NBA 2018-19: 3 Talking points from Los Angeles Lakers' loss to Memphis Grizzlies
The path to the playoffs keeps getting bumpier and slimmer with each passing game for the Los Angeles Lakers as they went down struggling against the Memphis Grizzlies in a 110-105 loss.
The Memphis Grizzlies broke their four-game losing streak against the Lakers at the FedExForum. LeBron James and the team now stand at just 4-10 in the last fourteen games and have lost all of the last four games they have played on the road.
There were some great plays on either side and the game finished with Mike Conley for the Grizzlies making 30 points and five assists. Also on the Grizzlies, Jonas Valanciunas made a double-double with 20 points and 13 rebounds. On the other side of the court, LeBron finished with 24 points, 12 rebounds, and 11 assists and made his way in the top-10 all-time points and assists. Alongside James, Brandon Ingram made 32 points and Kyle Kuzma made 22, but together it still fell short to save the game.
Here are 3 talking points from the game:
#1 Evident Lack of Lakers Chemistry
LeBron James is not accused of many things, after all, he's been to the NBA finals for 8 years in a row and is one of the best all-time players, but now he has been blamed of breaking down Lakers chemistry. Further, he has been quite public about knowing and reacting to what's been going on within the team.
This breakdown of dynamic is really costing the Lakers on the court. For example, James had to 'settle' to play with Anthony Davis on his All-Star team despite the Lakers desperately trying to trade him. Further, it is important to understand that the Lakers squad is young and with the looming pressure of trades players are seen to be struggling to get the Lakers to the playoffs. If the Lakers are to be taken as a serious threat as they were thought to become at the beginning of the season, they should have crushed the Grizzlies.