Last night, the Lakers lost 113-123 to the Phoenix Suns, which put them in an extreme slump.
When their big favourites began, the gap between them and eighth place in the West (three wins) was pulled apart.
And behind them, the Warriors are fighting hard, too. They are only half the way back to the Lakers. If they can beat the Wizards tomorrow, they will finish ninth in the West.
This is only a provisional list. The worst-case scenario the Lakers face.
Some recent changes have gradually attracted the attention of the other party. After winning six of their seven games, they defeated the Spurs, the weakest team in the East, 1-2 and then lost to Phoenix and the Warriors over the next two seasons.
Losing sunlight is an overwhelming advantage, both in terms of strength and physically.
In the battle against the Suns, James also deliberately made a short break when the Lakers were concentrating, so that he could get rid of the competitors above him.
But as soon as the game started, he made two mistakes. Now, Russell Reeve Springs' Big Three are not doing well on the perimeter of the defensive line. The Suns lack point guards, but they have a large number of top shooters.
Durant's prowess on the court gave him what he wanted, and he quickly reduced his shots to two. The Lakers went into the game with a 25-17 lead. With 4:46 left in the game, the Suns extended their lead to 45-28
Over the next three seasons, the Lakers entered a period that fans called "hole-filling mode." The Lakers had a 35-27 advantage in the second quarter, 27-23 in the third quarter and a 92-98 advantage in the fourth quarter, but in the final moments, they lost due to breathlessness. It's a game that every team is eager to win.
The two facts revealed by this loss are a reflection of the internal structure of the current Lakers.
Grab the board. The Suns won the game 51-34. Nurkic, the main center among them, often used the "thick eyebrow play" at the beginning of the season, and he scored 18 points, 22 rebounds, and 7 rebounds. assists, seven offensive rebounds, and four three-point points for the Suns.
Nurkic has averaged just 27 minutes this season, and he played 37 minutes in this game. At the same time, because of Durant and Booker, the thick eyebrows have to stare at the inside, so that Nurkic has more space.
Nurkic's support from the perimeter and his breakaway in the box have been an important factor for the Suns this season. However, his slow pace, useless pick-and-roll skills, and his defense all make him easy to target.
While Vogel's side relied heavily on power forwards to build their defense, Nurkic was often targeted by opponents, either by being kicked out of a small position or by being replaced with a spare tire like Borbor.
Russell, Reaves, Dinwiddie, LeBron James, none of them were able to "torture" Nurkic in today's game. With eight mid-range shots and just five hits, he couldn't beat the Suns when it came to scoring. In the end, it was Nurkic who scored the "O'Neal-style".
The Lakers' perimeter players were unable to turn around the Suns' defense, and they also had Nurkic and Vogel injured, which was a major factor in their loss last night.
Allen and O'Neal's 12 three-pointers.
Weaknesses in the defensive line not only set Nurkic free, but also gave the Suns a 3-of-11 performance in their last game against Houston. Royce O'Neill, Grayson Allen, they're all going to drink. He made 22 three-pointers from the outside, 12 of which he made for a total of 41 points.
At the end of the day, it's because of their perimeter defense. They won three times against the Suns earlier this season, one of which was a midseason loss when the Lakers were 9-of-31, 15-of-37 and 12-of-25 from the field. They ......Control of hits or outputs.
But last night, the Suns made just 17 of their 40 shots from the perimeter. Although the Lakers limited Durant and Booker to just three 3-pointers, the perimeter guards were unable to stop the opposing offense and create enough space. They don't have 3-and-D stars like Allen and O'Neal, they're in great form, but in this case, they only have a good share.
In fact, after All-Star Weekend, all the unhappiness boiled down to one thing: the Lakers' new team and their tactical system were on the radar of their rivals.
After returning Russell to the starting lineup and playing guard alongside Reaves, the Lakers' performance on the offensive end has improved a lot. Currently, the team's attack efficiency has climbed to 18th in the league and the eighth in the league in the last 15 games. In addition, Vincent, Reddish, and Vanderbilt's "defender" Christie, who has just returned, also missed the game due to injury.
The Lakers changed their minds, and in the past, they relied on James to play such an effect. With his efforts and a run of good results over the season, Ham has made the Lakers an unstoppable, offensively winning team. Clan.
The four core players of Zhan Meilila play well, but in the face of strong players (Warriors and Suns), they can limit each other very well, and they can also play a good role in honing. And among the teams, the Lakers' failure rate is even higher than the first half of the season.
Ultimately, the Lakers have one more fundamental question left unanswered:
James' age, his fitness, and the effort he's put into the season, his support and command can't do it.
Jeffs, Russell, Dinwiddie, Hachimura, they are not in great shape. Before the game, you can't be sure if your first score will be 30+ or 10.
This is the Lakers' biggest challenge of the season, and the ultimate challenge.
From February 29 to March 24, Beijing time, only one of the Lakers' 12 home games will face Trump, and the rest will be played in Los Angeles (including one against the Clippers).
Of these 12 teams, only the Rockets and Wizards are not on the playoff roster right now, and the rest are teams that are fighting for the playoffs.
The favorites for the Eastern and Western Conference championships include the Clippers, Minnesota, Thunder, Nuggets, Bucks, and their rivals Lakers, Kings, and Warriors.
For the current Lakers, such an arrangement is undoubtedly a nightmare.
In this kind of high-intensity confrontation, we can regain our sense of self and strengthen the chemistry between them, so that the Lakers have a chance to save them. Finals.
However, it is more based on strength. The Lakers have a good chance of coming out on top against this strong team. More realistically, it is necessary to maintain a top 10 spot in the playoffs.
Ultimately, as you can see from this year's All-Star lineup, the younger generation is eager to replace the seniors led by LeBron.