The Los Angeles Lakers have been sliding since winning the in-season tournament earlier this month. Entering last night’s contest, the Lakers were losers of three straight games and there were a lot of questions about their trajectory this season. But even after taking the loss against Minnesota on Thursday (to make it four straight Ls), star big man Anthony Davis refused to give up hope in his squad and offered an explanation for why the Lakers have been struggling of late.
“We’re still a good ball club, we still believe what we can do. But it’s hard to assess our team when it fluctuates. You got guys being out and guys, when they’re back, trying to find their legs. Vando’s pushing through what he’s pushing through, me with the ankle, so it’s just a lot and we’re trying to figure out what guys are playing and are not playing. Some games we might see Jax and C-Wood, some not. It’s just a lot but we still gotta buckle down and get wins. We know what we can be, we’ve shown what we can be.”
Anthony Davis says “there’s a lot going on” right now contributing to the Lakers’ slump but added “we know what we can be, we’ve shown what we can be” pic.twitter.com/sXXwPylZuZ
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) December 22, 2023
Davis did his best to end the losing streak, dropping 31 points and 8 rebounds in 39 minutes against Minnesota’s star-studded frontcourt. Unfortunately, it still wasn’t enough to result in a Lakers victory and they are now two games back from a top-six seed in the West.
Lakers Need More
In the summer of 2023, the Lakers responded to their Western Conference Finals run by beefing up their supporting cast. Through signings like Jaxson Hayes, Cam Reddish, and Gabe Vincent, the Lakers got deeper at every position and the hope was that their play would allow LeBron to lessen his workload offensively.
Instead, the role-players have been inconsistent all season. With the exception of Austin Reaves and the two superstars, every Lakers player has been streaky with their performance and it’s been reflected in the team’s 15-14 record so far. D’Angelo Russell is arguably the biggest problem right now, and his struggles since the in-season tournament run have left the Lakers in desperate need of shooting and playmaking in the backcourt. Unless some major roster changes are made this season, the odds will be stacked against the Lakers to match their Conference Finals run from last season.
Will Pelinka Make A Trade?
With enough evidence to show that the Lakers are not a title-contending team this season, the ball is in Rob Pelinka’s court now to take action and make a move before it’s too late. So far, Bulls guard Zach LaVine is the biggest name available and the Lakers have already been tied to the multiple-time All-Star. In Toronto, two-way swingman OG Anunoby could also be available for the right price and he would be an ideal fit for the Lakers.
As it stands, anybody outside of James, Davis, and Reaves is available for the taking but it remains to be seen if they have enough pieces to make a meaningful change before the deadline. For now, the Lakers will give their guys time to make things right but if things don’t turn around soon, Pelinka may be forced to make some tough decisions.
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