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Lakers Not on Point

Lack of Continuity, Westbrook Trade Hindering LeBron and Co.

The Los Angeles Lakers don’t look like themselves this season. LeBron James is frustrated, Russell Westbrook hasn’t fit in the way they imagined and Anthony Davis is injured. Again.

Can Los Angeles have better results in 2022, or is this the fall of the LeBron empire and the inevitable end of the Lakers’ dominance?

The 2022 Lakers Lack Continuity NBA 2021
Justin Ford/Getty Images/AFP

Lakers Lack Continuity

At the start of the 2021-2022 season, the Los Angeles Lakers were as optimistic and confident as ever. After all, front office management created yet another “Big 3,” generating media buzz after a disappointing finish to their 2020-21 campaign.

Russell Westbrook, arguably the most explosive pure athlete in the NBA, headed to L.A. with fanfare and acclaim, with many pundits praising LeBron James and Lakers’ leadership for the move. Others were weary.

Getting to the playoffs and earning championship gold is no easy feat in professional sports. Continuity tends to help. Betting experts and sportsbook are keenly aware that the most consistent teams in any sport have coaches, star players and a supporting cast of dedicated contributors that remain in place.

Teams like the Phoenix Suns, Atlanta Hawks, Milwaukee Bucks, Utah Jazz and Denver Nuggets were prime examples of such continuity to start the season, with little change in their rosters. The Lakers? Not so much. No team had less continuity than the Los Angeles Lakers to start this season.

And it’s even worse if it’s calculated in minutes. Since the Lakers only had three returning players (LeBron, Anthony Davis,and Talen Horton-Tucker), that’s just 3,970 returning minutes from last season — or 3,466 less than the next team. The Suns, in comparison, returned 15,193 minutes on their roster this season. The Suns are 27-7 and battling Golden State for the NBA’s best record while the Lakers are 17-19.

Russ Not Working in L.A.

Sometimes an eye-test is the only real way to diagnose a team’s problems. When Westbrook is on the court for the Lakers, something looks and feels off. Westbrook turns the ball over a ton, averaging 4.67 per game (second only to James Harden). For the first month of the NBA season, no player turned the ball over more than Westbrook.

He’s still producing at a high level statistically, averaging 19.7 points, 8.1 rebounds and 8.3 assists, but the energy he brings onto the court isn’t always productive for his team. His -3.6 net rating suggests as much.

There’s an obvious difference when James serves as point guard in place of Westbrook. The Lakers immediately look more fluid, get more open shots and the spacing works.

Spacing is a tough metric to measure, but NBA teams thrive when it’s done well. A team like the Phoenix Suns are a great example. Chris Paul always leads the charge, dishing the ball out to the paint or to the perimeter with a fluidity for which he’s become known. It’s an art form of sorts, and it’s the reason why the point guard is one of the most, if not the most, important positions in basketball.

Lack of good spacing creates a disorganized mess on the hardwood and inevitably results in corrupted chemistry. After the Lakers’ loss on Dec. 23 to the San Antonio Spurs at home, James opened up about their problems, “We have no chemistry with any lineup,” he said following the Spurs loss, “from the simple fact that we literally haven’t logged enough minutes. It’s the truth.”

Can Lakers Improve and are They Worth Your Wagers?

One thing keeps the Los Angeles Lakers above many teams in the NBA – they have one of the best players of all-time on their roster in James. As long as he remains healthy and continues to take A-plus care of his body, the Lakers have a shot.

The scores and odds on Lakers’ games have been very volatile, and with their up-and-down performances, it’s plain to see why. Still, it’s reasonable to forecast some positive regression from Los Angeles. If any player can bring a team together and create more chemistry, it’s LeBron James.

Despite Davis’ inconsistency and injury-prone history, he can step up in big moments when the Lakers need him. Maybe this is the year he finally shows more poise. Westbrook, though it certainly doesn’t seem like he’s a great fit for the Lakers, can only get better, too.

Los Angeles’ supporting cast – Rajon Rondo, Talen Horton-Tucker, Dwight Howard, Avery Bradley, Carmelo Anthony and others – has plenty of veteran experience. The outlook looks unpromising in a talent-filled Western Conference, but the Lakers shouldn’t be counted out.

Another way to bet on basketball with the Los Angeles Lakers is to look at their totals. A team built by defense in 2020-21, the Lakers are hitting overs more than unders this season.

The Lakers are 19-17 to the over thus far. Their defense has shown improvements, but they’ve played at the quickest pace in the NBA, too. Expect positive regression from the defense and a revamped, more methodical approach on offense.

If previous iterations of the Lakers are any indication, unders should start hitting more.

The future is uncertain for James and his team, but it’s hard to count them out. Time will tell, but the 2021-2022 Los Angeles Lakers have plenty to figure out to get back to their winning legacy.

In a loaded Western Conference with fluid teams like the Phoenix Suns and Golden State Warriors, one has to wonder: is this the beginning of the end of LeBron’s dynasty?

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