Los Angeles Lakers: 4 Lessons in an embarrassing OT win over OKC

LeBron James is working much too hard for the Los Angeles Lakers these days!

It would be one thing if this Lake Show Life Lessons piece was being written after two games in the Western Conference Finals or if the Lakers were defending their title in the NBA Finals. That headline would be stupid.

But the last two games were against a team that is dead last record-wise in the NBA (Detroit Pistons) and another that is next to last in the Western Conference playing for the future (Oklahoma City Thunder).

This site has stated that LeBron needs to earn his paycheck from time to time during his tenure in Los Angeles, but this is far from what the Lake Show Life staff meant. What happened to the monitoring of the minutes? Just look at his workflow as of late.

• LeBron James still hasn’t missed a game this season and has played in the neighborhood approaching 89 minutes over two games in three days.
• LeBron has played over 35 minutes in 8 straight games and extending this further…10 of the last 11 games. (LeBron is getting 2017-18 flashbacks!)
• Oh, by the way, he’s playing his 18th season!

After logging 46 minutes last game against Detroit, the Lakers required every one of his 28 points (11-22 shooting!), 14 rebounds, 12 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks in his 42 minutes in this one.

This discussion is not about the performance of LeBron James. It’s the fact that the Los Angeles Lakers actually NEEDED this performance.

This is not the Brooklyn Nets with their three stars. This is not the Milwaukee Bucks with Giannis going crazy for 50 points. This is not even the Los Angeles Clippers, who would love to go to the NBA Finals at the Lakers’ expense. Check the scenarios of the last three days.

• The Detroit Pistons dragged the Lakers to two overtimes while the negotiations of the Derrick Rose were being finalized signaling the start of the youth movement. 
• Oklahoma City started their youth movement months ago (Hence Dennis Schroder being on the team now!) bringing in an eight-man roster full of young players.
• What do these teams have in common? They are tanking!

Anthony Davis is already sitting out with Achilles soreness and other physical issues. Question, does anyone want LeBron James lying next to him on a training table rehabbing while the Lakers are in a playoff run? Ask the Lake Show Life loyal readers if this series can predict potential disaster.

To the rest of the NBA casuals that don’t believe it, well this is not a good quote from a Lakers franchise player via ESPN…

"“I’m good with one overtime compared to two overtimes,” James said. “Get home a little bit earlier and my heart don’t feel as bad as it did the other night.”"

Bleacher Report may think this is funny…

The Lake Show Life Lessons staff does not. If you are a real Los Angeles Lakers fan looking for a back to back championship run, it’s not funny to you either.

Let’s be clear here. LeBron James had to dig in his Cleveland and Miami bag of tricks to will this Lakers team to victory. But he did have help throughout the game from one player, while the other two showed up fashionably late. Read on.