Mark the calendar: It had been nine months to some seven-game road trip prior to the defending winner Los Angeles Lakers revealed any indication of being exposed this year, in Thursday’s 107-92 loss into the Detroit Pistons.
L.A. went to an 0-for-12 drought with just two turnovers since Detroit took charge.
“I believe we just were not connected defensively in the amount we were sort of assumed to be,” explained Kyle Kuzma, whose 22 points and 10 rebounds were cheered from the Lakers’ late meltdown. “Individually, everyone made mistakes and together with those created the group defense endure just a bit.”
Whatever excuse may have existed because of its poor showing, make sure it that the lack of Davis, the accumulation of street weariness or the struggle of a back pack, James did not wish to hear it.
“I meanwe have matches to be performed, work to be performed,” he explained. “We must continue to get better, and you can not get your head into the grasp of the number of times you’re on the street or in any case might be. Each group does it. Every team strikes a very long road trip. We are professionals.
“We must keep our heads fresh, maintain our bodies clean as far as we can to go out there and assembled a full 48-minute match, or near 48 minutes. Obviously we have not done it the past few games, and also we only got to be better on Saturday.”
Coach Frank Vogel contested a year’s Lakers staff to not fall consecutive games all season, and it’s turned into a part of the group culture this past year. L.A. made it over a quarter of their way throughout the summer before failing the assignment, dropping to Detroit per night after falling from Philadelphia.
While nobody sounded the alert, both Kuzma and James lamented the way the Lakers are still looking for a set spinning, and due to a lack of exercise time, wind up experimenting with new lineups from the matches.
“We are a team,” Kuzma said. “We are playing like 14 individuals. It is a challenging situation. Obviously, we are working through things. The training staff is working to work out rotations and determine what works with the finest, what gamers may play particular lineups. And that is only the point of this season we are in.”
And, since the Lakers’ road trip goes past a week and a halfhe confessed the very real challenge of continuous travel. “It is still a pandemic here,” he explained.
Vogel place the operation on himself, stating he must do a better job of placing his players at a position to be more prosperous, but finally chalked up the night as something which will not faze his group.
“We will be OK,” Vogel said. We will be OK. We are going to bounce back. Not so happy, not one of us are delighted with how we played tonight, but we will bounce back.”