Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James knows what a championship-caliber team looks like. He's taken many to the promised land, winning four titles and making 10 NBA Finals appearances during his illustrious career.
That makes James' latest remarks about the Lakers both scathing and worthy of a wakeup call that may very well save the purple and gold from elimination.
Los Angeles is currently trailing the Oklahoma City Thunder 2-0 in what's felt like a fairly lopsided second-round series. The 64-win Thunder dominated Game 1 and pulled away in Game 2 during minutes that were played without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. That ultimately spawned questions in regard to the Lakers' ability to compete with the defending champions.
According to Dan Woike of The Athletic, James scoffed at the idea that the Lakers are on the Thunder's level, citing one simple flaw as the differentiating factor: An inability to sustain energy and effort.
“You want me to compare us to them?” he said incredulously. “… That’s a championship team right there. We’re not. … We can’t sustain energy and effort for 48 minutes, and they can. That’s why they won the championship.”
Even without Doncic, the Lakers have proven to have the talent to compete at a high level in the postseason. When the competitive edge declines, however, nothing is safe or sustainable.
LeBron calls Lakers out for not giving "energy and effort for 48 minutes"
Los Angeles clearly has a ceiling with Luka Doncic sidelined, but it's already won a playoff series without him. During the first-round battle with the Houston Rockets, the Lakers shocked the masses by winning three games without either Doncic or Austin Reaves, and ultimately prevailed 4-2.
The Thunder are a higher caliber of opponent, but the biggest loss the Lakers have experienced during the second round has been that of the identity that shaped them in Round 1.
Los Angeles defeated Houston by playing as a team, turning effort and energy into nightly expectations rather than encouraging flashes. That resulted in several unexpected heroes emerging, including Luke Kennard and Marcus Smart, as pivotal pieces of the offensive puzzle.
More importantly, the Lakers' defense was all but unbreakable, holding the Rockets below 100 points in four of the six games during the first-round series.
Unfortunately, Los Angeles committed 18 turnovers during Game 1 against the Thunder and allowed 125 points the next time out. Both of those statistics reflect how the Lakers have seemingly lost their edge, committing uncharacteristic mistakes and failing to sustain the energy that shaped their past success.
Thankfully, James has given the Lakers the wake-up call that may very well save them from disaster as their second-round series heads to Los Angeles.
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