The Lakers' 20-point lead was reversed, and the series fell behind 0-2. The Lakers are in a huge crisis because it's a very good situation, and the Nuggets are unlikely to give the Lakers another 20-point lead in the subsequent game. The Lakers are down 0-2, and 3 players need to take the blame.
Hachimura played 38 minutes in the second game, but only scored 3 points and 5 rebounds on 1-of-7 shooting, his defense was leaky, and his ability to protect the basket was very poor, allowing Nuggets players to take turns attacking the interior. Hachimura's offense failed to open again, and he became a hole on the field.
The Lakers have had only Prince score on the bench in two consecutive games. Dinwiddie and Vincent also have to bear a bit of responsibility, especially in Game 2, if the two can score a little bit, the Lakers may win.
Vincent took the Lakers' full mid-range contract and was the Lakers' key addition last summer, but he failed to show his value in the playoffs. The Lakers brought in Dinwiddie and had high hopes for him. Dinwiddie had a sparkle in the second half of the regular season. However, in the playoffs, both he and Vincent played a little restrained.
The Lakers only had three players score in double figures in Game 2, and James, Bushy Eyebrows and Russell were already good enough. All the Lakers are left to do is boost the energy of the other players. The Lakers need role players to step up and score, and they need to have more scoring points than just three or four players to score.
In the second half, the efficiency of Brother Bushy and Russell declined, James struggled to support, and the Lakers needed someone to share the offensive pressure for them.
The Lakers lost two away games in a row, and then they need to defend their home court, and the third game is a game that the Lakers can't lose, otherwise it's basically useless to fall behind 0-3.
The Lakers need to make changes, and the good news is that both Vanderbilt and Wood are expected to return in Game 3. But the question is that both of them have been absent from the battle for a long time, what role can they play?
The Lakers have very little room for error, and both Vanderbilt and Wood did make a splash in some regular season games, but against a strong defending champion, it's unlikely that the two would make an immediate comeback against them. After all, the Nuggets have a high level of defensive literacy, a lot of defensive intensity, and rarely make mistakes.
The Lakers have made more turnovers than the Nuggets in two consecutive games, especially in the second half, when the Lakers have more turnovers. However, for the Lakers, they do have to count on Vanderbilt and Wood to break the game. If the two can play before their injuries and make the power forward position stronger, the Lakers may be able to succeed.
After all, Hachimura's performance in the first two games was too disappointing, he couldn't guard against the Nuggets players at all, and the offensive efficiency was very low, so I'm really sorry for the contract extension that the Lakers gave him.