There was a lot of hype surrounding the Los Angeles Lakers heading into the 2023-24 season and thus far, the team has not lived up to the hype. Los Angeles has by no means been a bad basketball team but they have not looked like the perennial contender that fans thought they were.
The Lakers fell to the Orlando Magic on Saturday to fall to 3-3 on the season. The statistics behind the Lakers’ 3-3 record are more concerning as the team ranks 16th in points per game, 20th in points allowed per game, and 20th in net rating.
Those are not the signs of a good basketball team. Luckily, we are still very early in the season and the Lake Show has plenty of time to turn it around. If the team continues playing like this, though, then fans can certainly be concerned.
Fans should already be slightly concerned about the team after the comparison that LeBron James made. Following the loss to Orlando, James compared his team to a not-so-great NFL team that has similar traits as the purple and gold.
LeBron: "We're like the Pittsburgh Steelers right now. ... The Pittsburgh Steelers have not outgained or outscored any of their opponents...and yet they have a winning record."
— Lakers Daily (@LakersDailyCom) November 5, 2023
LeBron James concerningly compares the Lakers to the Pittsburgh Steelers
LeBron isn’t wrong — the Pittsburgh Steelers have a winning record despite having a negative point differential. Los Angeles also has a negative point differential thus far this season but they do not have a “winning” record, as the team is .500.
While it is easy to see where LeBron is getting the inspiration for this comparison, it is a bit concerning that he is comparing the Lakers to the Steelers. Nobody would call the Steelers a Super Bowl contender despite their record. Heck, most fans and pundits would agree that the Steelers are not even a good football team, despite the record.
So is LeBron admitting that the Lakers are not that great of a basketball team? It sounds like a stretch but we have to remember who we are talking about here. LeBron is very calculated about what he says to the media and when he says it.
LeBron is essentially admitting that the Lake Show is a sub-par team. While that might not mean anything right now, it could lead to the team making changes to the roster later in the season. After all, LeBron has a lot of influence in the moves that Rob Pelinka makes.
The Lakers are supposed to be like the Kansas City Chiefs or Philadelphia Eagles, not the Pittsburgh Steelers. Even LeBron knows this.