“You'd think that the Lakers will come out with some type of fight” - Kendrick Perkins critical of LA Lakers' fighting spirit, despite LeBron James' heroics
LeBron James and the LA Lakers suffered their fourth straight loss on Thursday against the San Antonio Spurs. The Lakers now have a 15-16 record heading into Christmas Day. Worryingly for the Purple and Gold, no team has ever won an NBA championship with an under .500 record by December 25th.
After the Lakers' 138-110 defeat at the hands of the Spurs, Kendrick Perkins appeared on ESPN's Get Up and called the team pathetic. Perkins also criticized the Lakers for not having any fight in them despite LeBron James and Russell Westbrook being on the roster.
"When you look at the Lakers, they are pathetic. That's the word we need use when we look at them on the court and on their interviews," Perkins said.
.@KendrickPerkins calls the Lakers "pathetic" 😳
"[The Lakers] are PATHETIC! That's the word we need to use when we look at them. ... To get beat by 28 [by the Spurs]? Come on, man!" https://t.co/HYFfzIR3S2
"You have Russell Westbrook and LeBron James that's available and you'd think that the Lakers will come out with some type of fight," Perkins added.
Perk went on to blast LeBron James and the rest of the LA Lakers for making excuses during their interviews. The Lakers' main problem has been injuries and consistency this season, but it's almost January and they still cannot figure it out.
In comparison to the rest of the league, teams such as the Denver Nuggets, Philadelphia 76ers, Chicago Bulls and Brooklyn Nets endured a ton of injuries but they kept on fighting and getting results. Heading into their Christmas Day game against the Brooklyn Nets, LeBron and the Lakers have a tough task ahead.
LeBron James had another great game in LA Lakers' fourth straight loss
The LA Lakers suffered their fourth straight loss on Thursday against the San Antonio Spurs. The Lakers were blown out of the building, losing their final game at Staples Center 138-110. They head into Christmas Day with a 15-16 record and face the Brooklyn Nets in the newly-named Crypto.com Arena.
LeBron James has been phenomenal during the losing streak, averaging 29.8 points, 10.0 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.5 blocks. However, the Lakers just can't seem to get it together defensively, getting blown out in three of their last four losses.
LeBron last 4 games:
30 PPG
10 RPG
5 APG
56 FG%
The Lakers are 0-4 in that span. https://t.co/nGTydDsv2w
The worst part for LeBron and the Lakers is that Anthony Davis will miss around four weeks due to a knee injury. They also have five players still in the NBA's health and safety protocols. With cases still rising in the league, there's a chance that more players will enter protocols.
Entering the season, the LA Lakers were one of the favorites to win the NBA championship with the acquisition of Russell Westbrook. With LeBron James in his 19th season and turning 37 in less than week, he's been doing so much for the Lakers.
The Lakers are still sixth in the Western Conference standings, but a few more losses and they may find themselves outside the playoff picture. The regular season is almost halfway through and the Lakers still have a lot of problems.
Even if they get it together and make the playoffs, LeBron James will surely exhaust himself carrying the team. Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook need to step up if the Lakers want to win the title this season.