Los Angeles Lakers are in officially in offensive peril in loss to Rockets

The Los Angeles Lakers do not look great in the bubble.

The Los Angeles Lakers are the number one seed going into the Western Conference playoffs. They are coasting and will turn it on when the playoffs start. Okay, these are casual excuses from fans and what the Lakers media will feed you. Want the truth? The Los Angeles Lakers are in deep trouble and Frank Vogel knows it. Might want to send these reports to the coaching staff before it’s too late!

This report could say that the Los Angeles Lakers stink right now. This report could say that the entire team with the possible exception of Anthony Davis or Kyle Kuzma can’t shoot. Since the team started playing in the bubble, all of the reports have basically stated that. But they have been dismissed with these same narratives (Aka excuses!)

• The Los Angeles Lakers are the number one seed going into the Western Conference playoffs. 
• The Los Angeles Lakers will get it together when LeBron turns on “Zero Dark Thirty” and starts his playoff mode.
• Portland Trail Blazers don’t have enough to beat the Lakers.
• They’ll figure it out. 
• If anyone can turn this around, it’s LeBron.

Well, there was some drama leading up to the game and it wasn’t how many points James Harden would drop on the Lakers head on Thursday night.

It seems that JaVale McGee has started a DNP-CD collection (DNP=Coach’s Decision) and did not play one second of this game. McGee was not listed on the injury report prior to the game or mentioned as an absence by Frank Vogel.

However, he was replaced in the starting lineup by Kyle Kuzma in the Lakers small-ball lineup. Lake Show Life begged the Lakers to start Kuzma, but this wasn’t the starter he was supposed to replace.

• Los Angeles Lakers: Players that should replace Danny Green as a starter!

There’s a running joke with readers claiming these critical post-game reports are gloom and doom “Sky is falling” articles. Well we aren’t Chicken Little and we do know something that is not falling.

Any shot from 25 feet out…also read 3 point shots!

The Los Angeles Lakers lost to the Houston Rockets 113-97 to complete the back-to-back with bad losses. The team was without LeBron James (sore groin) and Alex Caruso (sore neck). The team was without not a player but a very valuable asset that NBA teams need to survive in today’s game.

The Los Angeles Lakers are in trouble folks. Why? They can’t shoot and they can’t score. Period. There’s no debate.

• The Lakers are last in the bubble in scoring.
• The Lakers are last in offensive rating.
• The Lakers guards cannot stop opposing guards from exploding for big scoring nights.
• The Lakers guards can’t shoot period to justify the analysis above.
• The 3 point perimeter defense is so bad, maybe the Lakers should risk it all and smuggle Avery Bradley in the bubble!

The Rockets embarrassed the Lakers from the 3 point line. Houston shot 21-57 from the promised land while the Lakers shot 2-19. The prior game, the Lakers shot 13.5%. This game? 10.5%.

Earlier in the day, Damian Lillard knocked down 11 from the same area against the Denver Nuggets.

The Houston Rockets played without Russell Westbrook, so containing James Harden should have been on the top of the defensive priority list. Double him. Get the ball out of his hands. You know…prepare.

Nope.

James Harden had 25 points by halftime. He would have scored 50 easily if the Lakers hadn’t decided to use a soft trap in the second half (Fun fact: The Portland Trail Blazers used it in their victory over the Rockets! Are these guys scouting?) which was 24 minutes too late. Starting Quinn Cook, who is too small wasn’t a great idea either.

For Lakers apologists: 

The good news is that despite the Lakers getting blown out for the second night in a row, it doesn’t really mean anything because the No. 1 seed is locked up. LeBron James didn’t play and at some point will fully lock in like he did the first game against the Clippers (No he didn’t play well in that game either!).

Okay, now let’s deal with reality. Lake Show Life Lessons!