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The Los Angeles Lakers have struggled early in the 2021-22 NBA season, and it might get worse as they have the toughest set of games moving forward. They failed to capitalize on a fairly easy schedule early on, and that might cost them down the stretch.
Fans and pundits have been actively involved in the blame game so far, as there are several factors people believe are the reason for the Los Angeles Lakers' struggles. After the first ten games, many people believed Russell Westbrook was not a good fit because of how often he turned the ball over. Those concerns have died down as he is playing much better, even though he has not reached the heights many expected.
With Russ playing better, all the attention shifted to head coach Frank Vogel. Fans were calling for his firing because they believe he does not know how to utilize the talents on the team. Although Los Angeles Lakers president Jeanie Buss has said they have not entertained the idea of firing Vogel, many believe he is still in the hot seat and needs to turn things around fast.
While there is an urgent need to turn things around, NBA Hall of Famer and analyst Charles Barkley does not believe the fault is with Vogel. He has always advocated against the idea of firing Vogel and believes Anthony Davis is to blame for the Los Angeles Lakers' struggles.
Speaking to hosts Justine Termine and Eddie A. Johnson on SiriusXM NBA Radio, he pointed out who needs to get better to help the Los Angeles Lakers this season.
"When the season first started, anything went bad in LA they blame Russell Westbrook. They blew 25-point leads twice against Oklahoma City. I said, 'wait a minute, they had a 25-point lead, everything can't be Russell Westbrook's fault.' And Russell, he's learning that system, and LeBron's been hurt."
"Now, you guys wanna fire Frank Vogel. Don't do that, that's not fair."
Barkley continued with his in-depth analysis by saying:
"Russ gotta play better. He's gotta turn the ball over less. But the reason the Lakers have not played well, Anthony Davis has not dominated. He hasn't been a top 10, 20 player. The thing that's bad about it, he's got those empty calorie numbers. He's averaging like twenty-something and ten."
He also mentions his reason for taking the media to task.
"Just do your job. Tell the truth. Don't be scared to say something about a player because you're worried about him not talking to you. Cause a lot of these guys are worried about 'if I say something bad about a player he's not gonna talk to me.' That's not our job. Our job is to do our job. And if you think the problem with the Lakers is Frank Vogel, you're not doing your job."
There is plenty of blame to go around as the team has not performed at an elite level. Nonetheless, there is some time to turn things around in the 50+ games left in the season.
Can the Los Angeles Lakers contend for the 2022 championship?
The Los Angeles Lakers have time to grow into an elite two-way unit, especially when they are 100% healthy. But the competition they will be up against will make their journey difficult.
The Golden State Warriors and Phoenix Suns have been dominating the Western Conference, and they look like the favorites to advance from the West. Experience will always trump youth, but both teams have a good blend of both, while the Los Angeles Lakers have mostly experience on their side.
LeBron James has been the best player on this Los Angeles Lakers team by far, and he will be turning 37 in a few days. Although his body is in prime shape, he is prone to injuries and might need to play fewer minutes to preserve himself for when he needs to dominate.
Playoff LeBron has always been a different kind of player. As long as he is healthy, he can take over games in the blink of an eye, which is what the Los Angeles Lakers might be counting on. But first, they will need to get over the hump and go on a winning run to secure a favorable seeding.
So far this season, the Lakers have yet to win four consecutive games. They are ranked 6th in the Western Conference with a 16-14 record. Later tonight, they will take on the Chicago Bulls, who have had their last two games suspended because of a covid-19 outbreak within the organization.
Guess the Lakers players!
