The Los Angeles Lakers have been through a time of ups and downs lately. But they expected things to be a lot different this season. Anyhow, the LA Lakers have not yet won an away game after the first eight games of the season. Moreover, they have lost five and won only three (all home games).
At present, they are going through a tremendous failure in a four-game road trip. Next, they will meet the Phoenix Suns, and fans are not very optimistic. Recently, Chris Broussard said on an episode of First Things First of Fox Sports that the Lakers are not a contending side anymore. But why is he feeling that way? Keep reading to find out.
Broussard Believes LA Is Not A Contending Team
On Wednesday, the Houston Rockets blew the Lakers away. Later, Broussard mentioned the top two players of the LA side will possibly miss at least one-quarter of the season. Moreover, Broussard doesn’t see the Lakers beat a lot of teams in the absence of AD and Bron. Chris Broussard doesn’t even expect the Lakers to play any impactful basketball in the absence of the top two players. Well, Broussard is right to identify the Laker’s weakness in shooting three-pointers.
Worried about the 3-5 Lakers?
— First Things First (@FTFonFS1) November 9, 2023
"Yes. They're a L.O.B.O.B. team (Larry O'Brien or Bust team). They look nothing like a contender right now. They have a lot of issues." — @Chris_Broussard pic.twitter.com/xi8zw5sF5a
He added that the Lakers have the worst three-pointer team in the league right now. Even if it gets better, Chris does not see the Lakers rise above the bottom five or ten. Hence, he believes the Lakers have a lot of issues to fix at present. Darvin Ham has a lot of work to do to get them out of this situation. But never discount a team with LeBron James and Anthony Davis. That’s what the King has taught critics time and again in his 20-year-long career. However, the Lakers will have to play without AD for the next few games owing to a hip injury.
Lakers Are Somehow Unable To Start Well Since Last Season
Last season, the LA side was 2-12 at the start. Later, in the midseason, the front office made some brilliant moves. And that helped the team to bounce back strongly. They even made the postseason. Moreover, the James-Davis duo led the franchise to their first conference finals in three years. However, the 17-time champions dealt a humiliating defeat at the hands of the eventual champions. The Western Conference Finals last season was over in just four games. But this season, the Lakers came a long way after going through a great offseason.
In the offseason, the LA side made sure that they had balance and depth in the roster. Moreover, their first priority was keeping the core together and, that they most successfully did. LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Jarred Vanderbilt, Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, D’Angelo Russell and Max Christie all stayed in the franchise this season. Moreover, the LA side got some more quality players like Gabe Vincent, Cam Reddish and Taurean Prince. After looking at their roster, naturally, the majority of experts and fans commented that the Lakers are the top contenders to clinch the title this year. However, things seem to fall horribly apart.