The Lakers were humbled once again on their road trip, this time in a 121-92 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. It marked their second blowout defeat in three games, with little time to recover before back-to-back showdowns in New Orleans and Milwaukee. For head coach JJ Redick, the concern isn’t just the score, but what it says about where his team stands right now.
“I think you have to look at the big picture and then you have to look at where your team is at right now,” said Redick. “I don’t think it’s been a great road trip for us. How we played in the second half against Charlotte, I liked everything that I saw, but that Atlanta game and tonight I don’t think it’s reflective of who the group is going to be, but it clearly is who the group is right now, and so we’ve gotta course correct.”
The Lakers have been banged up this season, enduring injuries to key players like LeBron James, Luka Doncic, and Austin Reaves. Inconsistency has been a theme for them with so many guys in and out of the lineup.
Yet, the Lakers found a rhythm regardless, going 8-3 through their first 11 games in a show of strength and solidarity. With Luka averaging 37.1 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 9.1 assists per game, they’ve been unstoppable offensively, but the momentum has swung since starting this five-game road trip.
It started against the Hawks on Saturday, which ended in a 20-point blowout loss. Atlanta was without Trae Young at the time. They followed it up by allowing 40 points in the first quarter to Charlotte on Monday in an abysmal defensive effort. While they were able to win the game, it was far from a clean performance. Fortunately, they managed to find something in the second half that powered them to victory.
Tonight, they could hardly keep up against a Thunder team that’s better in almost every way. They were down 12 by the end of the first quarter, and that’s really as close as the score ever got after that.
Clearly, with two concerning losses in such close proximity, the Lakers are experiencing some problems right now that need to be addressed. Whether it’s an effort issue, a loss of focus, or something deeper, the Lakers must overcome this obstacle soon before they lose all the early momentum they picked up this season.
Fortunately, with LeBron James set to return soon, the Lakers will get a major boost that will help stabilize their position in the West. To keep up with the top contenders won’t be easy, but there is faith in what this roster can do together at full strength.
The Lakers have shown flashes of brilliance this season, but their road trip has served as a reality check. With back-to-back games looming, this stretch could define how the rest of their season unfolds. If they want to stay in the hunt out West, it starts with finding answers now. There’s still time to get back on track, but the clock is ticking and the margin for error is shrinking fast.
