LAKE BUENA VISTA, FL – One day after clinching the West’s top seed in the restarted NBA season down in the bubble, the Los Angeles Lakers (51-16) laid a proverbial egg in a 105-86 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder (42-25).
In a game in which Lebron James scored 19 points in 30 minutes and Anthony Davis added nine points in 29 minutes for a combined 33.3 percent from the field, after making half (50.0 percent) in their 116-108 win over the always-tough Utah Jazz and 40.9 percent in a 107-92 loss to the defending NBA champion Toronto Raptors, it’s clear that the Purple & Gold go as LBJ and AD go.
And that could be an issue if they hope to help the Lakers add their 17th banner.
While not as deep as their city rivals in the Clippers, the Lakers boast perhaps the most championship experience and pedigree of any team in the bubble. However, due to the losses of their their starting backcourt in Avery Bradley and Rajon Rondo, the lack of chemistry and consistency since the restart is becoming more noticeable.
While many have them penciled in to play for their 17th title, you cannot count out the aforementioned Clippers, Houston Rockets or Denver Nuggets. Hell, even the Portland Trail Blazers with a seemingly rejuvenated Carmelo Anthony could be the one team capable of rocking the Lakers proverbial apple cart.
Los Angeles needs to be and play more consistently and go into the playoffs on a roll with an established chemistry if they hope to complete the mission that they are clearly on.
This article can also be found over at our sister site, The Spectator here.