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After ten games in the first year of the LeBron James era, it's clear that the Lakers have a lot of work to do.
Earlier this week, team president Magic Johnson said he "scolded" coach Luke Walton, both in the organization and in social media. Johnson's urgency, however, does little to alleviate the fact that the current loopholes on the ground in Los Angeles complicate the speed with which the club can reverse the situation. A 121-107 loss to the Raptors on Sunday night probably reinforced that idea.
The Lakers were victorious in the day immediately following the announcement of Johnson's rebuke against the Mavericks, 114-113, on Wednesday. But in defeat Sunday against Toronto, Los Angeles lacked identity and its chemical defects were fully revealed.
The composition of the Lakers lineup, which includes a handful of veterans and a budding set of talents, took time to fit in, which is reflected in LA's 4-6. from his conversation with Walton, Johnson may be aware that the Lakers need an opportunity to prepare; before Sunday's game he would have said a trio of reporters that Walton's work is safe at least until the end of the season.
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"(Walton) will finish the season," said Johnson. "Unless something bad happens, which will not happen."
In the minutes following Johnson's statement, the situation at Staples Center suggested that the situation was tense as the Raptors – who were without Kawhi Leonard, their perpetual star – exploded through the door. Toronto beat Los Angeles 42-17 in the first third.
This was a bad historical defense for the Lakers, who for the first time in the throwing season (since 1954-1955) were outpaced by more than 24 points in the first quarter, according to ESPN Stats and Info. They have also become the first team in the last 20 seasons to be 30 points behind or more in the first quarter at home.
Toronto playmaker Kyle Lowry made his way to Los Angeles with 21 points and 15 assists. Striker Serge Ibaka scored a career-high 34 points in 29 minutes.
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The Lakers came into Sunday's game with defensive holes. They ranked in the lower half of the teams in points allocated (119.9 points per game, 27th), efficiency on the defensive (1.086, 21st) and percentage of opposing shot (47.3%). These marks were accentuated Sunday because of Los Angeles's inability to generate any crime. The Lakers were third in the NBA in percentage of goals scored (49.8%) and sixth in number of attempts (94.7%) per game. However, they ranked 19th in the three-point attempts and 18th in the three-point percentage. They have shot 6 times out of 24 (25%) since Sunday, their first attempt did not come until James hit a goal in the middle of the third quarter.
These growing pains are the reason why, when James first signed up with the Lakers, he adopted the "rebuilding" label associated with the squad, warning him that he was not the only one. they were "bumps and bruises" en route, and ready to fight with the warriors for control of the Western Conference.
Performances like Sunday night may be a reminder that the Lakers will need some time to really hope for their success this season. Having LeBron James does not change that, nor does Magic Johnson's sense of urgency.
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