Kendrick Perkins: Lakers ‘don’t scare a soul’ after blowout loss

Well, that escalated quickly.

The Lakers had been rolling. Sixteen wins in 18 games. Luka Doncic playing like an MVP. Everything trending the right way.

Then came Oklahoma City. A 139-96 loss. Doncic leaves with a hamstring injury. And suddenly, the tone has changed.

Enter Kendrick Perkins.

“When I look at the Lakers, they’re a second-round exit, that’s their ceiling,” Perkins said on ESPN’s First Take. “The Lakers don’t scare a soul, even on Halloween.”

So yeah. Not exactly subtle.

Perkins pointed to L.A.’s struggles against top competition, including a combined 1-6 record against Oklahoma City and San Antonio, as a sign this group isn’t built for a deep playoff run. Even with LeBron James, Doncic and Austin Reaves.

He didn’t stop there. Perkins also questioned whether the Lakers should commit long-term to Reaves, suggesting Thursday’s loss only reinforced his belief.

“Last night showed me that, if you’re the Lakers, you cannot invest all your money into Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic as your two franchise guys going forward if you’re expecting to win a championship,” he said.

One bad night? Maybe. But around the league, people are watching, and as always, Pekins is speaking his mind.