The Los Angeles Lakers have not gotten out to the start that they, or the fans, were expecting in the 2021-22 season. The Lakers have been floating around .500 and are currently 12-11 on the season and seem to be miles behind the Golden State Warriors and Phoenix Suns for being the best team in the Western Conference.
The advanced metrics tell a terrible story for the Lakers as well. Over 75% of the team’s rotation has a negative Box Plus/Minus, meaning that they are below-average players. The Lakers are currently 22nd in Net Rating and Simple Rating System.
Not numbers that you want to see as a “contender”.
So what is exactly wrong with the Los Angeles Lakers?
Most people would say two words: Russell Westbrook. And while that is absolutely part of the reason why the team is struggling, we cannot pin it all on Westbrook. The trade and Westbrook’s contract have absolutely caused the Lakers to struggle, but Westbrook is not the only reason why the team is struggling.
As far as I am concerned, we can pinpoint three exact reasons why the Los Angeles Lakers are struggling thus far this season. If the team does not solve these problems, they are not going to make it very far in the NBA Playoffs.
In no particular order, let’s dive into the three reasons why the Los Angeles Lakers are struggling.