The Los Angeles Lakers have certainly not played to the capability that many fans and players of their team were hoping for this season. Some of their struggles can be because they have not been able to stay healthy, but other teams have had similar injuries.
Coming into the season, many people thought that the Lakers were going to be able to win an NBA championship. Through about the halfway part of the season, it doesn't seem likely that this Lakers team can win a championship with their current roster.
There are many questions about this Lakers team so let's take a look at the three biggest questions revolving around the Lakers organization this season.
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Lakers Questions 2022
3. What moves need to be made?
There are clearly areas that the Lakers are going to need to improve on this season and the first thing that they are going to look for at the trade deadline is going out and getting guys who can defend at a high level.
Many of their players at the moment are later in their careers and they just do not defend the same way that they did back when they were in the earlier stages of their playing careers.
Even guys like LeBron James have taken a step down this season in terms of defense but much of that can be put on the fact that he is having to play too many minutes and just doesn't have the energy to give it his all on the defensive side of the ball. Everybody who has watched LeBron for the last 15-plus years knows that when it's playoff time and he needs to get a stop, his energy is going to be focused on getting that stop and he's going to do everything he can to make sure that the opposing team does not score.
The Lakers also desperately need somebody who can come in and shoot that three-point shot at a high level because that's something that they are still lacking. When they have some of their lineups out on the court, they have zero spacing and that is a big concern come playoff time.
Their two biggest additions at the trade deadline need to be guys who can come in and defend at a high level but also other guys who can come in and stretch the floor.
2. Can Lebron continue playing these minutes?
There's no denying at the moment that LeBron James is still playing some of the best basketball of his career. What the Lakers do need to factor in is that LeBron is playing minutes that he should not be playing. He is averaging 36.7 minutes per game this year which is simply unacceptable for somebody of that age.
It makes sense that the Lakers are playing him some of these minutes because they have little to no help outside of him. With Anthony Davis sidelined due to an injury, they need LeBron to be the best player in the world and try to help this team win games. He has been arguably the best player in the world still even at 37 years old.
The Lakers have to realize that if they are going to want to find any sort of success during the season, they need LeBron to be 100% healthy.
If they continue playing him these type of minutes, there is a chance that he could get injured. It is an unfortunate thing to say because injuries are the worst part of sports. The reality of the situation is that if they do keep playing him almost 40-minutes per night, they will not find the success that they are hoping for because he is going to be tired come playoff time.
1. Are they title contenders?
It is tough to say at the moment that this Lakers team is a title contender. What would also be tough to say is that Anthony Davis, LeBron James, and Russell Westbrook won't be able to figure this thing out.
Although Westbrook has not looked great this season for the Lakers, he is eventually going to start playing better and that should help this Lakers team immensely.
Any team that does have LeBron James and Anthony Davis is a title Contender just because of how good both of those guys are. If the Lakers can stay healthy and get Anthony Davis back to full strength, they have to be feared in the Western Conference just because both of them can beat a team in a series by themselves.
At the moment, it would be tough to say that the Lakers are a contender but they still have a bunch of talent on their team. With how well LeBron James has continued to play, it would be tough to argue that they still aren't a team who could walk away with a championship.
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