After what some argued was an ‘easy’ schedule through November, the Los Angeles Lakers were faced with a tough task to kick off the month of December.
Head coach Frank Vogel’s team has had just one home game so far this month and it may finally be catching up with them.
After coming up short against the Indiana Pacers, the Lakers came up short against the Eastern Conference-leading Milwaukee Bucks, marking the first time they’ve suffered back-to-back losses this season. The losses have led some to focus on the issues this team has shown recently, but Vogel has not been discouraged.
Following the loss to the Bucks, Vogel remained positive about his team. He said he was encouraged by what he saw from the Lakers during this road trip, via Spectrum SportsNet:
“We’re encouraged about who we’re gonna be this year. We’ve had eight of our first nine games on the road in December, and we’re 6-2 in those games. It’s a long trip, I feel like we’ve been on the road forever. I’ll be happy to go back and recharge the batteries and play in some games at Staples Center.”
It is certainly a positive way to look at things and Vogel does have reason to be encouraged. Despite being at the end of rough road trip, the Lakers still fought to the end against the Bucks. Despite the team’s overall struggles, they still had a shot down the stretch and that is reason for optimism.
The good news for Vogel and the Lakers is that eight of their next nine games will be at the friendly confines of Staples Center, including the much-anticipated Christmas Day showdown with the Los Angeles Clippers.
After losses, many tend to focus on the negatives and that is especially true for the Lakers who are always under an intense microscope. Questions about what the team needs to add to win a championship are a constant, but it can be easy to lose sight of what this team has accomplished so far. To go 6-2 in eight road games is something very few thought was possible for these Lakers and Vogel is right to bring light to that.
It is still a long 2019-20 NBA season and the Lakers have proven they are one of the league’s best teams right now. After this trip, there is no doubt this team is looking forward to being able to stay in Los Angeles for a while.