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The LA Lakers' miserable performance against the Minnesota Timberwolves saw Lakers legend James Worthy offer an honest, no-holds barred criticism of the Purple and Gold's performances since the month of December.
Discussing the 104-124 blowout loss on Spectrum SportsNet's post-game show, Worthy summed up the LA Lakers' players making excuses when referring to their comments after the game. He said:
"After the game they have their press conference, and they come back and do the same thing. That's been the case since December."
Worthy had already voiced his frustration with the side's performance at halftime. With the Lakers trailing 46-67 at the end of the second-quarter, Worthy had this to say:
"I dont have anything to say. I really don't"
While the post-game show comprised mainly of James Worthy breaking down the Lakers' season, Robert Horry also chimed in on discussing the side's tribulations.
Horry started off elegantly as he explained the issues with regards to the side displaying sparks of brilliance followed by equally disappointing moments which caused the game to slip away.
His frustration, much like many other fans of the franchise, peaked at the end when he said:
"It's just hard to sometimes sit here and stay positive and watch this because they keep doing dumb stuff."
With 11-straight losses on the road, there is little that has been positive about the LA Lakers this season. The rising frustration has affected everyone, fans and players alike.
Can the LA Lakers return to competitive form?
Currently 11 games below .500 with a 29-40 record, the LA Lakers still hold on to the ninth-seed in the West.
While this is a surprise in its own right, the only reason they have managed to do so is because the subsequent contenders - the New Orleans Pelicans and the Portland Trail Blazers - have struggled to win games.
But the product on the floor is not something that was expected at the start of the season. A legendary roster filled with future Hall of Famers should not be in a position to fight for a Play-In position.
The current state of the LA Lakers sees their team in a state of disarray. Early season issues were brushed off as adjustment problems, while mid-season problems were brushed off as intensity issues.
Given the trend in the performances, however, it is safe to say that chemistry issues - a major criticism when the team was constructed - were probably the Lakers' undoing.
While LeBron James' performances have been the highlight of the season, it seems quite like he has checked out on the team as well. To top it all off, Anthony Davis continues to be a limited player because of his battle with injuries.
Overall, the answer is no. The Lakers do not have what it takes to be competitive anymore. With nine of their remaining 13 games being against playoff-bound teams, it seems highly unlikely that the Lakers will have the time or the means to gear up and make a run.
Guess the Lakers players!
