Lakers looking nothing like team that won In-Season tourney title

It’s safe to say things aren’t clicking for the Lakers these days. Injuries, unfavorable back-to-backs, missed shots at the worst moments — you name it.

Whatever it is, the bottom line is the Lakers haven’t resembled even a play-in team since winning the In-Season Tournament championship.

The latest example came on New Year’s Eve, when they were blown out by the Pelicans in New Orleans, 129-109.

As it stands, the Lakers are 17-17 and struggling to put anything together. They’ve lost seven of nine and eight of 11.

“We have to figure it out and get better, for sure,” LeBron James told reporters. “We’re not one team that likes to play from behind. We’ve been in that position a lot this year.

The New Orleans loss came on the second night of a back-to-back. The first was a tough loss at Minnesota, with James’ attempt at a game-tying 3-pointer being ruled a two. That was the cause of some controversy in Lakerland, of course. 

Nor did it help that James played both games with flu-like symptoms. Still, against the Pelicans, the freshly minted 39-year-old tallied 34 points.

No matter, the Lakers have yet to prove they are more than James and Anthony Davis (20 points, 10 rebounds vs. the Pelicans).

“The flight last night did not help, obviously,” James said of traveling from Minnesota to Louisiana. “We didn’t get to the hotel last night until 3:45 (a.m.). So, it was a rough day trying to recalibrate and get ready for the game.”

Recalibrate? James is right. The Lakers have been trying to do it all season … and struggling. It’s not panic time yet, but those days may not be far off.