn enemies have become the best examples
On November 16, Beijing time, the Lakers lost to the Kings 110-125 and missed four consecutive wins. James contributed 28 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists, becoming the first player in history to score a triple-double in his 21st season. Even so, the Lakers still failed to win the game, and one important problem was that their old problem of slow heating was repeated.
The Lakers had the last first quarter
In the loss to the Kings, the Lakers lost by 13 points in the first quarter. Looking at the performance in the first quarter alone, the Lakers scored 25 points, shot 9-of-23, and shot only 39.1%, and the team's top scorers were Prince and James, but they also scored only 5 points. On the other hand, the opponent Kings scored 38 points in the first quarter, shooting 15-of-28 from the field with a shooting rate of 53.6%, and 6-of-12 from three-point range, shooting 50% from the field, with the highest scorers being Huerter and Sabonis, who each scored 10 points in the first quarter.
Eight of the Lakers' first 12 games trailed by double digits in the first quarter, and while they managed to win four of those eight, such a slow start was something the Lakers could not afford. Statistics show that the Lakers average 6.8 points per game to lose to opponents in the first quarter, which is the most points lost in the league in the first quarter, and the joint second worst is the Hornets and Trail Blazers, both teams lose by an average of 4.0 points per game in the first quarter.
The Lakers' poor performance in the first quarter was due to poor performance on both offensive and defensive ends. They had the second-lowest offensive efficiency in the league at 100.6 in the first quarter and the second-lowest in the league at 127.3 defensive efficiency in the first quarter. The Lakers lost by 26.7 points in the first quarter of 100 rounds, which is the lowest in the league, and the only one. The second team in the league to lose points per 100 possessions in the first quarter was the Grizzlies, but they lost by 15.7 points per 100 possessions.
The data shows that the Lakers' main players didn't play well in the first quarter. The team's highest scoring average in the first quarter was Thick Eyebrows, averaging 6.3 points per game, but such a first-quarter scoring performance could only rank 28th in the league. James averaged 4.5 points per game in the first quarter, in addition, Russell averaged 4.4 points per game in the first quarter and Reaves 3.3 points, but Russell shot only 38.6% in the first quarter and Reaves only 41.7%.
The two rivals become the best examples
If you want to find an example in the other 29 teams, then the Lakers' two rivals are the best examples, one is the team's all-time rival Celtics, and the other is the championship Nuggets who swept the Lakers 4-0 last season.
The Celtics were the most efficient team in the first quarter of the season, with an offensive efficiency of 127.4 in the first quarter, and they were also the team that won the most points per game in the first quarter, averaging 6.9 points per game and 27 points per 100 possessions in the first quarter, also leading the league. The Green Army has three players who average more than six points per game in the first quarter: Brown (7.6), Porzingis (6.5) and Tatum (6.2).
The Nuggets were the second-best team in defensive efficiency in the first quarter, with a defensive efficiency of 92.0 in the first quarter, and they were also the second-most teams in the league to win points per game in the first quarter, outscoring opponents by 5.8 points per game and 25 points per 100 possessions in the first quarter. The Nuggets' Jokic averaged 8.9 points per game in the first quarter, ranking third in the league.
It is said that a good start is half the battle. The two teams with the best records in the league are the Green Army and the Nuggets, who had the best first quarter, with both teams winning 9-2 and ranking first in the East and West respectively.
So which team was the first team in defensive efficiency in the first quarter? The Lakers' rival in the same city, the Clippers, but the Clippers' offensive efficiency in the first quarter was the worst in the league, so their overall performance in the first quarter was not outstanding.
The Lakers still have some injured players at the moment, and when they have a full lineup, Ham may make changes to the starters, and whether the Lakers' slow first-quarter problems can be alleviated?