The Los Angeles Lakers suffered a crushing 132-119 loss to the San Antonio Spurs at home on Wednesday night. With the Lakers’ defense being exposed, LeBron James and Austin Reaves acknowledged the team’s shortcomings during their post-game media availability.
While discussing ways in which the team could solve the issues, LeBron James said, “It has to be five guys on a string. Obviously, you can’t do it individually, by yourself. It has to be five guys on a string. Communication, always at an all-time high, letting you know what’s going on behind you and things of that nature.”
“Obviously, this is a unique team,” he said, highlighting the Spurs’ roster. “Six or seven guys that can break you off the dribble. Super fast, super quick, some of them are stronger. Faster, quicker ball-handlers. So, a unique team, and they definitely got the best of us tonight.”
San Antonio started the game on a hot streak, scoring 70 points in the first half, shooting nearly 50% from beyond the arc. It was evident that the Lakers’ perimeter defense was lacking. With players such as Harrison Barnes, Julian Champagnie, and Stephon Castle receiving open looks, the Spurs capitalized on the opportunity in front of them.
On this note, Austin Reaves also highlighted the team’s errors while guarding the perimeter.
“That’s a weakness we’ve got to get better at,” Reaves stated. “The spirit is still high in here. We know we can do it. But we have to be a group that guards with five people, and like Bron said, we’ve got to be on a string in our rotations, and we’ve just got to play hard on that end.”
After a poor first-half performance, the Purple and Gold appeared more disciplined on the defensive end during the second half. Unfortunately, the Spurs looked unstoppable. With enough momentum behind them, San Antonio ended the game shooting 50% from the floor and 45% from three-point range.
LeBron James And Austin Reaves Weren’t Enough
The Lakers’ trio of Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves were all meaningful contributors on Wednesday night.
Doncic led the way with a game-high 35 points, tallying five rebounds and eight assists to go with it. Meanwhile, James had an impressive 19 points, 15 rebounds, and eight assists on the night. Although Reaves struggled early on, he eventually finished strong, posting 15 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists, while shooting 6-of-16 from the field.
Given the trio’s solid performance, the team would be expected to come out on top. Unfortunately, this loss highlights another glaring issue for the Purple and Gold: a lack of depth.
Barring Marcus Smart, who notched 26 points in his first game back from injury, the Lakers hardly saw any significant contributions from the remaining players on the roster. Considering that only Dalton Knecht and Jaxson Hayes managed to score points off the bench (combining for five points), it is evident that the team is heavily dependent on its star trio to produce.
This does not bode well for a team with title aspirations. With a desperate need to improve their bench, the Lakers may benefit from making some moves ahead of the trade deadline.
