On January 6, Beijing time, the NBA regular season continued, and the Lakers lost 113-127 at home to the Grizzlies, suffering four consecutive defeats. This is the third time this season that the team has suffered four or more consecutive defeats.
In this game, the Lakers once took a 13-point lead, Lao Zhan showed good form, and the team played well overall. But then the Grizzlies caught up with the score, and the Lakers collapsed in the final quarter, scoring only 19 points, being completely suppressed by the Grizzlies and failing to complete the reversal.
The Lakers, who won the championship at the beginning of the season, are now slumping, not only in uneven player condition, but also facing injuries. The defeat to the Heat in the last round brought to the surface. In this round against the weaker Grizzlies, the Lakers once regained the glory of the championship-winning period, but they still couldn't resist the opponent's chasing points. In the final quarter of the game, the team's offense fell into a quagmire, and the Grizzlies seized the opportunity and soared the three-point shooting rate, finally widening the score gap and not giving the Lakers any chance to counterattack.
After 4 consecutive defeats, the Lakers fell to 11th in the West, such a poor record made coach Frank Vogel's coaching career in jeopardy. However, Vogel remained extremely calm after the game, saying that the season was still long, which would only make him more motivated to solve problems. According to his character, he will not admit defeat easily. But if the Lakers' record continues to decline and the Clippers suffer another heavy defeat against the well-formed Clippers, Vogel's departure will be just around the corner.
James performed well throughout the game, playing well in the first three quarters, but was obviously unable to lead the team to complete the comeback in the fourth quarter. He scored just six points in the final quarter and had three turnovers, two of which were fatal. After the game, James also admitted that he was physically exhausted. As a veteran who is almost 40 years old, his physical decline is understandable.
ANTHONY DVIS PLAYED A SOLID GAME AGAIN, PLAYING A WHOPPING 41 MINUTES AND SCORING 31 POINTS, 6 REBOUNDS AND 4 ASSISTS. He has been the core pillar of the team this season, but unfortunately the Lakers' three-point and defensive end have been struggling for a long time, and Davis can't turn the tide no matter how strong he is. In this game, the Lakers allowed the Grizzlies to score 23 three-pointers, and it was too difficult to win.
Overall, the Lakers are at a low ebb. The team has many problems such as injuries, aging, and poor player form. The manager's coaching ability is also increasingly being questioned by the outside world. The team urgently needs to make changes, otherwise the consecutive heavy defeats will only continue to ferment and eventually escape the doom of the reshuffle.
I think the first thing that needs to be addressed is the injury problem. Anthony Davis is still in good shape for the big picture, but the long-term absence of key players such as Russell and Reaves has greatly weakened the team. When the injured players gradually return, the Lakers' rotation and defensive system will be strengthened.
The second is to improve the performance of the team's young players. The Lakers are currently overly reliant on two veterans, James and Davis. Once they are out of form or their fitness is down, the team has no hope of winning the championship. Young players such as Austin Reaves and Lonnie Walker IV need to go up the ladder and share more of the burden with James and Davis.
Finally, the manager needs to adjust his tactics and increase the defensive intensity of his team. The Lakers' three-point and defensive defense has always been a soft underbelly, and these two areas must be improved, otherwise it will be difficult to succeed. Vogel needs to make the team's defense more cohesive, while also increasing the rotation to ensure that there is enough explosiveness in every moment.
The Lakers' problems this season are obvious, but it's not too late. Injuries are temporary, veterans still have fighting spirit, young players have room to rise, and managers have no shortage of experience. I believe that by solving problems and adjusting tactics, the Lakers have the strength to get back on track, re-enter the Finals, and challenge for the championship.