LeBron James finally breaks silence on rough stretch of games
LeBron James shared his thoughts about his team's struggles after the LA Lakers lost 109-80 to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday. Less than 24 hours ago, they had pulled off a last-gasp 105-104 win over the Utah Jazz. James and Co. haven't been playing well in their last three games.
When asked about the Lakers' recent struggles, James responded:
"Our offense is nasty right now"
The Lakers made 6-of-31 long-range shots and committed 21 turnovers on Monday. Meanwhile, the Minnesota Timberwolves finished 15-for-35 from deep and had six fewer errors. The "nasty" offense was the reason the Lakers were blown away.
LeBron James added when asked to talk about his rough-shooting nights:
"Just rhythm, feeling off rhythm the last few games."
James shot 21-for-58 (36.2%) in his last four games, including 0-for-19 from behind the arc. He committed 19 turnovers, which added to the LA Lakers’ stuttering offense. The All-Star forward also didn’t seem to have the legs to play defense late in games.
Many were surprised that coach JJ Redick allowed James to play against the Timberwolves on the second night of the Lakers’ back-to-back set. The soon-to-be 40-year-old superstar shouldered a big load in his team’s 105-104 win versus the Utah Jazz. Without D’Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves, Redick leaned on James more.
With Russell’s return, the coach could have held out the aging four-time champ. The offense was “nasty” versus Minnesota partly because of James’ turnovers and poor shooting night.
With three more games on their schedule before a long break, Laker Nation will hope that James gets his shooting touch back.
LeBron James and the Lakers play three more games before NBA In-Season Tournament knockout rounds
After the loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, the LA Lakers have two more road games. LeBron James and Co. travel to South Beach on Wednesday for a matchup with the Miami Heat. From Florida, they visit Georgia to take on the Atlanta Hawks on Friday.
The Lakers return home on Dec. 8 to host the Portland Trail Blazers. James and his teammates finally get a break to give way to the NBA In-Season Tournament. LA doesn’t have a game until Dec. 19, when they face the Sacramento Kings in back-to-back games.
Fans are interested to see how LeBron James holds up until he gets a well-deserved break.