The LA Lakers suffered a 105-112 defeat in Game 3 of their first-round series against the Denver Nuggets. LeBron James and Anthony Davis combined for 59 points, but their efforts were not enough to hold off the defending champions. They are now 0-3 down in the series and face the risk of being eliminated by the Nuggets for the second time in two years.
Austin Reaves did step up and help the Lakers with 22 points on the night. However, no one else was able to cross double figures and this led to the Nuggets stealing a win on the road. D’Angelo Russel, who is a veteran on the team, failed to score a single point which showcases the lack of support LeBron and AD receive from their teammates.
The LA Lakers have now lost in eleven continuous games to the Nuggets. If they exit the first round this season, Rob Pelinka might have to take big steps as this roster seems to be a hit-and-miss every night. There is a lot of talent on the bench, but their failure to deliver consistently has put a lot of pressure on AD and LeBron. They are among the best duos in the league but will need support from the front office to help the Purple and Gold make a deep playoff run.
The LA Lakers have too many similar players
The LA Lakers made some big moves at the trade deadline last season and that helped them make a deep run into the Conference Finals. Many expected the franchise to blow up the roster, but Rob Pelinka decided to run it back by giving some young players new contracts and bringing in some talented role players. The likes of Jaxson Hayes, Christian Wood, Gabe Vincent and Taurean Prince were all added in the offseason to add some strength to the roster. However, these names have not delivered much and are not contributing actively in the playoffs.
To put things into perspective, let’s take a look at the stats of some of the Lakers players’ playoff stats, Rui Hachimura has had a stellar regular season with the LA Lakers, but his performance in the postseason has been underwhelming. D’Angelo Russell had a great outing in Game 2, but he failed to score a single point in Game 3. Spencer Dinwiddie opened his playoff scoring with the Lakers in Game 3, he went scoreless in the first two Games.
The LA Lakers have some decisions to make in the offseason
The lack of contribution from players aside from LeBron, AD and Austin Reaves has hurt the Lakers in the playoffs. Their role players who were expected to be the reason that they would win a championship have ghosted in the playoffs. Rob Pelinka will certainly need to make some big moves in the offseason to keep LeBron James and Anthony Davis happy as they will not be excited about a first-round exit.
The team are extremely inconsistent and this will not work in the postseason. LeBron is going to enter his 22nd year and AD will be looking to win a few more championships while he is in his prime. The duo need support from their teammates, whether Pelinka does that by adding a third star or by bringing in some more role players is something that only time will tell, but something big is certainly set to go down in LA.
