The Los Angeles Lakers have not been close to being a championship contender this regular season. They have been an inconsistent team with a lot of ups and downs. They have lost 3 of the last 4 games prior to today.
As a result of their subpar performances, LeBron James issued an apology to Lakers fans earlier this week. In his apology Tweet, James promised that the team will be “better”.
LeBron James has followed up on that tweet after the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Utah Jazz. When speaking to the media, James claimed that everyone on the Lakers’ roster understood that their “energy and effort was not where it needed to be”.
LeBron James on his apology tweet: "We all understood our energy and effort was not where it needed to be."
— Ryan Ward (@RyanWardLA) January 18, 2022
Hopefully, this win against the Utah Jazz can serve as a sort of new beginning for the Los Angeles Lakers. There is still half the season left to play, and the Los Angeles Lakers could potentially separate themselves from the .500 mark if they go on a winning run over these next few wins. Avoiding a play-in spot would be extremely beneficial for the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Los Angeles Lakers have a lot of talent on the roster, and there’s no question that they should be a contender on paper. These last few weeks have been tough for the team, but when Anthony Davis comes back fully healthy, they will have their top-tier defensive anchor and offensively versatile big men back. That should help give them a boost, and there’s no question that missing their 2nd best player has really hurt them.
While one win does not prove that the Lakers are a championship contender, beating a fully healthy Utah Jazz team is definitely a good way to gain some confidence as a squad. Hopefully, they are able to get into a rhythm, and we shouldn’t write off the Los Angeles Lakers quite yet.
