The Lakers have gotten off to a rocky start to their five-game road trip, with two of their losses coming in blowout fashion to the undermanned Atlanta Hawks and Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Lakers (8-4) head into Friday’s NBA Cup matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans, who will be without Zion Williamson, Dejounte Murray, and Jordan Poole. L.A. is coming off a forgettable night in OKC, losing 92-121. OKC outscored the Lakers 30-18 in the first quarter and 40-20 in the second, pushing their lead beyond 30 points at halftime.
While a 1-2 skid in 3 games isn’t typically anything to lose sleep over, it’s how the Lakers have performed in these 3 games that have raised concern. The Lakers are still one of the more efficient teams in the NBA, ranking 3rd for field goal percentage (50.4%). This is despite being ranked 22nd in 3-point shooting percentage (33.7%). However, their defense and turnovers have caused real issues.
They rank 21st in defensive rating and allow the second-most points off turnovers to an opponent, and these flaws were on full display against the Hawks and Thunder.
Lakers Turnover Issues
The Lakers turned the ball over 20 times compared to Atlanta’s 11. The Hawks turned L.A.’s 20 turnovers into 36 points. Funny enough, the Lakers had 20 turnovers yet again against the Thunder, while OKC also had 11, resulting in 26 points given up.
While their shot-making is efficient overall, the actual offense needs work, particularly in erasing their own possessions. The Lakers aren’t a fast team; they prefer to play in the half-court. Turning the ball over gives teams more opportunities in transition, and for a team like the Lakers, which isn’t as defensively savvy, it makes life a lot harder on the court. Many of their turnovers are self-inflicted, not necessarily because their opponent is playing lockdown defense every night.
LeBron’s Upcoming Return
The Lakers will finish the road trip in Milwaukee tomorrow night, head back home for Tuesday’s game against the Utah Jazz, and have four days off until their next game on Sunday in Utah.
Based on reports, LeBron James looks to make his return sooner rather than later. He has been practicing with the Lakers’ G League affiliate, South Bay, and has not experienced any pain or flare-up with his sciatica injury. Some speculate he may make his return when the Lakers come home Tuesday or on Sunday against the Jazz.
The Lakers look to bounce back and take the next two games to head home with an above .500 record on the trip.
The post Lakers Look to Bounce Back from 1-2 Start to Their Road Trip appeared first on Los Angeles Sports Nation.