"I'm going to a 10 because of one LeBron James"- Skip Bayless ranks LA Lakers on his disappointment scale, says he expected an MVP-caliber statement from LeBron vs Chicago
The LA Lakers have continued to be the talk of the basketball world. Unfortunately for the Lakers, the talk is universally bad. After Sunday's disappointing 115-110 loss at the Chicago Bulls, the morass for the Lakers (16-15) only continued.
Analysts Shannon Sharpe and Skip Bayless talked about their disappointment in the Lakers' recent play during Monday's "Skip and Shannon: Undisputed." Bayless talked about how he was specifically dissatisfied in the play of Lakers superstar forward LeBron James.
"On my disappointment scale last night, I'm going to a 10 because of one LeBron James. I seriously believed that LeBron, the respect that I have for him in Year 19, was going to make an MVP-caliber statement last night in Chicago."
Throughout the segment, Bayless discussed how the Bulls were depleted because of health and safety protocols. With COVID-19 spikes impacting teams across the NBA, Chicago has been without a number of their top players (and had two games postponed). James and the Lakers could have picked up an important road win, but the team wasn't able to pull out a victory against the Bulls.
"I just thought, especially in the fourth quarter, that LeBron would just take the game over. And he played all 12 minutes ... but he did not take the game over," Bayles said.
James finished with 31 points, 14 rebounds and six assists, but it wasn't enough. After missing three games while in the health and safety protocols, DeMar DeRozan returned and finished with 38 points to lift Chicago to the victory.
Both teams played without key players. Chicago was without Zach LaVine (health and safety protocols). Los Angeles was without Anthony Davis (sprained MCL in left knee, expected to be out at least four weeks).
The disappointment around Los Angeles has grown as the Lakers have never found a consistent winning formula. Their best stretches have been two three-game winning streaks. The latest three-game run got them to 16-13 – and a season-best three games above .500 – but then they lost their last two games, Friday at Minnesota (15-15) and Sunday at Chicago (18-10).
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With an upcoming challenging slate of games that includes matchups against the Phoenix Suns (24-5) and Brooklyn Nets (21-9), the Lakers will try to find a way to prevent a potential slide in the Western Conference.
Although the Lakers have won six of their last ten games, they are also 3-3 in their past six and 8-8 in their past 16. Los Angeles, seventh in the Western Conference, also finds itself with a two-game losing skid as they prepare for Tuesday's game against red-hot Phoenix.
Although the team has drifted around .500 all season, James has still been a force. He is averaging 25.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, 6.6 assists and 1.7 steals per game while shooting 50.1%.