Austin Reaves spoke after the Los Angeles Lakers‘ 118-106 loss to the Orlando Magic. When talking about the recent slump the Lakers are experiencing, having gone 0-3 in their last three games, he responded to a reporter asking about chemistry issues playing a part. He noted that injuries and returning players are par for the course in any season, and doesn’t think a lack of chemistry is to blame for the slump.
“That [player injuries and returns] happens throughout the course of the year, multiple times. So, I don’t think that [chemistry] is the problem. We’re happy to get everyone back healthy and have everyone on the court. We just gotta be better than we have been the last two nights.”
Reaves was also talking about the team’s performance, and how the level of the team has dropped. The guard noted that the Lakers’ defensive issues and fall-off have been a big factor in their recent dip in form, and explained what they need to do to get back to their previously high level – both on the defensive end and in general.
“Paying attention to the details. Competing every single possession. Just guarding your yard. We have to do it as a collective group. Every single possession. We gotta have five guys on a string… In spurts, it [defensive communication] has been [good]. But that’s not good enough.”
“When you’re getting stops, you can’t just be talking. If they score a couple of possessions, that’s okay. They’re going to score. You’ve gotta continue to do that even when you go a couple of possessions without getting a stop. You gotta be consistent on that end… We gotta continue to figure things out during the flow of the game.”
The defense has been a big issue for the Lakers during their three-game losing streak. While the first loss’ defensive issues could be excused as most of their starting rotation was unavailable, the Lakers have no excuse for their lack of defensive intensity in the last two games, given that they had almost every player healthy and available.
The hope is that the Lakers are able to break out of this rut that they are in sooner rather than later, as this could have some detrimental effects on their postseason standings. The Lakers were looking like legitimate title contenders just a few weeks ago. But injuries and inconsistency have made their strong run of form from earlier this year a distant memory.
This isn’t to say that the Lakers can’t get it back. The reassuring thing for them is that their squad has shown they can play at a very high level on both ends of the floor. They just need to put things together again and start doing so soon.
The Lakers’ next game against the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night at 7:30 PM EST will be a strong indicator of whether there are signs of improvement or a worsening rut.
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