Kendrick Perkins believes LeBron James has lost trust in his teammates: “He was sending a message to the rest of his teammates”
After a 131-116 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks extended the LA Lakers' struggles, LeBron James showed his frustration during the postgame news conference Tuesday night.
James, who has been the best player on the Lakers, made a statement that has gotten the attention of fans: "Do I think we can reach the level where Milwaukee is right now? Um, no."
On ESPN's "Get Up" on Wednesday, analyst Kendrick Perkins said the superstar forward was clearly trying to send a message to the locker room.
"He's sending a message to the rest of his teammates," Perkins said.
LeBron James trying to get the Lakers back on track
After the LA Lakers' slow start, many expected the team to eventually get back on the right track. Unfortunately for LeBron James and the Lakers, that has never happened.
Their season-best four-game winning streak was followed by their current stretch of 5-10 since Jan. 9. The Lakers (26-29), who visit the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday night, are in ninth place in the West as the All-Star break approaches.
The defending champion Milwaukee Bucks (35-21) romped past the Lakers in California on national television Tuesday night.
The team is in danger of missing out on a chance to be involved in the play-in tournament to earn a spot in this year's playoffs.
29 points, 13 rebounds, 10 assists.
And having fun while doing it 👑 https://t.co/2InthhrQjl
WIth the exception of forward Anthony Davis and flashes from monk" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-is-sponsored="false">Malik Monk, the rest of the Lakers not named LeBron James have struggled.
Davis, who has been strong since returning from missing more than a month with a knee injury, has averaged 23.7 points and 10.8 rebounds. Monk, in his first season with the Lakers after four with the Charlotte Hornets, is averaging a career-best 13.1 ppg.
James, meanwhile, has been fantastic. The 37-year-old forward is showing no signs of slowing down. He earned the spot as the Western Conference captain for the upcoming All-Star Game. In his last 10 games, LeBron has averaged 30.0 points, 8.7 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game while shooting 53.2% Los Angeles is 20-18 in games in which he plays.
With the NBA trade deadline Thursday, fans will be paying close attention to see if the Lakers attempt to make any changes for the final stretch of the season. However, most analysts believe the Lakers have little room to make a substantial trade.