There is no denying the Los Angeles Lakers have been struggling. 20 games into the season and they are barely .500.
With their depth along with their star power it is surprising to see them perform so badly.
They are barely beating some of the league’s worst teams and look completely lost against some of the top teams.
Despite the early struggles, there is no need to worry if you are an LA fan.
The Lakers are a brand-new team with a lot of new players. It is going to take more than 20 games for them to gel with one another.
People do not realize how vital chemistry is to a basketball team. They also do not realize how long it takes for a team to develop good chemistry.
As good as Russell Westbrook is, this is his third team in three years. He has not played with super star caliber players like LeBron James and Anthony Davis in a long time.
Him and James also have similar play styles. They are both ball dominant and are used to the offense running and relying on them.
Some of the blame also lands on head coach Frank Vogel. He is still yet to find the right lineups.
Every game he is constantly changing the five on the court, almost as if he is just throwing random players in.
There are certain players that other players seem to play better with and Vogel has not figured that out yet.
What was also hurting the Lakers was the absence of LeBron James. He has missed 11 out of 20 games.
Luckily, after battling an abdominal strain and a 1 game suspension the king is back.
Even though the future hall of famer is aging, there is no doubt the Lakers are a better team with him on the court.
What is needed for the Lakers to continue to improve throughout the season is the play of Anthony Davis.
Him averaging 15 to 20 points every night is not going to get it done.
It is tough to see the Lakers finishing a top seed or making a deep playoff run without him being more aggressive on the offensive side.
There are not many people on the planet that can guard him. The sooner he realizes this, the sooner the court opens up for the Lakers.
His ability to dominate the paint alongside his mid-range ability really spreads the court offensively. This will also take some pressure away from Westbrook and James to score as much.
It is not a matter of if the Lakers figure it out, it is a matter of when.
With the team playing more and more with each other along with the return of James will set the squad back on the right path.
Do not be surprised to see the Lakers turn it around soon.
