To put it lightly, the Los Angeles Lakers’ start to the 2022-23 NBA season has been a disaster as they currently sit at 2-9.
The Lakers’ latest loss came on Wednesday night at the hands of the L.A. Clippers. Not only was it their ninth straight loss to the in-city rivals, but it was also the Lakers’ fourth straight loss overall, all by double digits.
While it seems that the Lakers were turning a corner with back-to-back victories last week, they have now taken some steps back. After the loss to the Clippers, Patrick Beverley spoke about the message being spread throughout the locker room in order to get back on track, via Spectrum SportsNet:
“Stay with it. Stay with it. We got Lonnie out, Schroder out, TB out. We got some heavy hitters coming back. We got a good week, got the [Sacramento Kings] next and Brooklyn this weekend and then four or five days off. So just keep getting better.”
Beverley missed two of the Lakers’ last four losses due to a non-COVID illness that has been going around the Lakers locker room. LeBron James, Lonnie Walker IV and Wenyen Gabriel have all been dealing with it as well. Beverley was glad that it only cost him two games before being able to return on Wednesday night:
“Just got the bug that’s been going around the United States right now. The little flu bug. Been doing a lot of hydration and fortunate to be back in a short period of time.”
The hope when the Lakers brought in Beverley is that he would be a culture changer although that has yet to come to fruition.
Even though Beverley has struggled on the court though, the team can use some leadership in the locker room and it seems that is what he’s trying to do with these comments.
If the Lakers are going to turn their season around then it will take a group effort with everyone buying in. The Minnesota Timberwolves started off last season 4-9 before bouncing back and making the postseason, so Beverley has been in this situation before and can use that experience to help out this Lakers group.
LeBron James suffers groin injury in loss to Clippers
Things don’t get any easier for the Lakers from here as they may be without James for some time due to a groin injury he suffered in the loss to the Clippers.
James is confident that it’s not serious, but that doesn’t mean he won’t miss a couple of games so it will be up to the other Lakers players to step up in his absence if that’s the case.
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