"Teams are making us pay" - LeBron James reflects on LA Lakers' recent struggles as the team faces the danger of dropping out of the Play-In spot
Following the LA Lakers' 130-139 OT loss to the Houston Rockets, Lakers superstar LeBron James offered his take on the side's woes this season.
After fighting hard throughout regulation, the Purple and Gold entered the OT period looking absolutely deflated. The lack of energy resulted in an absolute onslaught as the Rockets feasted on the Lakers' poor defensive effort.
In response to the media at the post-game press conference, James said:
"We have a very small margin of error this year, and teams are making us pay."
LeBron: “We have a very small margin of error this year, and teams are making us pay.”
The LA Lakers have nobody to blame but themselves at this point. While the injuries suffered by Anthony Davis and other players do have a part to play, the Lakers have underachieved at every step of the way.
LeBron James also spoke about the team's mentality and performance when referring to comments by Lakers teammate Carmelo Anthony.
With Anthony talking about the team worrying about not losing games rather than winning them at this point in the season, James had to agree as he said:
"It definitely plays a part and starts seeping into your mind a little bit for sure."
LeBron said he agrees with Melo on worrying about not losing games at times this year.
"It definitely plays a part and starts seeping into your mind a little bit for sure." twitter.com/JacobRude/stat…
With early-season losses catching up to them, the Lakers find themselves in a predicament as they fall nine games below .500. With 17 games to go, the pressure of playing catch up evidently affects the performance of the players.
What's next for LeBron James and the LA Lakers?
Wednesday's loss against the Houston Rockets had to be one of the worst losses for the LA Lakers this season. Although the game saw solid performances from DJ Augustine and Russell Westbrook, the Lakers would come up short behind poor late-game execution.
The Lakers' biggest problem is they don't have a closer. Once again this season, LeBron James failed to close what became yet another loss - this one the worst loss of a lost season.
While LeBron James recorded an impressive triple-double showing for the game and even had a highlight dunk, his performance for the game wasn't enough to secure a win.
LeBron James tonight:
23 Points
14 Rebounds
12 Assists
4 Blocks
1 Steal https://t.co/0cgPghtFT0
Although his stats were great, James went 1-8 from the three-point line and had a game-high five turnovers. He also looked drained and out of breath down the stretch - something Houston took advantage of.
Playing through knee soreness, James was given the previous game off in order to recuperate. However, this resulted in a relatively poor showing for the superstar regardless.
All said and done, the LA Lakers' early-season claims about finding their footing haven't exactly panned out well for them. With a host of injuries acting as hindrances on the way to establishing chemistry, the Purple and Gold have looked out of their depth.
With their fourth loss in their last five games, the Lakers continue to spiral down the ranks in the West. Although they still hold onto the ninth-seed, the Lakers have barely any separation left between themselves and the tenth-seeded New Orleans Pelicans.
With no updates on Anthony Davis' return and a difficult schedule awaiting them, the Lakers face a very real possibility of dropping out of a Play-In spot.