The Los Angeles Lakers have lost five games in a row and can’t seem to get back on track, despite not playing against the toughest competition.
Following the loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday night, head coach Mike D’Antoni let it be known that he’s unsure of what the problem is with this team via Lakers Nation reporter Serena Winters:
D'Antoni: "I don't know what our problem is, but we were out of sorts a little bit. We have guys battling but its just not enough right now"
— Serena Winters (@SerenaWinters) December 30, 2013
As if the five-game losing streak wasn’t enough to get disheartened about the direction of the team right now, the Lakers may have lost another important piece to the puzzle on Sunday. Newcomer Xavier Henry went down with a knee injury in the loss to Philadelphia and as a result, could miss time.
Henry will have an MRI on the injured knee on Monday to evaluate the extent of damage. With Henry potentially out, the Lakers would take another serious hit to the backcourt and may need to bring in another player to shoulder the load.
With all the injuries and the current losing streak, it’s no wonder D’Antoni has no answer for the persistent problems with this team. A bad string of luck and a team led by aging stars that can’t stay healthy, isn’t the path the front office expected to be headed in.
A closed door meeting with GM Mitch Kupchak took place right after the game according to Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report but no details are known at this time. They could have chatted about what to do if Henry is out for a considerable amount of time or could D’Antoni be on the hot seat moving forward? It’s also only fair to note that a meeting between Kupchak and D’Antoni is not an uncommon occurrence after games.
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VIDEO: Xavier Henry Describes His Knee Injury