Los Angeles Lakers: 4 Lessons in a Game 1 loss to Portland Trail Blazers!

The Los Angeles Lakers dropped Game 1 to the Portland Trail Blazers, 100-93.

The Los Angeles Lakers played their first playoff game in seven years against the Portland Trail Blazers. Thus, Lake Show Life breaks out their first Lake Show Life Lessons playoff post-game report! Did the Los Angeles Lakers play well? Find out with full analysis and video breakdowns!

The Los Angeles Lakers are running out of time it seems when it comes to fixing the issues that followed them into the bubble since J.R. Smith did his IG Live report on the hotel surroundings and food. Since the NBA (Maybe the Lakers and LeBron too!) told him to cool it, a couple of other things cooled off as well.

• Any resemblance of long-distance shooting for the Los Angeles Lakers. Bottom line, this team can’t throw the ball in the Atlantic Ocean if they were standing knee-deep in it.
• Opposing point guards literally call their agents to tape the game so they can use the video for contract negotiations. Bottom line, the Lakers can’t stop point guards (More on that later!).

The Los Angeles Lakers for the most part have played poor, listless basketball so far in the NBA bubble and Lake Show Life sent out subliminal messages that this team would struggle against the Portland Trail Blazers. After reading the excuses of irritating proportions, which includes:

• Oh, they are saving it for the playoffs.
• Who’s going to stop LeBron James and Anthony Davis?
• Damian Lillard can’t stay this hot. 
• Frank Vogel will have his rotations together for the playoffs.
• They hadn’t played a basketball game in almost a week and have not played a meaningful one in months!

It’s very rare that websites do this but here goes. Lake Show Life is not shocked in any way form or fashion that the Los Angeles Lakers lost this game. Why? There still have been no adjustments to the same problems that have been occurring not only during the season restart but the scrimmages.

The Los Angeles Lakers opened their postseason with a 100-93, Game 1 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. For the true NBA fan, it was so good to watch LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony lace up the sneakers to play each other again. One missed 17 footer from Caris LeVert and this does not happen.

The difference between these two players? Melo’s starting backcourt can shoot the basketball. LeBron’s backcourt is donating bricks and mortar for Florida interstates.

The Lakers will have to go to their hotel rooms and review basic math. Shooting 5-32 from 3 point range will get them a quick exit from the Orlando bubble. That’s not going to get it done under normal playoff circumstances, but Portland shooting 13-34 from the land of the extra point is worse.

God bless Charles Barkley. He can really inject excitement into a playoff series. How many of you rewound your DVRs to hear this statement twice?

Game 2 is Thursday, Game 3 is Saturday and Game4  is Monday. A few things some players and Frank Vogel had better figure out quick.

• LeBron James and Anthony Davis will not be enough. Sorry. The Lakers need their teammates to shoot better.
• They certainly can’t have a starting backcourt of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Danny Green shoot a combined 2-13 from three and justify Kyle Kuzma not starting.
• JaVale McGee continue his trend of…Let’s do this, there’s a comment section below, if you can tell the staff what he’s doing, feel free to tell us. 
• Alex Caruso has to score the ball because he is watering down the plus/minus stat.

At some point, this team and the fanbase will have to take a long look at themselves. It’s not like they couldn’t have known. Any reader that follows this site saw the warning signs. This team needs to figure out the concept of shooting at least the league average from distance while holding the other team under it.

Over the next several pages, Lake Show Life Lessons will break down the game with video analysis. First lesson, the Los Angeles Lakers can’t stop point guards.