LeBron James posts the "3 Spider-Men" meme, urging people to help him distinguish between COVID, cold and flu

The LA Lakers are struggling despite LeBron James' brilliance, and things are not looking good for the franchise. A blowout loss against the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday night made the team drop below .500 with their 17th loss of the 2021-22 NBA season.

Speaking after the game, LeBron James said they are not a good defensive team right now, because their defensive guys are in the health and safety protocols. But even when these guys were available, the Lakers were not a model defensive unit.

Granted, the Lakers have yet to play a game with a completely healthy roster, but they have enough talent to see them through to victories. At this point, it seems like the Lakers have one excuse or the other for their inefficiencies.

A frustrated LeBron James has taken to Instagram to express himself concerning the COVID-19 issues plaguing the league.

In the post, he uploaded an image of three Spider-Men pointing at each other, with "covid," "flu" and "cold" inscriptions on each. While the symptoms are similar, they do not have the same effect on people.

Perhaps the four-time champion is not over the false-positive result that sent him into the protocols for about a day. LeBron James may believe the same mistakes could have been made by the league again.

Can LeBron James and the Lakers turn things around even with significant absentees?

The Lakers defense has been horrible, but they may have a worse offense, despite LeBron James' contributions on both ends of the floor. The 2020-21 Brooklyn Nets stood a good chance of winning a championship despite their poor defense because their Big 3, comprised of Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant and James Harden, could outscore opponents.

Defense wins championships, but you also cannot win anything if scoring is a problem. The Lakers have elite-level scorers but have failed to find a winning formula.

LeBron James has had 30-point games in nine of his last 13 outings, but the Lakers have won only seven games in that period. He also leads the team in steals and is the second-best shot blocker on the team. Despite his efforts, the Lakers have continued to struggle to win games.

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The bottom line is that they need to make things work, with or without certain players, if they hope to remain competitive. All over the league, players and coaches are out because of the protocols, and they all have the same task of seeking a way to perform and win. While it is a peculiar situation, it is not unique to the Lakers, and they need to find a way to win.

As things stand, fans are starting to doubt their ability to make the playoffs or win a championship. LeBron James needs to lead the team on a run. There are no complaints about his performance, but he will have to find a way to make everyone else better and carry them along.