LeBron James’ return was expected to serve as the catalyst that would see the Los Angeles Lakers turn their form around. So far, that has not happened.
The Lakers lost 146-115 to the Chicago Bulls in James’ return game. Then, they followed that up with a 118-106 loss against the Orlando Magic.
Luka Doncic and James combined for 56 points on the night but it was not enough to inspire the Lakers to victory.
Earlier in the season, the Lakers had looked like potential championship contenders when Doncic and James were together on the court. That has not been the case in these last two games.
Doncic took responsbility after the loss to the Magic, as he feels that he needs to be more vocal.
“I think me and Bron, think we should be the guys to do that,” Doncic said. “That’s on me. Obviously, I’ve got to do better, I’ve got to talk more. I talked in the first half, then just kind of [let my] voice down and I shouldn’t do that.”
The Lakers’ downturn in form has come at the worst possible time. The West is incredibly tight right now and their spot in the top six is far from guaranteed.
The Lakers now find themselves on a three-game losing streak and are 3-7 over their last 10 games.
Their schedule won’t make things any easier. Seven of the Lakers’ remaining eleven games are on the road and they still have three back-to-back sets to deal with as well.
So, they need to rediscover their form and quickly. Otherwise, there is a genuine chance that they could finish in a play-in spot.
