The Los Angeles Lakers have lost another game, and are under .500 once again. They looked like they had no chance against the Miami Heat, who were 3rd in the Eastern Conference going into the game.
LeBron James had a stellar performance, tallying 33 points, 11 rebounds, and 4 assists on 12-22 shooting. Russell Westbrook was fairly efficient, putting up 24 points, 9 rebounds, and 9 assists on 9-15 shooting with only 3 turnovers. However, they did not get much help from the majority of the role players on the roster. Starters Trevor Ariza and Dwight Howard went scoreless.
Lakers fans were understandably upset at this performance, as the team has struggled against top-tier competition all season. The Lakers trailed for the majority of the game, and even with a late comeback, they were unable to win.
✈️ Brooklyn pic.twitter.com/rBkXLjGkXF
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) January 24, 2022
There is no doubt that this Lakers roster needs some changes to happen for the team to become championship-caliber. LeBron James is still an amazing offensive engine that can be the primary option on a team. We know that LeBron James and Anthony Davis are a championship-caliber duo: the Lakers simply need to put players who can play their roles around them.
While missing Anthony Davis has been tough for the Los Angeles Lakers, he should be able to return soon. He was reportedly working on his shooting while sidelined with his knee injury, and if he can provide more spacing for the team, that will help everyone else on the roster. His defense, rebounding, and rim protection are also very much needed, and there’s no question that the Lakers have struggled on the defensive end this season.
Hopefully, we see the Lakers improve going forward. It would be extremely unfortunate if the Lakers were to be a play-in team again, but as of now, they are in that position. All Lakers fans can hope for is the team figuring things out and going on a winning run in the future.
