The Los Angeles Lakers looked completely lost without LeBron James on Wednesday night, suffering one of their worst performances of the season in a 92-121 blowout loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. With their offense struggling and their defense terrible from start to finish, the Lakers were overwhelmed from the opening tip.
For us, this was a painful reminder of how dependent they still are on their 40-year-old superstar’s presence and leadership. James might be forgotten since he has been absent due to sciatica concerns, but he isn’t forgotten if the Lakers want to take on the best teams in the league. Tonight proved that.
The Lakers managed only 18 points in the first quarter and had a very brutal eight-minute stretch without a single field goal to open the second, allowing Oklahoma City to build a 32-point halftime lead that turned the rest of the game into a practice arena. Luka Doncic was clamped up for just 19 points on 7-of-20 shooting, while Austin Reaves shot 4-for-12 in a quiet 13-point night.
Without LeBron to steady the group or get the players going, the Lakers looked flat and frustrated as the Thunder, led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 30 points, ran them off the floor. This was a flashing warning sign.
Despite ahot start to the season, the Lakers’ offense has little identity when LeBron isn’t vailable. His return can’t come soon enough if Los Angeles hopes to stay competitive in a loaded Western Conference, and Wednesday night was a perfect example of what could happen.
1. Lakers Offense Falls Apart Without LeBron
The Lakers looked completely lost on offense without LeBron James. They shot just 40.3% from the field, their lowest mark of the season, and made only 11 of 35 from three (only 31.4%).
Los Angeles scored a season-low 92 points, a major fall-off for a team that had averaged over 116 in previous games. Luka Doncic, who’s been carrying the scoring load in LeBron’s absence, went 7-for-20 from the field and 1-for-7 from three, finishing with 19 inefficient points and seven assists.
Without LeBron on the court, the Lakers’ ball movement stalled and they recorded just 19 assists on 31 made shots while committing 20 turnovers. We will get more into the turnovers in a little bit.
Every possession looked ugly with too much isolation and too little movement and chemistry. Austin Reaves, coming in hot at 30 points per game over his last three, shot just 4-of-12 for 13 points.
The Thunder packed the paint, forcing the Lakers to make threes which they couldn’t do. Without LeBron dictating the pace of the game, the Lakers’ offense simply didn’t look like championship-caliber by any means against the reigning champs.
2. Thunder’s Energy Consumed The Lakers
Defensively and when it came to getting stops, the Lakers had no answers for Oklahoma City. The Thunder shot an efficient 50% from the field, assisted on 28 of 44 field goals, and thoroughly enjoyed the night on that end.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander shredded the Lakers for 30 points and nine assists in just three quarters, shooting 10-of-18 while getting to the line nine times. Even without Jalen Williams and Luguentz Dort, OKC dominated the perimeter en route to a ton of open looks and quick shots.
The Thunder’s bench also outscored the Lakers’ 64-36. Isaiah Joe continued his torrid start to the season with 21 points on 5-of-11 shooting from deep, and he was demoralizing to watch if you are a Lakers fan.
L.A. gave up 48 points in the paint and allowed OKC to build a 37-point lead, their largest of the season. The offense was putrid from the Purple and Gold, but their defense was down to the fact the energy wasn’t there tonight.
3. Turnovers Tell the Story
Perhaps the most glaring issue tonight was the turnovers. Los Angeles coughed the ball up 20 times, leading directly to 26 Thunder points. Many were lazy passes and poor spacing that showed a lack of chemistry. Marcus Smart committed two costly turnovers early that fueled OKC’s first-quarter 30-18 burst.
Once the Thunder got the momentum going, the Lakers simply couldn’t match their energy or transition defense. On the flip side, Oklahoma City turned the ball over just 11 times and still managed 14 steals.
Even when the Lakers had chances to run, they only had 16 fast-break points to OKC’s 10, despite being down for most of the game. The Lakers couldn’t control tempo and it’s exactlywhat LeBron’s presence usually fixes. LeBron’s ability to calm things down was sorely missed tonight.
4. Supporting Cast Fails To Step Up
While much of the focus falls on LeBron’s absence after tonight’s eye-opening game, the rest of the Lakers’ roster didn’t show up. Rui Hachimura was one of the few bright spots with 13 points on 5-of-11 shooting, but he grabbed just five rebounds and finished a team-worst -35 in plus-minus.
Deandre Ayton only had six points and five rebounds in 26 minutes, struggling to compete against Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein, who combined for 22 points and 11 rebounds. The Lakers were outworked and outsmarted in nearly every matchup.
Off the bench, Dalton Knecht was solid with 16 points on 6-of-7 shooting, including four threes, but the rest of the reserves were quiet. Jarred Vanderbilt and Jaxson Hayes combined for just eight points, and Bronny James went scoreless in limited minutes.
As a group, the Lakers’ second unit shot only 12-for-30 (40%) and failed to get stops. Until the supporting cast can produce consistently and in our opinion, Los Angeles will continue to live and die by whether LeBron is in the lineup.
