Los Angeles Lakers need a shakeup after embarrassing loss to Indiana Pacers
The Los Angeles Lakers are in need of a shakeup after the embarrassing performance against the Indiana Pacers.
The Los Angeles Lakers have been in the headlines a lot recently. Injuries have derailed the team, as LeBron James, Rajon Rondo, Kyle Kuzma, JaVale McGee, Tyson Chandler and Lonzo Ball have all missed games since Christmas.
The constant changing of lineups and rotations has robbed the team of any chemistry and cohesion they have developed. Now, the team is dealing with numerous trade rumors which seem to have finally taken a toll on the team as a whole.
When Anthony Davis announced his intentions to leave the New Orleans Pelicans, the Lakers instantly became the most talked about landing spot. Davis’ agent Rich Paul, who also represents and is best friends with LeBron James, seemed to be pulling some strings.
The very public back and forth reached a breaking point on Tuesday, as the Lakers presented the Pelicans with a monster offer. Looking to stick it to Los Angeles because they do not want to appease Davis and his agent, the Pelicans made a ridiculous demand, wanting between six and eight draft picks in the trade package.
More from Lake Show Life
- Darvin Ham adds to Max Christie hype train after Lakers preseason opener
- Is LeBron James playing tonight? Latest Lakers vs Warriors update
- Can Darvin Ham put all of the Lakers puzzle pieces together?
- Lakers news: Darvin Ham knows his fifth starter, LeBron James and Rui Hachimura, Jalen Hood-Schifino praise
- Michael Malone’s painfully ironic comment has Lakers fans heated
As a result, Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka reportedly pulled out of trade talks with the Pelicans for Davis. With still a full day before the NBA Trade Deadline, things could still change. However, all the talk looks to have finally worn down the team as they got blown out by the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday evening.
The Lakers traveled to Indiana to take on a Pacers team that lost Victor Oladipo to a season-ending knee injury. Indiana lost their first four games without their All-Star but picked up an impressive victory over the Lakers, their third consecutive.
Indiana defeated Los Angeles by 42 points. That is not a typo. The Pacers, without their leading scorer and best player, scored 136 points and held the Lakers to only 94. There were some crazy numbers in the box score.
Rajon Rondo was -32 in the game, while Brandon Ingram was -31. Every Laker was at least -11 in the game except Tyson Chandler, who played only five minutes, yet was still -6. Every player on the Pacers was positive, with only Myles Turner, Kyle O’Quinn and Davon Reed failing to reach at least +13.
It was the worst margin of defeat for a Lebron James team in which he played in the game. Things are not great in Los Angeles and a change of some sort needs to be done.
Firing head coach Luke Walton will not help matters. Johnson and Pelinka need to work the phones and shuffle some pieces to infuse some new life into a team that looks listless and needs a boost.
Acquiring a player with the talent of Davis would bring excitement to the team and fan base. However, smaller trades would be more conducive at this point.
There have been rumors of trade discussions happening outside of Davis. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has been rumored to be sent to the Chicago Bulls. Los Angeles remains interested in Trevor Ariza should he be made available by the Washington Wizards.
Next. 5 Trades To Consider Before The Deadline. dark
Something, anything needs to be done by the front office to shake things up. Things have stagnated in recent weeks. A change is needed, even if it is a minor one, to help get the team back on track.