The Los Angeles Lakers 2024-2025 NBA Season

[Retroram52]

DFS with another three and the lead is 10 points.

 

[DJ Fieri]

I don't think it's tanking.....think they just struggling to get guys back into fitting in with the guys who played well while others were out.

 

[Retroram52]

Reaves with a lay-up and the lead is 8 with 4 minutes left.

 

[Retroram52]

I don't think it's tanking.....think they just struggling to get guys back into fitting in with the guys who played well while others were out.

I don't know at this point but this is the same shit I have seen for three straight games now.

 

[Retroram52]

Lakers deficit is back to 11 points with 3 minutes left. Why is Redick continuing to NOT play Western Knecht with any substantial minutes??!!

 

[Retroram52]

The Lakers have played like dogshit most of this game. They are going to lose to yet another pile of crap team. They go to Indiana next and that will loss Number four-in-a-row!

 

[Retroram52]

Game over. WHAT A JOKE THIS IS!!

 

[Retroram52]

Something or someone needs to be held accountable!! If they continue on this path, the Lakers will be a First Round exit from the playoffs.

 

[Retroram52]

The Lakers go to Indiana on Wednesday. They have a back-to-backer on Thursday at Chicago. Then they go to Memphis on Saturday. I don't see the Lakers winning another game on this mini road trip. They suck. Period!!

 

[Retroram52]

The appears to be an undercurrent of laziness in attitude. There is one player on Defense who is DFS and one player one Offense, Doncic, (Both from Dallas) that come to play every game. Reaves might want to play but everyone else are doing little-to-nothing on both Defense and Offense.

 

[Retroram52]

What a Dog and Pony show this team is!! I am out...

 

[DorianRo]

ever since lebron returned the entire team has gone to hell and the entire flow has been disrupted, and defense is far worse and standing around is the recipe of the day. He needs to go man. His time is up. You shouldn't even be allowed to play at 40 unless you're coming off the bench. I know he has never been held accountable for 2 decades by the coaches or his LeSlupers. But its ok to tell him his time is up LOL. We all get old

 

[Retroram52]

I beginning to believe you are right DorianRo.

 

[UK Cowboy]

I beginning to believe you are right DorianRo.

Obviously they are better with LBJ back, but the defensive effort since he has gotten back has been a joke. If it continues, the way to go after the season would be to trade LBJ for a legit C/PF and a 3D guy. That's very doable. For the present, Knecht isn't playing nearly enough IMO

 

[ANGELAKERAMS]

Lakers are 3-7 in their last 10

Not the way you want to be heading into the playoffs.

Defense has now become a joke after being near the top for 2 months.

 

[shopson67]

I don't think it's tanking.....think they just struggling to get guys back into fitting in with the guys who played well while others were out.

I thought that at first, but now I'm wondering about Lebron's defense. He was playing strong defense before his groin injury, but if you look at the plus/minus from these last two games, Lebron sticks out like a sore thumb (and his offense hasn't been that bad, especially last night). Turnovers were under control, but the 3 point shooting was off almost team-wide.

With these defensive struggles, the concern over Lebron/Luka/AR on the floor together is resurfacing. I think DFS is better defensively at PF (as is Lebron), so maybe Rui needs to start over Lebron and DFS be the first guy off the bench when Lebron rests? Is Rui ready for those minutes? If not, give some of them to Knecht. He's largely been an afterthought these past two games.

 

[shopson67]

Obviously they are better with LBJ back, but the defensive effort since he has gotten back has been a joke. If it continues, the way to go after the season would be to trade LBJ for a legit C/PF and a 3D guy. That's very doable. For the present, Knecht isn't playing nearly enough IMO

I think a swap of either Rui (or Knecht at times) for DFS when Lebron is on the court will allow Lebron to defend the 4, which could solidify things a bit. Putting DFS on smaller/quicker guys hasn't been working out well (and putting him in foul trouble).

Hell, try anything different, as the current rotations aren't meshing defensively.

 

[Retroram52]

I agree Shopson. If these patterns continue, the Lakers are not going to win another game on this roadtrip. Their Defense is atrocious and it started that way when James returned.

I don't know what exactly is amiss, but what they have now, just can't continue or the Lakers may have to go through the play-in to get to the post-season round.

They then may not make it out of the play-in tourney at this rate.

 

[Retroram52]

Their is a distinct possibility that James is still not 100%. It is entirely possible because a groin injury at his age is not going to be totally 100% in two weeks. Maybe two months.

Because of it, James is not playing Defense (he hasn't played Defense nearly his entire careeer) and since he isn't everyone else isn't either except for maybe DFS and maybe Vanderbilt.

These players have been conditioned to follow James directly or indirectly. Hell, even Redick does that because they are friends and James lobbied the Lakers to hire Redick which is not very good.

Unless somebody has the balls to strike away from James and play consistent Basketball on both ends of the court, this is not going to end well for the Lakers.

 

[shopson67]

Their is a distinct possibility that James is still not 100%. It is entirely possible because a groin injury at his age is not going to be totally 100% in two weeks. Maybe two months.

Because of it, James is not playing Defense (he hasn't played Defense nearly his entire careeer) and since he isn't everyone else isn't either except for maybe DFS and maybe Vanderbilt.

These players have been conditioned to follow James directly or indirectly. Hell, even Redick does that because they are friends and James lobbied the Lakers to hire Redick which is not very good.

Unless somebody has the balls to strike away from James and play consistent Basketball on both ends of the court, this is not going to end well for the Lakers.

They don't really have players that are strong at both ends. Closest is DFS, and rarely scores 10+. So each line up is give and take as a result.

Lakers were humming along before Rui's injury, so maybe he does need to start to balance the rotations better. I wouldn't have thought that previously.