The Los Angeles Lakers find themselves six games below .500 after entering the 2021-22 NBA season with championship aspirations. The latest shortcoming for the team includes a 123-95 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans on their home floor.
The embarrassment for the Lakers has reached the levels to where fans are going viral for chirping at players like LeBron James, Trevor Ariza, and Russell Westbrook throughout the course of the game.
“I can only answer if I take them home: No. But as for our team, I don’t think it’s something we got to deal with. And kind of move forward,” Westbrook told ESPN when asked about heckling from home fans.
There is a wide range of factors in play that have contributed to the Lakers’ underwhelming season to date. For starters, the inconsistent availability of Anthony Davis ranks high on the list given his importance to the half-court defense and presence as a rim roller.
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There has been no shortage of questionable personnel decisions from coach Frank Vogel that have contributed to the rough start the team experienced along with the ongoing shortcomings. Perhaps worst of all was beginning the season starting DeAndre Jordan and Kent Bazemore. Jordan is no longer a member of the team and Bazemore is out of the rotation altogether.
Other issues lie in the Lakers’ personnel deficiencies. The team ranks 21st in points per possession with particular shortcomings in spot-up (29th) while also having concerningly low pick-and-roll ball-handler (23rd) efficiency for a team where that’s supposed to be a strength. There was also thought that Westbrook would raise the transition offense but he’s been a one-man liability show in that regard.
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Westbrook shared his thoughts on what’s holding the Lakers back—expressing the opposition is coming in and playing harder than them on a nightly basis.
“Teams are coming in, playing harder, and I believe that’s kind of their scouting report: Just play harder than them and see what happens,” Westbrook said. “And it’s working. Until we determine and have the determination that we’re not going to allow it, especially on our home floor, it will continue to happen to us.”
To Westbrook’s credit, he has remained positive in his remarks throughout the season and that has not changed. He feels as though a change of fate can be sparked with a win to build momentum.
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“It all starts with a win. That’s what it starts with,” Westbrook said. “Try to get off of this slide and get a win, and learn from that win with things you did well, things that you didn’t do so well. So it always starts with that and how you can try to get into a game-by-game situation.”
The Los Angeles Lakers are running out of time to turn things around in such a way. The play of Russell Westbrook has been a real factor in that regard, too. He will need to find a way to improve his efficiency offensively and stay focused on defense.
