An NBA season can be very long, especially when it comes to a team whose main star is a veteran. Los Angeles Lakers They are, for now, the only team to have won anything significant in 2023-2024. With the achievement of the Tournament in Las Vegas, the Californians took the first trophy of the course, showing that they can be dangerous opponents when the games that really matter come. However, since the title celebration the Lakers have piled on A record of one win and five losses, with the last four coming in a row.
Angelenos seems to be going through a period of readjustment, like his peak Las Vegas It would have been planned from the beginning and now they were regaining strength. The reality is that they have gone from being one of the teams of the moment to being immersed in the fight for places for the Western Play-In.
A bad time that coincides with his consecutive absences Lebron James, which has lost two of six games since the In-Season Tournament. The reason for his absence is that he is dealing with problems with his left ankle as he suffers from fibular tendinopathy, which has led the Lakers’ medical services to choose to rest him. These losses have had an impact not only because they are obvious, but because when the star did play, he did so in a fairly subtle way.
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A reminder that LeBron is a late-career player. On the verge of turning 39, James has proven he can compete like few others in the league, but his ability to extend that streak for multiple games is more limited. That’s where Anthony Davis comes in, who should be the beacon of LA on the vast majority of nights.
The last fall could have been especially painful because of how it happened against the Minnesota Timberwolves (118-111). Without LeBron, Anthony Davis he took a big step forward, leading me 31 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 blocks and 55% field goal accuracy. However, the match seemed too long for the Angels, fading away clutch while Towns and Edwards sealed the victory.
This sudden but ongoing decline by the Lakers will have to end sooner rather than later. The Californians’ need for wins is vital to avoid getting into trouble any time soon. However, the calendar doesn’t seem to be giving them a day off in the coming weeks. Once that tour is over, Darwin Ham’s men will soon face the Celtics, Timberwolves, Heat, Grizzlies and Clippers, a fundamental piece to check their true position in the West.
“This is the NBA season. There are going to be ups and downs. We’re in this down period right now.” said Anthony Davis after the loss to Wolves. “We’ve just got to keep fighting and keep playing hard. Play with some effort, some energy and treat Saturday as a must-win.”
The reality is that since the final of the Tournament, the Lakers are the 7th worst NBA team in terms of efficiency (-6.7). Curiously, slightly ahead of the Pacers (-6.7), who have recorded a similar balance (2-5).
The calendar offers a somewhat daunting horizon, as the Californians have the fourth-most complicated prospect in the league according to Tankathon and there’s still more than half a season to go.
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