Lakers News: Numbers Show LA Has A Major Nuggets Problem
Sometimes life can feel like we are living in the Twilight Zone. Strange things happen that we can't explain, and there is nothing to do about it.
For the Los Angeles Lakers, every time they face off against the Denver Nuggets, this feeling comes about. Once again on Saturday evening, Los Angeles had a chance to win a game against them, but let it slip away in the final minutes.
It's the same occurrence each time these teams square up, and it feels like we are still living in the Western Conference Finals from last season. It's the definition of insanity at this point, and the numbers show that Los Angeles has a major problem.
"The Lakers’ offseason, in no small part, was driven by the chance to respond — the vow to essentially “run it back” with small changes around the margins. Yet those inside the locker room acknowledged a harsh, yet obvious, truth, following the Lakers’ 124-114 loss to Denver. They’re not close to beating the team that ousted them a year ago. And, if you really examine it, the gap might actually be widening."
All offseason, the talk about about figuring out how they got swept by Denver last season and how they would tweak things to not allow it to happen again. But so far, it's been all talk, with nothing to show for.
Denver executes well down the stretch of games, and the Lakers fizzle out. It's like clockwork and has caused frustration around the organization.
"Following Saturday’s game, in which the Lakers were outscored 16-4 in the final four minutes, players publicly and privately expressed frustration with their late performance against the Nuggets. Multiple players pointed to how Denver changed their offensive tendencies, like they did in earlier meetings this season and last year in the playoffs, and how the Lakers still didn’t have an organized late-game plan for the defending champions."
At this point, the Lakers need to hope they don't match up with Denver if they reach the playoffs. But the more likely reality is that something needs to change.
Los Angeles needs to figure out a way to take down the Nuggets, otherwise, it will be another long offseason for this storied franchise.
