It has been a rollercoaster of a start to the 2024-25 season for the Los Angeles Lakers. They started 3-0, then had a 1-4 stretch. They followed that up with six straight wins, but are now 2-5 in the seven games since. That has left Anthony Davis and company with a 12-9 record and the No. 8 seed in a crowded Western Conference.
The Lakers have been inconsistent all season long. They have had some nights where they look ready to step on the gas and go on a run. They’ve also had nights where they barely look interested in playing, like Monday night against the Minnesota Timberwolves when they scored 80 points for the game.
Davis, who finished with only 12 points, spoke about this inconsistency from L.A. through 21 games and what has been so frustrating about it, via Spectrum SportsNet:
“I would agree with that. Sometimes we look like a team that can compete with anyone and sometimes we look like a team that looks terrible and is not gonna do anything this season. So we just gotta figure out what team that we want to be for the rest of the season. I know everybody’s mindset in here and our goals, but we gotta translate it to the floor. I think we have games where we’re phenomenal and then we got games where we’re disgusting, like tonight.”
With the Western Conference being what it is, the Lakers can’t afford to float right above .500 and be this inconsistent throughout the season. At some point, they have to start stringing together more than just short bursts of victories.
That starts with Davis, and also LeBron James, needing to be more consistent as the superstars at the helm of the roster. The two had a combined 22 points on 8-for-30 from the field, something that is rarely going to result in victories for L.A.
In fact, neither Davis nor James has been the leading scorer for L.A. in five of the last eight games, and the Lakers are 3-5 in that stretch. Consistency starts at the top, even if it is a team-wide effort issue.
LeBron James: everything going wrong with Lakers offense
The Lakers had their worst offensive performance of the season as they were destroyed by the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night. As a team, they managed just 80 points while committing 20 turnovers and James was at the forefront of both, shooting just 4-of-16 to finish with only 10 points while coughing it up six times.
LeBron was far from the only Laker to struggle offensively as Davis scored just 12 points on 4-of-14 shooting and rookie Dalton Knecht added just six. And when it comes to what has caused the Lakers offense to plummet, James gave one theory, wondering if the Lakers being so focused on fixing their defense caused their offense to stagnate.
Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!
