What went wrong with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2021

Coming into the 2020-2021 NBA season, the Los Angeles Lakers were the heavy favorite to repeat as champions. However, they suffered a first-round elimination from the second-seeded Phoenix Suns.

Though this comes as a surprise to many, this was somewhat inevitable. The issue with the team became even clearer throughout the six-game series against the Suns.

Unlike the previous season, this Lakers team seemed to have far more chemistry and health issues. Notably, the injuries of Anthony Davis and LeBron James.

Other reasons why the Los Angeles Lakers fell short:

Another major contributing factor to the Lakers’ struggles was center Andre Drummond. Though he is elite at rebounding the ball to give his team a second chance on many possessions, he doesn’t fit alongside LeBron James.

It was clear that when he was on the floor during the starting minutes of the games against the Phoenix Suns, the offense looked very stagnant and non-fluid. There was a clear absence of any “easy shots”.

Every shot seemed like an open/contested three. This can be good for any team that has elite shooters; however, it wasn’t the same story with the Lakers. Drummond’s presence on the floor largely limited Lebron’s ability to drive to the basket as well as floor-spacing for the team as a whole.

Excluding the issues regarding Dennis Schroder and Andre Drummond, another issue the Lakers had relates to something outside of Anthony Davis’ health. Though Davis’s injury in Game 4 may have been a turning point in this series, something many have disregarded is the difference from the 2019-2020 bubble version of Anthony Davis to his current version.

Though many will disagree, I believe that Anthony Davis was a shell of his championship-caliber player. During the playoffs last season, Anthony Davis seemed to struggle in the first game of the playoffs against the Trail Blazers; however, it was around Game 2 and 3 where he discovered a new version of himself.

A version that was automatic from the midrange. A version that simply could not miss a shot throughout the entirety of the remainder of the playoffs.

Overall, whatever the reason may be, the previously automatic shot has been a rare sight to see ever since the championship season as Davis has reverted back to some of his old habits of hanging around outside the arc instead of being aggressive.

Though the Los Angeles Lakers have nothing to prove after already winning a championship in the first year of Lebron’s and Anthony Davis’s time together, it is no doubt that next season will be a season of revenge and a mission to bring home a record-breaking eighteenth franchise championship.