The Los Angeles Lakers are teetering on the edge of being swept in the opening round of the playoffs.
They have lost three straight games to the Denver Nuggets in the opening round. Denver swept Los Angeles in the 2023 Western Conference Finals.
LeBron James can’t understand anyone wouldn’t strive for perfection in such a situation.
“It’s the postseason,” LeBron said. “We’re professionals. We’re supposed to have anxiety. Feel the pressure. It’s what the postseason is about … We know what it takes to win a championship and how near perfect you need to be … I don’t feel a way about anybody that don’t try to be as close to perfect as possible. It’s just basketball. It’s just basketball.”
Outside of Anthony Davis, multiple members of the Lakers roster have been struggling. D’Angelo Russell’s scoreless night is the perfect example of how the postseason is proving to be too big of a moment for some of the team’s stars.
Russell, 28, has seen his production drop in his last three playoff outings. While he isn’t the only Lakers roster member struggling, his lack of impact is among the most felt.
After all, he’s the tertiary option on offense and is supposed to be a reliable release valve when the Lakers are looking for some additional on-ball creation.
The Lakers are one game away from a season-ending loss. James is too far past his prime to carry the team on his own, and Nikola Jokic is too talented for Anthony Davis to single-handedly lead the Lakers to four straight wins.
At this point, it seems inevitable that the Lakers will be eliminated in the first round.
Rob Pelinka has some tough decisions to make. Big changes are needed. With minimal trade assets, the front office must get creative. Darvin Ham could also be facing the unemployment line.
James wants his teammates to be near-perfect. Expecting that to occur for four straight games is a tall ask, and it’s one that is unlikely to come to fruition.
