Los Angeles Lakers: 3 Reasons Fans Should Be Concerned Going Into the Playoffs

Lakers Lackluster Performance In the Bubble

The second reason as to why the Lakers fans should be at least a little concerned going into the playoffs is that the team has played very shaky to say the best since the season has resumed. In the bubble, the team finished with a record of 3-5.

However, early in the process, they clinched the number one seed in the West which allowed them to take their foot off of the gas, begin to rest stars like LeBron James, and allow role-players more time on the court in an attempt to get them into a groove before the playoffs began.

While this can explain away the record being under .500, there are still many red flags that were raised while the Lakers were playing at full strength. The first is that their offense has been atrocious. It makes sense as to why the Lakers defense is leaps and bounds better than their offense so early on into the bubble with them being one of the teams with the most veteran players in the league it will take more time for them to get back in a groove and back into playing shape.

However, with the playoffs beginning, there is not much time left for the Lakers to work any more kinks out. One of the biggest red flags that were shown the most throughout the seeding games is that seemingly no one on the Lakers has their shooting stroke back and with the three-point shot being so important in today’s NBA it is crucial that the team works out this issue. Going into their game against the Denver Nuggets, the Lakers ranked last in scoring, field goal percentage, three-point percentage, and second to last in terms of free-throw shooting. It is very unlikely that the Lakers will be able to make it out of the West if their offense does not begin to catch up to their defense.