LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers suffered another crushing loss at the hands of the OKC Thunder leaving fans shocked.
LeBron James called out as Lakers continue rough patch after loss to OKC Thunder
How close are the Los Angeles Lakers to pressing the red button? They just suffered their fourth loss in five games against the Oklahoma City Thunder during Friday’s NBA Cup game. After starting the season hot on the back of big performances by their stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis, the fire within the team seems to have cooled off. This is especially the case for the 39-year-old James.
At the beginning of the season, LeBron James vowed to keep his body battle-prepared and ready to play all 82 games. However, this strategy may not work out for ‘King James’ as the wear and tear on his body after entering year 22 in the NBA is starting to show. After another disappointing night against the Thunder, many are starting to get concerned about James’ performance.
LeBron needs a game or few off. This whole 82-game goal was really dumb and it’s hurting the Lakers.
Lakers insider Anthony Irwin wrote on X
LeBron James has averaged just 19.0 points, 8.4 rebounds and 8.2 assists while shooting 45.3% from the field in his last 5 games this season. While these numbers are certainly no joke, the Lakers are an undeniably top-heavy team.
Their roster, as it is currently constructed, requires James and Anthony Davis to carry the slack for major chunks of games. Only then it will allow the Lakers to have any chance of being consistent on a nightly basis. After their 101-93 loss against the Thunder, they now sit at the sixth seed in the West with an 11-8 record.
NBA fans left shocked as LeBron James and Lakers continue to fall
After winning the inaugural NBA Cup last season, it may be time for LeBron James and the Lakers to bid their chances at defending the cup goodbye. After their loss on Friday night, the team has fallen to a 2-2 record with the fourth spot in West: Group B. As the team continues to slide, fans on the internet were left stunned by James’ decline this season.
Other fans and analysts, however, criticized the Lakers for their roster construction, with some trolling the team after their disappointing loss.
Some fans joked about the Lakers trading LeBron James after he finished the game with just 12 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists on 5-13 shooting. While the team is certainly unlikely to trade their franchise superstar, it may be time for Rob Pelinka and the Lakers management to take a long, hard look at the squad’s roster construction as they continue to follow a similar path to last season.
